UPDATE: Due to the recent and persistent rains, the Commencement ceremony will be held indoors this weekend, in the T. Fleming Fieldhouse.

About 300 graduating seniors will pick up their diplomas during Knox College's 174th Commencement exercises at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 2.

The Commencement address will be delivered by Bridget Coughlin ’94, president and CEO of Shedd Aquarium, which is Chicago’s most-visited cultural attraction and a national leader in animal care, conservation education, and marine research. Coughlin leads the aquarium’s mission to educate and engage the public about aquatic animals and their habitats. Before joining Shedd in 2015, she served as vice president of strategic partnerships and adjunct curator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and spent five years at the National Academy of Sciences, where she served as managing editor of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Coughlin will be one of three honorary degree recipients. The others are jazz musician Matt Wilson, a native of Knoxville, Illinois, and pedagogical theorist Gloria Ladson-Billings.

More details about Commencement are available at www.knox.edu/commencement.

Here are four other things to know about Commencement:

1. Celebrate on Saturday, Too

While Commencement itself falls on Sunday, there are numerous pre-Commencement activities and celebrations on the previous day, a.k.a. Saturday. Here are just a few examples: an interfaith baccalaureate service, a reception for first-generation graduating students, the Phi Beta Kappa induction ceremony, and a fireworks display. View the full schedule.

2. Watch Online

Not everybody can attend Commencement in person, which is why we will broadcast it online, starting at 10 a.m. Central Daylight Time on Sunday. Watch the ceremony live on YouTube as Coughlin presents her remarks and the Knox graduates are awarded their diplomas.

3. Enjoy a Picnic Lunch

Graduates and their families are invited to a picnic lunch on campus immediately after the Commencement ceremony. Graduates' meals are free, but reservations are required. Tickets to the lunch should be purchased online in advance.

4. Share the Joy on Social Media

Commencement is a joyous time. Share the happy highlights with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., and please use the hashtag #KnoxGrad. We love seeing everyone’s Commencement photos, videos, and other memories, and we’ll re-post some of them on Knox's social media channels.