0 Bagpiper followed by Houghton graduates walking down path on campus quad.

Dr. Andrew Westmoreland Named 2025 Commencement Speaker

January 23, 2025

Houghton University is pleased to announce that Dr. Andrew Westmoreland, president of the Christian College Consortium and distinguished leader in Christian higher education, has been selected as the commencement speaker for the class of 2025.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Westmoreland as our commencement speaker,” said Wayne D. Lewis Jr., President of Houghton University. “His forty-year dedication to Christian higher education and depth of leadership experience make him uniquely qualified to address and inspire our graduates. It is a personal privilege for me to welcome Andy as our commencement speaker as he is a trusted mentor and friend, whose counsel and insights I appreciate and value highly.”

Westmoreland brings extensive experience in Christian higher education leadership, having served as president of both Ouachita Baptist University and Samford University for a combined 23 years. His commitment to academic excellence and Christian values aligns perfectly with Houghton’s mission of equipping students as scholar-servants in a changing world.

Currently serving as president of the Christian College Consortium, of which Houghton has been a founding member since 1971, and executive director of the Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership, Westmoreland continues to shape the landscape of Christian higher education. His other leadership roles have included serving as senior vice president for higher education at Faith Search Partners, chairing the Board of Trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, overseeing accreditation for more than 800 institutions and serving as president of the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities.

The commencement ceremony will celebrate the achievements of Houghton’s Class of 2025 on May 10, 2025.

Andrew Westmoreland with blue suit coat. Houghton's 2025 commencement speaker.

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