Ceremony Moves to New Location in McHale Athletic Center of University Center on Main
Wilkes University is expected to award nearly 800 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at its 71st spring commencement ceremonies on May 19. The ceremony for graduate students receiving doctoral and master’s degrees will be held at 10 a.m., while the ceremony for undergraduates receiving bachelor’s degrees will be held at 3 p.m. Both ceremonies are being held in a new location, the McHale Athletic Center in the University Center on Main, 169 S. Main Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Before both ceremonies, the traditional procession of graduating students led by bagpipers will progress from the Arnaud C. Marts Sports and Conference Center on South Franklin Street to the Karambelas East Campus Gateway, where graduates will enter the McHale Athletic Center.
The guest speaker at the 10 a.m. ceremony for graduate students will be Rear Adm. Scott F. Giberson, an assistant U.S. surgeon general. Wilkes University President Patrick F. Leahy will address undergraduate students at the 3 p.m. ceremony.
Giberson has been an active duty officer in the commissioned corps for 24 years and currently serves as deputy director of human capital at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He has served with multiple U.S. government departments, including as a founding member of the Department of Homeland Security, as well as serving with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense and the State Department.
Giberson has served in many active duty roles as a pharmacist, clinician, senior public health advisor, senior medical program officer, director, and as executive leadership. Previous roles have included serving as acting deputy surgeon general of the U.S. from July 2013 to Jan. 2015; as senior advisor to the Office of the Surgeon General in 2015; the first director of the new commissioned corps headquarters from 2011 through 2015; overall commander of commissioned corps ebola response in West Africa from Sept. 2014 through June 2015; and as chief professional officer in the pharmacy category from 2010 to 2014, supporting over 1,500 U.S. Public Health Service pharmacists nationwide.
Giberson maintains dual licensure as a pharmacist and clinician. He served 15 years of his career performing clinical duties in the field assigned to the Indian Health Service in three geographic areas. He functioned in both pharmacy and family medicine clinic roles.
