At graduate commencement, Nebraska’s Eva Bachman is rarely seen front and center — but her impact is on full display.
Since joining Graduate Studies in 2000, she has helped thousands of University of Nebraska–Lincoln graduate students reach the stage. On May 8, she will do so for the final time as she retires from her role as director of graduate student support and associate registrar.
Working just offstage, Bachman has managed details most in the audience never notice — a missing name card, a misplaced diploma, a last-minute accommodation. When the final student receives their degree, she said, the tension lifts.
“The best part of my job is seeing them cross the stage,” she said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Bachman transferred to UNL in the early 1980s as a student seeking an accredited program. She initially studied social work before shifting to criminal justice and later earned a master’s degree in human development and family studies. She completed a doctoral degree in educational studies focused on educational leadership and higher education in 2014.
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She entered the university workforce in 1983, starting at what is now Nebraska Public Media before moving into academic departments.
Her work in Graduate Studies began with assistantships and fellowships and later expanded into doctoral degree clearance and program oversight. Since 2003, she estimates she has helped more than 2,000 doctoral students reach graduation requirements.
Her role often went beyond administration.
She describes it as part adviser, part problem-solver — and at times a steady point of contact when students faced uncertainty.
“It gives me joy to see them succeed,” she said. “If they’re struggling, you try to help them find a way forward.”
That support included clarifying requirements, coordinating across departments, connecting students with campus resources, and advising on temporary leaves when needed.
One of those students was Ogbonnaya Akpu, who came to Nebraska from Nigeria for graduate school in 2012.
Akpu met Bachman by chance while waiting in an office lobby to resolve an immigration issue. She stopped to ask how he was doing.
“She just happens to be that kind of person,” he said. “She genuinely cares about people.”
That connection became critical when Akpu lost financial sponsorship from his home institution and considered leaving his program.
Bachman asked whether he had considered a leave of absence.
“That one question changed everything for me,” Akpu said.
With her guidance, he stepped away to stabilize his situation, then returned to complete his degree. She continued helping him navigate requirements and deadlines through graduation.
“I was trapped in a room that felt like it was only walls,” Akpu said. “Eva was the person who opened a door. Without her support, I would not have graduated.”
He earned his degree in May 2025 and now serves as director of operations for a mental health clinic in Lincoln.
Bachman said those individual relationships define her work more than any system or process.
“You get used to helping someone reach a goal,” she said. “Mostly they did it, but we get to lend a hand.”
Her influence also extended into policy and practice, helping improve academic leave processes and strengthening communication between programs and graduate studies staff.
“Recruiting students is no good if you don’t get them graduated,” she said.
As enrollment grew, graduate commencement evolved into a standalone ceremony. Bachman’s focus remained on making sure it ran smoothly and reflected the significance of the milestone.
“It’s typically the last academic degree they’ll receive,” she said. “You want that to be special.
“There are always last-minute things. We do all we can to make sure it goes well.”
She is preparing for the moment the final graduate crosses the stage on May 9 — the end of a ceremony, and the end of her career at Nebraska.
“I’ll probably be crying,” she said.
In retirement, she plans to focus on family history research, volunteer work and quilting — projects long set aside.
Her retirement will be celebrated during a reception from 3 to 5 p.m. May 14 in the Nebraska Union, Regency Suite. Remarks are scheduled for 4 p.m. Individual kudos can be sent electronically here.
