Class of 2022 Commencement scheduled for May 6
Friday, April 29th, 2022
Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is proud to celebrate our 40th Commencement with the Class of 2022 Friday, May 6, at 10 am at Barshinger Center for Musical Arts, 620 College Ave., Lancaster. Ceremonies also will be live-streamed, at pcad.edu/stream.
Noted future-of-work strategist and author Heather McGowan will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts and deliver the Commencement Address. McGowan has been ranked by LinkedIn as its number one global voice for education, and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman has described her as “the oasis” of insights on the future of work. With Chris Shipley she is the author of The Adaptation Advantage, released in 2020. McGowan earned her BFA in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and her MBA in Entrepreneurship and Finance from the Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business.
Other honors to be presented at Commencement:
Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters & Trustee Emeritus: Robert A. Brandt Jr.
A strategic leader and corporate visionary, Brandt founded the award-winning construction firm Benchmark. The former chairman of the PCA&D Board of Trustees, he continues to serve as a trusted advisor and benefactor to the College. He earned his B.S. in Architecture from Temple University.
Medal of Honor: Thomas Scullin
Scullin is one of the founders of this institution, growing the College from the diploma-granting Pennsylvania School of the Arts, to the associate’s degree-granting Pennsylvania School of Art & Design and, finally, the BFA-granting Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. A full-time professor for nearly 40 years, he received his BFA from The Ohio State University and his MFA from Penn State University.
Medal of Honor: Dr. Damaris Rau
A passionate advocate for urban education and equity for all students, Rau has worked for nearly 40 years as a public educator, most recently as Superintendent of the School District of Lancaster. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from St. John’s University; Master’s Degree in Elementary/Early Childhood Education from Hunter College; an Administrative Certificate from the College of New Rochelle; Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University; and her Superintendent’s Certification from the University of Connecticut.
Distinguished Alumni: Dr. Vu Nguyen
Dr. Vu Quoc Nguyen is a renowned Vietnamese-American artist as well as a practicing physician. He earned his BFA in painting from PCA&D, and his Doctor of Medicine from Ross University School of Medicine.