Virtual address, #ECU20 highlight 2020 fall commencement

Published Nov 30, 2020 by
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East Carolina University will celebrate more than 2,000 graduates in the fall class of 2020 with a virtual commencement ceremony.

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m.

HOW: The virtual ceremony will be posted on ECU’s official commencement website. It’s a public event and no password or login is required. The entire program is expected to last about 30 minutes.

WHAT: Dr. Ron Mitchelson, interim chancellor, will confer degrees to more than 2,000 graduates via a taped message.

“We are incredibly proud of you and your academic accomplishments and realize this is an important milestone for you and your families,” Mitchelson said.

Christopher Chung, chief executive officer of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, will deliver the keynote address.

Since 2015, Chung has led the public-private partnership that is responsible for new business recruitment, existing business support, international trade and export assistance, small business start-up counseling, and tourism, sports and film promotion across the state. Chung graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Ohio State University, earning degrees in Japanese and economics.

SHARE: #ECU20 is ECU’s commencement hashtag. Graduates and their families are encouraged to join the university’s commencement Facebook group and to explore the #ECUGrad Celebration Kit site for frames, graphics and stickers that can be used for social media as well as printable signs.

Take photos and videos during the ceremony to post and share using #ECU20. Individual ECU colleges and departments will be posting photos, videos and other congratulatory messages following the 10 a.m. ceremony.

Also look for posts on the university’s social media accounts before, during and after the event:

Graduates available for media interviews:

Dejah Smith, 22, of Charlotte, is graduating with a double major in biology and anthropology. As an intern for the National Hemophilia Foundation’s Youth Leadership Institute, she serves as an advocate for people with bleeding disorders, and she plans to apply to medical school. Smith has also worked in the biology greenhouse and as a mentor in the PRIMER program. She completed a middle college high school program offered through Central Piedmont Community College before becoming a Pirate.

Gillian Pena, 22, of Burlington, will earn a degree in communication with a concentration in public relations and a minor in political science. She plans to move to Chicago, where she was born and still has family, to work in a communications agency following graduation. While a student, Pena had three internships in Chicago and studied in Poland and the Czech Republic with her ECU School of Communication classmates. Download high-resolution images of Gillian Pena

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