BGSU holding Spring 2023 Commencement exercises starting Friday

More than 2,600 degree candidates will cross the Commencement stage over three ceremonies at the Stroh Center

Bowling Green State University will honor the academic achievements of more than 2,600 graduates of the Class of 2023 with Commencement exercises on Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29, in the Stroh Center.

New this year, BGSU will hold a separate hooding ceremony to recognize doctoral candidates starting at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, April 28, in Kobacker Hall on the Bowling Green campus.

A ceremony for all graduate degree candidates, bachelor’s candidates from the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business and associate and bachelor’s candidates from Firelands College will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 28. A ceremony for bachelor’s candidates from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Health and Human Services will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 29, while a ceremony for bachelor's candidates from the College of Education and Human Development, College of Technology, Architecture and Applied Engineering and College of Musical Arts will take place at 3 p.m. that same day.

In total, the Spring 2023 graduating class includes 2,604 candidates, of which 147 will be presented associate degrees, 1,913 will be presented bachelor's degrees, 531 with master's degrees and 36 with doctoral degrees. Every candidate will have the opportunity to cross the Commencement stage and receive their diploma cover.

Those planning to attend the University's 2023 Commencement exercises should prepare for additional travel time due to construction at the intersection of Wooster Street and Campbell Hill Road near the Stroh Center.

Honoring distinguished alumni, faculty

BGSU will also award two honorary doctoral degrees to recognize the accomplishments of alumna Betty Montgomery '70 and distinguished University professor Dr. David Fulton.

Betty Montgomery '70

Betty Montgomery graduated from BGSU with a bachelor of arts in 1970 and went on to earn her law degree. She was the first woman elected attorney general in Ohio, serving from 1995 to 2003. During her time in office, she made significant contributions to public safety and criminal justice reform, including creating the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

She also served as Wood County prosecutor (1981-89), during which she was the only female prosecuting attorney in the state; state senator for District 2 (1989-95); and was elected the first female Ohio auditor of the state (2003-07). Montgomery also served on the BGSU Board of Trustees, including tenure as chair.

Montgomery is an attorney at law at Mac Murray and Shuster and Montgomery Consulting Group, focusing her practice on helping clients understand and meet regulatory compliance obligations and representing them before state regulators across the country.  

Montgomery will be awarded her honorary degree during the 7 p.m. Commencement ceremony on Friday, April 28.

Dr. David Fulton

During his tenure at BGSU from 1970-80, Dr. David Fulton led the growth of Ohio's first computer science program into the full-fledged department that it is today, creating a foundation for a modern and significant academic department by recruiting talented faculty, introducing innovative coursework and championing practical student experience. 

Under his guidance, the computer science department grew rapidly, attracting top faculty and students from around the world. Fulton also was a brilliant educator known for his innovative teaching methods, which combined theoretical concepts with practical applications, providing students with a solid foundation in the field. 

While at BGSU, he founded the computer consulting company Dacor, Inc., which provided programming services to major corporations and also offered real-world project experience to students and faculty. In the 1980s, Fulton created FoxBASE, which eventually evolved into the award-winning FoxPro and multiple other companies. In 1992, he sold Fox Software to Microsoft, becoming that company’s vice president for database products, a leadership role he held until retirement.

Fulton earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago in 1964 and a master’s and doctorate degree in mathematical statistics from the University of Connecticut in 1968 and 1970.  

Fulton will be awarded his honorary degree during the 10 a.m. Commencement ceremony on Saturday, April 29.

Guest tickets are required for all ceremonies. For graduates or guests not able to attend, ceremonies will be livestreamed at BGSU.edu and on the BGSU Facebook page. Videos of graduate names read by each college will be available online.

Graduates are encouraged to share their photos on social media using the hashtags #BGSUGrad and #BGSU2023.