McMurry University will hold a Fall Commencement on December 14, 2024, at 10 a.m. in the Radford Auditorium for over 50 students. Among them are four students receiving master’s degrees and four graduating from the University Honors Program.
University President Dr. Sandra S. Harper will preside over the graduation ceremony for the final time as president, marking one of her last official duties before she retires on January 10, 2025.
“It is my honor to join our students, their friends and families, and the McMurry community to celebrate our graduates,” Harper said. “Many of these students began their higher education journeys during the pandemic, and their perseverance and determination have paid off. They are an inspiring reminder of how important a strong, connected campus is to a student’s success.”
Dr. Harper has served as McMurry University’s president since 2013, making history as the first female president since its founding in 1923 and the first woman to lead an Abilene-based university. During her 11-year tenure, she successfully steered the institution through significant transformations, defying national trends in higher education. Her leadership has been marked by record-breaking achievements, including two consecutive years of fundraising success and the highest enrollment in the university’s history.
Dr. Paul Fabrizio, professor of political science at McMurry University, will give the commencement address. Fabrizio joined the McMurry faculty in 1996. In addition to being a professor, he was named dean of the School of Arts & Letters in 2007 and, in 2010, was selected as the vice president for academic affairs, a position he served in for five years. He has also assisted McMurry in several interim roles, including dean of students, athletic director, and president. From 2005 to 2020, he was co-host of the local political radio talk show, “The Professors,” with the late McMurry Professor Rev. Dr. Bill Libby. He is also a frequent guest on local news stations, state and nationwide publications, and international radio shows, speaking about politics and elections, alongside his role as host of the Division of Humanities, Religion, and Social Sciences podcast, “McMurry Minds.”
Throughout his distinguished 28-year career at McMurry, Fabrizio has received numerous awards, including the Abilene Young Lawyer’s Association’s Liberty Bell Award and McMurry’s own Gordon R. and Lola J. Bennett Award for Outstanding Teaching, Service, and Leadership. McMurry graduates have twice awarded him the Faculty Appreciation Award and has received the Outstanding Faculty Award and the Outstanding Administrator Award.
Contact
Nicholas Ocheltree, Director of Integrated Communications
ocheltree.nick@mcm.edu
325-260-3963