The NAU Review — Recognize NAU’s Class of 2023 and more of its exceptional members in this commencement edition

May 11, 2023 🎓

NAU will celebrate more than 5,200 graduates in four ceremonies May 12-13. The honorary doctorate recipients and commencement speakers are Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Arturo A. Massol-Deyá, executive director of Casa Pueblo; Ty White, the 2023 Arizona Education Foundation Teacher of the Year; and David P. Franke, a principal at Franke & Company. Check out the NAU Commencement website for information about traffic and parking, the clear bag policy and the new bot who can answer your questions this weekend.

When Michael Hill Grier was in middle school, he developed a passion for architectural drafting. But it wasn’t until he joined the Navy more than 10 years later that he realized his passion was much deeper than that. He wanted to help people and would do so by learning about solutions for clean energy to help fight climate change. His 16-year journey to his degree in electrical engineering will come to an end soon, and his wife, daughter and soon-to-be-born son will be there cheering him on.

Mechanical engineering graduate Rebekah Wucinich has combined her love for understanding how the world works with her passion for serving others. Her work with underprivileged children, teaching them about robotics, coding and engineering had a lasting impact on her future plans. Wucinich hopes to continue making a difference in the lives of young people and instill in them a love for STEM. Her success in academics and NAU clubs, including building an escape room that attracted more than 700 people and working on a NASA project, demonstrates that being willing to put in the effort can lead you to achieve anything when given the opportunity.