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Juniata College Announces Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients

(Posted April 21, 2025)

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HUNTINGDON, Pa.—Juniata College’s commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2025. The commencement speaker will be Dr. James M. Metz ’89, chair of Radiation Oncology and Henry K. Pancoast Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.   

Honorary degrees will be bestowed upon Metz; Carol H. Pletcher ’66, a distinguished leader in corporate innovation; and James A. Wagner, recipient of the Pennsylvania State Police Purple Heart and Trooper of the Year award.  

Metz earned his bachelor’s degree in biology at Juniata, then received a master’s degree in clinical immunology and microbiology at Hahnemann University. He graduated from medical school at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. Metz completed an internship in medicine at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ, and his residency in radiation oncology at the University of Pennsylvania.   

He joined the faculty at Penn Medicine in 2000, becoming chair of the department in 2015. Metz serves as associate director for clinical services and programs at the Abramson Comprehensive Cancer Center and has overseen the department and operations of the Roberts Proton Therapy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, the world’s largest and most advanced proton center for cancer treatment. He is also the executive director of OncoLink, an award-winning resource founded in 1994 at the University of Pennsylvania. OncoLink assists cancer patients, families, health care professionals, and the public find accurate cancer-related information online.   

Pletcher completed a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Juniata. She earned her master’s degree in physics and chemistry at the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Minnesota in 1979.   

Beginning as a senior scientist at Cargill in 1983, she rose to vice president, overseeing global innovation efforts. At Cargill, Pletcher designed, developed, and implemented an extensive corporate recognition program and created and implemented an idea management system encompassing the entire Cargill network of companies. She was named a Top 25 Innovation Champion by Business Week magazine. Pletcher has also led her own consulting firm, Pletcher Consulting, since 2007, and has served as entrepreneur in residence at CONNECT in San Diego, Calif.  

Wagner, a 21-year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police and a 1996 graduate of Mount Union Area High School, served four years of active duty in the United States Navy and four years with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. He entered the State Police Academy in 2002 and was assigned to Troop K-Skippack in Montgomery County. Wagner has had numerous duty assignments at state police stations, including in Philadelphia, Bedford, Huntingdon, Lewistown, and Hollidaysburg. He also served at the State Police Department Headquarters and the Bureau of Communication and Information Services in Harrisburg. Wagner served as station commander of the Huntingdon barracks from September 2016 to January 2020.   

While acting as “officer of the day” supervising operations at the Lewistown Station of Troop G on June 17, 2023, Wagner risked his life to stop a gunman who opened fire at the Lewistown Station of Troop G. He sustained a debilitating injury while courageously coordinating a high-risk response that aided in locating the gunman.  

This year marks the 147th commencement at Juniata College and will celebrate students earning Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees for their undergraduate education and eight master’s degrees for their graduate education. 

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.