Campus Life

Spring Commencement 2019 brings variety of speakers to Penn State campuses

Penn State to award 14,000 diplomas during commencement ceremonies across Commonwealth

Penn State Berks students celebrate at commencement. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — This spring Penn State expects to award approximately 13,992 diplomas to students University-wide who are completing 342 associate, 11,402 baccalaureate, 1,559 master's, 318 law, 204 doctoral, 140 medical and 27 medical/graduate degrees.

All figures listed are estimates as of April 26; totals do not include Penn College.

Penn State Abington

10 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at Penn State Abington (additional information)

Speaker: Linda Richardson, founder of Richardson, a global sales training business

Richardson is the author of "Changing the Sales Conversation" and the New York Times-bestseller, "Perfect Selling." A recognized leader in the industry, she won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence in 2006 and was named one of the Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals by Training Industry Inc. in 2007. 

Penn State Altoona

10 a.m. Saturday, May 4, Adler Athletic Complex at Penn State Altoona (additional information)

Speaker: Charles N. Marshall, retired vice chairman of Genesee & Wyoming, Inc., and Advisory Board member of Penn State Altoona's Rail Transportation Engineering program

Penn State Beaver

7 p.m. Friday, May 3, at Penn State Beaver Student Union Building Auditorium (additional information)

Penn State Berks

Saturday, May 4, Perkins Plaza (Rain location: Beaver Community Center) (additional information)

Two ceremonies: 10 a.m. (Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and Science Division) and 2 p.m. (Engineering, Business, and Computing Division)

Speaker: Jay Sidhu, chairman and chief executive officer of Customers Bank

Previously, Sidhu served as the chief executive officer of Sovereign Bank and Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. from 1989 and then as chairman from 2002 until his retirement in December 2006. Sidhu is a recipient of Financial World’s CEO of the Year Award, and was also named Turnaround Entrepreneur of the Year while he was the CEO of Sovereign. In 2016, he was named Financial Technology Entrepreneur of the Year. He has received many other awards and honors, including a Hero of Liberty Award from the National Liberty Museum. Sidhu helped establish the Jay Sidhu School of Business and Leadership at Wilkes University, his alma mater.

Penn State Brandywine

10 a.m. Saturday, May 4, Penn State Brandywine Commons/Athletic Center (additional information)

Speaker:  Karen McClendon, regional vice president for human resources, Comcast Cable

Dickinson Law (Carlisle, Pennsylvania)

10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 11, at Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, Dickinson College (additional Information)

Speaker: Thomas J. Ridge, first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and Pennsylvania’s 43rd governor, 1972 Penn State alumnus

Ridge was twice elected governor of Pennsylvania, overseeing statewide progress in education and healthcare reform. Ridge left the governorship midway through his second term to become the assistant to former U.S. President George W. Bush for homeland defense and then was appointed secretary of the newly created U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Ridge serves as chairman of Ridge Global, LLC, and also is partner at the Ridge Policy Group, as well as chairman of the Ridge Global Cybersecurity Institute.

Penn State DuBois

7 p.m., Friday, May 3, Campus Gymnasium (additional information)

Speaker: Joyce Fairman, local philanthropist, businesswoman and community leader

In 2013, the Fairman Family Foundation largely funded the renovation of the Alan R. Fairman House at Penn State DuBois. In 2017, Fairman and other members of the foundation established the Fairman Family Trustee Scholarship. The Fairmans also have sponsored the BEST Robotics competition for middle and high school students held on campus each fall. Fairman also is a member of the Penn State DuBois advisory board, the DuBois Educational Foundation, and co-chair of the campus’s current capital campaign, "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence."

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College

6:30 p.m., Friday, May 3, Erie Insurance Arena (additional information)

Speakers: Michael A. Rutter, associate professor of statistics at Penn State Behrend; and Penn State alumna Mary (Good) Lawrence, NASA flight director for the International Space Station, and 2001 Penn State Behrend graduate in mechanical engineering.

Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus

10 a.m. Saturday, May 4, Community Center Main Arena, Penn State Fayette (additional information)

Speaker: Gina Watts, deputy director of Mercy and Justice Ministry

For 10 years, Watts served as a full-time faculty member at Penn State Fayette, in the human development and family studies program, with an administrative appointment to create and oversee the Student Success Center and career development programming. She helped to develop YouthMAX Plus, an international youth leadership curriculum to help young people identify, pursue, and fulfill their purpose in their lives. In 2017, she become the first youth development director, leading the launch of the John Maxwell Team Global Youth Initiative, which has hosted 650,000 youth at free leadership development events in more than 60 countries around the world.

Penn State Great Valley

7 p.m. Friday, May 3, Penn State Great Valley campus (additional information)

Speaker: E. Philip Wenger, chairman and CEO of Fulton Financial Corporation

Since joining Fulton Bank’s lending area in 1979, Wenger has held a variety of positions at the company. When he was named chairman and chief executive officer of the bank, Wenger also assumed the role of senior executive vice president of Fulton Financial Corp., the bank's parent company. A Penn State alumnus, Wenger holds a bachelor of science in finance and a master of business administration. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Penn State Harrisburg board of advisers.

Penn State Greater Allegheny

11 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at Penn State Greater Allegheny’s Wunderley Gym (additional information)

Speaker: Regis W. Becker

Becker is currently the Interim CEO for the U.S. Center for SafeSport in Denver, Colorado. He previously served as Penn State's first Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, and before that had a lengthy career in law enforcement as both an Allegheny County Detective and FBI Special Agent, then serving Fortune 500 companies in senior investigations, and security and compliance positions. He graduated from Penn State as a 2+2 student at Greater Allegheny (McKeesport)/University Park with a bachelor's degree in law enforcement and corrections. He is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania and also serves on the board of directors for the U.S. Center for SafeSport and the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Penn State Harrisburg

9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at The Giant Center, Hershey (additional information)

Speaker: E. Philip Wenger, chairman and chief executive officer at Fulton Financial Corporation

Penn State Hazleton

7 p.m. Friday, May 3, in the Thomas M. Caccese Gymnasium of the Physical Education Building (additional information)

Speaker: Julia Carter, class of 2015, a student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and contestant on this season of "Survivor: Edge of Extinction." She attended Penn State Hazleton for her first two years of college.

Penn State Lehigh Valley

10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem (additional information)

Speaker: Bill Spence, chairman, president and chief executive officer of PPL Corporation and PSU alumnus, will be the featured speaker at Penn State Lehigh Valley’s 2019 commencement ceremony.

Penn State College of Medicine

1 p.m. Saturday, May 18, Hershey Lodge, Hershey, Pennsylvania (additional information)

Speaker: Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Penn State Mont Alto

10 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at Penn State Mont Alto, Multipurpose Activities Center (MAC) (additional information)

Speaker: Teresa D. Miller, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS)

Miller has served as secretary of DHS since August 2017, where she is focused on collaborating across agencies to advance Governor Tom Wolf's health innovation and workforce development agendas, overseeing the successful launch of managed care for long-term care services, and supporting efforts to address social determinants of health such as food security and housing.

Penn State New Kensington

10 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at Penn State New Kensington Athletic Center (additional information)

Speaker: Sherri McCleary, director of business development-additive manufacturing at Kennametal, Inc.

McCleary is responsible for driving growth opportunities that leverage additive manufacturing technologies in the company's markets and applications for high-performance wear materials and components. Previously, Sherri spent more than 30 years with Alcoa, then Arconic, working in all levels of technology development and leadership and retired from the company in 2018 as director of research and development.

Penn State Schuylkill

10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 4, Penn State Schuylkill campus green (additional information)

Speaker: Susan C. Robinson, consultant

In Robinson's role as an adviser and consultant, she blends 25+ years of multi-sector leadership with her experiences being legally blind, to shift thinking, elevate potential and inspire action. She has worked with global firms and Fortune 500 companies, top not-for-profit organizations, leading universities and the United Nations. Susan is an executive board member of the Penn State Alumni Association's Alumni Council and a board member of both the New York State Preferred Source for the Blind and InTandem Cycling.

Penn State Scranton

2 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple (additional information)

Speaker: Jonathan Fritz, PA State Representative of the 11th District

A Penn State alumnus, Fritz received his Penn State bachelor’s degree in business in 2001 at the Scranton campus. A member of the Penn State Scranton Advisory Board, Fritz was honored by the Penn State Wayne-Pike Chapter in 2016 as Alumnus of the Year. He formerly served as Mayor of Honesdale and Wayne County Commissioner following work in the private sector.

Penn State Shenango

11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at Penn State Shenango (additional information)

Speaker: Margaret U. Horne, MBA, CVA, Penn State alumna and director of Gannon University Small Business Development Center

Horne is an accredited valuation analyst. Her background includes experience in law, accounting, education and business valuation. She co-launched the first independent valuation firm in Western Pennsylvania where she consulted with numerous clients, including Microsoft, UPS, Ford, Proctor & Gamble, and Caterpillar. She was involved in over 50 mergers and acquisitions. Horne has published articles and presented locally and nationally on various business topics, including competitive intelligence, business valuation, and business management.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre

10 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (additional information)

Speaker: Ginger Zielinskie, President and Chief Executive Officer, Benefits Data Trust

Zielinskie leads a nonprofit organization that helps people live healthier, more independent lives by creating smarter ways to access essential benefits and services. With over 15 years of experience in building and scaling health and human service organizations, she reaches across sectors to align better outcomes for individuals and families. During her tenure she has helped more than 800,000 people access benefits that help them eat, heat their homes, and enroll in healthcare.

Penn State York

6 p.m., Friday, May 3, at Penn State York, Pullo Family Performing Arts Center (The Pullo Center) (additional information)

Speaker:  William T. Yanavitch II, chief human resources officer for Kinsley, and executive-in-residence, The Graham Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Studies (The Graham Center) at Penn State York

Yanavitch was recently appointed to his position at Kinsley, a York-based, family owned business with interests in construction, manufacturing, real estate and professional services. He has extensive experience in the strategic human resources field and his career has included owning his own consulting company and serving for 16 years as an executive officer and senior vice president of human resources and administration for Glatfelter. In his role as the executive-in residence for The Graham Center at Penn State York, he serves as the program’s community connection with area businesses and organizations and he works to develop partnerships with them.

Pennsylvania College of Technology

May 17-18, Community Arts Center, Williamsport (additional information)

3 p.m. Friday, May 17 — School of Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies and School of Sciences, Humanities & Visual Communications

Speaker: Hannah G. Maize, Bachelor of Science, plastics and polymer engineering technology

10 a.m. Saturday, May 18 — School of Nursing & Health Sciences and School of Construction & Design Technologies

Speaker: Lauren S. Herr, Bachelor of Science, construction management

1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18 —School of Business & Hospitality and School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies

Speaker: David Gadalla, Bachelor of Science, aviation maintenance technology

Penn State University Park

More information about commencement ceremonies at University Park can be found here.

College of Agricultural Sciences

3:30 p.m., Sunday, May 5, Bryce Jordan Center

Speaker: Wayne B. Martenas, 1974 Penn State alumnus

Martenas attended Penn State Hazleton before graduating from University Park with a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering — a degree that launched a 38-year career with Case New Holland (now CNH Industrial), the second largest global designer and manufacturer of farm equipment. He is a named inventor on 16 U.S. and European patents and in 2008 received the Sid Olsen Engineering Executive of the Year Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers. In 2010, he was named the Penn State Outstanding Engineering Alumnus from the College of Engineering and recently received the 2018 College of Agricultural Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award. In 2012, he retired as vice president of security and facilities of CNH and became a dedicated volunteer for his alma mater and his community.

College of Arts and Architecture

Noon, Saturday, May 4, Eisenhower Auditorium

Speaker – Barbara O. Korner, Dean, College of Arts and Architecture

Barbara “Bobbi” Korner has served as dean of the College of Arts and Architecture since 2007. A national leader in arts in higher education, Korner has played a key role in the University’s efforts to establish Penn State as a cultural destination, and she championed the development of the “arts district” concept on the University Park campus. The College of Arts and Architecture has gained national visibility thanks to her leadership in several organizations, including the Association for Theatre in Higher Education’s Leadership Institute, which she co-founded in 2000 and co-directed until 2016, and the Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities. Korner is retiring from the University in June.

Smeal College of Business

9 a.m. Sunday, May 5, Bryce Jordan Center

Speaker: Penn State Smeal alumna Karen Quintos, executive vice president and chief customer officer, Dell

As COO, Quintos leads an organization that defines and develops Dell’s customer experience strategy and programs, with the goals of maximizing customer satisfaction, acquisition, retention, and profitability. She is also responsible for Dell’s strategy and programs for diversity and inclusion and corporate social responsibility, business imperatives she is passionate about and that matter to Dell’s customers around the world. Quintos, who holds a bachelor’s in supply chain management from Smeal, is a member of the college’s board of visitors.

Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications

Noon Saturday, May 4, Bryce Jordan Center

Speaker: Tom Verducci, Penn State class of 1984, senior writer at Sports Illustrated and analyst for Fox and MLB Network

College of Earth and Mineral Sciences

8 p.m. Friday, May 3, Pegula Ice Arena

Speaker: Kelvin K. Droegemeier, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Droegemeier is the 18th director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Before joining the White House, he served as the vice president for Research and Regents’ Professor of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. He co-founded and directed the National Science Foundation’s Science and Technology Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms, and NSF Engineering Research Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere, and he has served two six-year terms (four years as vice chairman) on the National Science Board, under former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and American Association for the Advancement of Science.

College of Education

12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 5, Bryce Jordan Center

Speaker: Pedro A. Rivera, state Secretary of Education and member of the Penn State Board of Trustees.

Rivera, a Penn State alumnus, brings extensive experience in public education to his role in Wolf's Cabinet and has spent his entire career helping students. In September 2014, he was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change for his efforts to transform urban education – one of 10 recipients nationwide to receive the honor.

College of Engineering

8 p.m., Friday, May 3, Bryce Jordan Center

Speaker: Charles F. Bolden Jr., Maj. Gen. U.S. Marine Corps (retired), 12th NASA Administrator

Speaker: Maj. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr. (USMC-Ret), former NASA administrator and astronaut
College of Engineering commencement information

College of Health and Human Development

3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Bryce Jordan Center

Speaker: Paul Kempinski, president and CEO, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri

Kempinski is president and CEO of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, which provides leading medical care to children from birth through age 21 at not-for-profit hospitals and numerous specialty clinics. Kempinski previously served in a variety of roles at the Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, including most recently as its president. Kempinski received his bachelor’s degree in Health Planning and Administration from Penn State in 1982 and a master’s degree in health systems management from Rush University. In 2018, he received the Alumni Fellow Award from the Penn State Alumni Association.

College of Information Sciences and Technology

3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, Pegula Ice Arena

Speaker: Janet Sherlock, chief information officer at Ralph Lauren Corporation

As chief information officer at Ralph Lauren Corporation, a $6.5 billion global leader in the marketing, design and distribution of apparel, fragrance, accessories and home products, Sherlock leads her technology organization to support the company’s domestic growth and its strong international, online, omni-channel expansion. She and her team are responsible for the technology strategy and execution across the enterprise, including product design and development, supply chain, ecommerce, digital and store operations.  

Penn State Law (University Park)

10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 11, Eisenhower Auditorium (additional information)

Speaker: The Honorable Tanya R. Kennedy, Penn State alumna, Supreme Court Justice and former supervising judge of Civil Court in New York County

College of the Liberal Arts

6:30 p.m., Saturday, May 4, Bryce Jordan Center

Speaker: Brendan Bernicker, College of the Liberal Arts Student Marshal

Brendan is a Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar. He is graduating with bachelor of arts degrees in philosophy and political science as well as a master of arts degree in political science. After graduation, he will attend Yale Law School and plans to pursue a career in public interest law and criminal justice policy reform.

College of Nursing

6 p.m., Saturday, May 4, Eisenhower Auditorium

Speaker: Wendy Forrest Edgar, nurse practitioner, U.S. Acute Care Solutions at Allegheny Health Network Jefferson Hospital’s emergency department, and Children’s Express Care, affiliated with Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

Edgar, a 1992 College of Nursing alumna, is an adjunct faculty member in the Nurse Practitioner program at Penn State Fayette and the undergraduate nursing program at Waynesburg University. In 2015, Edgar received the Kay and Ernie Salvino Volunteer of the Year Award from the Penn State Alumni Association (PSAA). She is a past president of the PSAA Washington–Greene Counties Chapter, and is now a board member. She became inaugural president of the fully chartered College of Nursing Alumni Society in 2016. She currently serves as an elected member of the PSAA’s Alumni Council, where she chairs the Power of the Penn State Network committee and serves on the executive board.

Eberly College of Science

9 a.m. Saturday, May 4, Bryce Jordan Center

Speaker: Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and advocate for the education and advancement of traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM fields

Hrabowski’s research focuses on science and math education, with particular emphasis on participation and performance of underrepresented groups. In 1992, he became the president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which has since been recognized as a model for inclusive excellence. He is a consultant on science and math education to national agencies, universities, and school systems, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Academies, and has been recognized as a prominent leader on several occasions, including being name one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world by TIME magazine in 2012.

Schreyer Honors College Medals Ceremony

4:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, Bryce Jordan Center (Live Stream)

Speaker: Dean Peggy A. Johnson

The Graduate School

6:30 p.m., Sunday, May 5, in the Bryce Jordan Center

Speaker: Craig J. Newschaffer, Raymond E. and Erin Stuart Schultz Dean, College of Health and Human Development

Last Updated June 21, 2019