Campus Life

      Penn State announces fall 2018 commencement events and speakers

      University to award more than 5,200 diplomas at fall commencement ceremonies across Commonwealth

      The end of the fall 2018 semester at Penn State is approaching, and with it, commencement. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

      UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — This fall Penn State expects to award approximately 5,229 diplomas to students University-wide who are completing 213 associate, 3,823 baccalaureate, 993 master's, six law, and 194 doctoral degrees.

      All figures listed are estimates as of Dec. 6; totals do not include Penn College.

      Following is a compilation of commencement ceremonies and speaker information for Penn State's 24 locations. Additional information about University Park commencement is available online at http://commencement.psu.edu.

      Penn State Abington

      • 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at Penn State Abington

      • Speaker: Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake, president, Independence Blue Cross Foundation

      • Lorina Marshall-Blake serves as the president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation. She also is an associate minister at the Vine Memorial Baptist Church in Philadelphia and is affiliated with more than 30 professional and civic organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League and the United Negro College Fund, and is past president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

      • Penn State Abington commencement information

      Penn State Altoona

      Penn State Beaver

      Penn State Behrend 

      Penn State Berks

      • 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, Beaver Community Center

      • Speaker: Randolph Peers, president and CEO of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance

      • Peers has spent the last 25 years working in the fields of economic and workforce development, adult education and association management. Prior to his role at the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, Peers led Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, New York City’s leading provider of job training and education services for disconnected youth; and was vice president for economic development at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

      • Penn State Berks commencement information

      Penn State Brandywine

      Penn State DuBois

      • 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 13, Campus Gymnasium

      • Speaker: Barbara Reinard, 2017-18 DuBois Educational Foundation Educator of the Year

      • Reinard is an assistant teaching professor in the Penn State DuBois physical therapist assistant program. She began teaching at the DuBois campus in 1997 and became the PTA program coordinator in 1998. She also is a staff physical therapist at Indiana Regional Medical Center, where she has worked since 1988.

      • Penn State DuBois commencement information

      Penn State Fayette

      • No fall commencement ceremony.

      Penn State Great Valley

      • No fall commencement ceremony.

      Penn State Greater Allegheny

      • 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at Penn State Greater Allegheny

      • Speaker: Wilfred “Fred” Ramos, senior vice president and chief communications officer, Highmark Health

      • Ramos has a successful 25+ year track record of applying his expertise and thought leadership to help drive and support strategic, operational and brand image and reputation management business goals and objectives for several Fortune 100 companies. He leads a multidisciplinary corporate communications team focused on building a strong company reputation and integrated communications strategy across Highmark’s health, diversified and provider businesses.

      • Penn State Greater Allegheny commencement information

      Penn State Harrisburg

      • 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, Giant Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania

      • Speaker: Jane Leipold, founder of JAL Executive HR Consulting

      • Leipold is a global executive and consultant with a variety of business accomplishments in human resources, engineering and operations. As founder of JAL Executive HR Consulting, she works with CEOs and board directors to identify key strategies for driving growth, geographic expansion, and operational improvement, while also developing strong leaders, organizations and reshaping company culture.

      • Penn State Harrisburg commencement information

      Penn State Hazleton

      • No fall commencement ceremony.

      Penn State Hershey College of Medicine

      • No fall commencement ceremony.

      Penn State Lehigh Valley

      • No fall commencement ceremony.

      Penn State Mont Alto

      • No fall commencement ceremony.

      Penn State New Kensington

      • 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, Penn State New Kensington Athletic Center

      • Speaker: Ben Smith '10, mayor of the city of Butler, Pennsylvania

      • Smith, a 2010 graduate of Penn State New Kensington with a degree in business, was elected as mayor of Butler in November 2017. He is also co-owner of Reclamation Brewing Company and RB Cigar Bar and Speakeasy. While a student, he was president of the campus activities board, treasurer of the business club, an orientation leader and a fundraiser for THON, and also performed in campus theater productions and served as student intern for the chancellor's office.

      • Penn State New Kensington commencement information

      Penn State Schuylkill

      • No fall commencement ceremony.

      Penn State Shenango

      • 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 15, at Penn State Shenango

      • Speaker:  Kathleen Kwolek, retired superintendent of the Mohawk School District

      • Kwolek, a graduate of Penn State with a bachelor's degree in secondary education, taught chemistry in the Mohawk School District for 25 years before beginning her administrative tenure at the school district, where she held the positions of curriculum director, assistant superintendent, and then superintendent of Mohawk. She currently serves as program reviewer for the PA Department of Education, as well as an interim principal in a county Career and Technical Center.

      • Penn State Shenango commencement information

      Penn State University Park

      Schreyer Honors College Medals Ceremony

      • 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center

      Undergraduate students (baccalaureate and associate degrees)

      • Saturday, Dec. 15, Bryce Jordan Center; Speaker: Penn State President Eric Barron

      • 9 a.m. — College of Agricultural Sciences, Smeal College of Business, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Information Sciences and Technology

      • 12:30 p.m. — College of Arts and Architecture, Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, College of Education, College of Health and Human Development, College of the Liberal Arts, College of Nursing, Eberly College of Science

      • Penn State University Park undergraduate commencement information

      The Graduate School

      Penn State Wilkes-Barre

      • No fall commencement ceremony.

      Penn State Scranton

      • No fall commencement ceremony.

      Penn State York

      • 6 p.m., Friday, Dec. 14, at Penn State York, Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (The Pullo Center)

      • Speaker: Carol Hill-Evens, State Representative, 95th Legislative District, York, Pennsylvania

      • State Representative Hill-Evans was elected to the state legislature on Nov. 8, 2016, and was recently re-elected. Her priorities for improving the lives of residents in the 95thDistrict include job creation, raising the minimum wage, economic development, and fighting for increased funding for education and mental health resources, specifically for veterans.  A native of York,  she is a graduate of the York City School District and, as an adult learner, earned an associate of science degree in business administration in 1989, and a bachelor of science in business in 2001 from Penn State York. 

      • Penn State York commencement information

      Pennsylvania College of Technology

      • 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, Community Arts Center, 220 W. Fourth St., Williamsport

      • Speakers: Katherine Lynne Mertes, of Williamsport, receiving a bachelor’s degree in residential construction technology and management: building construction technology concentration; and Joanna K. Flynn, associate professor of mathematics

      • Mertes, a Dean’s List student, is a member of the Penn College Construction Association and Penn College Women in Construction. She has competed at the National Association of Home Builders Student Competition in the Residential Construction Management category in both the two- and four-year divisions, taking third place nationally for the two-year level. She also participated in the PA Build My Future Event held on the Penn College campus in October.

      • Flynn received the Veronica M. Muzic Master Teacher Award – the highest level of recognition bestowed upon Penn College faculty – in May.

      • Penn College commencement information

      Dickinson Law

      • No fall commencement ceremony.

      Penn State Law

      • No fall commencement ceremony.

      Last Updated December 13, 2018

      Tags