Campus Life

      Penn State campuses to hold spring 2023 commencement ceremonies May 5-7

      Penn State to award approximately 14,000 diplomas during events across the commonwealth

      Penn State's Nittany Lion shrine on the University Park campus. Credit: Curtis Chan / Penn State. Creative Commons

      UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State will celebrate the accomplishments of its graduates during its spring 2023 commencement ceremonies, the majority of which will be held Friday, May 5, through Sunday, May 7.

      This spring Penn State expects to award approximately 14,032 diplomas to students University-wide who are completing 181 associate, 11,376 baccalaureate, 1,786 master's, 321 law, 190 doctoral, 149 medical and 29 medical/graduate degrees. All figures listed are estimates as of April 27, 2023; totals do not include Penn College.

      Ceremonies at Penn State University Park

      More information about commencement ceremonies at University Park can be found on the commencement website.

      Schreyer Honors College Medals Ceremony

      • Ceremony: 4 p.m. Friday, May 5, Bryce Jordan Center
      • Speaker: Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi

      The Graduate School at Penn State

      • Ceremony: 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 7, Bryce Jordan Center
      • Speaker: Kim Fenstermacher, assistant dean of nursing and professor of nursing, Messiah University
      • Visit advanced degree candidate commencement for more information and livestreaming details

      Undergraduate commencement ceremonies

      College of Agricultural Sciences

      • Ceremony: 1 p.m. Sunday, May 7, Pegula Ice Arena
      • Speaker: Russell C. Redding, secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

      College of Arts and Architecture

      • Ceremony: 1 p.m. Saturday, May 6, Eisenhower Auditorium
      • Speaker: John R. Hoke III, chief design officer at Nike Inc. and Penn State architecture alumnus

      Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications

      • Ceremony: 1 p.m. Saturday, May 6, Bryce Jordan Center
      • Speaker: Vince Sadusky, Penn State class of 1987, chief executive officer and a board member of International Game Technology 

      College of Earth and Mineral Sciences

      • Ceremony: 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7, Pegula Ice Arena
      • Speaker: Susan Avery, president emerita of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

      Eberly College of Science

      • Ceremony: 1 p.m. Sunday, May 7, Bryce Jordan Center
      • Speaker: Ala Stanford, pediatric surgeon; former regional director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium and the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity; Penn State class of 1991 and 1997 (graduate)

      College of Education

      • Ceremony: 9 a.m. Sunday, May 7, Pegula Ice Arena
      • Speaker: Tony B. Watlington Sr., superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia.

      College of Engineering

      • Ceremony: 7 p.m. Friday, May 5, Bryce Jordan Center
      • Speaker: Charles L. Dages II, chairperson, emeritus, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

      College of Health and Human Development

      • Ceremony: 9 a.m. Sunday, May 7, Bryce Jordan Center
      • Speaker: Kathryn Ott Lovell, commissioner of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation

      College of Information Sciences and Technology

      • Ceremony: 9 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Pegula Ice Area
      • Speaker: Deanne Criswell, administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency

      College of the Liberal Arts

      • Ceremony:  4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, Bryce Jordan Center
      • Speaker: Nina Jablonski, Evan Pugh University Professor of Anthropology, Penn State

      Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing

      • Ceremony: 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, Eisenhower Auditorium 
      • Speaker: Stacey-Ann Okoth, Penn State graduate, and senior vice president and associate chief nursing executive for Jefferson Health in Philadelphia

      Smeal College of Business

      • Ceremony: 9 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Bryce Jordan Center
      • Speaker: Darrell K. Williams, president, Hampton University; retired lieutenant general, U.S. Army

      Commonwealth Campuses

      Penn State Abington

      • Ceremonies: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday, May 5, Athletic Building
      • Speaker: Hon. Art Haywood, Pennsylvania state senator, 4th Senatorial District
      • Visit Penn State Abington commencement for more information and livestreaming details.

      Penn State Altoona 

      • Ceremony: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Adler Athletic Complex
      • Speaker: Roger Rickard, founder and president of Voices in Advocacy, author of "7 Actions of Highly Effective Advocates," and host of the Voices in Advocacy podcast
      • Visit Penn State Altoona commencement for more information and livestreaming details.

      Penn State Beaver

      • Ceremony: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Gymnasium
      • Speaker: Rob Joswiak, Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Department of State, who is currently working in Washington, D.C., as a policy diplomacy officer on Afghanistan
      • Visit Penn State Beaver commencement for more information and livestreaming details.

      Penn State Behrend

      • Ceremony: 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 5, at Erie Insurance Arena
      • Speakers: Dr. Ala Stanford, health policy adviser and founder of the Center for Health Equity, and Greg Dillon, professor of polymer engineering
      • Visit Penn State Behrend commencement for more information and livestreaming details.

      Penn State Berks

      • Ceremony: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 6, the Santander Arena in downtown Reading
      • Speaker: Brian S. Dreibelbis, Penn State Berks alumnus; senior director of supply chain human resources/labor and employee relations at Land O’Lakes Corp.; and member of the Penn State Berks Advisory Board
      • Visit Penn State Berks commencement for more information and livestreaming details.

      Penn State Brandywine

      • Ceremony: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Commons/Athletic Center
      • Student Speakers: Christopher Fill, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in psychology; Dana Hallahan, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in biology; and Khafren Smith, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in information sciences and technology
      • Visit Penn State Brandywine commencement for more information and livestreaming details.

      Penn State DuBois

      • Ceremony: 11 a.m. Friday, May 5, PAW Center Gymnasium
      • Speaker: Stephen Massini, CEO of Penn State Health, who attended Penn State DuBois to begin his academic career at the University
      • Visit Penn State DuBois commencement for more information and livestreaming details.

      Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus

      • Ceremony: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Community Center Main Arena
      • Speaker: Charles E. Hunnell, Vietnam War veteran, Penn State alumnus
      • Read Penn State Fayette’s commencement article for more information.

      Penn State Great Valley

      Penn State Greater Allegheny

      • Ceremony: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Wunderley Gymnasium
      • Student Speaker: Adrian Eduardo Hiciano-Kingsley, information technology (bachelor of science) degree candidate
      • Commencement Speaker: David Newell, retired director of public relations for Fred Rogers Productions and best known as Mr. McFeely in "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood"
      • Visit Penn State Greater Allegheny Commencement for more information and livestreaming details.

      Penn State Harrisburg 

      • Ceremony: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Giant Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania 
      • Speaker: Patty Kim, Pennsylvania state representative
      • Visit Penn State Harrisburg commencement for more information and livestreaming details.

      Penn State Hazleton

      Penn State Lehigh Valley

      • Ceremony: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6, Penn State Lehigh Valley, outdoor ceremony (rain or shine)
      • Speaker: Abu Fofanah, CEO of Power Your Launch
      • Visit Penn State Lehigh Valley Commencement for more information and livestreaming details.

      Penn State Mont Alto

      Penn State New Kensington

      • Ceremony: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 6, in the Athletic Center
      • Speaker: Tom Guzzo, mayor of the city of New Kensington and Penn State alumnus
      • Visit Penn State New Kensington commencement for more information and livestreaming details. 

      Penn State Schuylkill 

      • Ceremony: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 6, gymnasium 
      • Speaker: Robert E. Fenza, Penn State trustee and chair of the committee on finance, business and capital planning; retired chief operating officer, Liberty Property Trust 
      • Visit Penn State Schuylkill commencement for more information and livestreaming details.

      Penn State Scranton

      • Ceremony: Noon Saturday, May 6, Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple
      • Speaker: Bridget Kosierowski, Pennsylvania state representative, 114th District/Lackawanna County
      • Visit Penn State Scranton Commencement for more information. 

      Penn State Shenango

      Penn State Wilkes-Barre

      Penn State York

      Last Updated May 2, 2023

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