Table of Contents
- To Our Guests
- A Message from the Chancellor
- About Penn State Altoona
- Baccalaureate and Associate Degree Program
- Commencement Speaker Dr. Brian Black
- Program Notes
- Honor Societies
- Sheetz Fellows
- Student Marshals
- Candidates for Degrees
- Nomenclator, Advisory Board, and Commencement Marshals
To Our Guests
We welcome you to the commencement exercises for baccalaureate and associate degree candidates. Commencement, the solemn but joyful climax and recognition of the graduates’ years of study, is an important occasion for the University, its faculty, staff, and students. All guests and participants are requested to avoid unnecessary conversation or moving about during the exercises.
A Message from the Chancellor
On behalf of the faculty and staff at Penn State Altoona as well as our Advisory and Alumni Society Boards, it gives me great pride and pleasure to welcome you to today’s commencement ceremony. Today we recognize the talent, dedication and hard work of our soon-to-be graduates in achieving this significant milestone in their academic careers. Further, we recognize that their success is a reflection of the support given to them by their families, friends, and the many others who cheered them on.
To our newest graduates, we wish you well in your future endeavors. There will, of course, be times of accomplishment and times of challenge ahead. We urge you to approach them with balance, confidence, and humility and to embrace the simple reality that learning is a life-long endeavor.
Dr. Ron Darbeau
Chancellor
About Penn State Altoona
Penn State Altoona is a full-service, residential campus located less than forty-five miles from the University Park campus. The college enrolls nearly 2,500 students and offers twenty-one baccalaureate degree programs, five associate degree programs, and the first two years of coursework for more than 275 Penn State majors that can be completed at other Penn State campuses.
Penn State Altoona’s Ivyside campus, home to the college since 1947, consists of all-purpose athletic fields, a turf soccer field with an eight-lane track, a reflecting pond, thirty-three buildings, and four residence halls. In 1999, the college added its first location in downtown Altoona with the leasing of the former Playhouse Theater. Since then, the college has expanded its footprint downtown, which is now home to the Devorris Downtown Center (classrooms and conference facilities), Aaron Building (communications suite, nursing simulation labs, Dining Car Downtown, William J. Castle Executive Quarters, and Sutter Suites), Kazmaier Family Building (Development and Alumni Relations Office), The Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence (entrepreneurship program and Sheetz Fellows program), and Penn Building (classrooms, office space).
The college boasts world-class faculty in all of its four academic divisions: Arts and Humanities; Business, Engineering, and Information Sciences and Technology; Education, Human Development, and Social Sciences; and Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Small classes and excellent support systems enable students to reach their fullest potential. The small campus environment allows for a comprehensive learning experience while combining the high standards of a major research university.
Penn State Altoona believes that the college experience should include more than just classroom learning and therefore is proud to offer its students a wide array of extracurricular opportunities. These opportunities include more than sixty clubs and organizations, community service opportunities, honor societies, pre-professional groups, student government, club sports, and student leadership programs.
An NCAA Division III member with primary conference membership in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) and secondary conference membership in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), Penn State Altoona offers fifteen varsity sports for men and women.
Baccalaureate and Associate Degree Program
Dr. Ron Darbeau
Chancellor of Penn State Altoona
Presiding
Academic Processional
Prelude to Te Deum, Charpentier
Performed by Encore Brass
National Anthem
Sung by Clarissa J. Snyder
Penn State Altoona Class of 2024
The audience is asked to join in the singing.
Remarks
Chancellor Ron Darbeau
Commencement Speaker
Dr. Brian Black
Authorization to Confer Degrees
Dr. Nicholas J. Rowland
The Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees
Conferring of Degrees
Dr. Leigh Ann Haefner
Interim Division Head, Arts and Humanities
Division Head, Education, Human Development, and Social Sciences
Dr. Edward Levri
Interim Division Head, Business, Engineering, and Information Sciences and Technology
Division Head, Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Presentation of Diplomas
Presiding: Chancellor Ron Darbeau
Assisting: Doug Page, Chair, Faculty Senate
Congratulations by the College Advisory Board
Stephen G. Sheetz, Chair
Penn State Altoona Advisory Board
Recognition by the Penn State Alumni Society
Dr. Tracy Hinish, President
Penn State Altoona Alumni Society
Alma Mater
Sung by Clarissa J. Snyder
Penn State Altoona Class of 2024
The audience is asked to join in the singing.
Recessional
Allegro Maestoso, Handel
Performed by Encore Brass
The audience is requested to remain seated during the recessional.
Commencement Speaker Dr. Brian Black
Dr. Brian Black is Distinguished Professor of History and Environmental Studies at Penn State Altoona, where he also served for over a decade as Head of Arts and Humanities. Recognized as a global expert on energy and petroleum history, he has taught or lectured in China, Britain, Germany, France, Sweden, and Norway. He is the author of more than a dozen books, and his writing on energy for a general audience has appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, USA TODAY, the Conversation, and the New York Times. ROAD TRIP: How Eisenhower’s 1919 Convoy Paved the Way for the Roads We Travel, his newest book, will be released in early 2024. Black hales from Blair County, and in his courses in history and Environmental Studies, he loves to introduce students to our regional peculiarities, ranging from bank barns to hoagies and mountain laurel to wind turbines.
Program Notes
Academic Dress
Academic dress had its beginning in the Middle Ages. When European universities were taking form in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, scholars were also clerics and adopted robes similar to those of their monastic orders. Caps were a necessity in the drafty buildings, and capes with hoods attached were needed for warmth. These early scholars made the hood distinctive for the various degrees by its color, trimming, and binding. As the universities gradually passed from the control of these ecclesiastics, academic dress took on brighter hues.
The use of academic garb in the United States has been continuous since the founding of our first institution in colonial times. A uniform system was not widespread, however, until about 1895 when the well-defined code of the Intercollegiate Commission was adopted by nearly all institutions of higher learning.
Gowns worn by those in the procession vary according to the degree held. Although the gown is more frequently black for academic degrees, certain universities have authorized the use of colored gowns. The academic gown has short or regular sleeves for the bachelor’s degree, pointed sleeves for the master’s degree, and round full sleeves for the doctor’s degree. There are no trimmings on the bachelor’s and master’s gowns, but the doctor’s gown is faced in front with black velvet and has three bars of the same material across the sleeves. In some cases, the color of this velvet relates to the field in which the degree is granted.
Hoods are not usually worn by recipients of the bachelor’s degree. The hood, which is the most distinctive feature of the American code, varies in length according to the type of degree held and is lined with the official colors of the institution conferring the degree. The velvet border or edging of the hood indicates the discipline of the degree it represents: scarlet, theology; blue, philosophy; light blue, education; brown, fine arts; blue violet, architecture; copper, economics; drab, business administration; golden yellow, science; green, medicine; sage green, physical education; orange, engineering; pink, music; purple, law; russet, forestry; and white, arts, letters, humanities.
The cap is usually square and is the same for all degrees. The standard tassel is black, but the doctor’s cap may have a gold tassel. The standard cap is the mortarboard and is usually the color of the gown. Undergraduates wear the tassel on the right side of the cap until the moment the degree is conferred.
Conferring of Degree
The legal corporate body of The Pennsylvania State University is its Board of Trustees. This is the entity that, by its charter, is given complete responsibility for the governance, welfare, and all other interests pertaining to the University. The Medallion presented by the Board of Trustees and worn by the Chancellor symbolizes the authority of the Chancellor to confer on each candidate the degree earned, as certified by the appropriate college faculty and administration.
Academic Mace and Medallion
The tradition of the mace can be dated to medieval kings, whose bodyguards would use a mace as an instrument of protection. It came to symbolize strength and authority. Originally, it was a weapon of offense that was made of iron and capable of breaking armor. It was a giant club, which came to be associated with brave men who fought to protect the king. During medieval times, the royal sergeants at arms were distinguished by their power of arrest without a warrant. To an increasing extent, the maces–originally ordinary weapons of war, similar to a club–became their emblems of authority from a noble lord or the king. These maces were stamped with the royal arms; and in an age in which few could read and write, the sergeants effected their arrests by showing their maces and not by producing any form of written warrant.
The evolution of maces from weapons of war to symbolic representations has seen the flanged head decrease in size to an ornamental bracket. The butt end historically carried the royal coat of arms and an arched crown surmounted by an orb and cross. As a result of the expansion of the butt end, maces began to be carried upside down with the crown uppermost.
Gradually, universities adopted the use of a mace to show the right of academic institutions to grant degrees to graduates. When English universities were taking form in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the mace was used as a symbol of royal authority at the universities the King established. It was displayed especially during formal ceremonies. The mace was carried by the most senior member of the faculty at the royal university before the president or chancellor and other dignitaries composing the platform party. The mace symbolically represents the college’s authority to exist and function as an institution of higher education.
As symbols of events and affiliations, medallions can be traced to religious orders during the Middle Ages. Since many orders, societies, and universities used similar designs–a circle, cross, or an oval–detailed artwork in the center of the medallion was adopted to differentiate each affiliation. Colleges and universities traditionally use ceremonial and commemorative medallions for formal occasions such as commencements, convocations, inaugurations, and other occasions when academic dress is worn. The academic medallion worn by the president or chancellor of the institution symbolically and officially represents his or her authority granted by the proper legal authority (the board of trustees, state authority, etc.) to confer degrees upon graduates of the institution.
Honor Cords
Honor cords are double ropes knotted at the back of the neck and worn over the robe during commencement. The cords are awarded for academic honor, as well as for service and leadership. At Penn State Altoona, only honor cords for academic achievement or from recognized campus honor societies may be worn.
Penn State Altoona baccalaureate degree candidates graduating summa cum laude have attained a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.97 or higher; candidates graduating magna cum laude have attained a cumulative GPA between 3.93 and 3.96; and candidates graduating cum laude have attained a cumulative GPA between 3.83 and 3.92.
The College of Education confers the degree in Childhood and Early Adolescent Education offered at Penn State Altoona. Its baccalaureate degree candidates graduating summa cum laude have attained a GPA of 3.99; candidates graduating magna cum laude have attained a cumulative GPA between 3.92 and 3.97; and candidates graduating cum laude have attained a cumulative GPA between 3.90 and 3.94.
The College of Nursing confers the degree in Nursing offered at Penn State Altoona. Its baccalaureate degree candidates graduating summa cum laude have attained a GPA of 3.98; candidates graduating magna cum laude have attained a cumulative GPA between 3.92 and 3.97; and candidates graduating cum laude have attained a cumulative GPA between 3.85 and 3.91.
Throughout The Pennsylvania State University, associate degree candidates graduating summa cum laude have attained a cumulative GPA of 3.98 or higher; candidates graduating magna cum laude have attained a cumulative GPA between 3.90 and 3.97; and candidates graduating cum laude have attained a cumulative GPA between 3.81 and 3.89.
Penn State Altoona currently has sixteen honor societies that award honor cords for service or leadership.
Honor Societies
Alpha Phi Sigma
(National Criminal Justice Honor Society)
Blue and gold braided cords
- Rachel Marie Rennie
Beta Beta Beta
(National Biological Honor Society)
Forest Green and red cords
- Connor Dean Oakes
Kappa Delta Pi
(International Honor Society in Education)
Green and purple cords
- Lindsey Mae Kensinger
Lambda Pi Eta
(National Communication Association Honor Society)
Gold cords
- Madison Elizabeth Eisaman
- Troy H McCarty
Sigma Beta Delta
(International Honor Society for Business, Management and Administration)
Green and gold cords
- Jacob Ryan Bradish
- Shayna Marie Helsel
This program lists graduation candidates as of November 27, 2023.
Degrees officially will be conferred in late December 2023, pending successful completion of all degree requirements.
Subject to completion of all degree requirements and satisfaction of minimum criteria, distinction may be conferred as indicated upon the individuals listed herein and upon such others as may meet the requirements.
Sheetz Fellows
The Sheetz Fellows program is the vision of Steve and Nancy Sheetz. It was established as part of the couple’s historic gift to Penn State Altoona in 2009.
Sheetz Fellows participate in advanced instruction and activities that promote an enhanced awareness and understanding of leadership, service, and ethics. Established academic standards must be met to maintain status within the program. Other requirements include completion of a study abroad experience, credit-bearing internship, and a minor or option in entrepreneurship.
Sheetz Fellows processing in the commencement ceremony are identified by the specially crafted medallion that is worn proudly around their necks as a symbol of their commitment to academic excellence.
Sheetz Fellows
Medallion with blue ribbon
- Dominic S. Tornatore, Student Marshal
Student Marshals
Each of the four student marshals is an outstanding student chosen by their division head to represent their respective academic division. As an honor, they carry their division’s banner at the head of their division. We are proud to publish the following personal narratives highlighting their experiences at Penn State Altoona.
Division of Arts and Humanities
Jordan Alwine
Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art Studies
Escorted by Susan Marie Brundage
I am honored to be named the student marshal for the Division of Arts and Humanities for the graduating class of fall 2023.
Admittedly, Penn State Altoona was not my first choice when wanting to major in art—but, wholeheartedly, I would not trade my time here for anything. From my first day four years ago to now, I hold onto these memories dearly—the people, the professors, the classes, the experiences, all of it. From my very first art class, I saw myself being both supported and challenged, and I saw myself and my art grow in ways that I adore—a boost in confidence that I needed, concepts and materials I had not thought to work with before. I am grateful and proud of where I am today, and I know I will look back on my time here fondly for years to come.
Division of Business, Engineering, and Information Sciences and Technology
Dominic Tornatore
Bachelor of Science in Business
Escorted by Paul Cooney
I knew I wanted to go to Penn State Altoona when I was a junior in high school. During that time in my life, I had a manager who was a Sheetz Fellow. She inspired me through her leadership to pursue the same path. Penn State Altoona held me to a high professional standard. There, I learned public speaking, networking, critical thinking, idea generation, and effective collaboration. The Sheetz Fellows program imbued me with the essential qualities that business leaders seek. I am profoundly grateful to Mr. Sheetz and the business department for challenging me. Throughout my four years of studies, I discerned my true calling: to be a leader who profoundly impacts others through both my work and character. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to every professor at Penn State Altoona for teaching me how to be a transformational leader in the community.
Division of Education, Human Development, and Social Sciences
Taylor Kalke
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Escorted by Danielle DelPriore
I am honored to have been selected as the student marshal for the Division of Education, Human Development, and Social Sciences for the fall 2023 graduation ceremony.
Although starting at Penn State during a pandemic was a unique and certainly challenging college experience, I had the privilege of undergoing personal growth, becoming more independent, making lifelong friendships, and obtaining an education that will significantly help me achieve my future professional goals. During these last few years of my life, as I have struggled and encountered bumps along the way, I have developed a particular appreciation for the supporters in my life. I could not have done this without my family, friends, and professors. I am proud to be a Penn State student, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to further my education at Penn State Altoona.
We Are!
Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Vincent Restauri
Bachelor of Science in Biology
Escorted by Mary Kananen
I want to communicate my deepest appreciation for being selected as the student marshal for the Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences to the Penn State Staff and Faculty. I am standing here because of the accomplishments I have had at Penn State. Yet, many of these achievements are milestones that WE all have shared.
WE all came to Penn State as a decision to better ourselves. WE attended classes for our futures. WE listened and followed along during lectures. WE studied for numerous hours. WE finally learned to stop procrastinating. WE had professors who forced us out of our shells. WE presented information that WE researched ourselves. WE persevered despite the challenges ahead of us. WE had incredible opportunities opened to us. WE participated in clubs where WE met others with common interests. WE showed our pride at Penn State Football games. WE had research opportunities available, and WE took them. WE were inspired by our professors. WE were encouraged to ask questions, and WE had those questions answered. WE were given the tools to succeed in life, and WE are here now because of it. WE have willpower. WE have grit. WE are powerful. WE are proud.
WE ARE…PENN STATE.
Candidates for Degrees
Please Note: The information in this document was produced on December 4, 2023, as an official list of students who indicated an intent to graduate. Students who indicated their intent to graduate after that production date are not listed.
Degrees officially will be conferred in January, pending successful completion of all degree requirements. Subject to completion of all degree requirements and satisfaction of minimum criteria, distinction may be conferred as indicated upon the individuals listed herein and upon such others as may meet the requirements.
Division of Arts and Humanities
Associate in Arts
Multidisciplinary Studies
Altoona College
- Zachary Lee Hopson
Bachelor of Arts
Communications
Altoona College
- Madison Elizabeth Eisaman, Summa Cum Laude
- Brianna Gearhart, Degree conferred August 2023
- Troy H. McCarty
- Brittany L Schroeder, Degree conferred August 2023
Bachelor of Arts
English
Altoona College
- Ella Grace Gable
- Jordan Eve Morral, Degree conferred August 2023
Bachelor of Arts
Multidisciplinary Studies
Altoona College
- Mia McCombie Cooney
- Hannah Gabrielle Jean-Pierre
Bachelor of Arts
Visual Art Studies
Altoona College
- Jordan Marie Alwine, Magna Cum Laude, Student Marshal
- Abraham W. Onkst
Division of Business, Engineering, and Information Sciences and Technology
Associate in Science
Business Administration
Altoona College
- Jason Anthony Miller
Bachelor of Science
Accounting
Altoona College
- Marissa A. Harclerode
- Shayna Marie Helsel
Bachelor of Science
Business Administration
Altoona College
- Mitchell Allen Barton
- Jacob Ryan Bradish
- Mario Octavio Castillo Jr.
- Dylann Taylor Condrin
- Kaitlynne Gibson, Degree conferred August 2023
- Anthony Vincenzo Iannizzi
- Hayden Scott Ickes
- Albert Koenigsberg
- Cierra Jayde Lewis
- Trey Charles Maxwell
- Keaton Andrew Nolan
- Gaige Orndoff
- Max Pedone, Anticipated graduation date is May 2024
- Adam Francis Ratkus, Degree conferred August 2023
- Dominic S. Tornatore, Student Marshal
Bachelor of Science
Electro-Mechanical Engineering
Altoona College
- Elizabeth Nicole Bender, Degree conferred August 2023
- Austin Burtnett
- Delaney Craighead
- Hunter Heaton
- Devin Oswald
- Daniel L. Vandrew II
Bachelor of Science
Rail Transportation Engineering
Altoona College
- Nicholas William Martino
- Hunter Rivers ODell
Bachelor of Science
Security and Risk Analysis
Altoona College
- Sarah K. Kidd, Degree conferred August 2023
- Joshua S. Krish
- Paul Hunter Mulcahy
Division of Education, Human Development, and Social Sciences
Associate in Science
Criminal Justice
Altoona College
- Jeremy Stevenson
Bachelor of Arts
Psychology
Altoona College
- Alexis Ryan Robbins-Walters
Bachelor of Science
Criminal Justice
Altoona College
- Lacee M Barnhart
- Eric Gabriel Hooper
- Austin Levi Miller, Degree conferred August 2023
- Andrea Marie Morris
- Rachel Marie Rennie
- Raylene Denae Simmers, Degree conferred August 2023
Bachelor of Science
Elementary and Early Childhood Education
College of Education
- Kiya Leigh Diehl
- Karlie N. Feathers, Cum Laude
- Sydney May Frank
- Brodie Elias Harbaugh
- Lindsey Mae Kensinger, Summa Cum Laude
- McKenna Jolene Mock
Bachelor of Science
Human Development and Family Studies
Altoona College
- Kevin Joseph Karpovich
- Scott David Mccale, Degree conferred August 2023
Bachelor of Science
Kineisology
Altoona College
- Christopher Ben Loera, Degree conferred August 2023
- Casey Morgan Reese
- Katanna Yohn, Degree conferred August 2023
Bachelor of Science
Nursing
College of Nursing
- Lyndsay Anne Bolger
- Taylor Brianna Bolger
- Sherby Hector
- Katherine Elizabeth Hergenreder
- Jessica Jack
- Paola Jaramillo Calderon
- Whitney Rachelle Lewis
- Lauren Marie Martin
- Mary-Anne Nortier
- Chaeeun Park
- Daniella Kristine Ramirez
- Summer Lynne Shirey
- Cassidy Rae Somma
- Sarina Sutera, Cum Laude
Bachelor of Science
Psychology
Altoona College
- Taylor Victoria Kalke, Magna Cum Laude, Student Marshal
- Tyhanna Larock
- Amelia Kathleen Paterno
- Erick R. Villegas
Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Bachelor of Science
Biology
Altoona College
- Hannah Lynn Eck, Degree conferred August 2023
- Connor Dean Oakes, Degree conferred August 2023
- Vincent Restauri, Student Marshal
Bachelor of Science
Mathematics
Altoona College
- Holden William Lupey
All Other Degrees
Master of Professional Studies
Strategic Communications
The Graduate School
- Jonathan C. O’Harrow
Nomenclator, Advisory Board, and Commencement Marshals
Nomenclator
William J White
Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences
Penn State Altoona Advisory Board
Chairs: R. Lee Hite and Stephen G. Sheetz
Treasurer: Bernard L Creppage
Secretary: Ron Darbeau
Members
- Jennifer Bates
- Carmen Bilek
- William J. Castle
- Andrea Cohen
- Charles Dupree
- Brian Durbin
- Leila Farzam
- Richard Fiore, Jr.
- Dr. Adam Goddard
- Dr. Tracy Hinish
- Fredina Ingold
- C. David Kimmel
- Tom Koehle
- Phil Merilli
- Shannon Morris
- Neil Port
- Mark Ritchey
- Ryan Sheetz
- Tom Smith
- Clark Stapelfeld
- Denny Stewart
Commencement Marshals
College Marshal
- Nathan Kruis
Faculty Marshals
- Shawn Bernecky
- Deborah K Hommer
- KT Huckabee
- Lauren McConnell-Jacobson
- Laura K Palmer
- Laura E Rotunno
- Elizabeth M Seymour