Commencement

Arrival Times

Students should arrive at the indoor track in the Recreation Center by noon on Friday, May 9. Light refreshments will be available. Please do not plan to leave any personal items such as hangers, purses, water bottles, etc. in the Rec. Center during the ceremony. These items will be left with Rec. Center staff and added to their lost and found. OUWB is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Guests and families are not permitted in the Rec. Center.

The doors to the OU Credit Union O'rena will open promptly at 1 p.m. for general seating for guests and families. (Note: There will be time for pictures in regalia after the event). Guest(s) who arrive before 1 p.m. will not be permitted into the Rec. Center or the OU Credit Union O'rena.

Professional Photos

Jewell Photography will be taking photos during the ceremony of the hooding, receiving the diploma from the Dean, and with OU's President. A professional headshot will also be taken during the ceremony.

Payment will not be accepted on the day of Commencement. All of the images will be posted online within a week and can be purchased directly from Jewell's website. Click the 'Find Your Photos' button in the upper right corner and search the recent events.

Any questions regarding photography can be directed to Jewell Photography.

Guest Questions

All guests of graduating students who plan on attending commencement ceremonies must present a ticket to obtain entry into the O’rena. Graduating students will receive their allotted 15 tickets during graduation checkout the week of May 5. Children three and under will not require a ticket for entry.
Wheelchairs are available to guests who need assistance. They will be located inside the main lobby of the OU Credit Union O'rena.
Sign language interpreters will be on stage during the ceremony. When looking at the stage, they will be on the right-hand side of the stage.
Concessions will be available for purchase inside the OU Credit Union O'rena. Guests are not permitted inside the Rec. Center.

Prohibited Items Policy

For the safety and security of all attendees, please be aware that ALL BAGS AND PURSES ARE PROHIBITED from the OU Credit Union O’rena for Commencement for students and guests. Please leave your purse/bag at home or in your vehicle. Diaper bag contents can be brought in a clear Ziplock bag. Please see the Prohibited Items Policy for a complete list of prohibited items.

Reception

The reception will begin immediately following the ceremony at the Elliot Tower. Graduates will be instructed during the ceremony to follow the bag pipers across the street to meet their guests at the tower. There will be light appetizers and beverages. All guests, family and attendees of the ceremony are welcome to join. The reception is not mandatory.

If there is inclement weather, we will host the reception inside the Oakland Center Ballrooms (same location as Match Day). This announcement will be made during the Commencement ceremony.

Honorary Degree Candidate and Keynote Speaker Richard M. Frankel, Ph.D.

An image of Dr. Frankel

Richard M. Frankel, Ph.D., is a professor of medicine and geriatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) where he directs the Advanced Scholars Program for Internists in Research and Education (ASPIRE) and is also a senior research scientist at Regenstrief Institute. He also holds a faculty appointment in the Education Institute at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine.

Dr. Frankel is trained as a qualitative researcher whose interests include the doctor-patient relationship, quality and safety in healthcare, and organizational culture change. He is the co-author of “The Four Habits of Highly Effective Clinicians,” an approach to communicating with patients that has been used to train upwards of 25,000 physicians in the U.S. and abroad. Demonstrated competence in the Four Habits is currently required for medical licensure in Norway.

In addition to his research interests, Dr. Frankel has been a medical educator for the past 40 years. He was the co-director of the internal medicine residency program at Highland Hospital/University of Rochester, and while there served as co-director of the Program in Advanced Biopsychosocial Medicine. For a decade at IUSM, he was the state-wide director of the school’s professionalism competency, also serving on the admissions and student promotions committees.

Dr. Frankel completed his undergraduate studies at Colgate University and obtained a Ph.D. in sociology from the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York. He completed postdoctoral training at Boston University, was a Fulbright Senior Research Fellow in Uppsala, Sweden, and is a founding Fellow of the Academy for Communication in Healthcare.

He has held a dozen visiting professorships, published more than 300 scientific papers and has edited seven books. The Gold Foundation recently established an award in Dr. Frankel’s name for “Creating A Loving Community.”

OUWB Commencement 2025

Honorary Degree Candidate and Keynote Speaker Richard M. Frankel, Ph.D.