MISSOULA - The University of Montana welcomed its newest alumni on Saturday, May 13, 2023.
Two graduation ceremonies were held today on campus with a couple hundred students from all of the colleges receiving their diplomas. The over 2,000 graduates who made up the class of 2023 were celebrated in the Adams Center.
UM also presented two honorary doctorates during the ceremonies.
During the first ceremony, UM alumna Mandy Smoker Broaddus received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Smoker Broaddus was born on the Fork Peck Indian Reservation and is a member of the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from UM in 2002 and has published multiple novels. She also served as Montana’s first Indian student achievement specialist in the Indian Education Program at the Office of Public Instruction.
John Shaffner, a famed set designer, received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts during the second ceremony. Shaffner is recognized as one of the most celebrated and influential production designers in history. He graduated from UM in 1974 with a degree in drama and went on to serve as a designer for 135 television pilots and 54 series.
Congratulations to all the UM students who graduated.
