UNA Pressroom

More Than 900 Students Set To Graduate May 7, 8

Apr. 29, 2021



Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@dlokoko.com, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

CONTACT: Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at meubanks@dlokoko.com, 256-606-2033 or 256-765-4392

April 29, 2021

Fall 2020 Commencement

FLORENCE, AL - Spring commencement at the University of North Alabama will graduate more than 900 students during six ceremonies May 7 and 8 that are set to take place in the newly renovated Norton Auditorium.

  • On Friday, May 7, at 5 p.m., undergraduate students from the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions and the College of Education and Human Sciences will graduate. At 7:30 p.m., graduate students from the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions and the College of Education and Human Sciences will receive their degrees.

  • On Saturday, May 8, at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. undergraduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences will graduate. At 2 p.m., undergraduate students from the College of Business will graduate, while at 4:30 p.m. graduate students from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business will receive their degrees.

Kyle Buchanan will provide the commencement addresses on May 7. He is the President of Helen Keller Hospital and a Tuscumbia native. Buchanan is a Class 25 member of Leadership Alabama and serves as the Chair-Elect of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce. He is also an adjunct faculty member in the UNA College of Business. Buchanan lives in Muscle Shoals with his wife, Dr. Kyrel Buchanan, and their two daughters, Carrington and Callie.

Anne C. Whitaker, the Chief Executive Officer of Aerami Theraputics and a member of the UNA Board of Trustees, will provide the address at the 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. ceremonies on May 8. She was recognized by PharmaVoice as one of the Top 100 most Inspiring Leaders in Healthcare and by Women, Inc., as one of the most Influential Corporate Directors in 2019. Whitaker has a bachelor's degree in chemistry from UNA.

Macke Mauldin, a third-generation banker and President of Bank Independent and CEO of its parent company, BancIndependent, Inc., will provide the address for the afternoon commencement ceremonies on May 8. Mauldin plays a critical role in steering philanthropic and economic development in the communities of North Alabama. He is also Vice Chairman of the bank's board of directors and Chairman of the board at Interstate Billing Service.

In order to allow guests to celebrate with their graduate and maintain a safe environment, the following steps will be implemented:

  • All graduates, guests, and staff are required to wear a face covering. Face coverings will be provided for graduate and staff only. Guests must provide their own face coverings.

  • Graduates are allowed a maximum of four guests. The graduate and their guest must check in together as a party. A health-screening questionnaire will be assessed, and temperatures will be checked for all members of the graduate's party. If any member of the party answers 'yes' to a health screening question or has a temperature of 100.4 or above, no one in the graduate's party will be allowed in the ceremony, including the graduate.

  • The guests of the graduate's party will be given wristbands and escorted to their seats as a group.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education and Human Sciences, and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I's ASUN Big South Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: bzl.dlokoko.com and bzl.dlokoko.com/unaworks/