Lebanon Valley College to Celebrate Nearly 500 Graduates During 148th Commencement

Lebanon Valley College will celebrate nearly 500 graduates during its 148th Commencement on Saturday, May 13 at 10 a.m. in Louis A. Sorrentino Gymnasium. The College’s Baccalaureate Service is scheduled for Friday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m. in Frederic K. Miller Chapel.

With more than 4,000 parents and family members expected to attend Commencement, guests are asked to review information relating to the day’s activities, including parking, shuttles, photography, and ticketing at www.lvc.edu/commencement.

This year 385 undergraduate students are eligible to participate in Commencement. They will be joined by 57 master of business administration, music education, science, or science education degree candidates, as well as 38 doctor of physical therapy students. Undergraduate and graduate students who graduated in December 2016 are invited to participate in Commencement; students who will complete their degrees in August and December 2017 are also welcome to walk in the Commencement ceremony.

Along with recognizing our graduates, the College will award honorary doctorate degrees to four national and international leaders as part of the ceremony. This year’s recipients, representing fields ranging from international journalism and civic engagement to specialized health care and biotechnology, include:

• Joyce M. Davis, president and chief executive officer of the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg, will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.). 

• Douglas O. Ebersole, Esq., ’78, independent biotechnology professional and former general counsel for NeXT Computer Inc., which was started by Steve Jobs after leaving Apple, will receive a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.). 

• Edgar Morgan ’63, retired government official and former executive director of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, will receive a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.). 

• Rocco A. Ortenzio, co-founder and vice chairman of Select Medical, a national provider of specialized health care, will receive a Doctor of Science (Sc.D.).

Delivering this year’s Commencement address will be Dr. Treva Clark, assistant chair and associate professor of business and economics. She was selected as speaker according to tradition after receiving The Thomas Rhys Vickroy Distinguished Teaching Award at the 2016 Commencement. The Vickroy Award is the College’s top teaching honor for a full-time faculty member.

Dr. Clark serves in a variety of roles specific to the College’s strategic vision of graduating world-ready students and sparked the creation of a new major in international business. Her work with students and with the regional business community is focused on global market opportunities, and she continues to be an active member of the World Trade Center of Harrisburg, which serves Central Pennsylvania. Dr. Clark was appointed to the President’s Strategic Planning Steering Committee, co-chaired the Global Learning Task Force, and was recently named an academic liaison for the Pennsylvania Delegation of the US Global Leadership Coalition. In addition to serving on the LVC Global Education Committee, she will for the third time lead the Maastricht short-term study abroad program in the Netherlands this summer. 

The Baccalaureate speaker on Friday, May 12, will be Reverend Dionne P. Boissière, M.Div., chaplain of the Church Center for the United Nations (CCUN), and the first woman of African Descent to hold this position. As the chief spiritual steward of the CCUN, Rev. Boissière, ensures that the church center provides sacred space, worship, hospitality, community advocacy, and a forum for partners and civil society to engage in transformative education that seeks to empower and build the things that make for peace. 

During Commencement, the College will award three faculty and student commendations. The H. Anthony Neidig Award (top student) includes a monetary award and commemorative medallion; the 2017 Thomas Rhys Vickroy Distinguished Teaching Award (top professor) includes a monetary award and Commencement speaking honors for the 2018 ceremony; and the Nevelyn J. Knisley Award (top part-time/adjunct member) includes a monetary award.

The College will broadcast Commencement live at www.lvc.edu/LVCtv for those unable to attend. A rebroadcast of Commencement will be available at www.youtube.com/user/LebanonValleyCollege.