John E. "Jack" Sennett, who graduated from Penn State New Kensington with the first class in 1960, will deliver the commencement address to the campus' spring graduates at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 17, in the Field House. A retired director of industrial engineering at Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corp, Sennett's address, "Education, A Life's Commitment," discusses the value of continuing education and how it provides a competitive edge in today's society.
Sennett's connection to the campus goes back 50 years to the founding of Penn State New Kensington in 1958 when he and 78 other engineering students began classes in what was called the New Kensington Center on Fourth Avenue in the city of New Kensington. The current campus in Upper Burrell opened in 1966. He received an associate degree in mechanical engineering two years later and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in economics and industrial management from Duquesne University and a master's in industrial labor relations from St. Francis University.
While attending the New Kensington campus, he was active in many extracurricular activities including the student government and intercollegiate athletics. He served as treasurer of the Student Council, lettered in basketball and won the Outstanding Citizenship award. Sennett ties to the campus remain strong; since 2003 he has been a member of the Penn State New Kensington Advisory Board.
At Allegheny Ludlum, Sennett worked with the union on general labor contacts, which included job classifications, descriptions and incentives. He retired in 1998 after 30 years at the company.
Sennett is active in the community and has been on the board of directors for Alle-Kiski Medical Center, Northern Westmoreland Career and Technical Center, and the Burrell Educational Foundation. He is serving his second term on the campus board.
More than 60 graduates will receive master's, baccalaureate and associate degrees at this year's commencement exercises. Chancellor Larry Pollock will confer undergraduate degrees and William D. Bigos, assistant professor of education at Penn State Harrisburg, will confer master of education degrees.
For more on graduation ceremonies, visit PSNK Spring Commencement