Lebanon Valley College to Celebrate 157th Commencement on May 9
Dr. Robert E. Harbaugh '74 to serve as the afternoon's graduate-level ceremony keynote speaker.
Annville, PA (05/06/2026) — Three hundred ninety-three students in the Lebanon Valley College Class of 2026 will celebrate their educational and personal accomplishments during a morning Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, March 9. Another 215 graduate-level students will participate in a separate ceremony at 2 p.m. Both ceremonies will be in the Louis A. Sorrentino '54 Gymnasium.
Dr. Justin Mierzwicki, Associate Provost of Inclusive Excellence and Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, will be the morning's Commencement speaker by virtue of being named the Vickroy Award winner (see below) during the 2025 Commencement Celebration. Dr. Robert E. Harbaugh, LVC Class of 1974, will be the Keynote speaker during the afternoon ceremony. Dr. Harbaugh, a member of the LVC Board of Trustees, is the Distinguished Professor and former Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, Professor in the Department of Engineering Sciences & Mechanics, Penn State University and Penn State College of Medicine.
Along with honoring graduates, LVC will reveal the winners of the following major annual awards:
H. Anthony Neidig Award-The College's top student award
Thomas Rhys Vickroy Distinguished Teacher Award-LVC's top honor for a full-time faculty member
Nevelyn J. Knisley Award-Annually bestowed on a part-time or adjunct College faculty member.
Dr. Ashley McFalls, Associate Professor of Neuroscience, was awarded the Educator of the Year Award from Student Government members on Friday, April 24, during Dutchmen Day. This honor is bestowed annually on a full-time faculty member who embodies the transformative power of the LVC experience, in and out of the classroom.
Also on April 24, Abbie Keith '24, M'27, Associate Director of Residential Life, received the fourth-annual Administrator or Staff Member of the Year Award. This award is presented to a non-faculty member who has significantly impacted a student's time at LVC.
Lebanon Valley College, founded in 1866, offers 50 majors in the health professions, sciences, education, business and digital media, and the arts and humanities. Hands-on learning, internships, and research are emphasized. LVC offers five direct-entry (bachelor's to master's) programs to streamline graduates' entry into Valley graduate programs in business and the health professions.
Close faculty-student relationships and mentoring are hallmarks of the LVC experience on its beautiful 370-acre campus. The College encourages student participation in athletics-with 40% competing as NCAA Division III student-athletes in the Middle Atlantic Conference-and student leadership and involvement in over 90 clubs and organizations. LVC offers generous financial aid and guaranteed merit scholarships that exceed $50 million annually, with 100% of students receiving LVC financial aid or scholarships most years. Career success is integrated into the curriculum through the Edward and Lynn Breen Center for Career and Professional Development, starting during the first year on campus.
Eight miles from Hershey, Pennsylvania, this college of 1,600 undergraduate and over 400 graduate students produces alumni who attend prestigious graduate and professional schools and are employed by top companies and school districts.