Cleveland, TN–Lee University will award its first doctoral degrees to five students and Dr. David E. Ramirez will deliver the keynote address at the winter commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 11, at 10:30 a.m.
Lee’s winter commencement is one of three graduation ceremonies held each year at the university, the others being held in the spring and summer. There will be 251 undergraduate and 33 graduate students receiving degrees in the Saturday morning ceremony. Five of those graduate students are Lee’s first doctoral students, all graduating with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. There will also be 15 graduates from 2020 that will participate in the ceremonies because of their pandemic-cancelled ceremony last year.
[1]Ramirez
Ramirez serves as an assistant general overseer for the Church of God and the Division of Education’s executive director. Born in Argentina and holding dual citizenship in Chile and the United States, he is a recognized international speaker, writer, and professor on Christian global leadership, narrative preaching, church planting, and practical theology. He has served as the Church of God world missions director for Latin America, the director for South America, and the administrative bishop for the southwest Hispanic region, U.S. Ramirez also established the South American Seminary (SEMISUD), served as its president for 20 years, and oversaw its establishment in Quito, Ecuador, where he was also founding pastor of the 900-member Capilla del Valle Church. Ramirez holds a Doctor of Ministry from Asbury Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary, and two honorary doctoral degrees recognizing excellence in Christian leadership.
Prior to the Saturday commencement, a commissioning ceremony will be held Friday, Dec. 10, at 6:30 p.m. The commissioning service is a special occasion for students and their families to reflect on their time at Lee, and five student speakers will share brief stories about their experiences. During the event, each graduate is presented with a personalized Bible in a traditional walk across the stage. Both services will be held in the Conn Center.
In addition to the commissioning ceremony on Friday, the hooding ceremony for recipients of master’s degrees, education specialist degrees, and the first DNP degrees will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the Lee Chapel. The hooding, commissioning, and commencement ceremonies are ticketed events. For those wishing to view any of the events, live streaming will be available at leeu.live.
For more information about commencement exercises, contact the Academic Events Office at (423) 614-8117 or visit leeuniversity.edu/academics/graduation-info/ [2].