Area colleges prepare to send off graduates

April 22-- Apr. 22--As seniors across the region prepare to don their caps and gowns, here is a look at what the local colleges have scheduled for their upcoming commencement ceremonies:

Pitt-Johnstown

The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown's commencement ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Sports Center on Schoolhouse Road in Richland Township.

About 400 students are expected to graduate.

David Epstein, best-selling author and science writer, will serve as the honorary speaker.

Epstein has made it his mission to uncover the keys to achieving high performance in any domain, and to debunk popular myths along the way. His New York Times best-seller, "The Sports Gene," took readers inside the science of extraordinary athletic performance. In his latest book, "Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World," he examines the world's top performers, from professional athletes to artists, scientists, entrepreneurs and Nobel laureates.

St. Francis

St. Francis University's commencement will be held May 12 in the DeGol Arena of the Maurice Stokes Athletics Center in Loretto.

There will be two ceremonies -- the graduate procession will begin at 9:45 a.m., followed by commencement exercises at 10 a.m.; and the undergraduate procession will begin at 1:45 p.m., with the ceremony beginning at 2 p.m.

This year, 750 students -- 421 undergraduate and 329 graduate -- will earn degrees.

The theme for both ceremonies is a reflection on one of the institution's goals of Franciscan education: "A Global Vision."

Each ceremony will feature a guest speaker.

Michael K. Lauf, president and CEO, Cape Cod Healthcare and CEO of Cape Cod Hospital, will address the graduate ceremony.

Lauf, who earned his MBA from St. Francis and his bachelor's from the University of Pittsburgh, has served since December 2010 at Cape Cod Healthcare, a regional health system with more than 450 physicians and 5,300 employees.

Prior to joining Cape Cod Healthcare, Lauf served as chief operating officer for Bristol Medical Center, a 348-bed hospital in Bristol, Tennessee.

From 1999 to 2006, he held a variety of positions for Conemaugh Health System, including president and CEO of Miners Medical Center. From 1994 to 1999, Lauf worked on the staff of U.S. Rep. John Murtha, including as Murtha's director of community and economic development.

Professor Francis Campbell, vice chancellor at St. Mary's University in Twickenham London will serve as the keynote speaker for the undergraduate ceremony.

Campbell was appointed in 2014 as the vice chancellor of St Mary's University, Twickenham, London. He is also a professor of international relations at St. Mary's University.

From 1999-2003, he served on the staff of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, first as a policy adviser and then as a private secretary. Campbell has also served as head of the policy unit in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Director of Innovation at UK Trade and Investment.

Mount Aloysius

U.S. Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson will deliver the Mount Aloysius College commencement address at 10 a.m. on May 11 in the Athletic Convocation and Wellness Center in Cresson.

Thompson represents the commonwealth's 15th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to being elected to Pennsylvania's largest congressional district, Thompson spent 28 years as a therapist, rehabilitation services manager and a licensed nursing home administrator.

"We are all proud of this Mountie class as they transition into careers or continued education and join our family of more than 16,500 alumni worldwide," said Mount Aloysius College President John Mills. "The day will be especially memorable with Congressman Thompson delivering our commencement address.

"His background in healthcare, education, and community service will certainly resonate with our students."

Thompson is a graduate of Penn State and Temple University, where he earned a bachelor of science and a master of education, respectively.

St. Vincent

Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva will be the keynote speaker at the 173rd annual commencement of St. Vincent College at 11 a.m. May 11 in the Robert S. Carey Student Center on the Latrobe campus.

More than 340 undergraduate and graduate degrees will be awarded during the ceremony.

As a decorated Army Ranger and noted humanitarian, Villanueva carved a unique path to the National Football League.

He served three tours of duty in Afghanistan, from 2010 to 2013 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, earning numerous honors for his service, including a Bronze Star Medal for valor for rescuing wounded soldiers from enemy fire.

In August 2014, Villanueva signed a contract with the Steelers. After spending a year on the practice squad, he received substantial playing time throughout the 2015 season. In 2016, he earned a starting position and has remained a starter in each of the past two seasons.

Villanueva, who earned his degree in systems engineering at West Point, went on to obtain his MBA in 2018 from Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business.

IUP

The Indiana University of Pennsylvania will hold three commencement ceremonies.

The graduate master's and doctoral ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m. on May 10, with undergraduate ceremonies taking place May 11. All ceremonies will be in the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex on the IUP campus.

On May 11, Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and College of Health and Human Services diplomas will be presented at 9 a.m. College of Education and Communications, College of Fine Arts, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Eberly College of Business and Information Technology degrees will be presented at 2 p.m.

The ceremony is open to students graduating in May as well as students anticipating graduation in August. The university has about 2,100 combine undergraduate and graduate degree students.

Student speakers will be featured at each of the ceremonies.

Penn Highlands

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will hold a commencement ceremony for its 24th graduating class at 10 a.m. May 11, in the Richland campus auditorium.

Student Senate President Anthony Cornetti, of Nanty Glo, will give this year's commencement address in front of 323 graduates.

Cornetti is a member of the 2017-18 WPCC champion men's basketball team, a member of the X-Files Club, and a member of both the National Society of Leadership and Success and Phi Theta Kappa. During his time at the college, he made the WPCC Academic Team and the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team.

Cornetti will obtain an associate's degree in liberal arts and sciences/history during the ceremony.

Also addressing the graduates will be Walter Asonevich, college president; Greg Winger, chairman of the board of trustees; Tom Chernisky, Cambria County president commissioner; and Daniella Cope, faculty senate president.

In addition to awarding associate degrees, diplomas and certificates, the Distinguished Graduate Award will be presented, which honors a student who has contributed his or her time and effort to Penn Highlands and the community while maintaining a high level of academic performance.

Ronald Fisher is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @FisherSince_82.

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