Keynote Speaker
Pamela Shupp Menet, AICP, CEcD, is Director of Community and Economic Development for Berks County. In this position, Shupp Menet leads the development of policies and programs for Berks County, as well as the implementation of the newly created IMAGINE Berks Strategic Economic Development Action Plan – the county’s first formally adopted plan for guiding investments and proactive strategies for the county’s growth.
Widely recognized as a thought leader in economic development in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and northeast United States, Shupp Menet has served as President of the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association and the Northeast Economic Development Association.
Shupp Menet has over 35 years of experience in housing development, planning, economic, and community development with various private companies and public organizations. She started her career with the City of Reading, ultimately leading planning, community development, and redevelopment. She is known for championing several innovative and collaborative initiatives between neighborhoods, nonprofits, businesses, and government. In her most recent position, Shupp Menet is responsible for guiding business attraction marketing strategies, resulting in new businesses and job creation successes for the county and eastern Pennsylvania.
Her extensive community involvement includes serving as the President of the Twin Valley Community Education Foundation and as a member of several local nonprofit boards. She also proudly serves as the Chair of the Penn State Berks Advisory Board.
A native of Berks County, Shupp Menet is a graduate of Bloomsburg University. She is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), American Planning Association (APA), and the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) as a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD). She resides in Robeson Township, with her husband Brian.
Alumni Speaker
Michael S. Fry, President
Penn State Berks Alumni Society
Michael Fry is a 1993 graduate of Penn State University with a baccalaureate degree in Accounting. He also earned a master's degree in Finance from LaSalle in 2001. Fry is the Budget and Forecast Manager at Enersys.
Student Marshal
Safitaj Sindhar is the student marshal for the Fall 2022 commencement ceremony. She will earn her B.S. degree in biology with a Genetic and Developmental Option and a minor in Psychological Science.
In addition to earning a cumulative 4.0 GPA, Sindhar conducted research on clinical and public health implications of increased antibiotic resistance in collaboration with Tower Health, and on the antimicrobial resistance in microorganisms at the Blue Marsh watershed. Her research was published in the Berks County Medical Society magazine, Medical Records. She presented her research at the American Society of Microbiology Conference in Washington, D.C. and at the Higher Education Council of Berks County (HECBC) Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference.
During her time at Penn State Berks, Sindhar was actively involved on campus. She served as a Lion Ambassador, first-year mentor, orientation leader, learning assistant and tutor, and research assistant. She was the honors club president and community service coordinator, vice president of the student government association, and chair of the SGA educational equity committee.
Sindhar is fluent in Punjabi, Hindi, and Spanish and is currently learning to read and write in Urdu, an Indic language primarily spoken in South Asia.
After graduation, Sindhar plans to attend medical school and become a primary care physician. She aspires to work in underserved communities in both the United States and abroad.
A student marshal is selected for their outstanding academic achievement and contributions to student life. The student marshal leads their fellow graduates in the procession to enter the commencement hall.
Graduations have a long tradition rooted in the old English academic ways and that is why faculty and graduates dress in their academic regalia. There is also a Faculty Marshal that leads the faculty procession.
