Pitt celebrated its newest Class of 2024 graduates at winter commencement

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Pitt celebrated the newest members of the Class of 2024 during a Dec. 18 winter commencement ceremony at the Petersen Events Center. The University-wide event honored students who completed their undergraduate and graduate degrees in the summer and fall semesters.

This year marked Pitt’s second winter commencement, which was introduced in 2022 to celebrate graduates who finish their degrees between May and December.

Holden Thorp — a renowned chemist, pharmaceutical executive and editor-in-chief of the prestigious journal Science — delivered the keynote address at the ceremony.

Thorp’s career has spanned decades in academia, entrepreneurship and life sciences leadership. He’s served as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and provost of Washington University in St. Louis and is currently a professor at George Washington University. This year, he was recognized as one of STAT’s top leaders in the life sciences.

In his speech, Thorp emphasized the importance of honesty, integrity, building trust and collaborating despite ideological differences.

“Grace, compassion, humility — they're in short supply. We all need more,” Thorp said.

“But fortunately, you care so much about the future that you’ll find them if you look. And that will help you use your knowledge and credentials for the betterment of everyone.”

Graduates also heard from Mihika Shah, who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience with a minor in chemistry. In her speech, Shah encouraged graduates to take the lessons they learned and apply them to their lives.

“Let us be bold, like the innovators who made Pittsburgh a hub for technology and medicine,” Shah said. “Let us be compassionate, like the students who held the door open at Cathy during a busy rush, or our friends, who stayed up late to help us study for a tough exam. And let us be unstoppable, like the Panthers who have made us proud on the field and in the classroom. Class of 2024, we are leaving Pitt as change makers, problem-solvers and dreamers."