IUP is gearing up for winter commencement ceremonies today.
A total of 551 students will take part in both ceremonies. Of that total, 363 bachelor’s degrees will be awarded, along with 153 master’s degrees, 30 doctoral degrees, and five associate degrees. Graduate students will kick-off ceremonies at 9:30 a.m., followed by undergraduate ceremonies at 1 p.m. Students completing degrees in December and January are eligible to take part in Saturday’s ceremonies.
While no keynote speaker is scheduled for either ceremony, certain figures will offer remarks. IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll will preside over both ceremonies, and Tonya Anthony Hsuing, President of the IUP Alumni Association Board of Directors, will offer greetings from the Association.
Presenting this year’s Senior Class Gift will be Emily Zimmerman Vogel, a graduate of the College of Education and Communications. This year’s student speaker will be Elizabeth Garraway, a theater major from Pottsville. Altoona-native Nicol Eppel, who will receive a Ph.D. in graduate studies in literature and criticism, will be the graduate student speaker.
During the ceremonies, five students will be honored for having 4.0 grade point averages throughout their collegiate careers. They include Kathryn Hippchen, an accounting major from Homer City and graduate of Homer-Center High School; Brynn Wingard, a Spanish education major and anthropology minor from Johnstown; Krystin Thomas, a family and consumer sciences education major from Mountain Top; Lyndsay Killian, a psychology major from West Reading; and Kathryn Aderman, a supply chain management major from Butler.
