Spring 2012 Commencement

Alison R. Beitz



Jason T. Maddox



Clint Hinton



Carrying the mace for his final commencement is Jim E. Temple, who retired this year as assistant professor/department head of electrical technology/occupations and Penn College Education Association president.



Even the youngest of well-wishers shows her pride with a Penn College T-shirt.



Sporting a blue "Retired" ribbon, assistant professor Dennis Fink – a 38-year faculty member in the School of Natural Resources Management – stands amid his final graduating class of horticulture students.



Colorful career advice is provided by well-wishers overlooking the students' arrival at the Community Arts Center.



Technology management student Blair E. Smith proceeds to the Community Arts Center.



Excellence in Teaching Awards were presented to Daniel K. Christopher, assistant professor of business administration/health information technology ...



... and Katherine A. Walker, assistant professor and department head, drafting and computer aided design.



Graphic communications technology graduate Case W. Williamson enjoys the moment with parents Patricia and Colin (the college's dean of transportation technology) and sister Courtney.



William R. Gamber, of Lancaster, was presented with a Distinguished Alumni Award ...



... Matthew L. Gross, of Boulder, Colo., received an Alumni Achievement Award ...



... and Dona Bean, of DuBois, was presented with an Alumni Humanitarian/Citizenship Award.



A graduate shares the occasion with a younger family member.



Dental hygiene graduates keep up a tradition by decorating their caps with icons of their profession.



The Duitch family celebrates the graduation of Matthew with a bachelor’s degree in business administration: management concentration.



Gabriel M. Brown, who earned an associate degree in mass media communication, with his service dog Einstein



President Davie Jane Gilmour and retiring Board of Directors Chairman Robert E. Dunham prepare to present Saturday's final diploma ...



... to class representative Clint Hinton, the last of nearly 10,000 Penn College graduates that Dunham has personally congratulated during his board tenure.



A soon-to-graduate student from the School of Health Sciences beams at family members watching the procession to Community Arts Center.



Forestry instructor Eric C. Easton, right, with forest technology graduates



Civil engineering technology graduate Ryan J. McDonald, with Dad Steven T., a recent Penn College retiree.



A graduate makes a quick wardrobe adjustment.



Maintaining focus in the swirl of curiosity and emotion



A family finds a beautiful photo backdrop at City Hall.



Azeez O. Salu, co-recipient of the Lewis H. Bardo Memorial Award and a graduate in computer aided drafting technology, receives congratulations from Shelley L. Moore, assistant director of career services, and his mother Janet.



Students enter the magnificent Community Arts Center, the next stop on their exciting journey.



Candidates for bachelor’s degrees in building automation technology gather for a group photo during a pause in the procession.



Horticulture students process through the Arts Center foyer ...



... followed soon after by one of their faculty, Carl J. Bower Jr.



Once outside, a new graduate from the School of Natural Resources Management opts for less traditional, more comfortable headgear.



Barry R. Stiger, vice president for institutional advancement, talks with President Gilmour and Chairman Dunham.



Loved ones gather to capture the moment.



Newly minted graduates pass crowds of well-wishers as they leave the Community Arts Center.



Anita R. Girton, assistant professor of computer information technology, congratulates daughter Anna Maree Manciet when she crosses the stage as an individual studies graduate.



Welding instructor Dave R. Cotner, second from right, with (from left) baccalaureate students Nicholas A. Anderson – recipient of the President's Award for leadership and service, among other honors – Robert John Forbes and Ryan Patrick McCollum.



In a scene repeated with student speakers throughout the weekend, President Gilmour turns the tassel of Alison R. Beitz, class representative at Friday's ceremony.



All smiles for Dylan Thomas James Lackey, who graduated in surveying technology and was a co-recipient of the Lewis H. Bardo Memorial Award.



A physical fitness specialist major adds a celebratory accessory.



Veterans rise to a prolonged ovation



Richard J. Calvert Jr., assistant professor of electronics, talks with students prior to Friday's procession from The Genetti Hotel to the Community Arts Center next door.



A dental hygiene graduate shows off her major on her cap.



A graduate indulges a family photographer's request.



Students' faces make no secret of the day's happiness.



Street-level acknowledgement



Graduates share a congratulatory moment.



A smile too big to contain



Friday's speaker awaits her entrance with Carolyn R. Strickland, assistant vice president for academic services, and Elliott Strickland Jr., chief student affairs officer.



Brand-new nursing graduates gather following the ceremony.



A young fan tries on his mom's cap.



Waves across a sea of supporters



Claude T. Witts, instructor of diesel equipment technology, congratulates new graduates of the major.



Surrounded by family and friends



Families reunite near the mural across from the Arts Center.



No last-minute jitters for this public speaker!



A group of classmates share one last hurrah following the Saturday morning ceremony.



Baking and pastry arts graduate Sabrina Strassner shows her decorating skills.



Families gather for photos along West Fourth Street.



Le Jeune Chef Maitre d’Hotel Neal Palmer prepares to receive his bachelor’s degree in technology management.



Justine J. Bercel, who graduated Friday in early childhood education (and who received the Central Susquehanna Association for the Education of Young Children Award later that night) gets curbside congratulations from daughter Loralie.



A grad offers a smile during the procession.



A heartfelt reunion, in the crush of the crowd



Culinary arts technology student Taylor L. Donahay takes part in the afternoon procession.



Multitasking Matt P. Branca, college store director, fixes a student's hood and instructs another soon-to-be graduate nearby.



A graduate from the School of Transportation Technology adds a cultural twist to his cap and gown.



Presidential parting words for the new alumni



Handfuls of pride



Walter V. Gower, assistant professor of aviation, shakes hands with graduates as they leave the Community Arts Center.



Getting a better view from the back row.



Paul L. Starkey, vice president for academic affairs/provost



A father-son moment



A postgraduate smooch for a flower-toting fan.

Honor cords await their recipients at commencement check-in: gold, silver and white for two- and four-year graduates; blue for certificate students; and red, white and blue for veterans.



A recently added screen atop the Arts Center stage heightens the view from anywhere in the theater.