Penn State Behrend Commencement Moves to Tullio Arena
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will hold its spring 2006 commencement for nearly 350 associate, baccalaureate and graduate degree students on Saturday, May 13, beginning at noon in the Louis J. Tullio Arena, located at Eighth and French Streets in downtown Erie.
“We asked this year’s graduating seniors what was most important to them about commencement, and the overwhelming majority told us they wanted to be able to invite an unlimited number of guests,” Jack Burke, chancellor, said of the change. “Moving the ceremony to the Tullio Arena makes that possible.” Traditionally commencement has been held on campus, most recently in the Junker Center.
Penn State Behrend will graduate a total of 426 students, including 17 associate, 370 baccalaureate and 39 graduate degree candidates. Systemwide, Penn State will confer 10,355 degrees to students this spring.
Notable speakers include Chuck Yeung, associate professor of physics, who will deliver the commencement address, Kurt Buseck, chairman of the Council of Fellows, and Edward P. Junker III, a member of the Penn State Board of Trustees, who will provide authorization to confer degrees.
Yeung, who has taught physics at Penn State Behrend for 12 years, specializes in polymer dynamics, pattern formation and working with experimental groups on biophysical studies. He earned a Ph.D. and a Master of Science in physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as well as a B.A. in physics from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. He has completed postdoctoral work at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Toronto, and is a published author.
This year’s four student marshals are Chandra L. Giger, a biology major from Valencia, Pa., for the School of Science; Aimee L. Pogson, an English major from Cranesville, Pa., for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences; Margaret A. Porter, a management major from Erie, for the Sam and Irene Black School of Business; and Michael R. Weismiller, a mechanical engineering major from Erie, for the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology.
Following the commencement program, all graduates and their guests are invited to attend the receptions that are being hosted by each school in Tullio Arena. More details about the ceremony can be found at the College Registrar Web site.
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, offers 31 baccalaureate, five associate, four pre-professional and two graduate degree programs with 20 minors to more than 3,700 students. Focused on providing a student-centered environment, Penn State Behrend is the link that connects its students to a major research and land-grant institution on a campus enriched by more than 90 clubs and organizations, 21 NCAA varsity teams, 19 intramural sports and modern facilities.