Purdue University Northwest (PNW) honors its 2018 class of fall graduates with three Commencement Exercises on the Hammond and Westville campuses on Dec. 7 and 8.
The first ceremony will be held at PNW’s Westville Campus at 3 p.m. CST, Friday Dec. 7 in the H.D. Kesling Gymnasium in the James B. Dworkin Student Services and Activities Complex.
Two additional ceremonies are scheduled on Saturday, Dec. 8 at PNW’s Hammond Campus in the Fitness & Recreation Center: 11 a.m. CST for the College of Nursing and the College of Technology; and at 3 p.m. CST for the College of Business, College of Engineering and Sciences, and College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences.
PNW’s fall graduating class comprises 806 candidates. Between the two campuses, there are 131 master’s degree recipients and 673 earning baccalaureate degrees.
The occasion also marks the first awarding of applied doctoral degrees from PNW’s College of Nursing. Two students, Manisa Baker from Saint John and Martha Drake from Portage, will be hooded as doctors in nursing practice.
PNW Chancellor Thomas L. Keon will also present a Chancellor’s Medallion to the graduating senior with the highest grade point average from each of PNW’s five colleges.
Turner to deliver keynote Purdue Northwest Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Stephen R. Turner will deliver the keynote address for all ceremonies. After earning an associates degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue Northwest, Turner later joined the university’s staff in 1998.
In his present role, Turner is responsible for budget planning, fiscal analysis, debt management, cash management, business support services, human resources, strategic planning, capital projects, facilities planning and operations, procurement, public safety, regulatory compliance, property acquisition, and asset management and he serves as the university’s liaison with the Purdue Research Foundation.
Having served extensively in leadership roles throughout northwest Indiana, Turner currently serves in the following capacities: as president on the South Coast Conservancy District Board of Directors; Board of Trustees for La Porte Hospital; NIPSCO Community Advisory Panel; the Board of Directors for La Porte County United Way; and the Board of Directors for the Challenger Learning Center.
He and his wife, Jacki, are lifelong residents of northwest Indiana and proud parents of three adult children, all of whom are PNW alumni.
Purdue University Northwest Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a student-centered university that values academic excellence, supports growth and celebrates diversity. Located in Northwest Indiana, near Chicago, PNW fosters a vibrant academic community through high quality and engaging undergraduate and graduate education. For more information about PNW, visit www.pnw.edu.
