Commencement Program 2021
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COMMENCEMENT COMMENCEMENTPROGRAM program 20212021 NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY SPRINGSPRING 20212021 Message from the President Dear graduate, Congratulations! You have earned your degree from Northern Arizona University. Your degree is the result of years of hard work, tenacity and focus. It is the culmination of a year unlike any other in modern history, one enmeshed with the uncertainty and hardship that has accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also a year of hope and resilience in the face of these challenges that elicited your creativity, grit, ability to think critically, and a singular focus on achieving your goals. This year has shown the world needs the best and brightest to engage, create and innovate solutions to global challenges that affect us all. Whatever your journey is from here, your NAU degree will provide you the academic and intellectual tools you need to excel in the workforce, in future academic endeavors, and as productive members of your communities and families. The conditions under which you earned your degree will also provide you an important and lasting gift – they have shown you what you are capable of when operating under great stress and uncertainty. As you begin the next chapter in your lives, know how proud all of us at NAU are of your accomplishments and your contributions. Your intelligence, perseverance, dreams and aspirations make us who we are as Lumberjacks. You represent NAU’s shared commitment to student success and scholarly excellence. On behalf of the entire university community, thank you for choosing NAU. You now join a diverse, dynamic, prosperous and successful alumni network. I am extremely proud of your success and confdent in the contributions you will make as you venture forward as NAU alumni, ambassadors, and lifelong members of the Lumberjack family. Sincerely, Rita Hartung Cheng President Page 1 Spring 2021 Colleges and Graduates Conferring Rita Hartung Cheng, PhD, President of Degrees Diane Stearns, PhD, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Maribeth Watwood, PhD, Dean, Graduate College College of Arts and Letters College of Health and Human Services Christopher Boyer, PhD, Dean Roger Bounds, PhD, Interim Dean List of graduates ................................................. 33 List of graduates ................................................. 61 College of Education College of Social Ramona N. Mellott, PhD, Dean and Behavioral Sciences List of graduates ................................................. 38 John Masserini, DMA, Interim Dean List of graduates ................................................. 70 College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences NAU Online, NAU Yavapai, NAU Yuma Andy Wang, PhD, Dean Gayla Stoner, PhD, Vice Provost and Dean of Online List of graduates ................................................. 47 and Innovative Educational Initiatives List of graduates ................................................. 82 College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences The W. A. Franke College of Business Jason Wilder, PhD, Dean Ashok Subramanian, PhD, Dean List of graduates ................................................. 52 List of graduates ................................................. 87 The names in this program do not constitute an offcial graduation list. Page 2 Spring 2021 Message from the Arizona Board of Regents Dear graduate, On behalf of the Arizona Board of Regents, we congratulate you on achieving this important milestone. It took hard work, tenacity and dedication to earn a university degree. Your accomplishment is signifcant and commendable. With a university degree, a world of opportunity awaits. From higher wages to better quality of life, college-educated individuals are increasingly in demand for the skills learned as a university graduate. In a knowledge-driven economy, employers are increasingly seeking candidates with strong college credentials and the degree you have earned will open many doors. We are grateful for your resilience in navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our hope is that this pandemic will soon be under control as our graduates begin careers that will make a difference in your life and the lives of others. Many of our graduates stepped up to aid the state during the pandemic, and we are heartened by these efforts. As you begin a new stage in life as a graduate of Northern Arizona University, we encourage you to stay connected to the university, friends you’ve met, professors who taught you and mentors who helped along the way. As you celebrate, take a moment to remember all of the individuals who supported you during your college years and to refect on the skills and knowledge you’ve learned at NAU. This is a day of new beginnings. We hope that your experiences at NAU positively affect your life for years to come. Congratulations, graduate, on this outstanding accomplishment! We wish you the best for a future flled with promise and opportunity. Go Lumberjacks! Sincerely, John Arnold Larry E. Penley Executive Director Chair John Arnold Larry E. Penley Page 3 Spring 2021 Arizona Board of Regents and University Administration Arizona Board of Regents Northern Arizona University Administration Ex Offcio Rita Hartung Cheng, PhD, President The Honorable Doug Ducey Governor of Arizona Josh Mackey, EdD, Interim Chief of Staff and Vice President for Human Resources The Honorable Kathy Hoffman Arizona Superintendent of Diane Stearns, PhD, Provost and Public Instruction Vice President for Academic Affairs Micheal Bassoff, BS, Vice President for Advancement Appointed and Executive Director of the NAU Foundation Larry E. Penley Chair Christy Farley, BS, Vice President for External Affairs and Partnerships Karrin Taylor Robson Bjorn Flugstad, MBA, Vice President for Finance, Secretary Institutional Planning, and Analysis Ron Shoopman Erin Grisham, MA, Vice President for Treasurer Student Affairs Chad Hamill, PhD, Vice President for Lyndel Manson Native American Initiatives Chair-Elect Mike Marlow, MEd, Vice President for Fred DuVal Intercollegiate Athletics Kathryn Hackett King Cecilia Mata Daniel Okoli, PhD, Vice President for Capital Planning and Campus Operations Bill Ridenour Anika Olsen, MA, Vice President for Anthony Rusk Enrollment Management Student Regent Dean Smith, PhD, Interim Vice President for Research Nikhil Dave Student Regent Page 4 Spring 2021 Active Regents’ Professors 1994 – 1995 2012 – 2013 Robert T. Trotter II, PhD Edith Copley, DMA Anthropology School of Music Thomas G. Whitham, PhD Darrell Kaufman, PhD Biological Sciences Geology 1999 – 2000 2015 – 2016 Douglas Biber, PhD Bruce Hungate, PhD English Biological Sciences 2000 – 2001 2016 – 2017 Zachary Smith, PhD Nancy Johnson, PhD Political Science Biological Sciences 2001 – 2002 2018 – 2019 Paul Keim, PhD Julie Baldwin, PhD Biological Sciences Health Sciences 2002 – 2003 Peter Fulé, PhD Kiisa Nishikawa, PhD School of Forestry Biological Sciences Andrew Richardson, PhD 2003 – 2004 School of Informatics, Computing, Raymond J. Michalowski Jr., PhD and Cyber Systems Criminal Justice Page 5 Spring 2021 Honorary Doctoral Degree Honorary degrees, education's most prestigious recognition, are reserved for eminent individuals with state, national or international reputations. Recipients are typically leading scholars, discoverers, inventors, authors, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, social activists, and leaders in education, business, politics or government. Occasionally, honorary degrees are awarded to people who have rendered lifelong service to the university through board membership, volunteerism, or major fnancial contributions. The following pages recognize the 2020-2021 Honorary Doctoral Degree recipients for Northern Arizona University. Page 6 Spring 2021 Honorary Doctoral Degree Northern Arizona University recognizes the commitment and contributions this individual has made to healthcare and to the community through her leadership by bestowing upon her an Honorary Doctoral Degree. Mary Jo Gregory, RN Chair, President and Chief Executive Offcer The NARBHA Institute Mary Jo Gregory serves as the Executive Board Chair, President and Chief Executive Offcer of The NARBHA Institute, a public charity devoted to advancing wellbeing across northern Arizona. Originally founded to conduct research, provide treatment and services in mental health, an evolution occurred, creating the opportunity to lead managed care and closely address the social determinants of health. Today, under Gregory’s leadership, The NARBHA Institute partners with bio science, health centers, academia and communities in discovery, transformative solutions and integrated health. During her tenure, and through a series of collaborative endeavors, an ecosystem of health equity has been developed and funded, including a family medicine residency, a genomic collaborative, and an endowed chair aligning criminal justice and behavioral health. Gregory is a nationally recognized healthcare executive in acute hospital and healthcare system leadership. She is a Fellow at The National Association of Corporate Directors and the American College of Healthcare Executives. Locally, she is a member of the Governing Board of North Country Healthcare and also a member of the Northern Arizona Leadership Alliance. Before joining The NARBHA Institute, Gregory served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Offcer for a 12-hospital health system across four Western states. During her tenure, she leveraged her nursing and operational expertise