Arts and Sciences | Business and Industry | Health Education and Human SciencesDecember 08, 2025

357 Grads to Cross the Stage Saturday

Written By: Rachel Putman

The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith will confer degrees and credentials to more than 350 students during its Fall 2025 commencement ceremonies, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 13, in the Stubblefield Center.

Two ceremonies will be held to accommodate graduates and their guests. The 10 a.m. ceremony will honor students from the College of Business and Industry and the College of Health, Education, and Human Sciences. The 1 p.m. ceremony will celebrate graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Degrees to be awarded include seven master’s degrees, 287 bachelor’s degrees, 54 associate degrees and nine certificates. Graduates will range in age from 18 to 72. 

This ceremony also will honor the first cohort to graduate from the university’s recently relaunched Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program.

Both ceremonies will be livestreamed on the UAFS YouTube channel to allow family and friends to participate across the country.

Trustees of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees will speak at each ceremony. 

Col. Nathaniel “Nate” Todd, U.S. Army (retired), will speak at the 10 a.m. ceremony. Todd, of Pine Bluff, is former secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs. He previously served as chief financial officer of the Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System and as director of Health Financial Policy in the Office of the U.S. Army Surgeon General. He holds a Bachelor of Science in industrial technology from the University of Houston, a Master of Science in healthcare administration from Baylor University and a CFO Leadership certification from National Defense University. Todd currently serves on the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees with a term expiring in March 2032.

Kelly Eichler will address graduates at the 1 p.m. ceremony. Eichler, of Little Rock, is chair of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and the UALR Bowen School of Law, she has served as a law clerk for the Arkansas Court of Appeals, Pulaski County deputy prosecutor, private attorney and special judge in circuit and juvenile courts. Eichler also served as deputy chief of staff for Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Her term on the board expires in 2026

This year, UAFS will also launch a regalia drive to support future graduates. Caps and gowns will be collected following each ceremony, with donation bins hosted by the 2025-2026 class of Lion Leadership.