Spring 2025 Commencement
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Individual college commencement ceremonies will include the opportunity for undergraduates and master's degree students to walk across the stage.
Thursday, May 15
- Noon-2:00 p.m. Pamplin College of Business Ceremony One in Lane Stadium
- Accounting and Information Systems
- Master of Accounting and Information Systems
- Business Information Technology
- Master of Science in Business Administration - Business Analytics
- Master of Science in Business Administration - Global Business Analytics
- Hospitality and Tourism Management
- Master of Science in Business Administration – Hospitality and Tourism Management
- Master of Business Administration
- 4:00-6:00 p.m. Pamplin College of Business Ceremony Two in Lane Stadium
- Finance, Insurance, and Business Law
- Management
- Marketing
- Real Estate
Dear Class of 2025,
I am delighted to congratulate you on your momentous achievement in completing your degree at the Pamplin College of Business. From day one, your education has prepared you for this very moment – the day you commence your careers and set out to make an impact on the world as Hokies.
Your journey with us has been shaped by your faculty and peers both in the classroom as well as through multiple co-curricular experiences, including student organizations, study abroad, professional workshops, and many other programs. You have learned foundational business concepts along with innovative solution techniques, integrating technology and business for agile problem-solving. As Pamplin graduates, you will be known for your criticalthinking skills and readiness to face any challenge, collaborating with teammates and stakeholders as leaders in the business world.
You have not only equipped yourselves with the knowledge and experiences that will serve you in your professional lives, but by living Virginia Tech’s motto “Ut Prosim” – That I May Serve – you now join the elite community of alumni who are giving back to our programs and our students. Today, you officially join the esteemed ranks of over 50,000 Pamplin alumni who are making a difference as leaders in their workplaces and communities. Your engagement as alumni is crucial in our endeavor to establish Pamplin as one of the world’s finest business schools. We invite you to join your fellow Pamplin alumni in generously offering your time, ideas, and financial support. Together, we can shape a brighter future and elevate the reputation of our beloved institution even further. We take immense pride in the accomplishments of our graduates, as they continue to make significant contributions to society. I hope you stay connected with us and share your journey and successes along the way.
At Pamplin, our mission remains to deliver unparalleled business education and experiential learning. Our programs continue to receive growing national and international recognition for their excellence and innovation. As we pursue continuous improvement, the value of your Pamplin diploma only appreciates further. You are truly the Next-Gen of Pamplin graduates!
Congratulations! And Let’s Go Hokies!
Saonee Sarker, Richard E. Sorensen Dean
Speaker for 12:00pm Ceremony
Gene Lowe
Gene Lowe is the President and Chief Executive Officer of SPX Technologies, Inc., a leading supplier of HVAC and Detection & Measurement products and technologies. SPX is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. SPX has been named one of “Americas’ Most Responsible Companies” by Newsweek and Statista for each of the past five years. Gene has been recognized as one of Charlotte’s “Most Admired CEOs” by the Charlotte Business Journal.
As CEO of SPX since 2015, Gene has led a transformation of the company that has resulted in one of Corporate America’s great success stories. In a short time, SPX divested non-core businesses, eliminated legacy liabilities, and drove substantial growth in high return businesses through both organic initiatives and 16 strategic acquisitions that totaled more than $2 billion in value creation. The company’s market value has increased by more than 15 times or $5.5 billion during his tenure.
Prior to joining SPX, Gene held positions with Milliken & Company, Bain & Company, and Lazard Technology Partners.
Gene is currently a director of Federal Signal Corporation (NYSE:FSS) as well as the Apex Center for Entrepreneurs at Virginia Tech. He is also involved with a number of charities and social organizations in the Charlotte area.
Gene attended Virginia Tech as an undergraduate, graduating with a B.S. in Management Science from the Pamplin College of Business. He went on to earn his MBA with distinguished honors from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.
Gene lives in Charlotte with his wife Sehnaz and two teenage kids. He enjoys tennis, skiing, attending World Cup soccer matches and Hokie football games.
Speaker for 4:00pm Ceremony
Debbie Petrine
A first-generation college student, Deborah Martin Petrine worked her way through Virginia Tech as a receptionist at a nursing home and worked her way up in the company, serving as President the last 8 years of her 20-year tenure. During her career Ms. Petrine has founded and directed health care companies, including skilled nursing, assisted living, pharmacies, and home health companies. She now serves as Chair and CEO of CCR, Inc. (Commonwealth Care of Roanoke) a company she founded in 2001, which owns/operates twelve Virginia skilled nursing facilities.
Ms. Petrine received the James G. Dutton Lifetime Achievement Award for service to the elderly and infirm in Virginia. She served in the Governor’s Covid-19 Long Term Care Task Force, as chair of the Virginia Health Care Association and represented Virginia on the American Health Care Association Board of Directors.
Petrine received her BS degree in Business Administration – Management from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1978. She was the inaugural chair of the Center for Gerontology Futures Board and the Pamplin College Management Department Advisory Board. The governor appointed her to the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors in 2011. Elected rector in 2014, she was the first female in the school’s history to lead the board. While rector she was a member of the Virginia Tech Foundation and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Advisory Board. Ms. Petrine was honored with the Virginia Tech Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 2021 and the Pamplin College of Business 2011 Distinguished Alumnus Award. She is currently chair of the Pamplin Advisory Committee Cabinet.
Prior to transferring her sophomore year to Virginia Tech, Ms. Petrine attended Virginia Western Community College. She is chair of the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation Board of Directors and received the Virginia Western Community College Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019.
She continues to enjoy giving back at the state and local level including serving on the Virginia Commission on Higher Education Board Appointments, the GO Virgina Region 2 Council, as chair of the Roanoke Blacksburg Business Council, and member of Feeding America Southwest Virginia Board of Directors.
Ms. Petrine met her husband Jim while students at Va. Tech. They reside in Moneta, Virginia, have two children and three grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with family, gardening, traveling, boating on Smith Mountain Lake, and cheering on Virginia Tech’s student athletes.
Student Speaker
Tyler Chillot
Tyler is a senior in the Pamplin College of Business pursuing dual degrees in Cybersecurity Management and Analytics and Marketing Management. Beyond his commitment to his academic career within Pamplin, Tyler demonstrated exemplary leadership for the Undergraduate Student Senate, Freshman Year Leadership Experience (FLEX) Program, Student Engagement and Campus Life (SECL) Ambassador Program, and Engage Undergraduate TA Program, along with a record of exceptional service supporting RAINN and the NGO Fondazione Marcegaglia Onlus (FMO) in Rwanda. Upon graduation, Tyler will join Crowe LLP as a Third-Party Risk Consultant.
