The Ascent of Humanity, created by Allan Cottrill of Washington, Pennsylvania, was unveiled after commencement on May 4, 1996, at California University of Pennsylvania. The sculpture consists of fifteen human figures in bonded bronze, each one eight to ten feet tall, ascending two adjoining walls of the Duda World Culture Building. It begins with Cro-Magnon man at the bottom and ends with a female astronaut at the top, with figures in between representing various races and cultures of the world. The work stands as an inspiration to humanity's quest for excellence and the ascent to knowledge, wisdom, caring, responsibility, and humanity.