May 2015 Commencement

The University of Memphis held its spring Commencement on Sunday, May 10, awarding 2,339 degrees, including 45 doctorates, in two ceremonies at FedEx Forum.

During the noon Commencement, the College of Arts & Sciences, College of Communication and Fine Arts and University College conferred degrees. At 4:30 p.m., degrees were awarded to graduates of the Fogelman College of Business & Economics, College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, Herff College of Engineering, Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality & Resort Management, Loewenberg School of Nursing, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and School of Public Health.
In the first ceremony, Gary Shorb, president and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, was the featured speaker and also received an honorary doctor of letters degree. At the second session, Dr. Scott Morris, founder and CEO of Church Health Center, was the speaker and received an honorary doctor of letters degree.

Shorb joined Methodist in 1990 as executive vice president. His community service includes serving on the boards of Memphis Tomorrow, the National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis Bioworks Foundation and the UofM Board of Visitors. His many honors include United Methodist Administrator of the Year, Mid-South Minority Business Council CEO of the Year and UofM Outstanding Young Alumnus. Shorb is the chair of Memphis Fast Forward, an initiative that advocates the premise that economic growth and prosperity will follow once Memphis and Shelby County address the issues of good jobs, quality education, safe streets and good government. A graduate of Clemson University, he earned his MBA from the UofM.

The Church Health Center opened in 1987 with a commitment to provide primary health care to low-income, uninsured working people. CHC provides health care to more than 65,000 patients in its clinic, which includes primary care, dentistry, optometry, counseling and social work services. The Center also has created the Wellness and Faith Community Outreach ministries, which combine the disease prevention of medicine with the spiritual care of the faith community. Morris is a physician and an ordained United Methodist minister.