Penn State Brandywine will hold its annual Spring Commencement at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 4, when more than 100 Brandywine students will receive their associate and baccalaureate degrees. Joining them in the Commons Building Gym will be hundreds of family members, campus community members, friends and this year’s keynote speaker, David Lipson Jr., Class of 1978.

Lipson, a native of the Philadelphia area, currently serves as the president of Metro Corp., a publishing company whose signature titles include Philadelphia and Boston magazines. He has been associated with the corporation in numerous ways for more than 30 years.

He began his career in advertising at Boston Magazine and worked his way to Philadelphia after a period of time in New York with Metro Magazines, the national sales organization that was also a part of Metro Corp., and Manhattan Inc. magazine.

Metro Corp. strives to improve the lives of readers while helping advertisers and sponsor companies reach the luxury high-end market. The company is credited with launching well-known programs such as the Philadelphia Wine Festival, Philly Cooks!, Design Home and the annual Best of Philly Event.

Lipson is a lifetime member of the Penn State Alumni Association and remains an active representative of the community. He is a member of the Corporate Leadership Council at the Philadelphia Zoo, Boy Scouts of America and sits on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. 

Penn State Brandywine students receiving their diplomas will join the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world that consists of more than 145,000 members worldwide.  

The program will be streamed online at the campus' IT website.