UB to Hold 165th Commencement on May 15

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- More than 5,500 students are candidates to receive degrees during the University at Buffalo's 165th general commencement and 14 other commencement ceremonies to be held through May 21.

While the commencement exercises mark the end of students' tenure at UB, they will usher in a new era for the university as Satish K. Tripathi presides over his first commencement season as UB president. Tripathi, previously UB provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, was confirmed as UB's 15th president by the SUNY Board of Trustees on April 18.

UB's general commencement ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. May 15 in Alumni Arena, North Campus. Tripathi will deliver remarks; Andrew J. Wiktor will serve as student speaker.

JoAnn Falletta, music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, will receive the Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal, the university's highest award presented annually in public recognition of a person who has, in Norton's words, "performed some great thing which is identified with Buffalo…a great civic or political act, a great book, a great work of art, a great scientific achievement or any other thing which, in itself, is truly great and ennobling, and which dignifies the performer and Buffalo in the eyes of the world."

Since taking the podium as music director of the BPO in 1999, Falletta has brought the BPO to a new level of national and international prominence. She placed a renewed emphasis on recording, and the orchestra released 12 discs on the NAXOS label over the course of 10 years. These recordings garnered two Grammy Awards -- a first for the BPO -- as well as nine Grammy nominations, and made the BPO one of the most frequently recorded orchestras in the country.

In addition, Falletta has worked extensively in the Western New York community, fostering meaningful partnerships with nonprofit groups in both the cultural and social-service sectors, among them AIDS Community Services, Olmsted Parks, the Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus, the Darwin Martin House, the Burchfield Penney Arts Center, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and Shea's Performing Arts Center.

SUNY honorary degrees will be presented to Ronald I. Dozoretz, MD '62 & BA '57, a distinguished psychiatrist, pioneering health care entrepreneur, renowned national leader for behavioral health quality and access, and founder and chairman of Value Options Inc., one of the nation's leading behavioral health and wellness companies; and higher education advocate Arthur E. Levine, PhD '76, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation since 2006 as well as previous president and professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University, chair of the Institute for Educational Management at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, president of Bradford College and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Carnegie Council on Policy Studies in Higher Education.

Dozoretz will receive a doctor of science degree; Levine a doctor of humane letters.

Forty students will receive special recognition during the ceremony.

Joseph S. Thomas will receive the Student Affairs Senior Leadership Award.

To receive the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence are Joshua M. Adams, Desiree C. Albert, Felicia Cao, Justin M. Karter, Ryan A. Linden, Claire M. Lochner, Angelica J. Maier, Chikashi Miyama, Grace C. Mukupa, Sarah C. Mye, Laura C. Neese, Derek M. Peloquin, Laura B. Radecki, Krista E. Scimeca and Crystal L. Sterling.

Graduates receiving the Outstanding Senior Award from the College of Arts and Sciences are Jessica L. Kilbury, African and African American Studies; Jennifer C. Christian, American Studies; Katie L. Konesky, Anthropology; Romana E. Blissard, Asian Studies; Joshua M. Adams, Biological Sciences and History; Derek M. Peloquin, Chemistry; Janet A. Spiller, Classics; Ian S. Fineberg, Communication; Marissa E. Sheehan, Communicative Disorders and Sciences; Marcus R. Catlin, Economics; Lucas B. Barton, English and Media Study; Jeffrey Z. Chudy, Geography; Sarah M. Lavin, Geology; Joseph P. Giroux, Linguistics; Daniel S. Padgett, Mathematics; Jeffrey T. Knorr, Music; Ryan J. Undercoffer, Philosophy; Grady A. Gambrel, Physics; Sarah C. Mye, Political Science; Olivia M. Schlager, Psychology; David J. Marello, Romance Languages and Literatures; Amy A. Buffomante, Social Sciences Interdisciplinary; Sarah E. Eggleston, Sociology and Global Gender Studies; Claire L. McTaggart, Special Studies; Laura C. Neese, Theatre and Dance; and Angelica J. Maier, Visual Studies.

Vocalists are Lauren A. Hodsdon, Jennifer M. Leibowitz and Eva E. Tashjian.

The ceremony will be streamed online at http://commencement.buffalo.edu/commstream

The remaining schedule of commencement exercises:

-- Biomedical Sciences, 6 p.m., May 12, Center for the Arts. Constance Brinckerhoff, the Nathan Smith Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry and associate dean for science education at Dartmouth University, is the speaker.

-- Graduate School of Education, 9 a.m., May 13, Center for the Arts.

-- College of Arts and Sciences (Graduate), 1 p.m., May 13, Center for the Arts.

-- School of Management (undergraduate), 1 p.m., May 13, Alumni Arena.

-- School of Management (graduate), 5 p.m., May 13, Alumni Arena.

-- School of Nursing, 9 a.m., May 14, Alumni Arena.

-- School of Social Work, 9 a.m., May 14, Center for the Arts. Lawrence Shulman, a professor and dean emeritus of the school, will speak.

-- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 1 p.m., May 14, Alumni Arena. The speaker is Scott Stevens, '79, the founder and CEO of Dimension Fabricators in Schenectady. Stevens also is a member of the school's Dean's Advisory Council.

-- School of Public Health and Health Professions, 1 p.m., May 14, Center for the Arts. The speaker is John D. Craig, vice president of education and outreach at WNED/ThinkBright.

-- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1 p.m., May 14, Slee Concert Hall. David Triggle, SUNY Distinguished Professor and university professor, UB pharmacy school, will speak.

-- School of Dental Medicine, 5 p.m., May 14, Center for the Arts. The speaker is Stan Brock, founder of Remote Area Medical, a not-for-profit group whose volunteers provide medical services to people living in remote areas in the U.S. and across the globe.

-- School of Architecture and Planning, 6 p.m., May 14, Alumni Arena. Dean Robert Shibley will speak.

-- Educational Opportunity Center, 7 p.m., May 17, Center for the Arts. Robert D. James, associate provost, SUNY Office of Opportunity Programs, will speak.

-- Law School, 3 p.m., May 21, Center for the Arts. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will speak.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.