(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – Antioch University Santa Barbara (AUSB) will host its 2015 Commencement ceremony at the Fess Parker Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara on Friday, June 19 from 2-4 p.m.

At this year’s commencement, 150 students will receive degrees from AUSB’s academic programs. Of those, 77 will receive their Bachelor of Arts degrees; 12 will complete the Graduate Education and Credentialing program; 46 will finish the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology program; and 15 will complete the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) program.

Dr. Nancy Leffert, AUSB President, and Victoria Riskin, chair of the AUSB Board of Trustees, will give welcoming remarks, and Lynn Houston, who received her BA from AUSB in 2011 and was honored with this year’s Distinguished Graduate Award, will speak on behalf of the alumni.

“It is my honor this year, as it is every year, to usher a new class of Antioch graduates into the world to continue the good work they have already begun on furthering their careers and professional lives,” Leffert said.

Linda Hoover, who will be graduating from the PsyD program, and Miranda Rich, a Bachelor of Arts graduate with concentrations in Communication Media and Marketing, have been named as the commencement speakers.

“Being selected as a commencement speaker is the crowning jewel in my academic journey,” Hoover said. “I am honored by the privilege to represent the PsyD program and graduates this year.”

“My Antioch experience taught me that the goal of my education was not to leave knowing the threats that exist today but is to leave having the passion to fight them,” Rich said.

Susan Lang, MA, an affiliate faculty member at USB, will receive the 5th Annual Award for Excellence in Teaching at the ceremony.

Lang has taught at AUSB for over 15 years in both the Graduate Education and Bachelor of Arts programs and routinely receives stellar student evaluations. Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Barbara Lipinski wrote that Susan’s “dedication to student learning and success in the areas of child development, psychology, and education is commendable. She brings innovative learning techniques that make the material in challenging courses accessible and comprehensible.”

The ceremony is reserved for family and invited guests of the graduates. For more information on the ceremony, please visit antiochsb.edu/commencement.

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About AUSB
Antioch University provides learner-centered education to empower thousands of students worldwide with the knowledge and skills to lead meaningful lives and to advance social, economic and environmental justice. Antioch University Santa Barbara (AUSB), founded in 1977 as one of five nationwide locations—including Los Angeles, CA; Seattle, WA; New England (Keene, NH); and Midwest (Yellow Springs, OH)—provides both graduate degrees and bachelor’s completion programs at its thriving downtown campus. AUSB’s unique curriculum draws students from throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, South America and Europe. Antioch University is a nonprofit, private, 501(c)3 organization and member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. To learn more, visit antiochsb.edu.