Nearly 100 University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business students will receive their degrees and join the ranks of Husker alumni during a combined graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.
They will be among more than 500 students earning doctoral, master’s or baccalaureate degrees. Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett will preside over the ceremony.
“I am thrilled to congratulate every graduate and celebrate what the class of 2025 accomplished during their time with the College of Business. As alumni, we know they will continue to drive discovery, create opportunity and lead the future of business — whether in Nebraska or around the world,” said Kathy Farrell, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean and professor of finance.
Among those earning a bachelor's degree is Kathryn Christensen of Bennington, Nebraska, who graduates with degrees in business administration and emerging media arts. She combined the majors to secure national internships in the entertainment business. She credits the support she received at the university for helping her reach her career goals.
"Nebraska has a reputation for being nice, but I have been surprised time and time again by how invested students, faculty, and administration are in each other's success. UNL has a way of connecting you with an authentic support system that I think is rare to find elsewhere," she said.
After previously earning an online graduate certificate in business analytics, Josiah Allick of Lincoln, Nebraska, completed his Master of Business Administration program online while playing professional basketball in New Zealand.
“Knowing I needed to prepare for life after basketball, I continued with my MBA to gain the tools necessary to advance in whatever industry I find myself in the future or as an entrepreneur," Allick said.
Recent graduates can also take advantage of the Nebraska Graduate Advantage Program (GAP), which helps reduce possible financial barriers for those pursuing graduate education. GAP offers offers 15% savings on graduate tuition for the online Master of Science in Business Analytics and Supply Chain Management programs to students who earned a bachelor’s degree from UNK, UNL or UNO in the last five years with a GPA of 3.2 or higher.
“This opportunity helps meet the workforce needs in Nebraska and nationwide for professionals with in-demand technical skills,” Farrell said.
Both commencement ceremonies will stream live online at: https://commencement.unl.edu.
2025 AUGUST BUSINESS GRADUATES
Doctor of Philosophy
Jeffrey Thomas Cavanaugh, La Vista; Business—Dissertation: Sociological Understandings of Entrepreneurial Action and Intention. Advised by Professor Varkey Titus, Jr.
Diego Villalpando de la Garza Evia, Lincoln; Business—Dissertation: Planting the Seed: Rumors and CEO Dismissal. Advised by Professors Robert Campbell and Varkey Titus, Jr.
Master of Business Administration
Josiah Benjamin Allick, Lincoln
Marc Brandon Bellanca, Titusville, FL
Matthew Hamilton Garrick, Singapore, Singapore
Joseph Gawreluk, Moorhead, MN
Jeffrey Dan Glass, Waxahachie, TX
Serjio Gomez, Parker, CO
Jagjot Grewal, Gilbert, AZ
Connor Shane Hillson, Andover, MA
Michael David Hollins, Bennington
Alexander Scott Horowitz, Columbia, MD
Frank V. Ingiosi, King of Prussia, PA
Calan Gordon Koch, Lincoln
Benjamin Dwaine Kroese, Unadilla
Jonathan Lee Leslie, Chicago, IL
Jesse Dennis Lundgren, Dixon, CA
Benjamin Charles Rhodes, Gretna
Caleb Lee Smith, Lincoln
Corey Jasper Thomas, Fairfax Station, VA
Michael Brian Vader, Temecula, CA
Christopher M. Waterbury, Livingston, MT
Ben Wearing, Papillion
Douglas Wehrman, Nelson
Ashleigh Nicole Willard, North Platte
Gia Yang, Carthage, MO
Kevin Conrad Yost, Greenwood Village, CO
Master of Professional Accountancy
Brian Cooper Buschini, Lincoln
Aaron A. Ebrahim, Lincoln
Riley Ray Ruisinger, Bennet
XingCheng Xu, Alliance
Master of Science
Joshua Thomas Ackley, Holt, MI—Supply Chain Management
Jerrod Alexander Baxter, Loveland, CO—Supply Chain Management
Sebastiano Anthony Di Ruocco, Omaha—Finance
Jan Cristopher Hernandez DeGuzman, Shelton, CT—Finance
Francois Kabatusu Lukadi, Lincoln—Business Analytics
Jason Adam Kyles, Kettering, OH—Supply Chain Management
John Vincent Mattos, Nashville, TN—Finance
Caitlin Louise McCormick, Prospect Park, PA—Supply Chain Management
Moeed Ahmed Mughal, Glen Burnie, MD—Business Analytics
Gregory William Nordhues, Kearney—Finance
James Christopher Smith, Lincoln—Finance
Bradley Stephen Sullivan, Gretna—Business Analytics
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Wiam Salim Ambusaidi, Muscat, Oman (With Distinction)
Jagger Lee Amend, Lincoln
Will Anthony Apayo, Omaha
Alexis Nicole Badura, Lincoln
Caden Ja’Lon Bedford-Crandell, Omaha
Collin Scott Bishop, Seward
Kathryn Paige Christensen, Bennington
Sophia Lora Cox, Lincoln
Harlee Damme, Lincoln
Madison Sue Detamore, Doniphan
Maxwell Ferris Dorfmeyer, Lincoln
Max Ethan Draus, Wheaton, IL
Maya Elias, Lincoln
Ethan Ellingson, Wichita, KS
Ian C. Erlemeier, Lincoln
Aaliyah Flores-Pliego, Omaha
Brennan Charles Frewing, Columbus
Sunny Gupta, Fatehgarh Sahib Sirhind, Punjab, India
Samuel James Haire, Lincoln
Aidan William Ham, Stilwell, KS
Aaron James Hill, Liberty, MO
Tenley Jaye Katt, Lincoln (With High Distinction) (University Honors Program) (Nebraska Business Honors Academy)
Shon M. King, Jr., Norfolk
Rachel Kolar, Lincoln
Mollie Konen, Ashland
Caden Lucas Kraft, Lincoln
Nick Lilleskov, Omaha
Landon Mader, West Des Moines, IA
Michael Joseph McCabe, Lincoln
Luke Daniel McCarthy, Lincoln
Samuel Jay McCracken, Scottsdale, AZ (With Distinction)
Sarhang Sarhad Mirza, Koya, Erbil, Iraq
Benjamin Robert Morse, Grand Island
Hamish Michael Murray, Sydney, Australia (With Highest Distinction)
Nhan Hoai Nguyen, Lincoln
Nolan Grant O’Halloran, Dakota City
Joshua Alexander Osbron, Santa Clarita, CA
David Horacio Pineda-Alegria, Lincoln
Juan Javier Raymundo-Garcia, Crete
Hailey Josephine Roop, Bennington
Noah J. Ruzicka, Grand Island
Abigail Lynn Ryan, Omaha
Rene Santiago, Jr., Lincoln
Miles Matthew Schmidt, Elkhorn
Austin Michael Sweney, Gretna
Zachary Francis Timmer, Basehor, KS
Zachary Alan Tonniges, Seward
Nolan Uribe, Lincoln
Charles Brandon Valle, Omaha
Alexander John Weremy, Omaha
Nicholas Westberg, Minnetonka, MN
Adam Williamson, Papillion
Austin Douglas Yeatts, Papillion
Tyler Lawrence Zemko, Elgin, IL
