Bushnell University to Welcome Mike Petersen ’83 to Deliver Spring 2025 Commencement Address

EUGENE, Ore. — Bushnell University is pleased to announce that Mike Petersen ’83, a celebrated coach, Bushnell Hall of Fame athlete, and longtime trustee, will deliver the keynote address at the Spring 2025 Commencement Ceremony. The event will take place on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 10 a.m. in the Morse Center.

The Board of Trustees will confer 125 degrees, including 92 undergraduate and 33 graduate degrees.

Petersen, a former college and professional basketball coach, has built an impressive career coaching the women’s basketball program at Gonzaga, New Mexico State, TCU, Wake Forest, and North Texas, as well as serving in assistant coaching roles for men’s teams at Bushnell University (then Northwest Christian College), the University of Oregon, and the University of Minnesota. In addition to his coaching career, Petersen served as an NBA scout for the New Orleans Pelicans and later transitioned to coaching and scouting roles in the WNBA. He also serves as affiliate staff for Athletes in Action.

A standout athlete at Bushnell, Petersen set the single season points per game record in 1980 and was named team MVP. He earned his degree in Biblical Studies in 1983 and was inducted into Bushnell’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. He served on Bushnell’s Board of Trustees from 2016-2024 and remains an active mentor to student-athletes and coaches. He and his wife, Patty, are the proud parents of two sons and grandparents to two grandchildren.

Commencement will be live-streamed at live.bushnell.edu. Guests attending the event can find parking in the Morse Center lot, Womack Hall lot, or in overflow parking at the University of Oregon’s lot across Kincaid Street.

Following the ceremony, each of Bushnell University’s academic schools will host post-commencement gatherings. These events offer graduates and their families an opportunity to celebrate with faculty and classmates. Details regarding locations and times will be available at the ceremony and on the Bushnell website.

Congratulations to the Class of 2025!