ϳԹ'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.