Dec. 20, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., December 21, 2012 - Thirty-one Penn State student-athletes are scheduled to graduate during Commencement exercises Saturday, Dec. 22 on the University Park campus.
Student-athletes representing 13 Penn State squads are on the approved to graduate list, including 10 members of the football team, four members of the women's swimming and diving squad and three members of the women's soccer and women's track and field teams.
Erin McNulty and Christine Nairn (women's soccer), Ayla Halus (field hockey), Kara Millhouse (women's track and field) and Brian Forgue (men's soccer) are among the student-athletes scheduled to graduate this weekend.
First-team All-Big Ten center Matt Stankiewitch is among the 10 football student-athletes scheduled to receive their diplomas on Saturday. Defensive end Pete Massaro, a two-time first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American, will receive his second undergraduate degree, in economics. Three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree Mike Farrell, running back Derek Day, kick snapper Michael Fuhrman, tight end Brian Irvin, quarterback Shane McGregor, linebacker Jamie Van Fleet and cornerback Mike Wallace also are approved to graduate.
Penn State student-athletes continue to graduate well above their peers nationwide, earning consistently outstanding academic performances.
- A record total of 100 Penn State student-athletes from seven fall sports earned 2012 Academic All-Big Ten accolades, the highest total in the conference;
- The NCAA's annual study of institutions nationwide revealed in October, 2011 that Penn State student-athletes at the University Park campus earned a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 88 percent compared to a 80 percent average for all Division I institutions for students entering from 2002-03 through 2005-06;
- The NCAA data showed the four-year federal graduation rate average for Penn State student-athletes was 78 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 64 percent, and second to Northwestern (88) among Big Ten Conference institutions.
- The NCAA data also revealed that student-athletes from five Penn State squads earned a Graduation Success Rate of 100 percent and 10 additional teams were at 90 percent or higher for a total of 15.
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