WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue Global, Purdue’s online university for working adults, will host commencement ceremonies on Purdue University’s campus Saturday, May 4, for 1,100 in-person graduates and more than 400 graduates participating in virtual ceremonies.
Three ceremonies are scheduled to celebrate the graduates at Elliott Hall of Music in West Lafayette. They are (all times Eastern):
- 9 a.m. — Schools of Law, Nursing, and Business and Information Technology
- 12:30 p.m. — Schools of Health Sciences and Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies; College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
- 5 p.m. — Virtual ceremony (all schools)
The graduates, including 301 Indiana residents, represent all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Twenty countries are represented as well, including Bangladesh, Bermuda, Canada, Greece, India, Mexico, and the Philippines, among others. There are 242 graduates affiliated with the military. Thirty-nine systemwide Purdue University employees are among those earning a Purdue Global degree or certificate via the Purdue Global education benefit.
Tickets are not required for admission to Elliott Hall. All attendees will have bags checked at the door prior to entry.
Chancellor Frank Dooley will address the graduates and more than 8,000 guests, faculty, and staff members.
Allyssa Spates, who earned an Executive Juris Doctor from the Purdue Global Law School in 2021, will give the keynote address. Spates currently serves as vice president of emergency management for one of the largest healthcare systems in New England.
Klnisha Clark of Salem, Oregon, will perform the national anthem in the first ceremony, while Tahanna Tucker of Merrillville, Indiana, will sing in the second. Clark is earning her Juris Doctor from Purdue Global Law School. Tucker is an administrative assistant at Purdue Northwest and is earning her Bachelor of Science in psychology, graduating with a 4.0 GPA and designation of summa cum laude.
Additional commencement activities
On Tuesday, April 30, Karla Drenner will continue Purdue Global’s tradition of giving the “Last Lecture” to graduates. Drenner, a full-time faculty member who has more than 20 years of instructional experience, joined Purdue Global in 2013, teaching both graduate and undergraduate courses in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Students nominate faculty and are then selected for the “Last Lecture” as a testament to their impact on students.
Events on Friday, May 3, include campus tours throughout the day and the Nursing Honor Society Induction Ceremony at 4 p.m.
More information, including how to watch commencement ceremonies online, can be found at the Commencement Showroom.
About Purdue Global
Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree based on their work experience, military service, and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://www.purdueglobal.edu.
