Penn State McKeesport held its fall commencement at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, in Wunderley Gymnasium. Chancellor Curtiss E. Porter presided as diplomas were conferred to 35 individuals receiving baccalaureate and associate degrees.
The keynote speaker was Verónica Montecinos, associate professor of sociology. She joined the faculty at Penn State McKeesport in 1990 and served as division head for the Social Sciences and Education Division of the Commonwealth College. She is on sabbatical leave for the 2005-06 academic year to complete a book manuscript and other research projects. Dr. Montecinos has conducted several studies on the economics profession, technocratic politics and democratization in Latin America, and the gender dimension of public policies. Montecinos earned her bachelor of arts degree from the Catholic University in Chile. She possesses master of arts degrees in sociology and political science and a doctorate in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh.