MEDIA ADVISORY/PHOTO OP: Commencement Ceremonies

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh Class of 2019 is graduating. More than 5,000 degrees, including over 3,000 bachelor’s degrees, will be conferred in two separate ceremonies.

This will be Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Ann E. Cudd’s first commencement as Pitt’s chief academic officer. She sat in the student seats years ago, as she earned her PhD in philosophy and master’s degrees in economics and philosophy.  

WHEN: The graduate student ceremony begins Thursday, April 25, at 6:30 p.m.; the undergraduate ceremony begins Sunday, April 28, at 1 p.m. Ceremonies last between 2 and 2.5 hours. Expect traffic in and out of the Oakland area to add 20-30 minutes of extra travel time.  

WHERE: John M. and Gertrude E. Petersen Events Center, 3719 Terrace St., Pittsburgh, PA 15261. 

WHO:

Members of the undergraduate Class of 2019:

• Have won over 40 prestigious national scholarships.
• Collectively logged approximately 27,446 volunteer hours (or 1,143.5 days) in service to the community this academic year.
• Include artists, activists and advocates in their ranks.

 Commencement speakers:

• Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald will give the graduate commencement address on Thursday.
• Pitt alum Dereck Hogan (A&S ’95) will give the undergraduate address on Sunday. Hogan is the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova.

NOTES TO MEDIA:

Selected University parking lots will be free of charge and open after 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, for the graduate ceremony, and free and open all day Sunday for the undergraduate ceremony.

Enter through the loading dock off Sutherland Drive and check in with the security guard and University of Pittsburgh personnel. Have press credentials visible.

A mult box to connect to the audio system will be next to the media table. There will not be a camera platform. An open Wi-Fi network, named H2P, will be available at the Petersen Events Center, no log in credentials needed.

In addition, ceremonies will be livestreamed on Pittwire, and the University will share content throughout the events on social media channels with the hashtag #PittGrad19.

Contact Anthony Smith, director of operations at the Petersen Events Center, with urgent facilities or access questions at 412-648-3059. For media inquiries or other information, contact Patrick McMahon from the Office of University Communications at 412-334-5250.

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