Purdue winter commencement ceremonies set for 9:30 a.m., 2 p.m. Dec. 16 at WL campus

Theresa C. Carter. (Purdue University photo/photo provided)
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue alumna and retired U.S. Air Force Major Gen. Theresa C. Carter will keynote two commencement ceremonies Dec. 16 at Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus.

The winter commencement ceremonies will both take place in Purdue’s Elliott Hall of Music on campus. Students in Health and Human Sciences, Krannert School of Management, Pharmacy, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, Science and Veterinary Medicine will graduate at 9:30 a.m. Those in Agriculture, Education, Engineering and Liberal Arts will walk the Elliott Hall of Music stage during a 2 p.m. ceremony.

Purdue President Mitch Daniels will speak at both ceremonies. Both events also will feature a student responder.

Carter served 31 years as a civil engineer officer and installation management leader. She is currently CEO and senior strategist for TC3 Solutions LLC.

Carter commanded five units, ranging in size from 400 to 8,000 members. She culminated her career by leading the Air Force’s largest and most complex reorganization since 1992, consolidating installation support activities at the intermediate command level, creating the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center and serving as its first commander. 

Carter was the first female civil engineering officer promoted to brigadier general and to serve as Air Force Civil Engineer, the career fields’ highest-ranking officer. She is a Purdue Distinguished Engineering Alumna, Outstanding Industrial Engineer award winner and Purdue ROTC Hall of Fame inductee.

Carter currently serves as a director of the Purdue Alumni Association and is a member of the United Water Federal Services Inc.’s board of advisors and Purdue’s Industrial Engineering Advisory Council.

She holds a bachelor’s of science in industrial engineering from Purdue, a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Oklahoma, and a master’s degree from the National Defense University. She is enrolled as a doctoral student at Drexel University with anticipated completion in 2021.

The winter 2018 graduating class includes approximately 1,491 undergraduate degree candidates, 709 master's degrees and 377 doctoral degree-seekers, two doctor of pharmacy and five doctor of nurce practice degree candidates.

Seon Shoopman, a student in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute from Indianapolis, will give the student response in the morning session. Jordan Cebulla, a student in the College of Liberal Arts from West Lafayette, will be the student responder in the afternoon ceremony.

The commencement exercises will be livestreamed at http://www.kaltura.com/tiny/1wd1v The video will play once broadcasting starts.

Commencement ceremonies also will be held at Purdue Northwest campuses in Hammond and Westville.

Purdue Northwest’s fall class comprises 806 candidates. Between the two campuses, there are 131 master’s degree recipients and 673 earning undergraduate degrees. Purdue Northwest’s College of Nursing will award its first two doctor in nursing practice degrees.

The Westville campus will hold its commencement at 3 p.m. (Central) on Friday, Dec. 7 in the James B. Dworkin Student Services and Activities Complex’s H.D. Kesling Gymnasium.

The Hammond campus will hold ceremonies on Saturday, Dec. 8 at the Fitness and Recreation Center. Graduates in the College of Nursing and College of Technology will participate in an 11 a.m. (Central) ceremony, while graduates in the College of Engineering and Sciences and the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences will receive degrees at 3 p.m. (Central)

All ceremonies will be livestreamed on the PNW website.  

Writer: Matthew Oates 765-496-2571, oatesw@purdue.edu

Sources: Christine Pass, 765-494-6163, dehahn@purdue.edu

Doug Clark, 219-989-2098, dclark@pnw.edu

Note to journalists: Media wishing to attend the Purdue winter commencement ceremonies should contact Matthew Oates at 765-496-2571 or oatesw@purdue.edu