Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s graduate and
undergraduate winter commencement ceremonies will take place Saturday, December 16.
The ceremony for graduate students (receiving
master’s and doctoral degrees) will be at 9:30 a.m. in the IUP Performing Arts
Center’s Fisher Auditorium. The undergraduate ceremony will be at 1:00 p.m. in the
Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.
Students completing degrees in December and
January are invited to participate in the December commencement ceremonies,
which includes a total of 727
students. Of this number, 525 were bachelor’s degrees, 163 were master’s degrees, 38 were doctoral degrees, and there was one associate degree.
A total of 202 of the undergraduate
degree recipients are graduating with Latin honors (3.25 cumulative grade point
average or above).
Carlyn Brecht, of
Sykesville, has been selected as the student speaker for the undergraduate
commencement ceremony. Brecht, daughter of Torry and Chris Brecht, is a
2014 graduate of Marriotts Ridge High School. She will receive her degree in
chemistry at the ceremony.
While at IUP, she was a dean’s list student and provost
scholar. She was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority and received the Freshman
Chemistry Scholarship and the Ronald Marks Scholarship.
Five students will be recognized for achieving a
perfect 4.0 grade point average at the ceremony, including Jennifer Brand, an
accounting major from Murrysville; Molly Fox, a fashion merchandising major
from Johnstown; Margaret Staronka, an English major from Burnham; Angel
Steinkirchner, an art studio major from Listie; and Kyle Witman, a sports
administration major from Kutztown.
Hortense “Samantha” Mowatt, who is graduating with
a degree in educational and school psychology, will be the graduate ceremony
student speaker. Mowatt is the daughter of Samuel and Vivienne Mowatt of
Brooklyn, New York, and Newport, Jamaica. She is a 1993 graduate of Abraham Lincoln
High School and an alumna of Iowa State University and Seton Hill University.
The total number of graduates applying for graduation by
college were: 137 from the Eberly College
of Business and Information Technology; 44
from the College of Education and Communications; 28 from the College of Fine Arts; 179 from the College of Health and Human
Services; 60 from the College of
Humanities and Social Sciences; 78 from
the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and 201 from the School of Graduate Studies and Research.
Teresa Shellenbarger, professor of nursing,
coordinator of the PhD program in nursing, and IUP’s 2017–18 Distinguished
University Professor, will serve as the keynote speaker for both the
undergraduate and graduate ceremonies. The Distinguished University
Professorship is an annual award presented to an IUP faculty member based on
outstanding teaching, research, and scholarly activity. Recipients retain the
title for life.
The undergraduate
ceremony will include the presentation of the senior class gift from Virginia
Njenga, a biology graduate from Ephrata. Both ceremonies will include
greetings from the Alumni Association President John Ninosky.