Academics

New Kensington campus prepares for December commencement

Debra Majetic, George W. Atherton Award recipient, assistant teaching professor and alumna, to serve as commencement speaker

The Lion Shrine at Penn State New Kensington dons a graduation mortarboard. Credit: Rebecca Dietrich / Penn State. Creative Commons

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — Penn State New Kensington will honor its fall 2022 graduates during a 10 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 17, in the campus’ Forum Theatre.  

Eighteen Penn State students will earn their baccalaureate degrees during the in-person event.  

Debra Majetic, assistant teaching professor and program coordinator for Radiological Sciences at the campus, will serve as the event’s commencement keynote speaker. Majetic, who started her journey with radiological sciences at the New Kensington campus as a student, began her career as a diagnostic radiologic technologist and later as a radiologic technologist in mammography at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. At the same time, she accepted a position as a clinical instructor, where she worked with Penn State students completing clinical rotations and realized that clinical instruction was her passion. She accepted her first program director position at Aliquippa Community Hospital, where she also merged its hospital-based radiologic technology program with the Community College of Beaver County, which enabled students to earn an associate degree. In 2005, she returned to the New Kensington campus as a faculty member and clinical coordinator, and later became the program coordinator. She holds an associate degree in radiography from the University, as well as a bachelor of science and master’s degree in higher education from Geneva College. In 2022, Majetic received the George Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching at Penn State. 

The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. in the Forum Theatre. Graduates are asked to arrive in Café 780 by 9:30 a.m. on the day of the ceremony for graduate portraits and processional. Details about the ceremony and other important graduation information can be found at newkensington.psu.edu/graduation.  

Photos from the ceremony, including graduate portraits, will be posted to the campus Facebook page the week following commencement at https://facebook.com/pennstatenewkensington.  

Class of 2022 

Baccalaureate Degrees 

Matthew Lehman — bachelor of science in electro-mechanical engineering technology

Lindsay Copeland, Mollie Gardina*, Alaina Lisovich, Mackenzie Sendro — bachelor of science in nursing

Nathan Helmininack, Sarah Offen, Michelle Rollinson — bachelor of science in biobehavioral health

Tedeidra Day, Scott Mullen*, Lacey Newhouse, Luc Tomaswick — bachelor of science in business

Stephanie Conklin — bachelor of arts in communications

Mackinly Adams, Hunter Everson* — bachelor of science in information sciences and technology

Luc Tomaswick, Zachary Wilhelm — bachelor of science in project and supply chain management

Arianna Hill — bachelor of arts in psychology

Jazmen Wilder — bachelor of science in psychology

*Denotes summer 2022 graduate  

Last Updated December 15, 2022