Northwest prepping for Dec. 11 winter commencement; Mosaic Medical Center president to deliver address

Northwest graduates pose for a selfie after a commencement ceremony last spring. Northwest will host winter commencement ceremonies on Dec. 11. (Photo by Todd Weddle | Northwest Missouri State University)

Northwest Missouri State University will celebrate the achievements of its most recent graduating students during two winter commencement ceremonies on Friday, Dec. 11.

The University will host ceremonies on its campus at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in Bearcat Arena at the Lamkin Activity Center. To accommodate guests who cannot attend, Northwest also offers a live online stream of each ceremony at www.nwmissouri.edu/live.

Scott Koelliker

Scott Koelliker, the president of Mosaic Medical Center-Maryville, will deliver the day’s commencement addresses to graduates and their families.

“We always look forward to celebrating our graduates and all they have achieved during their time at Northwest, and we are especially excited to welcome Scott Koelliker to share his experiences as a leader in healthcare,” Dr. Lance Tatum, the University’s president, said. “Northwest is proud of its partnership with Mosaic, and Scott has been a supportive ally in our work to uplift rural healthcare in the region.”

Koelliker began his career in patient care as a trauma nurse more than 30 years ago, accumulating more than 15 years of experience with the hospital’s inpatient area and 15 years in the clinic outpatient area.

He advanced to leadership as an administrator and executive vice president for Mosaic clinics before moving in 2015 to Illinois-based Blessing Health System. There, he served as executive vice president and chief of physician practice management, taking responsibility for setting the vision and leading operations and strategy. Koelliker grew the physician enterprise from 40 providers to more than 307 providers in three states, making Blessing Health System the largest multi-specialty medical group in a 90-mile radius.

About the graduating class

More than 700 students are expected to complete degrees at the University this fall, with about 320 earning bachelor’s degrees and about 400 receiving master’s or education specialist degrees.

Another 666 students completed degrees during the summer and will be recognized during next month’s ceremonies. Those graduates include 169 who completed bachelor’s degrees, 366 who completed master’s degrees and 131 who earned specialist degrees.

Graduates participating in commencement ceremonies may pick up caps and gowns in the Student Recreation Center between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7, through Wednesday, Dec. 9, or between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10. Caps and gowns also will be available at the Student Recreation Center one hour prior to each ceremony.

Additionally, Northwest will host its Grad Fest for all graduating students from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, in the Student Recreation Center.

For more details about commencement ceremonies at Northwest, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/graduation/.