Academics

Lehigh Valley campus celebrates nearly 90 graduates during 2015 commencement

Blair Underwood, of TV’s L.A. Law, was featured speaker

Blair Underwood of TV's "LA Law" addressed the crowd as Penn State Lehigh Valley's commencement speaker for this year's spring commencement ceremony, which were held at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa., on Saturday, May 9, 2015. Credit: Dan Z. Johnson PhotographyAll Rights Reserved.

Penn State Lehigh Valley held its annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 9, at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa. The campus awarded associate and bachelor's degrees to about 90 students.

The featured speaker for the event was Blair Underwood, an actor, director and producer best known for his work in the NBC hit series "L.A. Law", which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.

Before the ceremony began, Underwood shared his advice for graduates of the class of 2015.

Blair Underwood of TV's "LA Law" shares his advice for the graduating class of 2015. Underwood was Penn State Lehigh Valley's keynote speaker for the 2015 commencement ceremony. Credit: Penn State Lehigh Valley Multimedia Innovation Center

During his keynote remarks, Underwood told the new graduates not just to follow their dreams, but to chase them down.

Other remarks were given by Ann Williams, chancellor of Penn State Lehigh Valley; Paige Pleiss, student marshal; and Mary Hutchinson, chair of Penn State Lehigh Valley Faculty Senate, who introduced the featured speaker. To watch the full remarks of Underwood, Williams, Pleiss, and more, visit lv.psu.edu/commencement2015

After the presentation of the candidates and conferring of degrees, the graduates were inducted into the Penn State Alumni Association by Christopher Bodgen, president of the Penn State Lehigh Valley Alumni Association.

The campus used #psulvgrad on its Twitter, Instagram and Facebook platforms throughout the event to celebrate the festivities.  Students, families and friends were invited to be a part of the commencement activities by tagging Instagram photos, Facebook posts and tweets with #psulvgrad. Select images and tweets were featured on Penn State Lehigh Valley’s billboards throughout the area.

This will continue for the rest of the month of May. Besides commencement excitement, the social media content could feature summer internship plans, student success stories, alumni news, and more. Follow the campus on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Last Updated May 13, 2015

Contact