UB to Hold 164th General Commencement on May 9

Release Date: April 30, 2010 This content is archived.

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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Some 5,750 students are candidates to receive degrees during the University at Buffalo's 164th general commencement and 13 other commencement ceremonies, which began April 30 and continue through May 22.

President John B. Simpson will speak at the general commencement ceremony, to be held at 10 a.m. May 9 in Alumni Arena, North Campus.

Student speaker will be graduating senior Stephanie L. Genco.

Thomas R. Beecher Jr., JD '59, chairman of the board of Barrantys LLC, and Esther S. Takeuchi, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Greatbatch Professor in Power Sources Research, UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, will receive the Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal, UB's highest honor. The awards will be presented by UB Council Chair Jeremy M. Jacobs.

Simpson will present SUNY honorary degrees to Barry Glick, PhD '81, BA '74, chief executive officer, SmartRealm LLC, and Robert Vince, PhD '66, BA '62, director of the Center for Drug Design, Academic Health Center, and professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Minnesota.

Robert G. Shibley, campus architect, professor of urban and regional planning and director of the Urban Design Project in the UB School of Architecture and Planning, will receive the UB President's Medal, which will be presented by Simpson.

Simpson, Provost Satish K. Tripathi and Bruce McCombe, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will confer bachelor's and associate degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Forty-three students will receive special recognition at the general commencement ceremony.

To receive SUNY Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence are Eliane A. Abou-Jaoude, Kevin J. Barnum, Kristen M. Baroudi, Tom T. Fadial, Julie M. Ficarra, Leslie J. Fisher, Shannon M. Griffin, Chelsey M. Hartley, Jessica R. Keaton, Isaac D. Kramer, Deborah Naybor, Jennifer Rahman, Julie M. Sawnor, Martin J. Smallidge and Sarah J. Ventre.

Twenty-eight graduates will receive the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Outstanding Senior Awards. They are Ezekiel B. Porter, African and African American Studies; Katherine R. Goewey, American Studies; Sarah J. Ventre, Anthropology; Chrissy H. Chan, Asian Studies; Benjamin Verplanke, Biological Sciences; Kristen M. Baroudi, Chemistry; Kimberly A. Boulden, Classics; Jessica M. DiGennaro, Communication; Jennifer A. Kamphaus, Communicative Disorders and Sciences; Edward R. Buffington, Economics; Brian Flory, English; Daniel W. Gallagher, Geography; Tanner J. West, Geology; Caitlyn E. Quider, Global Gender Studies; Ashley R. Tibollo, History; Jillian K. Pugliese, Linguistics; Graham J. Clenaghan, Mathematics; Daniel J. Mecca, Media Study; Andrew J. Borkowski, Music; Joshua T. Helak, Philosophy; Seth C. Levy, Physics; Lauren N. Rivett, Political Science; Chelsey M. Hartley, Psychology; Laurel Triscani, Romance Languages and Literatures and Special Major; Christopher R. Lomas, Social Sciences Interdisciplinary; Lori D. Glantz, Sociology; Stephanie L. Genco, Theatre and Dance; and Elise A. Brooks, Visual Studies.

Tishana C. Daniel will receive the Student Affairs Senior Leadership Award.

Vocalists at the general commencement ceremony will be Deon D. Oliverio and Valerie R. Yawien.

The 2010 commencement season began on April 30 with the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences' ceremony in the Center for the Arts, North Campus. Regina Benjamin, U.S. surgeon general, spoke. Simpson conferred degrees.

The rest of the commencement schedule:

• Biomedical Sciences, 6 p.m. May 6, Center for the Arts. The speaker will be Susan Amara, professor and chair of the Neurobiology Department at the University of Pittsburgh. Simpson will confer degrees.

• Graduate School of Education, 9 a.m., May 7, Center for the Arts. Simpson will confer degrees.

• College of Arts and Sciences master's and doctoral ceremony, 1 p.m., May 7, Center for the Arts. Tripathi will confer degrees.

• School of Management bachelor's ceremony, 1 p.m., May 7, Alumni Arena. Simpson will confer degrees.

• School of Architecture and Planning, 5 p.m., May 7, Center for the Arts. Dean Brian Carter will speak. Tripathi will confer degrees.

• School of Management master's and doctoral ceremony, 5 p.m., May 7, Alumni Arena. Simpson will confer degrees.

• School of Nursing, 9 a.m., May 8, Alumni Arena. Simpson will confer degrees.

• School of Social Work, 9 a.m., May 8, Center for the Arts. The speaker will be Eric Walker, co-founder and director of organizing for People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH). Tripathi will confer degrees.

• School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 1 p.m., May 8, Alumni Arena. Dean Harvey G. Stenger Jr. will speak; Simpson will confer degrees.

• School of Public Health and Health Professions, 1 p.m., May 8, Center for the Arts. The speaker will be Michael W. Cropp, president and CEO of Independent Health. David Dunn, vice president for health sciences will confer degrees.

• School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1 p.m., May 8, Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall, North Campus. Assemblyman Jim Hayes will speak. Tripathi will confer degrees.

• School of Dental Medicine, 5 p.m., May 8, Center for the Arts. Simpson will offer welcoming remarks. The speaker will be William G. Kohn, director of the Division of Oral Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tripathi will confer degrees.

• Law School, 3 p.m., May 22, Center for the Arts. The speaker will be Randall Kennedy, Michael R. Klein professor of law at Harvard University. Simpson will confer degrees.

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