* WHAT :* Seventeen West Virginia University ROTC cadets and one cadet from WVU ROTC partner school Waynesburg University will be commissioned as second lieutenants into the U.S. Army, entering into active duty or the Army National Guard.

* WHEN :* Friday (May 15) at 10 a.m.

* WHERE :* Mountainlair ballrooms, WVU Downtown Campus

* WHO :* WVU Jackson&Kelly Professor of Law Emeritus Forest JacksonJackBowman will give the commissioning address. Bowman is a Distinguished Military Graduate of the WVU Army ROTC program. He was commissioned in 1960 and served four years as an officer in the Judge Advocate Generals Corps, regular Army. In 1967, he was honorably discharged with the rank of captain and awarded the Army Commendation Medal. In 2007, Bowman was appointed civilian aide to the secretary of the Army in West Virginia. He is a nationally recognized speaker on ethics, leadership, motivation and success.

Those being commissioned include:

• 
  Emily Bowman, WVU , visual media journalism, active duty

• 
  Justin Cartmill, WVU , business management, active duty

• 
  Christopher Drobnicki, WVU , criminology and investigations, active duty

• 
  Nicholas Dunn, WVU , communication studies, active duty

• 
  Justin Ellis, WVU , English, National Guard

• 
  Jeremy Glass, WVU , athletic coaching education, active duty

• 
  Nicholas Glover, WVU , communications studies, National Guard

• 
  John Hein, WVU , business administration, active duty

• 
  William LeMieux, WVU , psychology, active duty

• 
  Justin Morlan, WVU , multidisciplinary studies, National Guard

• 
  Jeremey Parks, WVU , international studies, National Guard

• 
  Charles Reed, WVU , economics, National Guard

• 
  Matthew Roberts, Waynesburg University, political science, National Guard

• 
  Scott Roett, WVU , international studies, active duty

• 
  Mitchell Shaw, WVU , multidisciplinary studies, National Guard

• 
  Timothy Smith, WVU , international studies, active duty

• 
  Paul Stanko, WVU , criminology and investigations, active duty

• 
  Joshua Taylor, WVU , business administration, active duty

* BACKGROUND :* ROTC is a four-year program that provides students with the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to become officers in the Army. All students who are commissioned through their participation in ROTC undergo a variety of training, during which they are evaluated on their leadership, academic and physical abilities.

WVU s ROTC program partners with Waynesburg University and Fairmont State University. It was recognized in 2007-08 as the best program in the Eastern Region and awarded the General Douglas MacArthur Award.