Ceremony Schedule

A professional photographer will take pictures of each graduate. These portraits will be available for purchase through a unique web link provided at a later date. The university requests that members of the audience respect the family members and guests of all graduates, as well as public health and safety.

Photos or videos may be taken from your seat only; please refrain from standing during the conferring of degrees. All aisles, walkways and the area adjacent to the stage will be kept clear for the orderly procession of graduates who are being honored today.

Please respect proper decorum throughout PNW’s Commencement ceremony by following these guidelines:

• Silence. Please silence all electronic devices and refrain from any disruptive behavior to allow everyone to appreciate this celebratory and memorable occasion.
• Attention. Please direct your attention to the stage and speakers throughout the ceremony.
• Applause. Please refrain from applause when individual names are announced to allow all graduates to be recognized for their accomplishments.
• Photography Etiquette. Please capture memories through photography only discreetly and without obstructing others’ view.
• Remain Seated. To ensure everyone’s enjoyment, please remain seated for the duration, except when directed otherwise.  Please also minimize any unnecessary movement and conversation and, again, refrain from obstructing the view of others.

Previously, Castillo was nominated by President Biden and sworn in as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development on August 13, 2021, becoming the first woman of color to hold this position. Castillo led the Economic Development Administration (EDA) between August 2021-2024 through an unprecedented moment of growth and opportunity.

The EDA is the only federal agency focused exclusively on economic development, and she guided EDA’s implementation of over $6.8 billion dollars in federal funding, powering EDA and its mission to make transformational placed-based investments to support inclusive and equitable economic growth across America.

Castillo is an active member in various civic and professional organizations, including the Hispanic National Bar Association, the American Constitution Society, as well as the Council on Foreign Relations. Castillo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook; a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin; and a Juris Doctor degree from American University, Washington College of Law.

Castillo is a native of Queens, N.Y., the daughter of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, and a huge baseball fan.

The appropriate recognition is recorded on the individual’s diploma as a permanent testimonial of achievement. The selection is based on the graduation index for the candidate’s entire program of study at Purdue University Northwest, which must be comprised of at least 65 hours of earned credit included in the computation of the graduation index for the baccalaureate degree or 35 hours of earned credit included in the computation of the graduation index for the associate degree.

Minimum indexes for graduation with honors are determined each year. The ten percent of the baccalaureate candidates in each college who have the highest indexes, and in no case less than 3.3 out of 4.0, receive their degrees with honors. The ten percent of all associate degree candidates who have the highest indexes, and in no case less than 3.3, irrespective of their college, receive their degrees with honors.

Of those candidates who thus qualify, the three-tenths of the baccalaureate and the three-tenths of the associate degree candidates having the highest indexes receive their degrees “with highest distinction,” irrespective of the college from which they graduate.

The remaining candidates who qualify for graduation with honors receive their degrees “with distinction.”

Students who will be completing the requirements for two or more degree programs simultaneously may be eligible to be a candidate for more than one degree according to the following criteria:

• If the degree programs are in different colleges, two (or more) degrees may be awarded upon special request approved by the deans of the schools concerned and filed with the registrar at the beginning of the semester or session in which the degrees are to be awarded.
• If the degree programs are in the same college and lead to different degrees, the appropriate degrees shall be awarded. (If the degree programs are in the same college and lead to the same degree, only one degree shall be awarded. The academic record shall reflect multiple fields of study, as appropriate.)