WEST LAFAYETTE— Purdue University concluded its annual spring rite Sunday (May 12) with the last of eight commencement ceremonies at Elliott Hall of Music throughout the weekend.
The spring 2024 graduating class had 8,284 undergraduates, 2,323 graduate students, 210 students from professional programs, and 244 students from Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s statewide programs.
Purdue President Mung Chiang delivered the keynote speech for each ceremony.
The ceremonies were live streamed on the Purdue News YouTube channel and linked on the Purdue commencement website. A photo gallery from the weekend is available here.
Student responders
Each ceremony featured a student responder:
- Megan Walawender of Carmel, Indiana, who received a Bachelor of Science from the College of Health and Human Sciences, was the student responder in the Friday morning (Division I) ceremony.
- Paige Fulkerson of Carmel, Indiana, who received a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Education, was the student responder in the Friday afternoon (Division II) ceremony.
- Mridhula Srinivasan of Dallas, Texas, who received two Bachelor of Science degrees from the College of Science, was the student responder in the Friday evening (Division III) ceremony.
- Justice Rowe of Milo, Iowa, who received a Bachelor of Science from the College of Engineering, was the student responder in the Saturday morning (Division IV) ceremony.
- Kayla Zalesny of Nipomo, California, who received a Bachelor of Science from the College of Agriculture, was the student responder in the Saturday afternoon (Division V) ceremony.
- Sydney Hummel of Nolensville, Tennessee, who received a Bachelor of Science from the College of Engineering, was the student responder in the Saturday evening (Division VI) ceremony.
- Amanda Hubert of Dexter, Michigan, who received a Bachelor of Science from the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, was the student responder in the Sunday morning (Division VII) ceremony.
- Ian Chen, a dual citizen of Taiwan and Canada who received a Bachelor of Science from the College of Pharmacy, was the student responder in the Sunday afternoon (Division VIII) ceremony.
Honorary doctorates
Two individuals received honorary doctorates during commencement. Carolyn Woo, former CEO of Catholic Relief Services, received an honorary doctorate of management from the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business during the Sunday ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Jennifer Rumsey, chair and CEO of Cummins Inc., received an honorary engineering doctorate from the College of Engineering during the Sunday ceremony at 2:30 p.m.
Woo’s ties to Purdue began in 1972 when she arrived in the U.S. from Hong Kong as a student. By 1979, she had earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, a master’s degree in industrial administration, and a doctoral degree in strategic management.
After two years in industry, Woo was recruited back to the university as a faculty member and administrator, first as director of master’s programs in the School of Business and then as associate executive vice president for academic affairs. Under her leadership, the Krannert master’s program achieved a top 20 ranking in Businessweek.
From 1997-2011, Woo served as dean of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. In 2012, she became CEO of Catholic Relief Services, the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the U.S., and she has served until 2016.
Woo is recognized for her teaching, research, service, and leadership through numerous awards and honorary doctorates. She was cited as one of Change magazine’s Top Forty Leaders Under Forty in 2013 and named one of the 500 Most Powerful People on the Planet by Foreign Policy magazine.
Woo is a frequent contributor to “Give Us This Day” and the author of two books, “Working for a Better World” and “Rising: Learning From Women’s Leadership in Catholic Ministries.”
Woo’s ties to Purdue began in 1972 when she arrived in the U.S. from Hong Kong as a student. By 1979, she had earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, a master’s degree in industrial administration, and a doctoral degree in strategic management.
After two years in industry, Woo was recruited back to the university as a faculty member and administrator, first as director of master’s programs in the School of Business and then as associate executive vice president for academic affairs. Under her leadership, the Krannert master’s program achieved a top 20 ranking in Businessweek.
From 1997-2011, Woo served as dean of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. In 2012, she became CEO of Catholic Relief Services, the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the U.S., and she served until 2016.
Woo is recognized for her teaching, research, service, and leadership through numerous awards and honorary doctorates. In 2013, she was cited as one of Change magazine’s Top Forty Leaders Under Forty and named by Foreign Policy magazine as one of the 500 Most Powerful People on the Planet.
Woo is a frequent contributor to “Give Us This Day” and the author of two books, “Working for a Better World” and “Rising: Learning From Women’s Leadership in Catholic Ministries.”
As CEO of Cummins, Rumsey oversees the strategic direction, growth initiatives, and global operations for the 105-year-old Indiana-based power solutions company. The company has more than 75,500 employees worldwide and achieved $34.1 billion in revenue in 2023.
Rumsey has focused her 25-year career on advancing technologies and marketing products that power customers’ success and make a positive difference in the world. She was recognized in 2020 by the Society of Women Engineers for her contributions to engineering and efforts to create environments that attract and retain more women engineers. She was inducted as a Society of Automotive Engineers fellow in 2022. In 2023, she received the Women Business Collaborative’s CEO Excellence in Gender Equity and Diversity Award and was recognized as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women.
Rumsey earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in 1996 and a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1998.
