PNW Commencement Is Coming!
Get ready to celebrate our Purdue University Northwest graduates! A total of 1,612 candidates will be honored during the Commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 9. The ceremony will be held outdoors in the parking area south of the Nils K. Nelson Bioscience Innovation Building.
The keynote speaker will be Alejandra Y. Castillo, who currently serves as the Chancellor Senior Fellow for Economic Development at PNW. Prior to joining PNW, Castillo was a Fall 2024 Institute of Politics Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and previously served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development from 2021-2024.
This will be our largest Commencement ceremony in our 10 years as PNW! We anticipate more than 1,100 candidates will participate in the ceremony, and approximately 6,000 guests will be in attendance. Faculty and staff should please note important information about the 2026 Commencement ceremony:
Parking
With more than 7,000 people expected to be on campus, parking will be at a premium. The university has arranged for off-site parking with shuttle service to and from campus for the convenience of PNW faculty, staff and volunteers, and to help ensure our candidates and guests can find parking on campus.
Faculty members who are participating in Commencement, and staff and volunteers who are assisting with Commencement activities, are asked to park at The Kube Sports Complex, 2825 Mahoney Drive, Hammond (just east of Kennedy Avenue), where you can hop on the trolley shuttle for transportation directly to Lawshe Hall. Shuttle service will run continuously from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. between The Kube and Lawshe to return you to your parked cars.
Faculty Robing Location
Lawshe Hall, Room 130
Livestream
The Commencement ceremony will be streamed live via our website. You can also follow along on social media (Facebook and Instagram) using the hashtag #PNWGrad to see moments shared by our graduates and their families.
Inclement Weather
In the event of severe weather, the ceremony may be delayed and held later on Saturday, May 9, if conditions permit. If the weather prevents the ceremony from taking place on Saturday, the severe weather date is Sunday, May 10.
Information for Candidates
Candidates who plan to participate in the ceremonies should have received important information for themselves and their guests for Commencement day via their PNW email. The Commencement Ceremony Day-of Guide offers details.
Read about some of our remarkable Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 graduates and their plans for the future on our website.
Questions about Commencement should be directed to graduation@pnw.edu.