UB to hold 167th commencement

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Some 4,818 students are candidates to receive degrees during the University at Buffalo’s 167th general commencement and 14 other commencement ceremonies to be held May 3 through May 18.

UB President Satish K. Tripathi will deliver remarks at the general commencement ceremony, to be held at 10 a.m. May 12 in Alumni Arena, North Campus. Paul M. Stephan is the student speaker.

Former UB president John B. Simpson will receive the Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal, the university’s highest honor.

Edmond J. Gicewicz, emeritus member of the UB Council, and longtime UB faculty member and SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Diane Christian will receive the UB President’s Medal in recognition of extraordinary service to UB.

Also during the ceremony, a SUNY honorary doctorate will be presented to Calyampudi R. Rao, a National Medal of Science winner and professor emeritus at Pennsylvania State University.

Tripathi and Provost Charles F. Zukoski will confer bachelor’s and associate degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Forty-two students will receive special recognition during the ceremony.

Yasmine W. El-Gohary will receive the Student Affairs Senior Leadership Award.

Students receiving the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence are Jay Amin, Maxwell L. Bileschi, Elise N. Blasingame, Paul D. Garman, Sourobh Ghosh, Sharlene M. Green, Megan F. Klyczek, Matthew G. Leibowitz, Paul J. Oldani, Daniel P. Salem, Marlee E. Sroka, Paul M. Stephan, Lauren B. Stutzman and Jessica J. Walts.

Graduates receiving the Outstanding Senior Award from the College of Arts and Sciences are Jay Amin, Economics; Victor A. Beaumont, Chemistry; Dana E. Bojarski, Communication; Larene P. Cameron, Geological Sciences; Junhong Choi, Physics; Kelsey G. Clark, Anthropology; Alayna V. DeMarchi, Environmental Geosciences; Carrie S. Fisher, Psychology; Sharlene M. Green, Transnational Studies; Bradley G. Hahn, Geography; Kathryn D. Horn, History; Tara Negar Jamali, Romance Languages and Literatures; Amani V. Johnson, Social Sciences Interdisciplinary; Alyssa J. Jones, Political Science; Erin K. Karnatz, Linguistics; Jodi L. Keith, Visual Studies; William R. Louden, Music; Paige S. Melin, English; Erin C. Radetich, Special Studies; Lucas A. Reigstad, Sociology; Katherine Roach, Classics; Matthew W. Schmidt, Mathematics; Molly E. Schreiber, Media Study; Benjamin J. Shumway, Philosophy; Courtney E. Szyjka, Biological Sciences; Hillary R. Tilton, Communicative Disorders and Sciences; Jessica J. Walts, Theatre and Dance; and Kai R. Wasson, Asian Studies.

Vocalists are Maria G. Pedro and Zachary D. Rich, both music theatre majors.

The 2013 commencement season begins on May 3 with ceremonies for the schools of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and Dental Medicine.

Mary Woolley, president and chief executive officer, Research!America, will speak at the medical school ceremony, which will take place at 1:30 p.m. in the Center for the Arts, North Campus. Tripathi will confer degrees.

Kathleen T. O’Loughlin, executive director and chief operating officer, American Dental Association, will address graduates at the dental school ceremony, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Center for the Arts. Tripathi also will confer degrees.

The rest of the commencement schedule:

• Biomedical Sciences (undergraduate and graduate), 6 p.m., May 9, Center for the Arts. The speaker will be Derek LeRoith, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease, Mt. Sinai Hospital. Tripathi will confer degrees.
• Graduate School of Education, 9 a.m., May 10, Center for the Arts. No speaker is expected; Tripathi will confer degrees.
• College of Arts and Sciences (graduate), 1 p.m., May 10, Center for the Arts. No speaker is expected; Tripathi will confer degrees.
• School of Management (undergraduate), 1 p.m., May 10, Alumni Arena, North Campus. No speaker is expected; Zukoski will confer degrees.
• School of Architecture and Planning, 5 p.m., May 10, Center for the Arts. Bill McKibbon, author, educator and environmentalist, will speak. Zukoski will confer degrees.
• School of Management (graduate), 5 p.m., May 10, Alumni Arena. No speaker is expected; Tripathi will confer degrees.
• School of Nursing, 9 a.m., May 11, Alumni Arena. No speaker is expected; Tripathi will confer degrees.
• School of Social Work, 9 a.m., May 11, Center for the Arts. Michael Reisch, Daniel Thursz Distinguished Professor of Social Justice, University of Maryland, will deliver remarks. Zukoski will confer degrees.
• School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 1 p.m., May 11, Alumni Arena. Industrialist Jack Davis, BS ’55, founder of Akron-based I Squared R Element Co., will speak. Tripathi will confer degrees.
• School of Public Health and Health Professions, 1 p.m., May 11, Center for the Arts. The speaker will be Pamela S. Hyde, JD, administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Zukoski will confer degrees.
• School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 5 p.m., May 11, Center for the Arts. Outgoing Dean Wayne Anderson will address graduates. Michael Cain, vice president for health sciences and dean of the medical school, will confer degrees and offer opening remarks.
• Law School, 3 p.m., May 18, Center for the Arts. Jonathan Lippman, New York State chief judge and chief judge of the Court of Appeals, will speak. Tripathi will confer degrees.