Pirate Pride | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of ECU News Services. The author of this post is Jules Norwood.

Spring commencement will begin at 9 a.m. on May 6 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. (ECU file photo by Cliff Hollis)

    East Carolina University will hold its commencement ceremony for spring and summer graduates in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Friday, May 6, at 9 a.m.

    More than 4,600 graduates will be recognized during the ceremony, and both undergraduate and graduate students will enter the field together in a processional for the first time since 2019.

    "Our students are the heart and soul of Pirate Nation, and commencement is our chance to celebrate their achievements with all the pomp and circumstance we can muster," Chancellor Philip Rogers said. "We can't wait to welcome their families and friends to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium to demonstrate just how proud we are of their many accomplishments."

    Following welcoming remarks from the chancellor, faculty chair, ECU Board of Trustees chair, UNC Board of Governors representative and Student Government Association president, the keynote address will be delivered by Matt Crisp, co-founder and former chief operating officer of eVestment, an Atlanta-based financial technology company. A two-time ECU alumnus, Crisp earned his Bachelor of Science in finance in 1993 and Master of Business Administration in 1996.

    eVestment made the Inc. 5000's list of America's Fastest Growing Companies for 11 consecutive years from 2007-2017, qualifying for that organization's hall of fame, and was recognized as a top workplace by multiple publications including Forbes magazine.

    Originally from Washington, North Carolina, Crisp resides in Atlanta with his wife, Kimberly. They have three children; the oldest is a sophomore at ECU. Now a private investor and strategic consultant, Crisp serves on the board of trustees for the ECU Foundation and Ron Clark Academy.

    "We look forward to welcoming Matt Crisp back to campus as our keynote speaker," Rogers said. "Matt has gone on from ECU to achieve success in the world of business while remaining connected to and supporting the university, and I know he will offer great encouragement and thoughtful advice to our graduates."

    ECU's individual schools and colleges will hold recognition ceremonies for their students May 6-7. For a complete schedule of these ceremonies or additional information visit the ECU commencement website. A link to live stream the main commencement ceremony will be posted on the site the morning of May 6.

    For the first time, GradBash will be at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. This free event featuring live music and local food trucks will start at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 5, on the north side of the stadium.