At Saturday’s commencement ceremonies, about 1,240 graduates will walk in the four ceremonies beginning at 9 a.m. in Lantz Arena.

Each ceremony features faculty marshals, honorary charges and key speakers. Student Body President Hugh O’Hara and Faculty Senate Chair Bud Fischer, biological sciences professor, will speak at all four ceremonies, Vicki Woodard, university spokesperson, said.

The first ceremony will be the College of Sciences graduates, whose procession will be led by Robert Augustine, dean of the graduate school. Two hundred and eighty-eight students are expected to receive diplomas, with Keith Sanders, executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, delivering their charge.

Sanders also will congratulate the graduates of the College of Education and Professional Studies and the School of Continuing Education at their noon ceremony.

Noelle Greathouse, professor of early childhood, elementary and middle level education, will be the faculty marshal for the 220 graduates.

At the 3 p.m. ceremony for the College of Arts and Humanities, Herman Taylor, professor of music, will lead 258 graduates to their diplomas. Distinguished Faculty Awards also will be granted to David Carpenter, English professor, and George Sanders, music professor.

The last and largest commencement ceremony will be for the Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences at 6 p.m. The faculty marshal for the 475 graduates will be Jean Dilworth, family and consumer sciences professor.

Robert Ingram, chief operating officer and president of pharmaceutical operations at Glaxo-SmithKline, will be the featured speaker at the 6 p.m. ceremony. Ingrum, a 1965 Eastern graduate, has remained close with the Lumpkin College of Business and Applied Sciences during the years, Woodard said.

This year’s commencement differs from previous years in that there will be four ceremonies instead of three, and graduate students receive diplomas in their respective colleges.

Tickets for all four ceremonies are likely to remain available until the ceremony, but those interested in attending graduation are encouraged to check with the commencement office at 581-6892.