Graduation Information

Our commencement speaker, the Most Reverend Charles C. Thompson, serves as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, shepherding the Catholic Church in central and southern Indiana. Marian University honors Archbishop Thompson for his faithful pastoral leadership, steadfast support of Catholic education, and partnership with the university as it advances its mission.

Archbishop Thompson served as a priest in the Archdiocese of Louisville (1987-2011) and as Bishop of Evansville (2011-17) before his appointment as Archbishop of Indianapolis in 2017.

Archbishop Thompson’s civic and ministerial engagements have included clergy formation, support for Catholic educational initiatives, and leadership in charitable outreach across the region. His work has been recognized by fellow Church leaders and Catholic institutions for its dedication to pastoral care and service.

The Archbishop holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Bellarmine University (1983), a Master of Divinity from St. Meinrad School of Theology (1987), and a Licentiate in Canon Law from St. Paul University, Ottawa (1992).

Denise Feser serves as a trustee of Marian University and as an alumna from the Class of 1977. Marian University honors Feser for her decades of dedicated leadership and service, including her tenure as Board Chair (the first lay woman to hold the position) and for her steadfast advocacy for student access and success through her generous, mission-driven efforts.

Prior to her retirement, Feser was senior vice president for school and student services at USA Funds, where she led initiatives to strengthen K–12 and postsecondary partnerships and expand opportunities for students. Helping students realize their educational goals has long been the focus of her professional life and the guiding passion behind her volunteer work.

Feser’s civic engagements include service as past board president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis and active membership at St. Monica Parish. She has supported numerous local education and youth-serving organizations through board and volunteer roles, reflecting a sustained commitment to the community that complements her work in higher education.

Feser earned her Bachelor of Arts from Marian (College) and a Master’s in Education from Indiana University. She is truly honored and humbled to receive this honorary degree from her alma mater.

Representative Danny Lopez serves as president and chief executive officer of Vincam Public Relations, LLC, a full-service public, government, and media relations firm based in Carmel, Indiana. Marian University honors Representative Lopez for his decades of leadership across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and for his sustained impact on Indiana’s economic, civic, and philanthropic landscape.

In addition to leading Vincam, Lopez serves in the Indiana General Assembly, elected in 2024 to represent Carmel and Westfield. Prior to his current roles, he was executive vice president for Pacers Sports & Entertainment and spent more than a decade in senior leadership positions at the local, state, and federal levels.

Lopez’s civic engagements include service on the Indiana Judicial Nominating & Qualifications Commissions for the Supreme and Appellate Courts, membership on the executive committee of the Indiana Sports Corp, and a seat on the board of the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation.

His work has been recognized with numerous honors, including selection to the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Indiana 250 list (2024), IBJ’s 40 Under 40 (2014), two Sagamore of the Wabash awards, and a Distinguished Hoosier award from Governor Eric Holcomb (2019).

Danny Lopez earned a Bachelor of Arts from Florida International University and a Master of Science in Sport Administration, Marketing, and Promotion from Georgia State University.

He celebrates this distinction today with his wife, Dr. Sofia Souto-Lopez, and their children, Daniel and Alexandra. Danny and Sofia are both first-generation children of Cuban political refugees and products of Catholic schools in Miami.

Teresa Lubbers serves as president of Sagamore Institute, an action-oriented think tank focused on opportunity, national security, and citizenship. Marian University honors Lubbers for her decades of leadership in education and public service, her partnership with the university in developing the Penny and Jock Fortune Institute for Civic Leadership and Capitalism, and her sustained efforts to align postsecondary education with the needs of students and the state.

Prior to her leadership at Sagamore Institute, Lubbers served as an Indiana State senator for 17 years, where she chaired the Senate Education and Career Development Committee, and as Indiana commissioner for higher education for 13 years, working to ensure the state’s post-secondary system met student and workforce needs.

Lubbers's civic engagements include serving as past chair of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis; co-founder and board member of the Richard Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series; board member of the Lumina Foundation; board member of Independent Colleges of Indiana; and service as chair of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact and the State Higher Education Executive Officers organization.

Her work has been recognized with numerous honors, including the John Purdie Innovator and Mentor of the Year (Marian University), the Daniels Prize (Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation), the Michael Carroll Award (Indianapolis Business Journal), The Mind Trust Celebrating Education Innovation Award, the Nancy Maloley Outstanding Public Servant Award (Lugar Series), the Exceptional Leader Award (State Higher Education Executive Officers Association), the Sagamore of the Wabash, the Torchbearer Award (Indiana Commission on Women), and Government Leader of the Year (Indiana Chamber of Commerce).

Lubbers earned a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University (1973) and a Master of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University (1981).

She celebrates this distinction today with her chief supporter, husband Mark Lubbers, and family, friends, and colleagues who have supported her throughout her career.