SUNY Fredonia will host two ceremonies during its 187th annual Commencement, to be held this Saturday, May 17, in Steele Hall Arena.
Bachelor’s and master’s degree recipients, as well as those earning advanced certificates, will be honored at two ceremonies, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
President Virginia S. Horvath will be joined by a platform party that includes her fellow members of the University Cabinet, members of the College Council, Senior Class President Patrick Kennedy, and other campus and community dignitaries.
Music groups performing include the Fredonia Wind Ensemble and the Fredonia Wind Symphony, under the direction of Dr. Paula Holcomb. The Fredonia Chamber Choir, under the direction of Dr. Gerald Gray, will perform, “Share the Stars (Ignorant Before the Heavens of My Life),” with music by Karl Boelter, director of the School of Music. Text is by Rainer Maria Rilke.
The National Anthem will be performed at both ceremonies by senior Gabrielle A. Mason, who will be receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education, summa cum laude, during the morning ceremony.
The campus will welcome Dr. Sarah Ramirez as its keynote speaker at both ceremonies. Dr. Ramirez, named a CNN Hero in April, is a community-engaged health educator and researcher and co-Founder of BeHealthy Tulare.
Mr. Kennedy, of Tonawanda, who will address both ceremonies, is receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Political Science during the morning ceremony. Also to give greetings at both ceremonies will be Fredonia College Council Chair Frank Pagano on behalf of the Fredonia College Council.
In addition, Carl H. Lam of Hamburg, will receive the Lanford Presidential Prize from the Oscar and Esther Lanford Endowment of the Fredonia College Foundation during the morning ceremony. Carl will be awarded concurrent Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees with triple majors in Communication-Journalism, Communication-Audio/Radio Production, and Applied Music, summa cum laude.
Faculty/Staff Marshals for the morning Commencement ceremony are: Dr. Harry Jacobson, who will be retiring this year from the School of Music, and Professor Elizabeth Lee from the Department of Visual Arts and New Media and the 2013 Marion Fellow. Director of Sponsored Programs and Research Emeritus Maggie Bryan-Peterson and Dr. Michael P. Wilson of the Department of Geosciences are the afternoon Marshals.
Student Marshals are selected for their academic performance and service to campus and will be recognized by President Horvath during the ceremonies. Marshals during the morning ceremony are Ha Na Choi of Gongfu-Si, Korea; Sylvana Dussan of Oneonta, Alyssa A. Menard of Rouses Point, Kirsten Vine of Corning, Robert Webster of Akron, N.Y., and Holly Wojtowicz of Kill Buck. Also to be recognized in the morning will be SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence recipients including Mr. Lam, Laura Hirst of Watertown and Samantha Jemiolo of Orchard Park. In the afternoon, marshals are Jeremy Eddy of Ashville, Megan Favale of New Hyde Park, Annie Holcomb of Canandaigua, Ryan McConnell of Rochester, N.Y.; Jennifer M. Smith of Pen Argyl, Pa., and SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence recipient Cory Jackson of Schenectady.
The ceremonial Mace Bearer is Dr. Marwan Elnasser of the Department of Economics in the School of Business, representing the campus’ most senior faculty member in terms of years of service.
With the assistance of campus staff and alumni, Commencement will be broadcast live beginning at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 17 on Time Warner Cable Channel 5 and 17 in Fredonia, Cassadaga, Brocton and Stockton, and Channel 19 in Dunkirk, Silver Creek, Forestville and Hanover. Live streaming video of the ceremonies will also be available right from the university’s home page, www.fredonia.edu.
