Wilkes University is proud to announce the distinguished speakers for its 78th annual spring commencement ceremonies, which will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at the McHale Athletic Center in the Ron and Rhea Simms Center on Main at 169 South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre.
This year’s keynote speakers include State Representative Eddie Day Pashinski ’67 and David Hicks, PhD, director of the nationally-ranked Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Wilkes University.
Pashinski has made remarkable contributions in fighting for quality education, affordable health care and commonsense tax reform in Pennsylvania. Pashinski graduated from Wilkes University with a bachelor’s degree in music education and has a master’s equivalency. He will receive an honorary degree from Wilkes University at this year’s commencement. For 38 years, he taught music at the Greater Nanticoke Area School District and held several union positions with the Greater Nanticoke Area Education Association, advancing to chief spokesperson, vice president and president.
Today, the majority Chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, as well as a member of multiple caucuses, Pashinski is also a board member of the Pennsylvania Health Information Exchange and has introduced numerous bills to increase access to medical care, reduce costs to consumers and improve outcomes. Pashinski is a local musician and entertainer and continues to be a leader in the community.
A first-generation college student and son of an immigrant parent, Hicks earned his bachelor’s degree from Nazareth College of Rochester and his doctorate in American Literature at NYU. Prior to coming to Wilkes in 2020, he taught at Pace University in New York as well as Regis University in Denver, where he co-founded and co-directed the MFA program in creative writing. Through Hick’s leadership, enrollment for Wilkes University’s graduate creative writing program has more than doubled in the last four years.
He is the author of many short stories as well as a novel-in-stories, White Plains, a finalist for the Colorado Book Award and Westword Magazine’s #1 book by Colorado authors. His recent children’s book, The Magic Ticket, about the death of his sister when he was a boy, has been called “a beautiful exploration of the power of books to be company when we feel lonely, a salve when we are hurting” by Anythink Libraries. His soon-to-be released second novel, The Gospel According to Danny (Vine Leaves Press, May 2025), has been called “deeply evocative” by Lori Ostlund, “dark, funny, [and] modern” by Robert Mooney, “a breakneck pursuit of the American dream” by Matt Bell, and “a dynamic portrait of . . . the fall of the American empire” by Philip Brady.
“We are honored to welcome Wilkes alumnus, Representative Eddie Day Pashinski, and Dr. David Hicks as our commencement speakers this spring. Because of their bold achievements and impact on the community and in the arts, they are an inspiration. Their words of encouragement and experiences will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on our graduates as they embark on their next chapter and define success for themselves,” said Wilkes University President, Greg Cant, PhD.
Wilkes University’s spring 2025 commencement will celebrate the accomplishments of more than 800 graduates with bachelors, master’s and doctoral degrees.
For more information on commencement, visit www.wilkes.edu/commencement.
