Slippery Rock University

More than 1,600 members of the Class of 2026 are ready to celebrate a major achievement: their graduation from Slippery Rock University. SRU will honor their hard work and success during four spring commencement ceremonies, May 8-9, at Morrow Field House: 6 p.m., May 8, Graduate Studies. 9 a.m., May 9, College of Education, College of Liberal Arts and Rock Life. Noon, May 9, Haverlack College of Business. 3 p.m., May 9, College of Engineering and Science and College of Health Professions.

Slippery Rock University students are engaged in the local community -- and one student has taken his involvement to new heights of leadership and collaboration. Justin Nowelle, a senior strategic communication and media major from Pittsburgh, has found purpose and impact as the founder of an organization, the Slippery Rock Community Library Friends Club. "As a civic leader on campus, it is my duty to connect students with opportunities, on and off campus for community service and engagement," Nowelle said. His experience as a civic leader started during his freshman year, when he applied for and received the Haverlack Good Citizen Scholarship before entering the Haverlack Civic Scholars Program.

A Slippery Rock University student is using her experience as a leading peer academic coach to help promote student success among first-year students. Riley Whitehill, a senior psychology major from Clinton, is a campus advocate for the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, a nationwide assessment to gather information about learning and study practices and attitudes that is used by SRU's Center for Career and Academic Progress. "We want students to feel empowered to do things themselves," Whitehill said. "To have autonomy in their college decisions." The LASSI is a 60-item assessment of student's awareness about, and usage of learning and study strategies related to skill, will and self-regulation components of strategic learning.

Slippery Rock University students are leading the way as forward-thinking achievers in entrepreneurship through opportunities like the Butler County Chamber of Commerce's Emerging Entrepreneurs Shark Tank Competition on April 28 at the RLA Learning and Conference Center in Cranberry Township.

Slippery Rock University's newest member of its council of trustee is Alex Momyer, a junior safety management major from Punxsutawney (Punxsutawney HS). Momyer was sworn during a ceremony in Old Main on April 28. Momyer is now one piece of the 12-member COT, serving as the student voice on the University's highest governing body. Momyer has the same voting privileges as the other trustees. "I've seen so much of the University at different levels, so I have insights that allow me not to give my opinion, but to give the collective's opinion," Momyer said.

A Slippery Rock University student is well on his way to building his own business as a resilient competitor. Gavin Beck, a senior finance major from Meadville (Meadville HS), is responsible for the starting up three separate successful business ventures through Prestige Shine Detailing, William & Charles Capital and Beck's Lake Rentals, all based around Meadville. "In being a young entrepreneur, I would say that the seed was planted long before any of these businesses were a real thing," Beck said. "From a young age, I've always had this type of mentality and work ethic. I was knocking on neighbor's doors, shoveling and mowing, landscaping, and doing other odd jobs here and there. I was always doing something to try and find what I was looking for; a job."

Audiences will have two chances on May 2 to experience the Slippery Rock University Theatre Department's production of "A Grand Night for Singing, Musical Revue"by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. The show will be directed by a variety of SRU students with artistic oversight by Aaron Galligan-Stierle, an associate professor of theatre. Showtimes are at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Stoner West's Dance Studio Theater. Tickets can be purchased online at sru.edu/tickets. "A Grand Night for Singing"is a musical revue from the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, featuring selected songs from various hit productions like "The Sound of Music," "Oklahoma!" and "Carousel."You won't want to miss this showcase of talent from SRU's theatre community.

Slippery Rock University's nursing program provides students like Mylah O'Hanlon the opportunity to gain the hands-on technical skills and interpersonal intelligence medical professionals need to excel as providers and leaders. O'Hanlon, a sophomore nursing major from Derry (Derry HS), entered into SRU's new accelerated 1+2+1 program after spending time as on the pre-physician assistant student track while taking biology and chemistry courses. She instead preferred the patient-forward experiences offered by the new program, where an empathetic approach to patient care made the program the right fit.

Collaboration across Slippery Rock University's student media and academic programs is opening doors to real-world experiences. Nowhere was that more evident than at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, April 23-25. A group of SRU students attended the draft as credentialed members of the media, gaining rare, behind-the-scenes access to one of the NFL's biggest events. Through WSRU-FM and The Rocket, two student-run media organizations at SRU, students secured official media credentials that allowed them to cover press conferences, attend media availability sessions and operate within a fast-paced, professional environment.

With growing concerns about the accuracy of wrist-worn health devices, a Slippery Rock University student is charting a course toward better results through undergraduate research. Matthew Deemer, a senior exercise science major from Zelienople (Seneca Valley HS), is leading a research project titled "Validation of Wrist-Worn Devices for Blood Pressure Measurement." The project is funded through the Slippery Rock University Faculty & Student Research Grant Program.

Motivated by a relentless pursuit of excellence, Slippery Rock University honors its highest-achieving students whose leadership, scholarship and determination set the standard at the Legacy Leadership Awards ceremony, April 8, at the Smith Student Center. Lauren Mortimer, a senior dual dance and early childhood education major from Butler (Butler HS), is awarded the College of Liberal Arts' Outstanding Student in Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity award from Dean Dan Bauer. Mortimer was recognized for her work on "Breaking Barriers," a research-driven dance project that she choreographic and performed and at several international dance festivals and showcases, including selection into the renowned Steps Beyond Foundation Choreography Lab at Steps on Broadway in New York City. The Outstanding Student in Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity award is presented to students who have demonstrated outstanding involvement in a variety of research, scholarly and creative projects.

Motivated by a relentless pursuit of excellence, Slippery Rock University honors its highest-achieving students whose leadership, scholarship and determination set the standard at the Legacy Leadership Awards ceremony, April 8, at the Smith Student Center. Martina Tatalias, a junior mechanical engineering major from Bethel Park (Bethel Park HS), was awarded the College of Engineering and Science's Outstanding Student Academic Leader award from Dean Nicole Dafoe. Tatalias was recognized for her work as president of the Society of Women Engineers Chapter at SRU. The Outstanding Student Academic Leaders award recognizes students for their outstanding leadership within an academic department or college.

Motivated by a relentless pursuit of excellence, Slippery Rock University honors its highest-achieving students whose leadership, scholarship and determination set the standard at the Legacy Leadership Awards ceremony, April 8, at the Smith Student Center. Jacob Onoffrey, a senior music education major from Greensburg (Hempfield HS), was awarded the College of Liberal Arts' Outstanding Student Academic Leader award from Dean Dan Bauer. Onoffrey has served in principal and section leadership roles across nearly every major ensemble in the Music Department, including Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Marching Band, Pep Band, Jazz Band, Orchestra, chamber music, and the concert choirs, and he founded the Trombone Choir. The Outstanding Student Academic Leaders award recognizes students for their outstanding leadership within an academic department or college.

Motivated by a relentless pursuit of excellence, Slippery Rock University honors its highest-achieving students whose leadership, scholarship and determination set the standard at the Legacy Leadership Awards ceremony, April 8, at the Smith Student Center. Audrey Schubert, a senior physics major from Pittsburgh (Northgate HS), was awarded the College of Engineering and Science's Outstanding Student in Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity award from Dean Nicole Dafoe. Schubert was a research assistant in SRU's Quantum Devices and Materials Laboratory, where she is working on an externally funded project aimed at developing a low cost magneto optical system for trapping rubidium atoms. The Outstanding Student in Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity award is presented to students who have demonstrated outstanding involvement in a variety of research, scholarly and creative projects.

Motivated by a relentless pursuit of excellence, Slippery Rock University honors its highest-achieving students whose leadership, scholarship and determination set the standard at the Legacy Leadership Awards ceremony, April 8, at the Smith Student Center. Cassandra Clemency, a senior economics major from Slippery Rock (Slippery Rock HS), was awarded the Haverlack College of Business' Outstanding Student in Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity award by Dean Prasad Vemala. Clemency was recognized for her work on a policy-oriented econometrics community engagement project. The Outstanding Student in Research, Scholarship or Creative Activity award is presented to students who have demonstrated outstanding involvement in a variety of research, scholarly and creative projects.

Dakharee Mann gained a behind the scenes look into one of golf's biggest tournaments at Oakmont Country Club. Mann, a Slippery Rock University sophomore sport management major from Harrisburg (Susquehanna Township HS), experienced first-hand the inner workings of the U.S. Open tournament through an internship with USGA Pathways. The 10-day internship, on location in Oakmont during the U.S. Open earlier this month, gave college students the opportunity to learn to every facet of the $84 billion golf industry. Mann was one of 24 interns selected from a pool of more than 750 applicants.