Office of the Chancellor

Chancellor Ron Elsenbaumer’s Commencement Address

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Good afternoon, everyone. We will open the 2023 Commencement exercises of Purdue University Fort Wayne with the National Anthem performed by Brittany Sprunger, who is graduating today with a double major in Music Performance and Music Education.

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Distinguished guests, families and friends, members of the faculty, and especially our graduating students, welcome to the 55th Commencement exercises of Purdue University Fort Wayne. We are delighted to be together with you today.

It is my pleasure to introduce the members of our platform party who are joining us today.

I ask them to stand and remain standing as they are able as I call their names. Would you please hold your applause until all have been introduced.

• Dr. Carl Drummond, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
• Dr. Krissy Surface, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and the Student Experience.
• Jerry Lewis, Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing.
• Glen Nakata, Vice Chancellor for Financial and Administrative Affairs.
• Dr. MarTeze Hammonds, Chief Diversity Officer.
• Kimberly Grannan, Chief of Staff and Community Relations Officer.
• B. J. Hull, Chief Development and Alumni Engagement Officer.
• Dr. Janet Badia, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
• Dr. Melissa Gruys, Dean of the Richard T. Doermer School of Business.
• John O’Connell, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
• Dr. Isabel Nunez, Dean of the School of Education.
• Gary Steffen, Interim Dean of the College of Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science.
• Chris Huang, Associate Vice Chancellor and Registrar.
• And Dr. Ronald Friedman, Dean of the College of Science and our Grand Marshal for today’s ceremony.
  Colleagues and friends, we appreciate your participation in our ceremonies this afternoon.

Graduates—it is my honor to stand before you and to present you as the Class of 2023.

It has been a long road to get to this day! I am keenly aware that the disruptions caused by the pandemic the last few years have presented enormous challenges.

I know I join your families and friends in congratulating you for doing what Mastodons do. You doubled down. You worked hard. You stuck it out. And here you are! Right where you belong.

We are overjoyed to share in your celebration today.

In addition to the thousands of guests here in this room today, I’d like to extend greetings and a warm welcome to the more than 500 people in nearly 30 countries around the world who are streaming the event online. Graduates, please wave and say Thank You to your loved ones who couldn’t be here in person today.

As I look out at our graduates here today—and there are so many of you—I feel tremendous pride and hope. Hope for your success. Hope for your future. Hope for your good health. And hope for your happiness.

This journey has brought you to a pivotal moment in your lives. Whatever comes next, you should be truly proud of all that you have learned and all that you have accomplished during your time here at Purdue Fort Wayne.

To the families and friends of our graduates: I can only imagine the enormous sense of pride you are experiencing today. And, as a father myself, I’m guessing probably a little bit of relief, as well!

Graduates, I think your families and friends deserve a really big thank-you. Please stand as you are able and join me in showing our appreciation by giving them a huge round of applause.

To the members of our faculty, staff, and administration: Thank you for the unwavering dedication you have shown to the education, success, and well-being of our students. You are the heart and soul of our university—and you have been there for our students when they needed you most.

As a matter of fact, three of our faculty members here today were present at the university’s very first commencement back in 1968. They now join us 54 commencements later. When I call your names, would you please stand:

• Linda Balthaser, Assistant Dean Emerita of what was then the School of Arts and Sciences
  Dr. Lowell Beineke, Retired Jack W. Schrey Professor of Mathematics and
• Dr. Art Friedel, Retired Professor of Chemistry, and a strong supporter of Purdue Fort Wayne.
   

Graduates, we hope that you have enjoyed your time here at Purdue Fort Wayne, and we trust that you feel confident in the outstanding education that you have received right here.

We want to assure you that the Purdue degree you receive today will only increase in value and prestige. Our university—your university—is an institution on the move, and we look forward to sharing our future successes together.

Just last week, we announced a 15 million dollar state of Indiana appropriation that will bring us closer to the reality of a new Music Technology Building to be constructed on campus.

We also continue to expand academic programming across several disciplines, thanks to a 4.85 million dollar state appropriation we received in the last state budget cycle.

Many of you have had the incredible experience of living in our student housing. With more and more students eager to live on campus, demand for student housing has been extremely high the past few years. We are in the process of creating exciting new housing options for our students.

All of this effort ensures that Purdue Fort Wayne will continue to graduate more and more highly qualified students, just like all of you, and help launch you into exciting and fulfilling careers.

And now for the moment you’ve been waiting for. At this time, we will confer degrees. Will the candidates please rise and remain standing as you are able.

Exercising the authority of the Trustees of Purdue University, legally vested by the people of the State of Indiana, and upon the recommendation of the faculty, I now confer upon each of you who have fulfilled the stated requirements, the indicated degree with all the rights, privileges, duties, and responsibilities of that degree.

As evidence of this achievement, you will receive an appropriately inscribed diploma.

Congratulations to each of you!

Graduates of Purdue University Fort Wayne, I extend our best wishes.

Wherever your lives and your careers may take you, it is our sincere hope and expectation that you will keep in touch always and visit campus every chance you get. You will always find a warm welcome here.

We will now introduce our graduates. As people are taking their places, I want to give everyone a heads up that, at the end of our ceremony today, there will be some loud noises and bright, flashing lights. We just wanted you to be aware.

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Could you all please stand as you are able.

It is now time for you to observe the tradition of moving your tassel from the right side of the mortarboard to the left—signifying your new status.

Congratulations! You may be seated.

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Before we begin the recessional, I want to invite everyone to please follow all of us down the hall to the Expo Center where we’re throwing an after-party to celebrate the Class of 2023 in grand style.

Let the party begin! Let’s GO DONS!