Purdue Global to celebrate the results of hard work, sacrifice at May commencement

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Global, Purdue’s online university for working adults, will host five commencement ceremonies at Purdue University’s West Lafayette location May 3 for 2,654 graduates — 1,830 across three in-person ceremonies and 824 participating in two virtual ceremonies — a record high for a Purdue Global commencement weekend.

Three ceremonies are scheduled throughout the day at Purdue’s Elliott Hall of Music. They are (all times Eastern):

• 9 a.m. — Schools of Law, Health Sciences and Nursing
• 12:30 p.m. — College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Multidisciplinary and Professional Studies, and School of Aviation
• 4 p.m. — School of Business and Information Technology

Two virtual ceremonies will follow at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The graduates include 474 Indiana residents and represent all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. There are 406 graduates affiliated with the military. Sixty-three systemwide Purdue University employees will earn a Purdue Global degree or certificate via the Purdue Global education benefit.

Tickets are not required for admission to Elliott Hall of Music. All attendees will have any bags checked at the door prior to entry.

Interim chancellor Jon Harbor will address the graduates, along with more than 12,000 guests, faculty and staff members across the five ceremonies.

Nicole Richardson Hicks of Wellington, Florida, who earned her master’s degree in psychology from Purdue Global in 2021, will give the keynote address. Hicks is a behavioral health professional with the School District of Palm Beach County. She also founded Rays of Behavior Consulting LLC. Her passion lies in bridging mental health and applied behavior analysis to create a well-rounded approach to achieving meaningful behavior change.

Commencement will feature three vocalists singing the national anthem — one for each in-person ceremony. Teresa Hegwood of Portage, Michigan, will sing in the first ceremony. Hegwood is receiving her Doctor of Nursing Practice — her third degree at Purdue Global. The second ceremony will feature Danielle Shields, an active-duty member of the U.S. Army from Bellwood, Illinois, who is receiving her Bachelor of Science in professional studies. Jeremy Meeker-Hackett will sing in the third ceremony. Meeker-Hackett is from Windermere, Florida, and is receiving his Master of Business Administration.

Additional commencement activities

On April 29, Timothy Carlin will continue Purdue Global’s tradition of giving the “Last Lecture” to graduates. Carlin is a faculty member in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, where he teaches various undergraduate courses in legal studies. Faculty are nominated by students and then selected for the “Last Lecture” as a testament to their impact on students.

On May 2, the Black and Gold Celebration will be held for all in-person graduates from 5-6:30 p.m. at the France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center on Purdue’s campus.

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.