Purdue Global to celebrate record number of graduates during October commencement weekend  

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue Global, Purdue’s online university for working adults, will host commencement ceremonies at Purdue University’s West Lafayette location Oct. 11-12 for more than 3,100 graduates — a record high for a Purdue Global commencement weekend. Nearly 1,900 graduates will participate in person, and more than 1,200 graduates will participate in virtual ceremonies.

The high attendance rate results in three Oct. 11 ceremonies at Purdue’s Elliott Hall of Music. They are (all times Eastern):

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

The two Oct. 12 virtual ceremonies will be held at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The graduates include 494 Indiana residents and represent all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. There are 495 graduates affiliated with the military. Fifty-eight systemwide Purdue employees are earning 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.

Eva Nodine, chief financial officer and chief operating officer, and Jon Harbor, interim chancellor, will address graduates during the three in-person ceremonies, which are expected to be attended by more than 12,000 guests, faculty and staff members.

Pat Doney of Dallas, who earned his Master of Science in higher education from Purdue Global in 2024, will give the keynote address. Doney is a sports anchor and reporter at KXAS-TV, the NBC affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth. A Southern California native, he has won three Edward R. Murrow Awards and five Emmy Awards in his 20-year career, including for his coverage of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Commencement will feature three different vocalists singing the national anthem — one for each ceremony. Akilah Eberhart of Lansing, Illinois, will sing in the first ceremony and is receiving a master’s in health care administration. The second ceremony will feature Michelle Witt of Bridgeport, West Virginia, who is receiving her Master of Science in applied behavior analysis. Farrah Mechael will sing in the third ceremony. Mechael, from Burbank, California, is a 2024 Purdue Global alumna who earned her Bachelor of Science in business administration. 

Additional commencement activities

On Tuesday, Oct. 7, Michael Whittington will continue Purdue Global’s tradition of giving the “Last Lecture” to graduates. Whittington is a full-time faculty member who teaches criminal justice courses in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Faculty are nominated by students and then selected for the “Last Lecture” as a testament to their impact.

Events on Friday, Oct. 10, include the Nursing Honor Society Induction Ceremony at 4 p.m., followed by the Black and Gold Celebration for all in-person graduates from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Purdue Memorial Union.

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.