U.S. Rep. and Boilermaker alumnus Jim Baird to give winter commencement address

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue alumnus and U.S. Rep. Jim Baird of Indiana’s 4th Congressional District, which includes the city of West Lafayette, will deliver the address at Purdue’s three Winter 2024 Commencement ceremonies Dec. 15.

Baird represents 16 Indiana counties and serves on three House committees: agriculture; foreign affairs; and science, space and technology. Prior to his election to Congress, he was a state representative in the Indiana General Assembly.

A decorated Vietnam War veteran, Baird has been recognized with a Bronze Star with “V” device for valor and two Purple Hearts. He and his unit were inducted in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps Hall of Fame.

Baird earned a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in animal science from the College of Agriculture in 1967 and 1969 respectively and served in Purdue’s ROTC before attending officer candidate school. Following his military service, he earned a PhD in monogastric nutrition from the University of Kentucky in 1975.

The winter 2024 graduating class will include 2,345 undergraduates, 1,241 graduate students, 15 students from professional programs and 50 students from Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s statewide programs. The Dec. 15 ceremonies mark the first commencement for students graduating from Purdue’s new urban campus expansion in Indianapolis.

Commencement division dates and times

• Division I: Sunday, Dec. 15, 9:30 a.m. — College of Agriculture (including Agricultural and Biological Engineering), College of Health and Human Sciences, College of Pharmacy, College of Veterinary Medicine and Mitch Daniels School of Business
• Division II: Sunday, Dec. 15, 2:30 p.m. — College of Education, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, and joint and special programs
• Division III: Sunday, Dec. 15, 7 p.m. — College of Engineering (excluding Agricultural and Biological Engineering)

Admission tickets required

Tickets are required for admission into Elliott Hall. Doors open 90 minutes before each ceremony, and attendees with bags must have them checked at the door before entering. Ceremonies will be livestreamed. For in-person attendees, parking details are available online.

Abdel-Reheem, Chrysogelos and Nagel to give student responses

Omar Abdel-Reheem of Orland Park, Illinois, who is to receive a Bachelor of Science in finance and economics from the Mitch Daniels School of Business, will be the student responder in the Sunday morning (Division I) ceremony. Abdel-Reheem was a member of the John Martinson Honors College and a recipient of the National Merit and Stamps scholarships. He completed internships with Boston Consulting Group and Tsalach Corporate Finance in Chicago. After graduation he plans to work as a private equity analyst for Vista Equity Partners before returning as a full-time associate for Boston Consulting Group.

Nicholas Chrysogelos of Orleans, Massachusetts, who is receiving a dual Bachelor of Science in aviation management from Purdue Polytechnic Institute and atmospheric science from the College of Science, will be the student responder in the Sunday afternoon (Division II) ceremony. Chrysogelos was a member of the John Martinson Honors College and served as vice president of communications and activities for Purdue Aviation Day. He completed internships with United Airlines in Chicago; Southwest Airlines in Dallas; American Airlines in Fort Worth, Texas; and Ross Aviation in Hyannis, Massachusetts. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career in the airline industry. 

Nicole Nagel of West Lafayette, who is receiving a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering from the College of Engineering, will be the student responder in the Sunday evening (Division III) ceremony. Nagel served as a mentor for the Biomedical Engineering Society’s mentorship program and as a team leader for Boiler Gold Rush. She volunteered for the Special Olympics in Tippecanoe County, where she served as both head basketball and track and field coach. She also volunteered for Special Olympics Team Indiana as a USA Games track and field coach. Nagel completed internships with the University of Cincinnati, IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and Cook Research Inc. in West Lafayette. After graduation, Nagel plans to attend medical school at the University of Cincinnati.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives