Dr. Song Nai Rhee ’58 to Deliver 2023 Commencement Address

EUGENE, Ore. – Bushnell University’s Board of Trustees will confer degrees for 130 students who have successfully met the graduation requirements to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree during Bushnell’s Winter Commencement ceremony. The ceremony is scheduled for Friday, December 15, 2023, at 6 PM in the Morse Event Center, located at the corner of West 11th Avenue and Alder Street in Eugene. 

Prior to commencement, nursing students will take part in the tradition known as the “Blessing of the Hands”. This heartfelt ceremony symbolizes the compassionate care and dedication these future healthcare professionals will bring to their patients. It is a moment of reflection and inspiration as faculty, staff, and peers join together to bless the hands that will serve and heal in the noble field of nursing. Other programs will also honor their graduates with ceremonies throughout the day. 

The commencement address will be delivered by distinguished alumnus and double-doctorate Song Nai Rhee ’58, academic dean emeritus and professor emeritus of Biblical Studies and Anthropology at Bushnell University. With a wealth of academic achievements, including multiple degrees and a prolific career from 1963 to 2000, Dr. Rhee’s influence includes the establishment of the Song Nai Rhee Honors Program at Bushnell. Furthermore, his expertise in ancient Israel, the Near East, China, Korea, and Japan, showcased in three published books, has significantly shaped the academic landscape at Bushnell. 

Adding to the honor of the event, an honorary degree will be conferred upon Pastor Byung-du Jun (pictured), M.Div., Th.M., from the Eugene Korean Central Church. Pastor Jun has been a driving force in building the Eugene-Springfield Korean Central Presbyterian Church into the strongest and most active among more than a dozen Korean churches in central and southern Oregon. 

The main Bushnell parking lot next to the Morse Center will be open for parking, permit-free, beginning at 4 P.M., and city metered parking is located throughout the University district. Doors to the building open for guests at 5:20 p.m. Commencement ceremonies will be live streamed and can be viewed by visiting www.live.bushnell.edu.