The newest batch of Northwest Indiana college graduates will be recognized starting May 8, when Ivy Tech Community College honors more than 2,000 graduates as part its spring commencement exercises.
In two separate ceremonies held in Merrillville and Valparaiso, around 1,200 Lake County graduates and 1,000 Porter County graduates will receive degrees and certificates.
Retiring Ivy Tech President Dr. Sue Ellspermann, who is leaving June 30 after nine years at the helm, will deliver the Commencement address at Merrillville’s ceremony, which starts at 4:30 p.m. at the Dean and Barbara White Center. Ellspermann previously served as Indiana’s 50th Lieutenant Governor.
The Porter County ceremony will start at 6 p.m. at the Valparaiso University Athletics Recreation Center, located at 1009 Union Street in Valparaiso. Dean Mazzoni, President/CEO of Franciscan Health Michigan City, will be the keynote speaker.
The Merrillville event will be livestreamed on the campus Facebook page, which can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/IvyTechLakeCounty or @IvyTechLakeCounty. The Valparaiso event will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/ivytech.
On May 10, Valparaiso University will divide its commencement into two events, with the College of Business and College of Arts and Sciences ceremony starting at 9 a.m. and the ceremony for the College of Engineering and College of Nursing and Health Professions starting at 11 a.m. Both events will take place in the Athletic-Recreation Center.
Chicago native Gloria Castillo, founder of CMC Enterprises, LLC and former president and CEO of Chicago United, will be the commencement speaker. For more information on the day’s events, visit valpo.edu/commencement.
Purdue University Northwest also will hold its spring commencement on May 10. The ceremony starts at 10 a.m. and will be held outdoors on the south side of the Nils K. Nelson Bioscience Innovation Building.
Joe Dudy (B.S. ’92), president and CEO of Wilson Sporting Goods, will deliver the keynote address.
For more information, visit https://www.pnw.edu/commencement/.
Indiana University Northwest will hold its commencement at 10 a.m. on May 14 at the Savannah Center, located at 65 W. 33rd Ave. in Gary. For more information, visit https://northwest.iu.edu/commencement/commencement-day/index.html.