June 11, 2011

The 2011 Commencement ceremony for the Westphal College will take place on Saturday, June 11th at 4:30 PM in the John A. Daskalakis Athletic Center (33rd and Market Streets). Graduates should arrive one hour prior to the start of the graduation ceremony and report to the Daskalakis Athletic Center gym. Honorary Doctoral Degree recipients will include Melba Pearlstein and Corey Flintoff. Melba is an emeritus trustee of Drexel and the president of the Leonard Pearlstein Family Foundation. Pearlstein has been affiliated with Drexel since 1980 when she was part of the group that established the Friends of Design Arts, and served as a university trustee from 1996 to 2003. Pearlstein has also held positions as a trustee of the National Disease Research Interchange Society and board member of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. The Leonard Pearlstein Endowed Scholarship Fund, the Leonard Pearlstein Business Learning Center, and our Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, were all established in honor of her late husband, also a former trustee of the university. Corey Flintoff, who along with receiving an honorary degree will also be speaking at commencement, is a foreign correspondent for National Public Radio whose career has taken him to more than 50 countries,most recently to Egypt, to cover the revolution, and to Afghanistan, to report on the Afghan War. He is currently based in New Delhi, India. Also speakingwill be accomplished Music Industry senior Fred Knittel, who, along with follow Music Industry senior Matt Klein, owns and operates Be Frank Records. Their album release, from artist Birdie Busch, “Everyone Will Take You In,” was this year’s IMA College Label Release of the Year.

Immediately following the ceremony, the Westphal College will host a reception with light appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages to honor our graduates and their guests at the Gallery at 3401 Filbert St. (directly behind 3501 Market St.). If you are a graduating senior and would like to attend the reception, please RSVP to Lisa at visco@drexel.edu and include the number of guests you will be bringing. For further details about graduation please contact your academic advisor.