More than 500 undergrad and graduate students will take part in commencement ceremonies Friday morning at Northwest Missouri State University.

Dr. Margie Vandeven, commissioner of education for the state of Missouri, will address Northwest graduates and their families during its winter commencement ceremonies.

“We are so pleased to have Dr. Vandeven joining us for our winter commencement ceremonies,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said. “She is student-centric and champions high expectations, and she has been a champion for education during a career spanning three decades. We look forward to the insights she has to share with Bearcat Nation.”

Vandeven assumed her role as Missouri’s sixth commissioner of education Jan. 1, 2015.

During 10 previous years with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, she served as a supervisor of the Missouri School Improvement Program, director of school improvement and accreditation, director of accountability data and accreditation, assistant commissioner for the Office of Quality Schools and most recently as deputy commissioner of learning services.

Northwest will host commencement ceremonies at 10 a.m. for master’s, education specialist and doctoral degrees, and at 2 p.m. for bachelor’s degree candidates. Both ceremonies are in Bearcat Arena.

Doors will open to guests one hour prior to each ceremony. Shuttle services will be provided from parking lots 62 & 63 to the Lamkin Activity Center circle drive.

More than 250 students are expected to receive master’s or specialist degrees through the University’s graduate school. More than 300 undergraduate students from Northwest’s academic college and professional schools are expected to receive bachelor’s degrees.

No tickets are necessary to attend either ceremony. To accommodate guests who cannot attend, Northwest will offer a live online stream of the ceremonies at www.nwmissouri.edu/live.