Union Institute & University holds National Commencement

387 students from 30 states and three countries to receive degrees

CINCINNATI, July 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday, July 10, 2022, the National Commencement ceremony of Union Institute & University will be at the Hilton Netherland Plaza, Hall of Mirrors in Cincinnati, OH, at 2 p.m. Union celebrates granting Doctoral, master's, and bachelor's degrees to 387 students representing 30 states and three countries. The youngest graduate is 23, and the oldest is 75. The 2022 graduating class now joins the more than 20,000 Union alumni who continue to bring honor to Union's mission to provide creative and achievable pathways and solutions for students to be engaged, enlightened, and empowered and to pursue a lifetime of learning, service, and social responsibility.

Union's commencement speaker is Edgar L. Smith, Jr., a visionary, compassionate leader who embodies Union's mission to engage, enlighten, and empower those around him. Smith serves as chair of the Union Institute & University Board of Trustees and founder, chairman, and CEO of Cincinnati, Ohio-based World Pac Paper. World Pac Paper is a privately held Inc. 500 and BE 100 company and an award-winning national, independent distributor of high-quality papers and packaging solutions. In 2004, Smith founded World Pac Paper, which was named an Inc. 500 Top Black-Run Company in 2009. In his role as chairman and CEO, Smith leads and provides strategic direction, planning, and business development.

Mr. Smith has extensive experience in sales and marketing, working in large corporations such as Coca-Cola North America, Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, and James River Corporation. Smith is a dedicated community volunteer, serving the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, ArtsWave, Cincinnati Arts Association, American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Join Union's Board of Trustees, staff, faculty, students, and alumni in welcoming Union's graduates to Cincinnati. To learn more about Union Institute & University, consider attending "Ecologies of Hope and Change: Confronting Environmental Injustice from Climate to the Classroom and Beyond," with featured keynote Richard Blanco.

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SOURCE Union Institute & University