Saturday ceremony welcomes 501 new Elizabethtown College graduates

ELIZABETHTOWN, PA (05/16/2014)(readMedia)-- Five-hundred and one seniors take center stage at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 17, at Elizabethtown College's 111th Commencement. The class of new graduates boasts 68 who are earning their Master of Science degrees, 150 with Bachelor of Arts degrees, 239 Bachelor of Science degrees, 17 with Bachelor of Music degrees and 27 with bachelor's degrees in social work. The College's Commencement is held in The Dell; the inclement weather location is Thompson Gymnasium.

Sending the graduates on their way is Mark Samels executive director of the PBS flagship history series, "American Experience." Named executive producer in 2003, Samels has guided the program, produced by WGBH/Boston, to become the most-watched and longest-running television history series. Under his leadership, the series has been honored with nearly every industry award.

"The Amish," for which Samels was executive producer, premiered in February 2012 at Elizabethtown College just before the documentary launched nationally on public television stations. Donald Kraybill, Senior Fellow at the College's Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, served as a liaison with the Amish community and facilitated their involvement in the show's production. Before joining WGBH in 1997, Samels was vice president for production at PBS station witf in Harrisburg, Pa. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked as a steelworker in East Chicago and a seaman on the Great Lakes.

Samels will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from College President Carl J. Strikwerda. Also receiving an honorary doctor of business degree is Albert A. Koch '64, who is vice chairman and managing director with AlixPartners and managing director in its Turnaround & Restructuring Services. He is considered to be one of the country's foremost turnaround and restructuring experts, having served some of the largest corporations during financial realignment efforts.

Elizabethtown College, located in historic Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a private coed institution offering more than four dozen liberal arts, fine and performing arts, science and engineering, business, communications and education degrees. Learn more: http://www.etown.edu/about/

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Harvey

Communications Manager

Office of Marketing and Communications

Elizabethtown College

harveye@etown.edu

717-361-6412 (o)

717-371-2631 (c)

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