Deborah L. Wince-Smith, president and CEO of the Council on Competitiveness, will serve as the University of Pittsburgh’s 2025 winter commencement speaker on Dec. 14 at the Petersen Events Center.
The University-wide ceremony is for all summer and fall graduates at all levels. It begins at 3 p.m. and tickets are required to attend. Each successfully registered candidate will receive four electronic tickets for guests via Ticketmaster, and can register for two more if they are available.
As head of the Council on Competitiveness — a nonpartisan coalition of CEOs, university presidents, labor leaders and national laboratory directors — Wince-Smith leads efforts to advance U.S. economic and productivity growth, innovation and prosperity. She also founded and serves as president of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils, an international network that engages leadership from two dozen nations to promote growth through innovation.
Wince-Smith participated in the groups’ “Forging the Future: The Intersection of Health, AI & Tech” event in October, hosted by Pitt in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University.
Before assuming her current role, Wince-Smith spent more than two decades in senior positions in the U.S. government. She was the first Senate-confirmed assistant secretary for technology policy in the U.S. Department of Commerce, where she oversaw federal technology-transfer policy and helped shape the White House National Technology Initiative. Earlier, she served as assistant director for international affairs in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
A native of Akron, Ohio, Wince-Smith graduated magna cum laude from Vassar College and earned a master’s degree in classical archaeology from the King’s College at the University of Cambridge. She holds multiple honorary doctorate degrees from institutions including Michigan State University, the University of Toledo, Queen’s University Belfast, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the University of South Carolina and the European University of Tirana.
For more information on graduation celebrations, visit Pitt’s commencement website and follow @PittCommencement on Instagram.
Volunteers needed
The Office of Special Events is looking for volunteers to assist with Pitt’s winter commencement ceremony on Dec. 14 at the Petersen Events Center. Deadline to register is Dec. 3.
The ceremony begins at 3 p.m., and most volunteer shifts will run from noon to 3 p.m. Volunteers will: Greet and seat graduates and faculty members; assist with wayfinding; and provide overall event support
All helpers will undergo virtual training during the week of Dec. 8. Volunteers also receive free parking, lunch and reserved seats at the ceremony for those who chose to stay and watch.
Find more details and register on Pitt’s commencement site.