The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown announced that Monty Hoffman, a 1983 Civil Engineering Technology graduate, will be the honorary speaker at the 2016 Commencement ceremony and receive the President’s Medal of Distinctive Excellence, the highest honor that the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown bestows. The award recognizes exceptional persons for their exemplary contributions toward making our world a better place. Honorees are chosen on wide range of criteria including their social, cultural and humanitarian contributions, leadership in their professions as well as service to the community of humankind. Individuals receiving this prestigious honor make a positive difference in our world, their actions inspire and empower others to achieve their fullest potential; they contribute to human progress and enlightenment.
“We are thrilled to have Mr. Hoffman return to his alma mater and share his extraordinary story with our graduates, said President Jem Spectar. “Mr Hoffman is an exceptionally talented developer. He is an exemplary leader in his field who has great vision, not just for architecture, but with a humanistic vision of how people can thrive in more livable, sustainable and vibrant communities.”
Mr. Hoffman recently joined Pitt-Johnstown to help launch the new engineering program. “His visit inspired me to do what some might call impossible,” explained Bernard Dunegan, a junior civil engineering student. “Listening to him speak showed me what a Pitt-Johnstown graduate can do. He is truly inspirational.”
The commencement ceremony will be held in the Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center on April 30, 2016, at 1 p.m. Five hundred seventy-five students will be graduating. Associate Professor Patty Wharton-Michael, PhD, will lead the procession as Grand Marshall. She will be joined by Faculty Marshalls Dr. Paul Lucas, Dr. John McGrath, Dr. Elizabeth Katrancha and Dr. Andrew Rose.
Mr. Hoffman is listed in Washington’s Smart CEO’s Future 50 list and Washington Business Journal Power 100. He serves on the boards of the Washington DC Economic Partnership, DC Students Construction Trades Foundation, D.C. Public Schools Engineering Advisory Board, and Federal City Council. Hoffman graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown with a Bachelor of Science, Civil/Structural Engineering Technology degree.
The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, located in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania, was founded in 1927 and is the first and largest regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Pitt-Johnstown is recognized by the Princeton Review as a “Best in the Northeast” college, by G.I. Jobs as a “Military Friendly School,” and by Pennsylvania Business Central as a “Top 100 Organization.” Additionally, Pitt-Johnstown has been presented with The Seven Seals Award by the US Department of Defense’s office of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). Pitt-Johnstown is the regional leader, educating for success in the Real World. The distinctive combination of our people, programs, and place results in exceptional performance in preparing students for career and professional success.