Lon Morris College

Transcription

GOOD MORNING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND WELCOME TO THIS YEAR'S UMBC'S GRADUATE SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES. THE CEREMONY WILL BEGIN IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. FIRST, A FEW HOUSEKEEPING NOTES. WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO TAKE A MOMENT TO NOTE THE EMERGENCY EXITS THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE ONES NEAREST TO YOU IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. ALSO, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ARE LOCATED UPSTAIRS ON THE TRACK LEVEL OF THE ARENA, NEAR THE ENTRANCE. PARENTS, FOR SAFETY REASONS, PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN TO CLIMB ON THE RAILINGS. DURING THE CEREMONY, PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SEATS TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS OR VIDEOS. AISLES MUST REMAIN CLEAR AT ALL TIMES AND GUESTS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE MAIN FLOOR. FINALLY, OUT OF COURTESY TO OUR GRADUATES AND GUESTS, WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES, AND REMAIN IN THE ARENA UNTIL THE END OF THE CEREMONY. NOW, PLEASE TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FAR END OF THE ARENA, WHERE THE COMMENCEMENT PROCESSION WILL ENTER. [THE CHESAPEAKE BRASS QUINTET PLAYS THE PRINCE OF DENMARK MARCH.] THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IS LED BY THE GRADUATE SCHOOL MARSHAL, DR. ROBERT DELUTY, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL. AND MR. DAMON BRADLEY, WHO IS RECEIVING HIS PH.D. IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING TODAY. HE IS CARRYING THE GRADUATE SCHOOL BANNER. THE PROCESSION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS IS LED BY THE STUDENTS' MARSHAL, DR. MANIL SURI, THE 2013 PRESIDENTIAL TEACHING PROFESSOR AND PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS. THE FACULTY AND STAFF PROCESSION IS LED BY THE FACULTY MARSHAL, DR. TIMOTHY FININ THE 2012 PRESIDENTIAL RESEARCH PROFESSOR AND PROFESSOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING. HE IS JOINED BY STAFF MARSHAL, DR. CONSTANCE PIERSON, THE 2011 RECIPIENT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL DISTINGUISHED STAFF AWARD FOR PROFESSIONAL STAFF AND DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH THE FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS' MARSHALS ARE CARRYING BATONS THAT THE UMBC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION GAVE TO THE UNIVERSITY IN HONOR OF OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2006. THE PLATFORM PARTY IS LED BY GRAND MARSHAL, DR. KATHLEEN CARROLL, PRESIDENT OF THE FACULTY SENATE AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS. THE GRAND MARSHAL CARRIES THE UNIVERSITY MACE, A SYMBOL OF PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORITY. USED ONLY ON FORMAL ACADEMIC OCCASSIONS, IT IS CARRIED IN THE PROCESSION IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE PRESIDENT. UMBC'S MACE WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FOR UMBC'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY IN 1986. WELCOME. THE 62ND COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY GRADUATE SCHOOL WILL NOW BE IN ORDER. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE RISE FOR OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM, SUNG BY MS. ALESSANDRA CANTALUPO, A SOPHMORE WHO IS A LINGUISTICS MAJOR IN FRENCH AND RUSSIAN. MS. CANTALUPO HAS BEEN CLASSICALLY TRAINED IN VOICE AND IS HONORED TO REPRESENT THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT. GENTLEMEN, PLEASE REMOVE YOUR HATS OR CAPS DURING THE ANTHEM. [NATIONAL ANTHEM] [APPLAUSE.] THANK YOU, ALESSANDRA. THAT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL. NOW I ASK THAT EVERYONE PLEASE BE SEATED. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE THE VICE PROVOST AND DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, DR. JANET RUTLEDGE. [APPLAUSE] GOOD MORNING PRESIDENT HRABOWSKI, DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AND STUDENTS AND FACULTY. TODAY WE GATHER TOGETHER IN A TIME-HONORED TRADITION SHARED ACROSS THE WORLD IN SALUTING THE ATTAINMENT OF THE STANDARDS OF ADVANCED GRADUATE STUDY. THIS CEREMONIAL TRADITION OF THE CONFERRAL OF MASTER'S AND DOCTORAL DEGREES IS ONE THAT PROVIDES A UNIVERSAL CURRENCY, SIGNIFYING THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF ACHIEVEMENT IN THE DISCIPLINES, SUBJECTS, AND PROFESSIONS SPONSORED BY UMBC. THIS IS ONE OF LIFE'S HAPPIEST AND MOST SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES FOR EACH OF TODAY'S GRADUATES. IT IS A MILESTONE NOT ONLY FOR THOSE EARNING DEGREES, BUT FOR ALL OF US HERE TODAY. FOR THE GRADUATES SEATED IN FRONT OF ME, IT SIGNIFIES THE COMPLETION OF YOUR MASTER'S OR DOCTORAL DEGREE AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF NEW AND EVER MORE CHALLENGING HORIZONS. FOR THE FACULTY AND STAFF, THE EVENT SERVES AS A CAPSTONE FOR ALL THEY HAVE SHARED WITH YOU AND BRINGS SPECIAL JOY AT SEEING YOUR PERSONAL SUCCESS. AND FOR THE MANY FAMILIES AND FRIENDS HERE TODAY, IT IS A MOMENT IN WHICH WE CAN ALL SHARE, ACKNOWLEDGING THE RECOGNITION THAT YOU, OUR SOON-TO-BE GRADUATES, SO RICHLY DESERVE. FOR ME AND MANY OTHERS, IT IS A SPECIAL MOMENT DURING WHICH WE CAN WITNESS THE FRUITS OF THE MANY LABORS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND TAKE PRIDE IN THE REMARKABLE WORK THAT TAKES PLACE HERE AT UMBC. DURING THE CEREMONY, THOSE OF YOU RECEIVING DEGREES WILL TRANSITION FROM BEING STUDENTS TO BEING ALUMNI. WHETHER YOU GO INTO CAREERS AS EDUCATORS, SCHOLARS, ARTISTS, RESEARCHERS, SCIENTISTS, ACTIVISTS, SERVICE PROFESSIONALS, OR ENGINEERS, YOU REPRESENT THE VERY BEST OF THE FUTURE. YOU HAVE EMBARKED ON ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT JOURNEYS OF YOUR LIVES THAT OF EARNING A DEGREE IN YOUR RESPECTIVE FIELD, PROFESSION, OR DISCIPLINE AND WE ARE ALL VERY, VERY PROUD OF YOU. THE DEGREE EARNED FROM UMBC REFLECTS SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT, OFTEN INVOLVING SUBSTANTIAL PERSONAL SACRIFICE AND STRUGGLE FOR THE PURSUIT OF NEW KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING INVOLVES GROWTH AND CHANGE. AS WE PAY TRIBUTE TO YOU TODAY, WE RECOGNIZE, TOO, THOSE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED YOU DURING YOUR STUDIES AT UMBC. WE KNOW HOW MUCH SUPPORT YOUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS HAVE PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE EXPERIENCE. WE COME TOGETHER ALSO TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACULTY AND STAFF WHO HAVE ENCOURAGED, MENTORED, AND HELPED YOU ACHIEVE YOUR VERY BEST AT UMBC. BY HONORING YOU, OUR GRADUATES, WE PAY TRIBUTE TO THEIR ARTFUL CRAFT OF LEADING YOU TO THIS DAY. PLEASE GIVE ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED YOU DURING THESE IMPORTANT YEARS A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. [APPLAUSE] ALTHOUGH TODAY CELEBRATES THE CULMINATION OF YOUR DILIGENCE AND HARD WORK, IT IS ALSO THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE NEXT PHASE OF YOUR LIVES AND CAREERS. CONFERRAL OF YOUR DEGREE DOES NOT SYMBOLIZE THE END OF KNOWLEDGE GAINED, BUT OF THE SEEKING OF KNOWLEDGE YET UNKNOWN. AS YOU GO FORTH ON THE PATHWAY OF YOUR LIFE, REMEMBER THE WORDS OF THEODORE ISAAC RUBIN, WHO SAID 'HAPPINESS DOES NOT COME FROM DOING EASY WORK BUT FROM THE AFTERGLOW OF SATISFACTION THAT COMES AFTER THE ACHIEVEMENT OF A DIFFICULT TASK THAT DEMANDED OUR BEST.' CONGRATULATIONS FROM ALL OF US. WE WISH YOU A LIFE FULL OF SATISFACTION AND HAPPINESS BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THE PROGRAM FOR TODAY, LET ME FIRST BRIEFLY ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF THE PEOPLE ON THE PLATFORM. JOINING US ARE THE DEANS OF OUR COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS, MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL, PRESIDENTS OF THE CAMPUS SENATES AND PRESIDENTIAL AWARD RECIPIENTS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN PART OF EVERY GRADUATE SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT SINCE 1997. MS. LINDA THOMAS IS AFFECTIONATELY CALLED "THE GRADUATE SCHOOL LADY" BY STUDENTS WHO HAVE KNOWN HER AS THE PERSON WHO HAD TO CLEAR THEM FOR GRADUATION. LINDA IS RETIRING IN JUNE AFTER 42 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE STATE OF MARYLAND, INCLUDING 25 AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE. [APPLAUSE] SO LINDA, WHEREVER YOU ARE, PLEASE STAND AND COME FORWARD, WHILE WE RECOGNIZE YOUR DEDICATION TO OUR STUDENTS FOR SO MANY YEARS. [APPLAUSE] IT IS NOW MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE REGENT LOUISE MICHAUX GONZALES, A MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND BOARD OF REGENTS. REGENT GONZALES WILL DELIVER GREETINGS ON BEHALF OF THE REGENTS. [APPLAUSE] GOOD MORNING. PRESIDENT HRABOWSKI, DOCTOR PERMAN, DISTINGUISHED DEANS AND FACULTY, ADMINISTRATORS AND STAFF, STUDENTS AND GRADUATES, PROUD FAMILIES AND DISTINGUISHED GUESTS: THIS MORNING, I AM DELIGHTED TO JOIN YOU AND EXTEND THE BEST WISHES OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND ON THIS WONDERFUL DAY. IT'S AN HONOR TO SHARE THIS OCCASION WITH FREEMAN HRABOWSKI, WHO HAS DONE SUCH A REMARKABLE JOB OF LEADING UMBC TO NEW HEIGHTS OF EXCELLENCE AND NATIONAL ACCLAIM. OF COURSE, HE HAS NOT DONE THAT ALONE. CREDIT ALSO GOES TO THE OUTSTANDING FACULTY, ADMINISTRATORS, STAFF AND, AS FREEMAN TELLS US AT EVERY BOARD OF REGENTS MEETING AND EVERYWHERE ELSE THAT WE SEE HIM, HIS STUDENTS. WHICH HE CLAIMS ARE THE BEST IN THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. AND PERHAPS... WELL, NO, I CAN'T SAY THAT BECAUSE DR. PERMAN'S HERE. [LAUGHTER] THEY ARE AMONG THE BEST. [LAUGHTER] YOU CAN HEAR THE ENERGY, THE MOTIVATION TO EXCEL AND THE PRIDE ON THIS CAMPUS. BY ANY MEASURE, NATIONAL RANKINGS, RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS, PUBLIC SERVICE ACTIVITIES, FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS, AND NOT EVEN COUNTING THE NUMBER OF AWARDS YOUR PRESIDENT HAS WON, THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE FINEST UNIVERSITIES IN THE COUNTRY. I'M ALSO PLEASED TO SHARE THIS DAY WITH YOUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER, DR. JAY PERMAN, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HIS REMARKS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND CONGRATULATE YOU, THE GRADUATE DEGREE CANDIDATES. WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED HAS TAKEN HARD WORK, PERSISTENCE AND DEDICATION. CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF YOU. I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE THOSE WHO HELPED YOU GET TO THIS POINT. IN ADDITION TO YOUR DEANS AND FACULTY AND THE FOLKS AT UMBC, I'M TALKING MORE NOW ABOUT THE FOLKS THAT ARE ON THE SIDE OF YOU HERE. YOUR PARENTS AND SPOUSES OR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, CHILDREN, PERHAPS EVEN GRANDCHILDREN, GRANDMOTHERS, OTHER RELATIVES AND FRIENDS. ALL WHO HAVE SUFFERED THROUGH WITH YOU, AND FRANKLY, OCCASIONALLY, PUT UP WITH YOU AND ENCOURAGED YOU. I KNOW THAT THEY TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AND THEY'RE HAPPY FOR YOU. SO I SAY THANK YOU TO THEM AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM ALSO. [APPLAUSE] TODAY, FROM UMBC, THE DOCTORAL AND MASTER'S DEGREES WILL BE RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE. NO MATTER WHAT DIRECTION YOUR LIFE TAKES NOW, NO MATTER WHAT CHALLENGES YOU WILL NEXT CONFRONT, KNOW THAT YOUR EDUCATION HAS PREPARED YOU WELL. AND WE WISH YOU WELL. SO ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS, CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO EACH OF YOU AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE THIS DAY WITH YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, REGENT GONZALES, FOR YOUR REMARKS AND FOR ALL THE SUPPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND. NOW I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MS. DOAA RASHED, PRESIDENT OF THE GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION, AND A PH.D. CANDIDIATE IN LANGUAGE, LITERACY AND CULTURE. DOAA [APPLAUSE] GOOD MORNING. PRESIDENT HRABOWSKI, DR. PERMAN, REGENT GONZALES, DEANS, FACULTY, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, AND THE GRADUATES TOO. I DIDN'T FORGET YOU. I HAVE YOU WRITTEN HERE. FIRST PARAGRAPH. THIS IS A LARGE GROUP GATHERED HERE TODAY AND THEY ALL CAME FOR YOU. WE ALL CAME TO MAKE THIS DAY A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY IN YOUR LIFE. TO SHOW HOW PROUD WE ARE OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS, YOUR PERSISTENCE AND HARD WORK. YOUR GRADUATION BRINGS JOY TO EVERYONE HERE. YOUR MENTORS AND ADVISERS WHO HAVE WALKED WITH YOU THROUGH YOUR JOURNEY OF INTELLECTUAL INQUIRY. YOUR PARENTS AND FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES, WHO ENCOURAGED YOU WHEN THE JOURNEY WAS LONG AND EXHAUSTING. SO KEEP IT IN YOUR HEART, THESE MEMORIES YOU SHARE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO LOVED AND STOOD BY YOU AND SHOWED YOU THAT YOU COULD DO IT. BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES WHO REALLY MATTER IN LIFE, WHO DESERVE YOUR GRATITUDE. THEY HAVE, AND WILL ALWAYS, BELIEVE IN YOU. PLEASE GIVE THEM ALL A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. [APPLAUSE] A GRADUATION CEREMONY IS ALWAYS A SPECIAL OCCASION- THE CULMINATION OF YEARS OF HARD WORK, THE ACTUALIZATION OF GOALS ATTAINED AND THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE SUCCESSES ACHIEVED. SO IT IS ONLY FITTING THAT TODAY, YOU CELEBRATE THE ROAD YOU HAVE TRAVELED THESE PAST FEW YEARS, SOME LONGER THAN OTHERS. NOW YOU ARE ENDING A JOURNEY THAT YOU STARTED WITH TENTATIVE STEPS, PERHAPS, BUT ONE THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN TO REMARKABLE HEIGHTS. YOU HAVE OVERCOME CHALLENGES AND DIFFICULTIES ALONG THE WAY AND YOU ARE STRONGER BECAUSE YOU FINISHED WHAT YOU STARTED. YOU EXPERIENCED EXCEPTIONAL MOMENTS AND CREATED MEMORIES THAT WILL FONDLY BE REMEMBERED IN THE YEARS AHEAD. MOMENTS THAT YOU CHOOSE TO USE AS STEPPING STONES, AS YOU PURSUED YOUR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL ENDEAVORS. EVERY TERM PAPER, CLASS PROJECT, PUBLICATION, CONVERSATION WITH YOUR MENTOR, AND OF COURSE, YOUR THESIS AND DISSERTATION, ALL ARE MILESTONES IN YOUR JOURNEY. AND IT IS TODAY, THAT YOU CELEBRATE THE END OF ONE JOURNEY AND THE START OF ANOTHER. UMBC GAVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN NEW SKILLS, GAIN VALUABLE KNOWLEDGE, CHALLENGE YOURSELVES AND EXPLORE NEW HORIZONS IN THE PROCESS. NOW, IT'S YOUR TURN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORLD GETS THE BEST OF WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER. YOUR JOURNEY PROVED THAT DEDICATION AND HARD WORK AND FAITH IN YOURSELF ARE THE KEYS TO ACHIEVING GOALS. KNOWING THAT YOU CAN DO IT AND THAT YOU CAN BE THE PERSON YOU HAVE ALWAYS WANTED AND STRIVED TO BE IS WHAT MADE YOU SUCCESSFUL HERE. YOU ARE HERE TODAY BY THE WILL TO WIN, THE DESIRE TO SUCCEED, AND THE URGE TO REACH YOUR POTENTIAL. THIS IS HOW YOU UNLOCKED THE DOORS TO ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS. AT THIS POINT, I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU OF WHAT ALBERT EINSTEIN SAID. 'TRY NOT TO BECOME A PERSON OF SUCCESS, BUT RATHER, TRY TO BECOME A PERSON OF VALUE.' YOU HAVE REACHED A MILESTONE IN A SUCCESSFUL LIFE JOURNEY AND THAT COMES WITH RESPONSIBILITY. A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITIES WE LIVE IN, THE WORLD THAT WE SHARE AND THE DEGREES YOU ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE. THIS IS THE TIME TO FIND YOUR TRUE CALL AND INSPIRATION. BE IT AT A KINDERGARTEN OR A BIOLOGY LAB. THE KINDERGARTEN IS MORE FUN. AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I THINK. THERE IS ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND REMEMBER, THESE OPPORTUNITIES DON'T JUST HAPPEN. YOU CREATE THEM. TODAY IS CROWNED BY YOUR DIPLOMAS, BUT ONLY MEASURED BY THE CHALLENGES YOU ARE YET TO OVERCOME. YOUR SUCCESS TODAY IS DEFINED BY THE VALUES YOU CARRY IN YOUR HEART. MAY YOU ALWAYS LEAD BY EXAMPLE. CONGRATULATIONS. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, DOAA, FOR YOUR INSPIRING WORDS, AND FOR THE COLLABORATIVE SUPPORT OF THE GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION. WILL THE GSA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS PLEASE STAND TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR ALL THAT THEY DO TO SUPPORT GRADUATE STUDENTS AT UMBC. [APPLAUSE] AND NOW, I AM PLEASED TO INTRODUCE UMBC'S PROVOST AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, DR. PHILIP ROUS, WHO SERVES AS OUR CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER. DR. ROUS JOINED UMBC IN 1990. HE IS A PROFESSOR IN OUR DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND HAS SERVED AS DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES. DR. ROUS... [APPLAUSE] GOOD MORNING. ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOLARLY COMMUNITY WE CALL OUR UMBC I EXTEND MY CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR GRADUATES. ENJOY AND SAVOR THIS QUIET MOMENT. WE HAD VERY HIGH EXPECTATIONS WHEN WE WELCOMED YOU AS A MEMBER OF THE UMBC COMMUNITY. THE EXPECTATIONS WERE BASED UPON YOUR PROMISE AS SCHOLARS. TODAY WE CELEBRATE YOUR FULFILLMENT OF THAT PROMISE. YOU WILL JOIN THE TRADITION OF UMBC ALUMNI WHO THROUGH THEIR LIFE'S WORK CONTINUE TO ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF OUR OWN HUMANITY OUR DEMOCRACY, THE NATURAL WORLD THAT SURROUNDS US AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS. YOUR DIPLOMA REPRESENTS NOT JUST YOUR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, BUT THE FRIENDSHIPS YOU HAVE FORGED, THE FACULTY THAT HAVE NURTURED YOU AND THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED YOU AND HELPED YOU ARRIVE HERE TODAY. I HOPE YOU'LL SEE YOUR ACHIEVEMENT AS EMERGING FROM WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE COMMUNITY THAT MOLDS YOU AND CARES ABOUT YOU, INCLUDING OUR OUTSTANDING FACULTY AND STAFF. ON YOUR BEHALF, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR EVERYTHING THEY HAVE DONE TO SUPPORT YOUR SUCCESS. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE DEAN WARREN DEVRIES WHO WILL RETURN TO THE FACULTY AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO UMBC AND THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. WE ARE ALL GRATEFUL FOR HIS DILIGENT STEWARDSHIP AND SUPPORT OF OUR ACADEMIC MISSION THROUGH WHICH HE HAS MADE A PROFOUND DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OUR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF. DEAN DEVRIES, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED. [APPLAUSE] GRADUATES, TODAY, AS YOU CROSS THE COMMENCEMENT STAGE, YOU WILL STEP ACROSS BOTH A SYMBOLIC AND AN ACTUAL THRESHOLD TO ENTERING INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY. LIKE SO MANY TRANSITIONS IN LIFE THIS MAY FEEL LIKE A STEP FROM WHAT IS KNOWN TO THE UNKNOWN. BUT BE CONFIDENT THAT YOU WILL BE SUPPORTED BY A SOLID FOUNDATION BUILT UPON THE PREPARATION YOU HAVE RECEIVED HERE AT UMBC. AS YOUR PROVOST, I HOPE YOU WILL ALLOW ME TO ASK EACH OF YOU ONE FINAL QUESTION. WHAT PRINCIPLES AND VALUES WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIVES? THIS IS AN INTENSELY PERSONAL QUESTION AND THE ANSWER DOES NOT COME EASILY OR IN THE FLASH OF A MOMENT. IT IS A QUESTION THAT REQUIRES A LIFETIME TO ANSWER. BUT MY GREATEST HOPE IS THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY WILL HAVE PROVIDED YOU WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT UPON MANY VALUES WE SHARE TOGETHER. VALUES SUCH AS EXCELLENCE, COMMITMENT, HARD WORK, INCLUSIVENESS AND A RESPECT FOR THE DIGNITY OF OTHERS. PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THESE IS INTEGRITY: THAT MEANS PUTTING YOUR VALUES INTO ACTION. THIS IS NOT EASY OR SIMPLE. BUT IN THE WORDS OF NELSON MANDELA - "IT ALWAYS SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE, UNTIL IT IS DONE." MAY YOU ENJOY A LIFE RICH IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT EACH DAY YOUR WORK AND YOUR RELATIONSHIPS HAVE TRULY MADE A DIFFERENCE. CONGRATULATIONS. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, DR. ROUS. IT IS WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT I INTRODUCE DR. FREEMAN HRABOWSKI, PRESIDENT OF UMBC. SERVING FOR OVER 20 YEARS AS PRESIDENT, DR. HRABOWSKI HAS BROUGHT TREMENDOUS ENERGY, VISION, AND LEADERSHIP TO THIS INSTITUTION. HE HAS HELPED CONNECT THE UNIVERSITY WITH INDIVIDUALS, COMPANIES, FOUNDATIONS, AND AGENCIES THAT HAVE BROUGHT NEW RESOURCES TO BUILD AND SUSTAIN DISTINCTIVE PROGRAMS IN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION AND GRADUATE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. DR. HRABOWSKI... [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, DR. RUTLEDGE. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, AGAIN. GRADUATES, IT IS INTERESTING THAT WHEN YOU THINK BACK ON THIS DAY, OF COURSE YOU WILL REMEMBER DIFFERENT PEOPLE GETTING UP TO TALK, YOU HEAR A SENTENCE THERE AND YOU HEAR A SENTENCE THERE AND YOU ALL APPLAUD. AND YOU THINK, 'I'M READY TO GET THAT DIPLOMA SOMEHOW. READY TO GET ON WITH MY LIFE." I WANT YOU TO TAKE JUST A MOMENT AND SAVOR THIS EXPERIENCE. BECAUSE WE SAY IT, BUT I'M NOT SURE IT COMES THROUGH AS CLEARLY AS IT SHOULD. IT REALLY IS YOUR DAY. THIS IS THE DAY THAT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR FOR A LONG TIME. AS I WALKED IN, I SAID TO SOME OF YOU, "THIS IS REALLY A DREAM, YOU'RE ACTUALLY STILL BACK IN UNDERGRAD SOMEWHERE." JUST TO GIVE YOU PERSPECTIVE. BUT I TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE IT IS A SPECIAL DAY. YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT YOU ALL AROUND AND SO I WANT YOU TO THINK AGAIN, YOU'VE HEARD OTHER SAY IT, BUT THE OLDER I GET, THE MORE I REALIZE THAT THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR LIVES MORE IMPORTANT THAT OUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND OUR FRIENDS. SO GIVE YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS A HAND AND THINK ABOUT ALL THAT THEY'VE DONE TO GIVE YOU SUPPORT. [APPLAUSE] AND THEN, I WANT YOU ONCE MORE TO RECOGNIZE YOUR FACULTY AND STAFF BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THEY ARE HERE FOREVER FOR YOU, THAT WE WILL ALWAYS BE CONNECTED. THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOUR HAVING TAKEN A CLASS AND NOW YOU'RE GOING ON. YOU'RE GOING TO STAY IN CONTACT WITH YOUR PROFESSORS AND STAFF MEMBERS. GIVE THEM A HAND FOR CARING ABOUT YOU AND BRINGING YOU INTO YOUR PROFESSION. [APPLAUSE] SOME OF TODAY'S GRADUATES ARE MEMBERS OF OUR OWN STAFF AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM. IF YOU ARE A STAFF MEMBER GRADUATE TODAY, PLEASE STAND. GIVE THEM A HAND. [APPLAUSE] EXCELLENT. I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THOSE STUDENTS WHO HAVE GRADUATED TODAY WHO ARE EITHER VETERANS OR MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY. PLEASE STAND SO THAT WE CAN THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND HONOR YOUR ACHIEVEMENT. [APPLAUSE] SOME OF OUR GRADUATES ARE CURRENTLY TEACHING OR WILL BE TEACHING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT MARYLAND AND THE COUNTRY. IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE A TEACHER OR YOU'RE ALREADY TEACHING, PLEASE STAND. [APPLAUSE] NOW I WANT TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND JUST HONOR A FEW OF OUR GRADUATES WHO REFLECT ALL THE VALUES AND ALL OF WHAT YOU REPRESENT. MY FIRST GRADUATE IS RECEIVING HER M.A. IN APPLIED SOCIOLOGY TODAY. SHE IS A SHRIVER PEACEWORKER FELLOW WHO SERVED WITH THE PEACE CORPS IN PERU AS A REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EDUCATOR. SHE HAS BEEN SELECTED AS A PRESIDENTIAL MANAGEMENT FELLOW, A COMPETITIVE TWO-YEAR FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM THAT PLACES TOP GRADUATES IN U.S. FEDERAL AGENCIES. WITH INTERESTS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND ADDRESSING SOCIAL INEQUALITY, THIS STUDENT PLANS TO FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING THROUGH WORK WITH THE FBI OR STATE DEPARTMENT. ALYSE ALTENBURG, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU. [APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT STUDENT GRADUATES WITH HIS PH.D. IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING. HE IS FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING WAYS TO DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY DATA TO CLIMATE AND WEATHER SCIENTISTS -- DATA THAT HAS NOT BEEN DEGRADED BY UNWANTED RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE. AFTER GRADUATION, HE WILL CONTINUE WORKING AS THE FOUNDER AND GROUP LEADER OF THE DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY GROUP AT NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER. DAMON BRADLEY, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND. WE'VE VERY PROUD OF YOU. [APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT STUDENT RECEIVES HIS PH.D. IN COMPUTER SCIENCE TODAY. A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE FIRST COHORTS OF MEYERHOFF SCHOLARS, HE RECEIVED HIS B.S. IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND HIS M.S. IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AT UMBC. HE ALSO HAS AN M.S.E. IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FROM STANFORD. HIS THESIS CENTERS ON A METHOD HE DEVELOPED TO ENHANCE THE FEATURES OF AN IMAGE TO IMPROVE THE VIEWERS' PERCEPTION. HIS TECHNIQUE HAS PROVEN TO BE PARTICULARLY VITAL TO THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY. HE WILL CONTINUE THIS RESEARCH IN HIS CURRENT POSITION AS A SYSTEMS ENGINEER ARCHITECT AT NORTHROP GRUMMAN. CHRIS MORRIS. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU. PLEASE STAND. [APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT STUDENT RECEIVES HER M.A. IN INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT TODAY. HER FOCUS IS ON E-LEARNING, AND SHE IS WORKING AS A CURRICULUM PROGRAMMER FOR LOCKHEED MARTIN, DESIGINING ONLINE TRAINING FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. JESSICA, WE'VE KNOWN YOU SINCE YOU WERE A BABY. PLEASE STAND. JOHN MARTELLO IS VERY PROUD OF YOU AND ALL OF US. [APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT GRADUATE RECEIVES HER PH.D. IN HUMAN SERVICES PSYCHOLOGY, AND ALSO HAS A B.A. IN PSYCHOLOGY FROM UMBC. HER DISSERTATION RESEARCH FOCUSED ON AN INTERVENTION WITH ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, USING EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION AND REPROCESSING THERAPY. ALL STUDY PARTICIPANTS SHOWED MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN MEASURES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING, AND LOST THEIR PREVIOUS DIAGNOSIS OF PTSD. SHE PLANS TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS, IN BOTH INTELLECUTALLY DISABLED AND GENERAL POPULATIONS, AT THE PRIVATE PRACTICE SHE HAS ESTABLISHED IN DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE. LYNN BUHLER, PLEASE STAND. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU. [APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT GRADUATE RECEIVES HER PH.D. IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING TODAY. HER DISSERTATION RESEARCH ON IMAGE PROCESSING CAN HELP IDENTIFY PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WITH 98% ACCURACY USING ONLY BRAIN SCANS. LAST WEEK SHE TRAVELLED TO FLORENCE, ITALY, PRESENTING HER WORK AT THE PREMIER INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN HER FIELD WITH HER MENTOR, DR. TULAY ADALI. SOMEBODY HAD TO GO TO ITALY OF COURSE. HER VISA DID NOT ARRIVE IN TIME FOR HER TO RETURN TO THE U.S. AFTER THE CONFERENCE, BUT SHE IS WATCHING THE LIVE WEBCAST OF TODAY'S CEREMONY WITH HER FAMILY IN CHINA NOW. I'M GOING TO ASK THE AUDIENCE ALL TO WAVE YOUR HANDS AT WEI DU. WAVE YOUR HANDS. NOW LET'S GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. [APPLAUSE] I THINK SOME OF THE GRADUATES WOULD LIKE TO BE WITH HER IN FLORENCE, ITALY. SO WEI DU, ENJOY YOURSELF. OUR NEXT GRADUATE RECEIVES HER PH.D.. IN LANGUAGE, LITERACY, AND CULTURE TODAY. SHE IS THE FORMER ACADEMIC DIRECTOR OF UMBC'S ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTITUTE AND WORKED AS AN INSTRUCTOR IN THE TESOL M.A. PROGRAM AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. SHE ALSO HAS BEEN AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPECIALIST FOR THE STATE DEPARTMENT. SHE HAS ACCEPTED A TENURE-TRACK TEACHING POSITION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, LACROSSE, AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT. SHE ALSO SERVES ON THE TEAM TO REVISE STANDARDS FOR THE PREPARATION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN THE U.S. HEATHER LINVILLE, STAND. WE'RE SO PROUD OF YOU. [APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT GRADUATE IS RECEIVING HIS M.A. IN MANAGEMENT OF AGING SERVICES TODAY. HE WAS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NORTH BAY, A CAMP ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND THAT WORKS WITH INNER CITY YOUTH, AND CAME TO UMBC'S ERICKSON SCHOOL TO CHANGE HIS PROFESSIONAL FOCUS. HE HAS ACCEPTED THE POSITION OF ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT ANN'S CHOICE, A CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY IN PHILADELPHIA. GEORGE COMFORT, WE'RE PROUD OF YOU. PLEASE STAND." [APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT GRADUATE RECEIVES HER M.F.A. IN IMAGING AND DIGITAL ARTS TODAY. A SHRIVER PEACEWORKER FELLOW WHO SERVED AS A PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER IN GUATEMALA, HER ART OFTEN FOCUSES ON FOOD JUSTICE. SHE LAUNCHED 'PIGTOWN FOOD FOR THOUGHT' IN A BALTIMORE NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTIFIED AS A LOCAL FOOD DESERT. THIS INSPIRED 'A FULL PLATE' -- AN ART INSTALLATION COMPOSED OF PAINTED DINNER PLATES, CREATED BY MORE THAN 300 PIGTOWN RESIDENTS AS A WAY OF EXPLORING FOOD ISSUES AND EXPRESSING THEIR PERSONAL FOOD STORIES. THIS WORK WAS ON VIEW THIS SEMESTER AT UMBC'S CENTER FOR ART, DESIGN, AND VISUAL CULTURE. THIS GRADUATE IS A FINALIST FOR THE COMPETITIVE FULBRIGHT-NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIGITAL STORYTELLING FELLOWSHIP, AND, IF CHOSEN, WILL SPEND THE NEXT YEAR WORKING IN MEXICO CITY. CHARLOTTE SARA KENISTON, PLEASE RISE AND LET US APPLAUD YOU. [APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT GRADUATE WILL RECEIVE HIS M.S. IN GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS.HE ALSO GRADUATED FROM UMBC WITH A B.S. IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. WHILE A GRADUATE STUDENT, HE WORKED AT THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY AS A HYDROLOGIC TECHNICIAN ON CAMPUS. HIS MASTER'S THESIS WAS FUNDED BY A GRANT FROM THE MARYLAND WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH CENTER, AND HIS RESEARCH RESULTS WILL INFORM THE ONGOING WORK OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM. ALREADY, HE HAS PRESENTED HIS RESEARCH TO THE E.P.A. CHESAPEAKE BAY SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. HE RECENTLY RECEIVED A FULBRIGHT AWARD TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TURKU, FOCUSED ON ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF AGRICULTURE ON EROSION AND WATER QUALITY IN SOUTHWEST FINLAND. SOMEBODY'S GOT TO DO IT, RIGHT? HE WILL PURSUE A PH.D. IN WATERSHED SCIENCES AT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY. MITCHELL DONOVAN, WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU. PLEASE STAND. ONE OF OUR FORMER SWIMMERS. [APPLAUSE] AND FINALLY, I WANT TO MENTION A STUDENT RECEIVING A PH.D. IN STATISTICS WHO IS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT HIS ACHIEVEMENT IS SO PRESTIGIOUS THAT HE DESERVES SPECIAL RECOGNITION. JUSTIN JACOBS HAS RECEIVED THE VERY PRESTIGIOUS PRESIDENTIAL EARLY CAREER AWARD IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, CALLED PECASE, FOR HIS WORK IN GEO-NAVIGATION ALGORITHMS AND MODELING DEVELOPMENT. NOW THERE WILL BE A TEST ON THIS LATER, ALRIGHT? HE IS THE FIRST MEMBER OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY OF AMERICA TO WIN THIS AWARD. HE WILL BE CONTINUING HIS WORK FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU. PLEASE GIVE JUSTIN JACOBS A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. [APPLAUSE] ALL OF YOU ARE GOING TO DO GREAT THINGS AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO BE A PART OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO. BUT TODAY, JUST SAVOR THIS MOMENT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE] NOW IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE OUR COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER, DR. JAY PERMAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE. DR. PERMAN RECEIVED HIS DOCTOR OF MEDICINE DEGREE WITH DISTINCTION FROM NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY. FOLLOWING HIS RESIDENCY IN PEDIATRICS AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY'S CHILDREN'S MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, HE COMPLETED A FELLOWSHIP IN PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY AT HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL AND AT THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER IN BOSTON. SINCE HIS TENURE AS UMB PRESIDENT, HE QUICKLY MADE A HUGE IMPACT BY STRESSING CIVILITY, INTERPROFESSIONAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY. HE CONTINUES TO PRACTICE MEDICINE THROUGH HIS WEEKLY PRESIDENT'S CLINIC, WHERE HE TEACHES TEAM-BASED CARE TO STUDENTS OF MEDICINE, PHARMACY, NURSING, DENTISTRY, SOCIAL WORK, AND LAW WHILE TREATING PEDIATRIC PATIENTS. DR. PERMAN HAS BEEN LISTED AMONG THE BEST DOCTORS IN AMERICA SINCE 2001. HIS LONG AND DISTINGUISHED CAREER INCLUDES SERVICE THROUGH MANY NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, BOARDS, AND COMMITTEES. HE ALSO CURRENTLY SERVES AS CHAIRMAN OF THE DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP OF BALTIMORE AND IS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE GREATER BALTIMORE COMMITTEE AND THE HIPPODROME FOUNDATION. WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE DR. PERMAN WITH US TODAY. DR. PERMAN. [APPLAUSE] GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. PRESIDENT HRABOWSKI, PROVOST ROUS, REGENT GONZALES, DEANS, VICE PRESIDENTS, DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AND STAFF, FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND MOST ESPECIALLY, GRADUATES. I AM HONORED AND GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU ON YOUR DAY OF COMMENCEMENT. THIS CELEBRATION OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND CONTEMPLATION OF ALL THAT LIES AHEAD FOR YOU. GRADUATES, AS THE PRESIDENT POINTED OUT BY USING EXAMPLES, YOU HAVE ACHIEVED AND FOR THAT YOU ARE CERTAINLY TO BE CONGRATULATED. THIS IS YOUR DAY TO CELEBRATE YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR PERSEVERANCE OVER MANY YEARS. NOW I DO NOT INTEND TO BE LONG WINDED AND COMING IN BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR CELEBRATIONS. SO PLEASE HOLD ME TO THAT. BUT I DID COME TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TWO THINGS: THE IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIPS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING NICE. FIRST, PARTNERSHIPS. THE APPRECIATION OF OTHERS. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, I AM SURE, WOULD READILY ACKNOWLEDGE THE HELP YOU HAD ALONG THE WAY, FROM INSTITUTIONS, FROM MENTORS, AND CERTAINLY, FAMILY AND FRIENDS. AS REGENT GONZALES, PRESIDENT HRABOWSKI AND PROVOST ROUS POINTED OUT, YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE PEOPLE, AS SUPPORTERS, FRANKLY, AS PARTNERS. HOW CRUCIAL IT IS THAT WE LEARN TO VALUE PARTNERSHIPS, COLLABORATION, TEAMS. YES, TODAY YOU JOIN THE RANKS OF OUR EDUCATORS, OUR ENGINEERS, OUR CYBER SECURITY EXPERTS, OUR SCHOLARS, OUR SCIENTISTS, OUR BUSINESS AND CIVIC LEADERS. MAKE SURE THAT AS YOU GO FORWARD, YOU KEEP IN MIND WORDS OF ATTRIBUTABLE TO DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. "WE GO FARTHER FASTER, WHEN WE GO TOGETHER." TO SEE THE POWER OF COLLABORATION, YOU NEED TO LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE EXAMPLE OF THIS INSTITUTION, YOUR INSTITUTION, SO ABLY LED BY PRESIDENT HRABOWSKI, THAT HAS PREPARED YOU SO WELL FOR YOUR ROAD AHEAD. THIS UNIVERSITY, ITS FACULTY, ITS STUDENTS, THIS UNIVERSITY HAS LONG STANDING, NOTEWORTHY AND EVEN EXPANDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH MY INSTITUTION, THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE. TOGETHER, WE HAVE ENJOYED A HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE PARTNERSHIP. IN FACT, HERE WE ARE, CELEBRATING THE GRADUATE SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT AND WE HAVE, IN FACT, A JOINT GRADUATE SCHOOL, WHICH WE CREATED TOGETHER IN 1985. WE INTERACT IN SO MANY AREAS, PSYCHIATRY MENTAL HEALTH, BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH, GERONTOLOGY, HEALTH INFORMATICS, CYBER SECURITY, SOCIAL WORK, MARINE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND MANY OTHERS. THESE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF OUR MANY ONGOING INSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATIONS AND WE ARE BUILDING ON THEM. AND WHAT DO WE GET OUT OF IT? WHAT DO WE COLLECTIVELY GET OUT OF IT? WE ENRICH THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR STUDENTS, AND WE ENHANCE THE IMPACT OF OUR SCHOLARSHIP AND RESEARCH. NOW THAT'S COLLABORATION AMONG ORGANIZATIONS. HOW DO WE TEAM UP AS PROFESSIONALS? LET ME TELL YOU FOR A MOMENT WHAT'S GOING ON IN HEALTHCARE. PROVOST ROUS MENTIONED WHAT I DO ON TUESDAY AFTERNOONS WHEN I GATHER STUDENTS FROM EACH OF OUR PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS AND WE SEE PATIENTS TOGETHER. WHY? BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT HEALTH CARE IS CHANGING. AND IF WE ARE GOING TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR SENIOR CITIZENS, THE NEEDS OF OUR INCREASING POPULATION OF PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC DISEASES, IT IS NO LONGER ENOUGH FOR A PHYSICIAN LIKE ME, OR A NURSE PRACTIONER, TO MAKE THE CORRECT DIAGNOSIS AND WRITE THE PROPER PRESCRIPTION. THAT IS TOO OFTEN HALF A LOAF. AND YOU HAVE NOT FULFILLED YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PATIENT WE HAVE COME TO APPRECIATE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY LIVE, WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING PHYSICIAN AND NURSE PRACTIONER, BESIDES IT IS OFTEN IMPORTANT TO HAVE A PHARMACIST TO EXPLAIN HOW TO TAKE THE MEDICATION CORRECTLY. IT IS TOO OFTEN NECESSARY FOR A SOCIAL WORKER TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE PATIENT'S ENVIRONMENT. IT'S VERY NICE TO BE ABLE TO SAY, "THAT MEDICATION NEEDS TO GO INTO THE REFRIGERATOR." BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE THEIR ELECTRIC SHUT OFF. YOU NEED A SOCIAL WORKER. AND YOU NEED A LAWYER ON THE HEALTH CARE TEAM. WHEN THERE ARE ISSUES OF LANDLORDS IN WHICH THE PATIENT LIVES, WHEN AUDIENCES AND CODES ARE NOT RESPECTED. DO YOU SEE IT TAKES A TEAM? AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO STRESS TO YOU FOR YOUR OWN WORK. IT TAKES A TEAM. YOU KNOW THE AUTHOR ROBERT FULGHUM CAPTURED THE IMPORTANT LESSONS OF COLLABORATIONS IN HIS 1988 BOOK ENTITLED, AND SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THIS, ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW, I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN. RECALL HIS ADMONISHMENT AND I'M QUOTING, " IT IS STILL TRUE, NO MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE, WHEN YOU GO OUT INTO THE WORLD, IT IS BEST TO HOLD HANDS AND STICK TOGETHER." AND SPEAKING OF KINDERGARTEN, THERE ARE SURELY THOSE IN THE ROOM WHO, LIKE ME, ARE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THIS: WE HAVE REALLY BEEN MEASURED SINCE WE ARE SMALL CHILDREN ON OUR ABILITY TO COLLABORATE. THINK ABOUT IT. REMEMBER IN KINDERGARTEN, OR FOR THOSE OF US WHO THINK KINDERGARTEN WAS TOO LONG AGO, REMEMBER WHEN YOUR CHILDREN WERE IN KINDERGARTEN. DO YOU RECALL THE LITTLE BOX? ON THE REPORT CARD THAT WAS CHECKED WITH A SATISFACTORY OR GOD FORBID, UNSATISFACTORY, FOR PLAYING WELL WITH OTHERS. I URGE YOU GRADUATES TO REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF, AT MINIMUM, A SATISFACTORY GRADE ON INTERACTING WELL WITH OTHERS IN TODAY'S WORKPLACE. I URGE YOU TO REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS, IN ADULT TERMS, YES, TO REJECT SELFISHNESS AND PURELY PERSONAL AGENDAS IN FAVOR OF STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH THOSE WHO WILL BECOME YOUR COLLEAGUES. I CAN TELL YOU, I CAN PROMISE YOU, THAT YOU WILL BE EVALUATED FOR A JOB AND IN A JOB IN NO SMALL MEASURE BY WHETHER YOU ARE JUDGED TO BE A TEAM PLAYER. ACHIEVING EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS REQUIRES RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING THE OTHER PERSON'S POSITION INTO ACCOUNT. WE NEED THE ABILITY TO LISTEN BETTER. TO LISTEN, AS A MENTOR ONCE EXPLAINED TO ME, WITH ENERGY TO THE OTHER PERSON. AS MALCOLM FORBES PUT IT, AND I QUOTE, "PEOPLE WHO MATTER ARE MOST AWARE THAT EVERYONE ELSE MATTERS TOO." UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE OTHER PERSON NEEDS OUT OF THE RELATIONSHIP AND WHEN NECESSARY, YES, GIVING A LITTLE. THAT'S UNDERSTANDING COLLABORATION. AND BY THE WAY, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT BEING WEAK. EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS ARE FRANKLY, NOT FOR THE WEAK. HIGHLY FUNCTION COLLABORATION, THAT'S FOR SELF CONFIDENT FOLKS, WHICH I KNOW YOU ARE. NOW THE SECOND POINT. TEAMWORK IS FOSTERED, BELIEVE ME, BY BEING NICE. NOW I KNOW, I JUST USED A MUSHY, SOFT, FOUR LETTER WORD. AND NOT THE STUFF OF PRESIDENTS AND ACADEMICS. SOME OF YOU MAY PREFER CIVILITY, PROFESSIONALISM, BUT LET'S TALK PLAINLY: BE NICE. YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH COLLEAGUES AND CLIENTS WILL BE MOST EFFECTIVE IF YOU INSIST ON PROFESSIONAL, ETHICAL, RESPECTFUL AND COURTEOUS BEHAVIOR. IN YOURSELF AND FROM THOSE WITH WHOM YOU ENGAGE. BEING NICE, LIKE BEING COLLABORATIVE, IS ANYTHING BUT WEAK. IT IS POWERFUL. YOU KNOW THAT MUCH ADMIRED BASEBALL PLAYER AND MANAGER, LEO DUROCHER, HE WAS DEAD WRONG WHEN HE SAID NICE GUYS FINISH LAST. NICE GUYS AND GALS FINISH FIRST. I LEARNED THIS EARLY IN MY CAREER. A BRIEF STORY IF YOU WILL. MY FIRST FACULTY JOB WAS AT A PRESTIGIOUS INSTITUTION ON THE WEST COAST. WHERE I WAS FORTUNATE, LIKE YOU ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A GREAT MENTOR. A MENTOR, WHO, IN MY ROLE AS A YOUNG ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, TAUGHT ME HOW TO WRITE, TAUGHT ME HOW TO PUT TOGETHER GRADES, TAUGHT ME HOW TO MAKE A SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATION. AND HE ALSO TAUGHT ME WHAT NOT TO DO. NOT DELIBERATELY, BUT I WATCHED. BECAUSE HE WAS ABRASIVE AND ROUGH AND INAPPROPRIATELY DEMANDING. AND THIS CAME HOME TO ME WHEN I BECAME INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED BY THE FACT THAT PROGRAMS THAT I THOUGHT WERE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO THE INSTITUTION WERE NOT ADVANCING. THEY WERE NOT BEING EMBRACED. AND I WAS FORTUNATE IN THAT MY FRUSTRATION GARNERED THE ATTENTION OF THE DEAN OF THAT DISTINGUISHED MEDICAL SCHOOL, WHO GAVE ME A CALL ONE DAY. AND HE SAID TO ME. HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, SEE IF YOU CAN CONVINCE MIKE TO LET YOU GO AND MAKE THE PRESENTATION OF YOUR PROPOSAL." I SAID, "DEAN, I APPRECIATE THAT BUT WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? IF THE PROPOSAL HAS MERIT, IT SHOULD STAND ON ITS OWN LEGS." TO WHICH HE SAID, "JAY, THE SAME PEOPLE THAT SAY NO TO MIKE WILL SAY YES TO YOU." I LEARNED AND I WILL SHARE THAT EXPERIENCE WITH YOU. NO MATTER THE MERIT OF YOUR PROPOSAL, OF YOUR IDEAS, YOU NEED TO PRESENT IT IN THE RIGHT WAY IN ORDER TO GET THE YES ANSWER. TRY NICE. TRY CIVILITY. NO MATTER WHAT YOUR CAREER PATH, WHAT YOUR PROFESSION. YOU KNOW, THINK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT THE LEGAL WORLD. SO MUCH OF THE PRACTICE OF LAW IS CHARACTERIZED BY ITS VERY NATURE AS ADVERSARIAL PROCEEDINGS. BUT ONE OF THE MOST THOUGHTFUL OF LAWYERS, LOCAL BALTIMOREAN RON SHAPIRO, WHOSE NAME SOME OF YOU KNOW, HAS CHAMPIONED THE VALUE OF CIVILITY. HE WROTE "THE POWER OF NICE." THE POWER OF NICE. THE TITLE SAYS IT ALL. AND LET ME STAY ON THE THEME OF LAWYERS FOR A MOMENT. CONSIDER THIS COMMENT ABOUT CIVILITY BY GENE LAFITTE IN A JOURNAL CALLED THE BENCHER, THE MAGAZINE OF THE INNS OF COURT. AND I'M QUOTING HIM, BECAUSE IT'S INSTRUCTIVE. "THE LAWYER, IN EARNEST PURSUIT OF CIVILITY, ENHANCES HIS CREDIBILITY WITH HIS ADVERSARY, HIS CLIENT AND THE COURTS. CREDIBILITY IS THE KEY ELEMENT IN THE ART OF PERSUASION, WHICH IN TURN IS KEY TO A LAWYER'S SUCCESS." HE IMPLORED LAWYERS TO PRESENT IN A CIVIL WAY. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF NICE WORKS IN AN OCCUPATION THAT BY ITS VERY NATURE IS ADVERSARIAL, IT CANNOT FAIL IN OTHER CAREERS. IT IS EASIER TO GET PEOPLE TO EMBRACE YOUR POSITION WITH POLITE ARGUMENTS, RATHER THAN CONFRONTATION. YOU SURELY HAVE HEARD THE EXPRESSION, "YOU CAN CATCH MORE FLIES WITH HONEY THAN WITH VINEGAR." IF YOU'RE NICE, YOU PREVAIL. GRADUATES, I IMPLORE TO DO EXCELLENT WORK IN WHICH YOU ARE HAPPY SUCCESSFUL. DO IT COLLABORATIVELY AND ABOVE ALL, BE NICE. CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] DR. JAY PERMAN, WE APPRECIATE YOU ENCOURAGING US TO COLLABORATE AND LET ME SIMPLY SAY, "HE'S A REALLY NICE MAN." GIVE HIM ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE, WILL YOU? [APPLAUSE] GRADUATES, ALL OF YOU ALREADY KNOW, IT'S MUCH EASIER TO WORK FOR SOMEONE WHO'S DECENT IN THEIR BEHAVIOR. IT'S SUCH A PROFOUND MESSAGE USED WITH SUCH CLEAR AND SIMPLE LANGUAGE. WE'RE NOW TO THAT PART OF THE PROGRAM WHERE WE CONFER THE PHD AND MASTER'S DEGREES. WILL THE CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PLEASE RISE? DR. HRABOWSKI. DR. RUTLEDGE. DR. HRABOWSKI, I HAVE THE HONOR OF PRESENTING THE CANDIDATES RECOMMENDED BY THE FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND GRADUATE SCHOOL, BALTIMORE FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, THE HIGHEST EARNED DEGREE WHICH ANY UNIVERSITY HAS THE POWER TO CONFER. UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FACULTY AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND GIVEN TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS AND THE CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND AND BY THEM ENTRUSTED TO ME, I HEREBY ADMIT YOU TO THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, WHICH YOU HAVE EARNED DURING THE COURSE OF YOUR STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND GRADUATE SCHOOL, BALTIMORE IN TOKEN WHEREOF YOU SHALL BE GIVEN A DIPLOMA WITH ALL OF THE HONORS, PRIVILEGES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES THEREUNTO PERTAINING. THANK YOU. PLEASE BE SEATED. TODAY, ALL OF OUR GRADUATES WILL RECEIVE A SPECIAL CONGRATULATORY MEMENTO FROM THE UMBC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. MR. KENNETH PITTMAN, A MEMBER OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD, WILL GREET YOU AND PRESENT THIS TO YOU AS YOU RETURN TO YOUR SEATS. NOW, WILL THE CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PLEASE PROCEED WITH THEIR MENTORS TO THE PLATFORM TO RECEIVE THEIR DIPLOMAS? PLEASE REMAIN SEATED UNTIL YOUR ROW HAS BEEN ESCORTED TO THE STAGE. HEATHER ANNE LINVILLE, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTORS, DR. BEVERLY BICKEL AND DR. JOANN CRANDALL. DR. LINVILLE'S RESEARCH INVESTIGATES HOW TEACHERS' ADVOCACY FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IMPROVES STUDENTS' EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES, WHILE CHALLENGING SOCIETAL INJUSTICES THAT MAKE ADVOCACY NECESSARY. DR. LINVILLE LEAVES HER TEACHING POSITION AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY TO BECOME ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR OF TESOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, LA CROSSE IN THE FALL. [APPLAUSE] JEREMY ALAN TRUCKER, WHOSE MENTORS ARE DR. JENNIFER MAHER AND DR. JOANN CRANDALL, BEING HOODED BY DR. CRANDALL. DR. TRUCKER'S RESEARCH IDENTIFIED SEVERAL SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS. AS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND HONORS DIRECTOR AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF BALTIMORE COUNTY, DR. TRUCKER HAS IMPLEMENTED THESE STRATEGIES AND IS ALSO SHARING NATIONALLY, THE IMPORTANCE OF ANALYZING STUDENTS' DISCURSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS OF THEIR OFTEN CHALLENGING EDUCATION JOURNEYS. [APPLAUSE] SAMIR EL OMARI, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTORS, DR. CLAUDIA GALINDO AND DR. ANA OSKOZ. DR. OMARI INVESTIGATED THE IMPACT OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING AND NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING ON THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ARABIC IN HIGHER EDUCATION. HIS FINDINGS SHOWED POSITIVE IMPACTS ON THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY AND STANDARDS ON THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ARABIC. DR. OMARI IS CURRENTLY A LECTURER OF ARABIC AND FRENCH AT UMBC. [APPLAUSE] THOMAS ANDREW PENNISTON, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTORS, DR. CLAUDIA GALINDO AND DR. JOBY TAYLOR. DR. PENNISTON INVESTIGATED THE IMPACTS OF APPLIED AND SERVICE LEARNING PARTICIPATION IN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. HIS MIXED METHODS STUDY FOUND SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON DIVERSE INDICATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS, INCLUDING GPA AND FOUR YEAR GRADUATION, AS WELL AS ENHANCED ASPECTS OF PRO-SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. DR. PENNISTON HAS ACCEPTED A POSITION WITH UMBC'S DIVISION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. [APPLAUSE] AMY LYNN PUCINO, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR, DR. CLAUDIA GALINDO. DR. PUCINO EXPLORED THE ACADEMIC AND SOCIO-EMOTIONAL ADVANTAGES OF CARING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN REFUGEE YOUTH AND THEIR EDUCATORS. HER MIXED METHODS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT SUCH CARING RELATIONSHIPS WERE RELATED TO HIGHER GPA, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, SELF ESTEEM AND SOCIAL CAPITAL. DR. PUCINO IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF BALTIMORE COUNTY. [APPLAUSE] AUTUMN MARIE REED, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR, DR. EDWARD LARKEY. DR. REED USED CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THE US NEWS COVERAGE OF "HONOR KILLINGS" CONSTRUCTS SHARP BOUNDARIES BETWEEN MAJORITY MEMBERS OF THE US AND MUSLIM, MIDDLE-EASTERN AND SOUTH ASIAN MINORITY COMMUNITIES. DR. REED IS CURRENTLY PROGRAM COORDINATOR IN THE PROVOST'S OFFICE AT UMBC, WHILE PURSUING UNIVERSITY FACULTY POSITIONS. [APPLAUSE] LAURA MARIE MERNER, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR, DR. ANDREW MILLER. DR. MERNER EXPLORED THE INTERDISCIPLINARY NATURE OF FLOOD HAZARDS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW VULNERABILITY HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED, PERCEIVED AND LEGITIMIZED. HER RESEARCH ASSESSED BIO-PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS WITH SOCIAL IMPACTS OF FLOODING IN SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. DR. MERNER PLANS TO PUBLISH HER WORK AS A BOOK WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY PRESS. [APPLAUSE] LAURA EVA ROSE, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR, DR. CHARISSA CHEAH. DR. ROSE'S DISSERTATION UTILIZED A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL AND MULTI-METHOD APPROACH TO ASSESS THE RELATIONS BETWEEN URBAN ADOLESCENT MOTHERS' PARENTING COGNITION AND THEIR PARENTING BEHAVIOR WITH THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN ACROSS STRUCTURED AND UNSTRUCTURED CONTEXTS. DR. ROSE WILL PURSUE AN ACADEMIC CAREER IN RESEARCH AND TEACHING. [APPLAUSE] MANICA FELICIA RAMOS, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR, DR. SUSAN SONNENSCHEIN. DR. RAMOS CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS WITH LATINA IMMIGRANT MOTHERS OF PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY SUPPORTED THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AND THE MOTIVATORS AND BARRIERS THEY ENCOUNTERED. SHE FOUND THAT CURRENT MEASURES OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT DO NOT CAPTURE THE FULL RANGE OF INVOLVEMENT. DR. RAMOS WILL EXTEND THESE STUDIES AT CHILD TRENDS, A NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER. [APPLAUSE] LAURA ANN SCALETTI, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTORS, DR. SUSAN SONNENSCHEIN AND DR. MAUREEN BLACK. DR. SCALETTI INVESTIGATED THE CONTINUITY OF BIO-BEHAVIORAL STRESS REACTIVITY FROM BIRTH TO ADOLESCENCE IN PRE-NATALLY DRUG EXPOSED CHILDREN. DR. SCALETTI PLANS TO EXTEND HER WORK BY INVESTIGATING CHILD AND PARENT FACTORS THAT PROMOTE COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND DECREASE VULNERABILITY AMONG CHILDREN EXPOSED TO STRESS PRE-NATALLY OR EARLY IN LIFE. [APPLAUSE] NICOLE WHYMS BROCATO, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTORS, DR. LAURA STAPLETON AND DR. STEVEN PITTS. DR. BROCATO USED ITEM RESPONSE THEORY AND COMFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS STATISTICAL MODELING TO EXAMINE WHETHER THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SELF REPORT ITEMS THAT RETROSPECTIVELY ASSESS CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS IS ASSOCIATED WITH ITEM STRUCTURE OR CHILDREN'S AGES. DR. BROCATO WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH CHILDREN IN A CLINICAL POST-DOCTORAL POSITION. [APPLAUSE] LYNN LOUISE BUHLER, WHOSE MENTORS ARE DR. SIGURDUR SIGURDSSON AND DR. BERNARD RABIN, BEING HOODED BY DR. RABIN. DR. BUHLER EMPLOYED MULTIPLE MEASURES TO TRACK PROGRESS AND ASSESS OUTCOMES OF ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, WHOM SHE TREATED FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER USING EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION AND REPROCESSING THERAPY. DR. BUHLER WILL CONTINUE PROVIDING PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR PERSONS WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS AT THE PARK AVENUE GROUP IN BALTIMORE. [APPLAUSE] ELIZABETH HALSTED CONNORS, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR, DR. JASON SCHIFFMAN. DR. CONNORS EVALUATED SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS' KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND USE OF EVIDENCE BASED PSYCHOTHERAPY PRACTICES IN BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. DR. CONNORS WILL BE JOINING THE FACULTY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY, DIVISION OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY AS A RESEARCH ASSOCIATE. [APPLAUSE] ALLYSSA JANE ALLEN, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR, DR. SHARI WALDSTEIN. DR. ALLEN USED COMMUNITY BASED DATA TO DETERMINE HOW FOOD INSECURITY RELATES TO NEGATIVE EMOTION, EATING HEALTHY AND CARDIO-VASCULAR DISEASE RISK. [APPLAUSE] JESSICA METZLER MCNEELY, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR DR. SHARI WALDSTEIN. DR. MCNEELY INVESTIGATED RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN HOW STRESS, SALT INTAKE AND BLOOD SUGAR INTERACT TO ELEVATE BLOOD PRESSURE IN URBAN RESIDENTS. DR. MCNEELY AND DR. ALLEN ARE TRANSFORMING THEIR RESEARCH INTO ACTION BY COFOUNDING A LOCAL, NON-PROFIT TO GROW THE CAPACITY OF CITIZENS TO ACT LOCALLY AND CREATE A JUST AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEM. [APPLAUSE] JILL ELIZABETH SCHIEBLER, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR, DR. ANNE BRODSKY. DR. SCHIEBLER USED QUALITATIVE METHODS TO EXAMINE HOW COMMUNITY BASED ARTS ORGANIZATIONS PROMOTE PSYCHOLOGICAL SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE. DR. SCHIEBLER DIRECTS THE NON PROFIT, MAKE STUDIO PROGRAM, AND IS AN EVALUATION RESEARCHER AT CARSON RESEARCH, BOTH IN BALTIMORE. SHE IS ALSO AN ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR IN THE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT AT UMBC. [APPLAUSE] JAMIE LYNN GREENE, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR DR. NANCY MILLER. DR. GREENE CONDUCTED THE FIRST US BASED EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AMBULATORY NURSING CARE CLINICS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF OLDER ADULTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS. SOME SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS OF NURSING CARE CLINICS ON PARTICIPANT OUTCOMES WERE OBSERVED. DR. GREENE IS A REGIONAL NURSE EXECUTIVE WITH THE KAIZER FOUNDATION HEALTH PLAN OF THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES INCORPORATED. [APPLAUSE] KAREN LYNN GORDES, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR, DR. DAVE MARCOTTE. DR. GORDES USED TIME SERIES REGRESSION ANALYSIS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO LIMIT RATES OF GROWTH OF ADULT OBESITY. DR. GORDES WILL CONTINUE HER RESEARCH AS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. [APPLAUSE] MARIANNE ELIZABETH HAMILTON LOPEZ, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR DR. DAVE MARCOTTE. USING MULTIPLE STREAMS AGENDA SETTING THEORY, DR. HAMILTON LOPEZ EXAMINED WELFARE DISCOURSE TO ANALYZE HOW SPECIFIC FACTORS, INCLUDING THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF RECIPIENTS IN A RECESSION, INFLUENCED THE DIRECTION OF WELFARE LEGISLATION. DR. HAMILTON LOPEZ WILL CONTINUE HER WORK IN HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH AND POLICY AS A SENIOR MANAGER AT ACADEMY HEALTH. [APPLAUSE] KEVIN JOSEPH HAMLIN, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR DR. GEORGE LANOUE. DR. HAMLIN USED A MIXED METHODS APPROACH TO EXAMINE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MARYLAND'S BRIDGE PLAN FOR ACADEMIC VALIDATION POLICY IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. DR. HAMLIN WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE AS A PRINCIPAL IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY AND SHARE THE RESULTS OF HIS ACCOUNTABILITY RESEARCH WITH EDUCATION POLICY LEADERS. [APPLAUSE] JAMES PATRICK HOWARD II, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR DR. SCOTT FARROW. DR. HOWARD'S RESEARCH QUANTITATIVELY ANALYZED THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM, A FEDERAL PROGRAM INSURING OVER 1 TRILLION DOLLARS OF PROPERTY NATIONWIDE. DR. HOWARD WORKS AS A BETA SCIENTIST AND CONSULTANT AT EAGLE RAY AND TEACHES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE AND UMUC. [APPLAUSE] MARGARET CECERE LYNN, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR DR. MARINA ADLER. DR. LYNN USED A MIXED METHODS DESIGN TO EVALUATE MARYLAND'S JANE DOE SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTING POLICY. HER RESEARCH FOUND IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS SELECTING JANE DOE REPORTING VERSUS TRADITIONAL POLICE REPORTING. DR. LYNNE IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF NURSING. [APPLAUSE] EVAN GORDON CAMERON, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR DR. PHYLLIS ROBINSON. DR. CAMERON DISCOVERED NOVEL REGULATORY REACTIONS THAT MODULATE THE VISUAL PIGMENT MELANOPSIN. MELANOPSIN IS FOUND IN A SMALL SUBSET OF RETINAL GANGLIAN CELLS AND IS INVOLVED IN NON-IMAGE FORMING VISUAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDING CIRCADIAN, PHOTOENTRAINMENT, PUPILLARY LIGHT REFLECTS AND SLEEP. DR. CAMERON WILL BE PURSUING HIS POST DOCTORAL STUDIES AT UC SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. [APPLAUSE] RAHELEH TOUGHIRI, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR DR. CHARLES BEIBERICH. DR. TOUGHIRI'S RESEARCH FOCUSED ON AN ENZYME CALLED AURORA A THAT IS OVERACTIVE IN MANY CANCERS. SHE DISCOVERED NEW PROTEINS THAT ARE ACTED UPON BY AURORA A PROVIDING NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP CANCER THERAPEUTICS. DR. TOUGHIRI IS CURRENTLY A POST DOCTORAL SCIENTIST WORKING ON ANTIBODY ENGINEERING AT ELI LILLY AND COMPANY. [APPLAUSE] SARAH CATHERINE ZIMMERMANN, WHOSE MENTOR IS DR. KATHERINE RADTKE AND SHE'S BEING HOODED BY DR. BRIAN CULLUM. DR. ZIMMERMANN SYNTHESIZED A SERIES OF NOVEL CARBOCYCLIC NUCLEOSIDES AND EVALUATED THEIR POTENTIAL AS THERAPEUTIC AGENTS. DR. ZIMMERMANN IS A POST DOCTORAL FELLOW AT THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY WHERE SHE STUDIES DRUG DEVELOPMENT FOR THE TREATMENT OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND CANCER. [APPLAUSE] DAVID JONATHAN CORNWELL, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR DR. SAMUEL LOMONACO. DR. CORNWELL CONSTRUCTED A NEW AND INNOVATIVE CLASS OF QUANTUM ALGORITHMS CALLED AMPLIFIED QUANTUM TRANSFORMS ALGORITHMS THAT CAN DETECT AND EXTRACT HIDDEN SYMMETRIC STRUCTURES WITHIN NUMBER SEQUENCES. THESE ALGORITHMS CAN BE USED WITHIN COMMUNICATION SIGNALS AND WITHIN LARGE DATABASES. DR. CORNWELL IS THE TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF THE CSTL CRYTOGRAPHIC AND SECURITY TESTING LAB AT LIDOS. [APPLAUSE] DEEPAK NAG AYYALA, WHOSE MENTORS ARE DR. JUNYONG PARK AND DR. ANINDYA ROY, BEING HOODED BY DR. ROY. DR. AYYALA WORKED ON MULTIVARIATE TIME SERIES WITH EMPHASIS ON HIGH DIMENSIONAL MEANS TESTING. HE APPLIED HIS RESEARCH TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF CONFOUNDING EXPERIMENTAL EFFECTS IN RESTING STATE NETWORKS. DR. AYYALA IS CURRENTLY LOOKING IN METAGENOMICS AS A POST DOCTORAL RESEARCHER AT THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY [APPLAUSE] ANDREW MARTIN RAIM, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR, DR. NAGARAJ NEERCHAL. DR. RAIM PROPOSED AN EXTENSION OF GENERALIZED LINEAR MODELS FROM TRADITIONAL EXPONENTIAL FAMILY DISTRIBUTIONS TO INCLUDE FINITE MIXTURE DISTRIBUTIONS WITH A LINK TO THE MEAN. HIS WORK HAS APPLICATIONS IN A NUMBER OF AREAS, INCLUDING BIOLOGICAL, EPIDEMIOLOGICAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES. DR. RAIM WILL JOIN THE CENSUS BUREAU AS A MATHEMATICAL STATISTICIAN. [APPLAUSE] MALICK MBODJ, WHOSE MENTOR IS DR. THOMAS MATHEW. HE'S BEING HOODED BY DR. DOHWAN PARK. DR. MBODJ INVESTIGATED THE COMPUTATION OF ELLIPSOIDAL TOLERANCE REGIONS, SIMULTANEOUS TOLERANCE INTERVALS AND TOLERANCE RECTANGLES FOR SOME MULTIVARIATE NORMAL POPULATIONS WITH APPLICATIONS IN LABORATORY MEDICINE. DR. MBODJ IS A LECTURER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AT BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY. [APPLAUSE] ZACHARY ZIMMER, WHOSE MENTORS ARE DR. THOMAS MATHEW AND DR. DOHWAN PARK, BEING HOODED BY DR. PARK. DR. ZIMMER INVESTIGATED THE COMPUTATION OF TOLERANCE LIMITS UNDER SOME DISCRETE MODELS, ZERO INFLATED MODELS AND MIXTURE MODELS WITH APPLICATIONS IN TESTING THE BALLISTIC RESISTANCE OF PERSONAL BODY ARMOR AND EVALUATING SAFETY OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS BASED ON SIMULATED DATA. DR. ZIMMER IS A MATHEMATICAL STATISTICIAN AT THE ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND ARMY EVALUATION CENTER IN MARYLAND. [APPLAUSE] PAUL TIMOTHY CORBITT, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR DR. IVAN KRAMER. DR. CORBITT SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED PHYSICAL MODELS TO QUESTIONS IN THEORETICAL MEDICINE, SPECIFICALLY SCHIZOPHRENIA AND WHITE MATTER LESIONS. DR. CROBITT IS CONTINUING HIS RESEARCH AS A POST DOC IN THE BRAIN IMAGING AND MODELING SECTION OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. [APPLAUSE] HUI CHEN, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR DR. YAN-HUA SHIH. DR. CHEN DISCOVERED THAT THE STATISTICAL CORRELATION OF INTENSITY FLUCTUATION OF THERMAL RADIATION COULD SIMULATE THE NON LOCAL HIGHER ORDER COHERENCE BEHAVIOR OF ENTANGLED QUANTUM SYSTEMS. THIS DISCOVER IS FUNDAMENTALLY IMPORTANT AND PRACTICALLY USEFUL, ESPECIALLY TO QUANTUM COMPUTER RESEARCH. DR. CHEN HAS RECEIVED AN OFFER TO JOIN THE FACULTY AT JIAO TONG UNIVERSITY IN CHINA. [APPLAUSE] SHAUNAK DILIP UPLEKAR, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTORS DR. GOVIND RAO AND DR ANTONIO MOREIRA. IN HIS RESEARCH, DR. UPLEKAR INVESTIGATED THE CHANGES THAT OCCUR IN THE CELL CULTURE ENVIRONMENT DURING BIOREACTOR SCALE DOWN THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO IMPACT CRITICAL BIO PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES SUCH AS THE PRODUCT LIGHTER AND PRODUCT QUALITY. DR. UPLEKAR WORKS AS A PROCESS DEVELOPMENT SCIENTIST 1 AT KBI BIOPHARMA IN NORTH CAROLINA. [APPLAUSE] CHRISTOPHER JOEL MORRIS, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR DR. PENNY RHEINGANS. DR. MORRIS DEVELOPED A FRAMEWORK FOR USING NON PHOTOREALISTIC RENDERING TECHNIQUES TO ENHANCE SALIENT FEATURES IN IMAGES GENERATED FROM THE FUSION OF MULTIPLE MODES OF DATA IN A COMMON SCENE. DR. MORRIS CONTINUES TO PURSUE HIS RESEARCH AND ITS APPLICATION TO CENSOR EXPLOITATION AS A ENGINEER SYSTEMS ARCHITECT AT NORTHRUP GRUMMAN. [APPLAUSE] DANA TAYLOR WORTMAN, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR DR. PENNY RHEINGANS. DR. WORTMAN DEVELOPED A TECHNIQUE TO VISUALIZE SEQUENTIAL EVENT PERFORMANCE PATTERNS ENABLING A STRONGER UNDERSTANDING OF STUDENT ENROLLMENT AND GRADE PATTERNS TO SUPPORT EARLY INTERVENTION INITIATIVES. DR. WORTMAN IS A SENIOR INSTRUCTOR OF GAME DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, COLORADO SPRINGS AND PLANS TO TRANSITION TO A TENURE TRACK POSITION. [APPLAUSE] JOSEPH ADRIAN ROSEBROCK, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR DR. TIM OATES. DR. ROSEBROCK DEVELOPED A NOVEL MACHINE LEARNING METHOD THAT ENABLES RAPID DEPLOYMENT OF ACCURATE IMAGE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS. A TASK THAT PREVIOUSLY REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT WORK BY EXPERTS IN MACHINE VISION AND IMAGE DOMAIN. DR. ROSEBROCK PLANS TO FOCUS ON HIS START UP, ID MY PILL, WHICH HELPS PATIENTS IDENTIFY THEIR PRESCRIPTION PILLS IN A SNAP OF THEIR SMARTPHONES. [APPLAUSE] DAMON C BRADLEY, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR DR. JOEL MORRIS. DR. BRADLEY DEVELOPED AND COMPARED REAL AND COMPLEX VALUE STATISTICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING TECHNIQUES USING INFORMATION THEORETIC TEST STATISTICS FOR DETECTING AND REMOVING CORRUPTING RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE RECEIVED BY SPACE BORNE MICROWAVE RADIOMETERS. DR. BRADLEY WILL CONTINUE LEADING THE DSP TECHNOLOGY GROUP AT NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER AND CONSULTING PART TIME FOR MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. [APPLAUSE] SHIH-YU CHEN, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR DR. CHEIN-I CHANG. DR. CHEN DEVELOPED A THEORY AND FURTHER DESIGNED ALGORITHMS FOR FINDING TARGETS OF INTEREST FOR VARIOUS APPLICATIONS IN HYPERSPECTRAL DATA EXPLOITATION. EXAMPLE APPLICATIONS INCLUDE DETECTING ANOMALIES IN AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND SPECIFIC TARGETS FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE. DR. CHEN WILL BE AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION ENGINEERING AT NATIONAL YUNLIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE TOP UNIVERSITIES IN TAIWAN. [APPLAUSE] DREW PAYLOR, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR DR. CHEIN-I CHANG. DR. PAYLOR DEVELOPED A NOVEL SIGNAL PROCESSING APPROACH TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS, SUCH AS SOILS, SANDS AND PLANTS, PRESENT IN HYPERSPECTRAL REMOTE SENSING DATA. APPLICATION AREAS INCLUDE GEOLOGY, AGRICULTURE AND DEFENSE. DR. PAYLOR IS CURRENTLY WORKING AS A SYSTEMS ENGINEER AT NORTHRUP GRUMMAN. [APPLAUSE] ROBERT C SCHULTZ, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR, DR. CHEIN-I CHANG. DR. SCHULTZ DEVELOPED MULTIPLE ALGORITHMS FOR PROGRESSIVE BAND PROCESSING FOR HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGES, WHICH CAN POTENTIALLY BE IMPLEMENTED IN SATELLITE DATA COMMUNICATION AND TRANSMISSION AND APPLICATIONS SUCH AS ANOMALY DETECTION, SUB PIXEL DETECTION AND FINDING END MEMBERS. DR. SCHULTZ WILL BE TRANSITIONING FROM THE UNITED STATES NAVY TO THE CIVILIAN WORKFORCE WHERE HE WILL CONDUCT ENGINEERING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. [APPLAUSE] SHAOJIAN ZHU, WHOSE MENTORS ARE DR. ARYYA GANGOPADHYAY AND DR. JINJUAN FENG, BEING HOODED BY DR. ANITA CUMLAUDE. DR. ZHU DEVELOPED A DATA DRIVEN MODEL OF QUALITY CONTROL OF CROWDSOURCING TASKS TO AUTOMATICALLY ASSESS THE QUALITY OF A TEST WITHOUT ANY MANUAL INTERVENTION OR USING EXTERNAL DATA SUCH AS VOTING OR GOLD STANDARD DATA. DR. ZHU IS CURRENTLY WORKING AS A SOFTWARE DEVELOPER AT GOOGLE. [APPLAUSE] JOHN PIORKOWSKI, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR DR LINA ZHOU. DR. PIORKOWSKI DEVELOPED NOVEL TRUST MODELS BY EXTENDING ORGANIZATIONAL TRUST MODELS AND SPEECH ACT THEORY TO THE EXPLANATION OF TRUST RELATIONSHIPS IN ONLINE COMMUNITIES. HE DEVELOPED ALGORITHMS FOR THE AUTOMATIC DISCOVERY OF TRUST RELATIONSHIPS. DR. PIORKOWSKI IS ON THE STAFF AT THE APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY. [APPLAUSE] NAVID GOUDARZI, WHOSE MENTORS ARE DR. WEIDONG ZHU AND HE IS BEING HOODED BY DR. TIM TOPOLESKI. DR. GOUDARZI USED A COMBINATION OF ANALYTICAL, NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL METHODS TO DEVELOP NOVEL GENERATORS FOR WIND TURBINES AND HYBRID VEHICLES AND NOVEL DUCTED TURBINES FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL POWER GENERATION. DR. GOUDARZI WILL FURTHER HIS STUDIES AS A POST DOCTORAL RESEARCHER IN THE SAME FIELD. [APPLAUSE] MOBIN YAHYAZADEHFAR, WHOSE MENTOR IS DR. DWAYNE AROLA, BEING HOODED BY DR. TIM TOPOLESKI. DR. YAHYAZADEHFAR INVESTIGATED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MICROSTRUCTURE OF DENTAL ENAMEL ON THE RESILIENCE OF THE HUMAN TOOTH. DR. YAHYAZADEHFAR HAS ACCEPTED A POSITION AS A RESEARCH FELLOW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON TO PURSUE FURTHER STUDIES ON THE FRACTURE BEHAVIOR OF MATERIALS IN NATURE WITH DR. AROLA. [APPLAUSE] NAVID MANUCHEHRABADI, BEING HOODED BY HIS MENTOR DR. LIANG ZHU. DR. MANUCHEHRABADI DEVELOPED THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL METHODS TO EVALUATE GOLD NANOROD THERMAL THERAPY AND TO ASSESS TREATMENT EFFICACY OF THE APPROACH. THE LONG TERM GOAL OF HIS RESEARCH IS TO ACHIEVE INDIVIDUALIZED DESIGNS OF TREATMENT PROTOCOLS FOR PATIENTS. DR. MANUCHEHRABADI WILL BE A POST DOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. [APPLAUSE] WILL THE CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF FINE ARTS PLEASE RISE? THE M.F.A. IS THE TERMINAL DEGREE IN THIS FIELD. DR. HRABOWSKI DR. RUTLEDGE DR. HRABOWSKI, I HAVE THE HONOR OF PRESENTING THE CANDIDATES RECOMMENDED BY THE FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND GRADUATE SCHOOL, BALTIMORE FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF FINE ARTS. UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FACULTY AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND GIVEN TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS AND THE CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND AND BY THEM ENTRUSTED TO ME, I HEREBY ADMIT YOU TO THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF FINE ARTS, WHICH YOU HAVE EARNED DURING THE COURSE OF YOUR STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND GRADUATE SCHOOL, BALTIMORE IN TOKEN WHEREOF YOU SHALL BE GIVEN A DIPLOMA WITH ALL OF THE HONORS, PRIVILEGES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES THEREUNTO PERTAINING. WILL THE CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF FINE ARTS NOW PLEASE PROCEED WITH THEIR MENTORS TO THE PLATFORM TO RECEIVE THEIR DIPLOMAS? CHARLOTTE SARA KENISTON, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR PROFESSOR TIMOTHY NOHE. DR. KENISTON'S WORK MERGES THE CONCEPTS OF ART AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, ENGAGING DIVERSE PARTICIPANTS IN CREATIVE PROJECTS THAT DEAL WITH PRESSING ISSUES SUCH AS FOOD INSECURITY AND HOMELESSNESS. CHARLOTTE IS AN APPLICANT FOR BOTH FULBRIGHT AND THE OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE'S COMMUNITY FELLOWS PROGRAM. MS. KENISTON PLANS TO TEACH SOCIALLY ENGAGED ART AT THE UNIVERSITY LEVEL. [APPLAUSE] BEVERLY SHANA PALMER, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR PROFESSOR FREDRIC WORDEN. MS. PALMER'S ART WORKS ALLOW US TO SEE THE FAMILIAR WORLD WITH FRESH EYES. HER WORKS FEATURE ROCKS, WATER, SINKS, LANDSCAPES, SELF PORTRAITS. SHE ASKS US TO ATTEND TO THESE OBJECTS AS IF FOR THE FIRST TIME. MS. PALMER WILL BE TEACHING AT UMBC AND CONTINUING WITH HER ART MAKING. [APPLAUSE] ALEXANDRA SHAW MACCHI, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR DR. KATHY O'DELL. MS. MACCHI EXPLORES THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN ART HISTORY, SUBJECT OBJECT POWER RELATIONSHIPS AND THE MATERIALITY OF DIGITAL MEDIA THROUGH PRINT, VIDEO INSTALLATION AND PERFORMANCE. HER PRACTICE IS INFORMED BY IMPROVISATION, INTERVENTION MIRRORING, AND EXPERIMENTATION. MS. MACCHI PLANS TO CONTINUE MAKING AND EXHIBITING HER WORK UNDER THE ARTIST PSEUDONYM LEXXI MOUNTAIN. [APPLAUSE] DOMINIQUE ZELTZMAN, BEING HOODED BY HER MENTOR DR. KATHY O'DELL. USING VIDEO AS AN ARCHITECTURAL INTERVENTION, MS. ZELTZMAN EXPLORES CONCEPTS OF OBJECTIFICATION AND POWER THROUGH THE METAPHOR OF THE HOME AS A SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED CONTAINER WITH THE PARADOXICAL CAPACITY TO LIMIT AND LIBERATE. MS. ZELTZMAN PLANS TO CONTINUE MAKING AND EXHIBITING HER WORK AS SHE SEEKS A TENURE TRACK TEACHING POSITION. [APPLAUSE] WILL THE CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREES OF MASTER OF ARTS, MASTER OF PUBLIC POLICY, MASTER OF SCIENCE, AND MASTER IN PROFESSIONAL STUDIES PLEASE RISE? DR. HRABOWSKI. DR. RUTLEDGE. DR. HRABOWSKI, I NOW HAVE THE HONOR OF PRESENTING THE CANDIDATES RECOMMENDED BY THE FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND GRADUATE SCHOOL, BALTIMORE FOR THE DEGREES OF MASTER OF ARTS, MASTER OF PUBLIC POLICY, MASTER OF SCIENCE AND MASTER IN PROFESSIONAL STUDIES. UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FACULTY AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND GIVEN TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS AND THE CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND AND BY THEM ENTRUSTED TO ME I HEREBY ADMIT YOU TO THE DEGREE WHICH YOU HAVE EARNED DURING THE COURSE OF YOUR STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND GRADUATE SCHOOL, BALTIMORE, IN TOKEN WHEREOF YOU SHALL BE GIVEN A DIPLOMA, WITH ALL THE HONORS, PRIVILEGES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES THEREUNTO PERTAINING. THANK YOU. PLEASE BE SEATED. WILL THE CANDIDATES FOR MASTER'S DEGREES NOW PROCEED TO THE PLATFORM TO RECEIVE THEIR DIPLOMAS? PLEASE REMAIN SEATED UNTIL YOUR ROW HAS BEEN ESCORTED TO THE STAGE. DR. ROBERT DELUTY, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, WILL READ THE NAMES OF THE MASTER OF ARTS, MASTER OF PUBLIC POLICY, MASTER OF SCIENCE AND MASTER IN PROFESSIONAL STUDIES DEGREE CANDIDATES. FROM THE ERICKSON SCHOOL, CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN THE PROGRAM OF MANAGEMENT OF AGING SERVICES KIM BELINDA HIGH KATHRYN DEACON SCHEY. MICHAEL JOSEPH ATHEN ATIF JAHANGEER MARGARET ANN LAPORTE GEORGE AUGUSTUS COMFORT LIAM DAVID PADDOCK PAMELA BETH SILBERMAN TIMOTHY DAVID SCHERER TERESA LOUISE WARD HAIDER MAHMOOD IN THE COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN THE PROGRAM OF ECONOMIC POLICY ANALYSIS. BABATUNDE ADEMUYIWA ADEDIPE STEPHANIE ARIELLE OLIVER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, IN THE PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT JACQUELINE M CADE LAURA ELIZABETH FRY JOSHUA TODD LUBBEN JESSICA MARIE MARTELLO LYNN FUSCO MATTHEWS MICHELLE NICHOLE KNIGHT CANDICE FUNMILOLA AYODELE BINUYO IN THE PROGRAM OF ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES SEAN VICTOR ASTRAKHAM LORI JEAN GIBLIN SAE LON LEE JOSE LOPEZ RAMA IN THE PROGRAM OF TEACHING, M.A.T. ASHLEY MARIE BANKS LAURA TODD CAIRNS CAITLYN LEA COREY REVITAL CURTIS SAMANTHA JEAN DUVALL MATTHEW JUSTIN ELLIOT CYNTHIA JOANN BARCIA JOSHUA ISIDOR GLASER ELIZABETH CARA HARRIGAN JESSICA LEIGH HOLMES ANDREW ROBERT KEEGAN SHAUN BOYLE LEHMANN GIL SANDOVAL JENNIFER MARIE TANKO IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, IN THE PROGRAM OF HISTORICAL STUDIES CHRISTOPHER BRIAN BROWN KATHERINE MARIE DUFRESNE JACOB ALEXANDER HUTTON COLIN PETER LEACH CAITLIN ELIZABETH MCGEEVER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MODERN LANGUAGES, LINGUISTICS AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, IN THE PROGRAM OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION SARAH JOY CALDERONE SABINE FRANCESCA FOISOR RUTH GOMEZ LAYOLA SARAH RENEE HOLMQUIST MIN YANG LEE VEENA SATHISH NAMBOODRI IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY, IN THE PROGRAM OF HUMAN SERVICES PSYCHOLOGY JASON E KISSER TAHIRA CHLOE MAHDI CHANDRA ESTELLE EDWARDS MEAGAN MARIE GRAYDON JULIA ASHLEIGH ZEROTH JULIAN SAMUEL FARZAN KARHANI IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY, IN THE PROGRAM OF APPLIED SOCIOLOGY LAUREN ASHLEY HALL SAMUEL JOSE MONDONEDO JENNIFER NICOLE KOTONIAS REGINA R MUHAMMAD SABREET KAUR KANG YAWASEH CRYSTAL TINGBA ALICIA REBECCA JEFFERY SAUDA CLARA MUHAMMAD ALYSE JULIA ALTENBURG ROSS ANDRE DIONNE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC POLICY, IN THE PROGRAM OF PUBLIC POLICY LAURA ELIZABETH BRUNER EMILIE ELIZABETH GILDE SHANE JOSEPH MCCORMICK EMILY JEANNE SHERMAN CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER IN PROFESSIONAL STUDIES, IN THE PROGRAM OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AMRUTHA DASARATHARAM ELAMPARUTHY BRYAN MICHAEL LEE GEORGETTE PAULINE NGUIEKOU THIEP THANH VO IN THE PROGRAM OF INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY MELISSA KATHERINE WILSON BRITTANY LEITNAKER CHADDOCK CASSAUNDRA TERESE MARTINEZ ALICIA MARIE CAMPESE JEFFREY KEITH HENDERSON VINAYA SAKPAL ALEXANDER JAMES BRUCE KIM M THOMASSEN TONI SHENA MONTGOMERY KARA LEE-ELLEN MCKENZIE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES, IN THE PROGRAM OF EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES ERINN NICOLE HARRIS MAHMOUD TALAL ALWIDYAN JOSE VICTOR NABLE ANTHONY NICHOLAS CASCIO MITCHELL R DONOVAN SIERRA ZAID SHAMER NERG DORIAN ACHIRIMOFOR IN THE PROGRAM OF APPLIED MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LEILA ZAHRA BAHMANI KAZEROONI CANDICE A CRAIG MELVIN JAMEEL EZELL ALISON KRISTIN JACQUES PUSHYA PRADEEP DAGMAWI SELESHI TILAHUN JOSEPH BERNARD VOEGLEIN ISLEEN M WRIDE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMSTRY, IN THE PROGRAM OF CHEMISTRY THOMAS MICHAEL GALLAGHER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS, IN THE PROGRAM OF PHYSICS KYLE ARTHUR COX CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER IN PROFESSIONAL STUDIES, IN THE PROGRAM OF BIOTECHNOLOGY AMMAR MOUSA JABER MARIE CALUDE NZONLIE LOWE PARIS JANEE KOONCE JONATHAN KERWIN LAWRENCE AMANDA EMILY MOORE ASHLEY ELIZABETH OCHRIZCIN KIARA WAGENER IN THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE. IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, IN THE PROGRAM OF COMPUTER SCIENCE TIMOTHY JAMES MEYER SINA SALEHI KAUSTAV LAHIRI AKSHAY ABHAY PESHAVE DHAVAL DEVENDRA GANDHI ARNAV PRABODH JOSHI SNEHAL SURVE YAMINI VINAY PHATALE RUKMINI RAMAKRISHNAN IN THE PROGRAM OF COMPUTER ENGINEERING ANDREW JAMES KUESTER IRVISH RENDRAH PATEL IN THE PROGRAM OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING YAO LI NEHA SARDESAI IN THE PROGRAM OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING HOLLY WELLS BENNETT, IV JAMES CHRISTOPHER CREA GEORGE FRANCIS RACHIS, II LOUIS RICE WITT, III IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT MATTHEW ADRIAN BROCKWAY LAKSHMI SYAMA DUGGIRALA CURTIS EDWIN ROCKE TAJUDDIN IMAN SABREE ZULFIQAR ALI SHAH JOSEPH EDWARD WICKLESS JAMI CAROL YOWELL IN THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, IN THE PROGRAM OF HUMAN CENTERED COMPUTING NADA TARIQ HAMOUH IN THE PROGRAM OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEUESH RAMESH PANCHWAGH BRANDON MICHAEL OBERLANDER DIVINE NDONWI AWAH OHUD SAUD ALQAHTANI NUJOOD MOHAMMED ALODADI MOHAMMAD SAAD ALODADI ABDUL RAMAN SAID AFAM YOW RONG CHEN VLADIMIR DMITRIEVICH ZASYPKIN KEWEI XU SAVITA MOSES JUSTIN BRYAN STAUFFER LAURA ZIMMER DRUMMER JATIN K VAISHNAV UMASANKAR ARUMUGAM ADITI SUHAS GUPTE SHIVANI SAMIR DHARIA RAHSMI DESHPANDE SHANTONU KUNDU NALINI ANANTH PRIYANKA SHEKAR AMRITA ANAM PRAKITHA SUNDERAJ JAGANNATH RAMESH SAMUEL TONGAMBO KEVIN JAMES BRYANT IKE WACHUKU ERIC CORBETT, JR. ADAM GEORGE HALEM MOSLAH UDDIN MAHUMUD KRIS GHIMIRE MAULIK JAYANTILLAL ZALAVADIA DON LANDRAL KOONCE, JR. DARWIN LUKE MACH KAREN C THOMAS SHWETA SHASHANK TUNGARE PETER LOUIS ROCA MARK CHRISTOPHER GLAROS PAUL NICHOLAS LANGER IN THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CANDIDATES FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER IN PROFESSIONAL STUDIES, IN THE PROGRAM OF CYBER SECURITY CHRISTOPHER VIET MAI JEFFREY ROBIN DEWBERRY STEPHANIE NICOLE MANIKAS NAOMI E LUKE JHEF H FELIX TRACY ROSS ELIZABETH ACHIENG OMBIJA SIERRA ANN SHAW CATHERINE A HOBBINS EBENEZER OLUWAFEMI THOMAS, JR. TY NELSON WE ARE ALMOST THERE. I ASK THAT YOU REMAIN IN YOUR SEATS THROUGH THE SINGING OF THE ALMA MATER. FIRST, LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE AGAIN MR. KENNETH PITTMAN, VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE FOR THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD. KEN IS ONE OF MORE THAN 60,000 UMBC ALUMNI WORLDWIDE. HE GRADUATED FROM UMBC IN 1980 IN ECONOMICS AND IS A SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR WEALTH ADVISOR FOR PNC FINANCIAL. WOULD YOU GIVE HIM A HAND? [APPLAUSE] GRADUATES, I SAID TO YOU EARLIER TO SAVOR THE MOMENT. IT HAS BEEN MY TRADITION TO QUOTE THE WORD OF OUR FIRST UMBC PRESIDENT, THE LATE ALBIN KUHN. WHO SPOKE TO THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS IN 1970 AND HE SAID THESE WORDS. IF YOU BRING TO THE FUTURE THE SAME PERSONAL QUALITIES AND PERSONAL COMMITMENT YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO THIS CAMPUS AS STUDENTS, GOOD AND IMPORTANT THINGS WILL HAPPEN TO EACH OF YOU, AS WELL AS TO THOSE AROUND YOU AND THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY WILL BE PROUD TO HAVE PLAYED A PART IN YOUR LIFE. AND NOW, LET ME LEAVE WITH MY OWN THOUGHTS: BE CONFIDENT, KNOWING THAT THE EDUCATION YOU RECEIVED HERE GIVES YOU A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE KNOW THAT IF YOU PERSEVERE AND WE KNOW YOU WILL, YOU WILL REACH YOUR GOALS, THOUGH YOU ARE CERTAIN TO BE CHALLENGED AND TESTED ALONG THE WAY. REMEMBER THAT YOUR DREAMS, AND MOST IMPORTANT, YOUR CHARACTER, WILL DETERMINE WHO YOU WILL BECOME YOUR CHARACTER WILL BE REFLECTED MOST CLEARLY IN THE COURAGE YOU POSSESS, AND IN THE COMPASSION YOU SHOW FOR OTHERS BE TRUE TO YOURSELF, AND BE TRUE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, ALWAYS REACHING OUT, TO INSPIRE AND TO ELEVATE GRADUATES, YOU ARE NOW OFFICIALLY ALUMNI OF UMBC. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE CONNECTED TO US AND WE WILL BE CONNECTED TO YOU. REMEMBER, THIS IS YOUR HOME. YOU MAY NOW RISE AND APPLAUD AND EVERYONE GIVE THEM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE. [APPLAUSE] AT THIS TIME, WOULD EVERYONE PLEASE REMAIN STANDING. REMAIN STANDING AS WE SING THE ALMA MATER. REMEMBER, NEVER LEAVE THE ROOM WHEN THE ALMA MATER IS BEING PLAYED. WE ALWAYS RESPECT OURSELVES. THE SINGING OF THE ALMA MATER: [ALMA MATER PLAYS] [APPLAUSE] CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GRADUATES. PLEASE, EVERYONE, REMAIN STANDING AS WE MOVE AWAY FROM THE PODIUM AND DR KATHLEEN CARROLL WILL LEAD THE RECESSIONAL. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. GRADUATES, ENJOY YOUR FAMILIES TODAY AND DON'T FORGET TO TELL THEM HOW MUCH YOU APPRECIATE WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR YOU. WILL EVERYONE PLEASE REMAIN STANDING UNTIL THE PLATFORM PARTY, FACULTY, STAFF, AND GRADUATES HAVE RECESSED. FAMILIES AND FRIENDS ARE ASKED TO MEET THE GRADUATES OUTSIDE OF THE ARENA. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL! [CHESAPEAKE BAY QUINTET PLAYS TRUMPET TUNE]