Hastings College’s 124th Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies will be held Friday and Saturday, May 14 and 15. Baccalaureate will take place at 6 p.m., Friday, May 14, at First Presbyterian Church in Hastings. Commencement will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 15, in the Lynn Farrell Arena at Hastings College.

Hastings College will have 213 undergraduates crossing the stage on Saturday with 21 Master of Arts in Teaching graduates. HCTV, on Hastings Charter Cable Channel 6, will provide a live broadcast of the Commencement ceremonies on Saturday morning.

The Reverend Dr. W. Carter Aikin, director of Vocation and Values and assistant professor of religion and philosophy at Hastings College, will deliver the Baccalaureate sermon on Friday.

Dr. Jessica Meeske, pediatric dentist, public health advocate and a member of the Hastings College Board of Trustees, will be the Commencement speaker on Saturday. She will also be receiving an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the college.

Dr. Charles Eigenberg, retiring professor of psychology, will receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree. Patrice Hughes, retiring professor of library science; Dr. Michael Johnson, retiring professor of foreign languages; Kathryn Stofer, retiring professor of communication arts; and Joachim Wunderlich, retiring professor of foreign languages, will receive honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees.

Hastings College, founded in 1882, is a private, four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). A total of 64 majors in 32 areas of study and 12 pre-professional programs are offered to more than 1,150 students. Hastings College was named 75th Best Value College in the nation and #1 in Nebraska by Forbes.com and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. It was named a 2010 “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review and rated a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s. Visit www.hastings.edu for more information.