Carlow University will hold its spring Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum in Oakland.
| Marketing and Communications | For Immediate Release |
| Drew Wilson, Director, Media Relations | April 28, 2016 |
| 412.578.2095 (phone) | |
| 412.260.6807 (cell) | |
| 412.578.2080 (fax) | |
| agwilson@carlow.edu |
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Carlow University will celebrate its May Commencement on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, located on Fifth Avenue in Oakland. The procession of graduates and faculty begins at 12:45 p.m.
The Commencement speaker will be William “Bill” Generett, Jr., JD, the president and CEO of Urban Innovation21, a regional public-private economic development partnership that works to connect disconnected communities and their residents to the greater Pittsburgh region’s most successful innovation ecosystems. (A brief biography of the speaker is at the end of this press release.)
There are more than 400 students eligible to walk in this ceremony. Of those students, 263 will be May graduates, and 150 are on track to graduate in August. The number of bachelor’s degrees and graduate degrees are split almost equally – 207 bachelor’s degrees and 206 graduate degrees. Of the graduate degrees, 183 students will receive master’s degrees and 23 will receive doctoral degrees. Nursing, social work, education, business management, and accounting are the most popular majors who will be walking in this ceremony.
Editor’s Note: Please note that not everyone who earns a degree chooses to walk at commencement. Nearly 300 people will be processing at this ceremony, which will be the largest number to walk at a Carlow commencement in the university’s history. Please check closer to the day of graduation for the actual number walking at Commencement, as the number will not be official until closer to the ceremony.
Editor’s Note: Carlow University invites the news media to cover the Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 14. Please contact Drew Wilson on his cell phone at (412) 260-6807 to arrange convenient parking.
About Carlow University
Carlow is a private, co-educational, Catholic university located in the heart of Pittsburgh’s “Tech, Ed, and Med” district. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, Carlow’s graduates, curriculum, and partnerships reflect its strong commitment to social justice; ethical, forward-thinking and responsible leadership; and service to the community that has a meaningful impact. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in three major areas: Health and Wellness, Leadership and Social Change, and Innovation and Learning. Carlow graduates are in demand for their professional expertise, in fields ranging from nursing, the sciences, and perfusion technology to counseling, education, and forensic accounting; their entrepreneurial spirit and creative mindset; and their ability to manage change. Our student-athletes compete on eleven different teams, including men’s basketball and men’s and women’s golf—and our mascot is Shammy—the cute green shamrock that is a reflection of the university’s Irish heritage and roots.
Commencement Speaker Biography – William “Bill” Generett Jr., J.D.
Bill Generett is the inaugural President and CEO of Urban Innovation21, a regional public-private economic development partnership that links successful innovation economy clusters with the needs and assets of inner city communities to produce local, living and sustainable economies. Urban Innovation21 was one of the first US based nonprofit organizations to work under the “Inclusive Innovation” model. Under Generett’s leadership, Urban Innovation21 has been recognized nationally for its work to connect disconnected communities and their residents to the greater Pittsburgh region’s most successful innovation ecosystems. He is also a partner in the MAPA Group; a DC based international consulting firm.
A Pittsburgh native, Generett has served as an entrepreneur, nonprofit executive, corporate executive, attorney, teacher and consultant.
He is a graduate of Emory University School of Law and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College. For several years he practiced corporate and real estate law with an Atlanta, Georgia law firm. Currently, he is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the state of Georgia and serves as a consultant in many venues.
Generett is a very active member of the community where he serves and has served on many nonprofit boards and advisory committees including the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Mercy Health Systems, Innovation Works, Neighborhood Allies, Energy Innovation Center, The Heinz Endowments African American Male Initiative Advisory Committee, the Business Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law and Public Policy Advisory Committee, President’s Advisory Council Carlow University and the Point Park University Foundation. In 2014, he was appointed by U.S Secretary of Commerce Pritzker to serve on the U.S. Department of Commerce National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
He is married to Gretchen Givens Generett, Ph.D, an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Duquesne University. They are the proud parents of two children, William and Gabrielle Generett.