UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS 142ND COMMENCEMENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OFFICERS Jeffrey A. Lutsky, Chairman Brian Effron, Vice Chairman William R. Gast ’68, Secretary Bruce E. Kardon, Treasurer David Yager, ex officio, President and CEO
TRUSTEES Judson A. Aaron ’81 Joseph Aristone Ralph Citino Eleanor L. Davis Deanna S. DeCherney ’66 Patricia Fowler UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS Amy H. Goldman Peter Haas 142ND COMMENCEMENT Nathaniel P. Hamilton Jr., ’07 Seth Lehr Elaine C. Levitt Robert G. Little ’81 Karen Lotman Dr. Noel Mayo ’60 Thomas M. Miles ’75 Ronald Naples Adolf A. Paier Lawrence S. Reichlin Ebonne Ruffins Mark H. Samuels Carole Shanis Stephen Sypherd Raj Tewari Laurie Wagman Harriet G. Weiss
LIFE TRUSTEES Ira Brind Sam S. McKeel Commencement Ceremony TRUSTEES EMERITI George A. Beach ’58 SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020 Sondra Myers Albert E. Wolf
FACULTY REPRESENTATIVES Karl Staven Anna Beresin COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020 Performance Personal Messages—9:30 a.m. “With A Little Help From My Friends” Ceremony—10:00 a.m. University of the Arts School of Music Commencement Ensemble Held virtually at commencement.uarts.edu featuring Graduating Vocal Performance Majors
Greetings from Alumni Association Adam Blackstone ’04 (Instrumental Performance) PERSONAL MESSAGES Parents, Professors, Fellow Graduates and Friends Silver Star Outstanding Alumni Awards David Ewing BFA ’68 (Film) Presented by Mike Attie, Assistant Professor
CEREMONY Libby Newman BFA ’80 (Printmaking) President’s Opening Remarks Presented by Patty Smith, Professor David Yager, President and CEO Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degree “America the Beautiful” Njideka Akunyili Crosby School of Music Faculty Presented by David Yager, President and CEO
President’s Address Commencement Address David Yager, President and CEO Njideka Akunyili Crosby
Greetings from the Board of Trustees Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts Degree Jeffrey A. Lutsky Phong H. Bui BFA ’85 (Illustration) Chairman, Board of Trustees Presented by David Yager, President and CEO
Valedictory Speaker Commencement Address La’Needra Louise Luvenia Cornelious ’20 (Acting) Phong H. Bui BFA ’85 (Illustration)
Presentation of Diplomas President’s Awards Conferral of Degrees and Other Academic Attainments Presented by David Yager, President and CEO David Yager, President and CEO Faculty Awards Jeffrey A. Lutsky, Chairman, Board of Trustees Presented by Carol Graney Closing Remarks Vice President for Academic Affairs David Yager, President and CEO Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award Nancy Heller, Professor, Critical Studies RECESSIONAL President’s Distinguished Teaching Award Ralph Giguere, Adjunct Associate Professor, Illustration PhillyBloco DOCTOR OF FINE ARTS honoris causa
It is a University of the Arts tradition that during its Commencement ceremony, the institution bestows its highest honorary degree, the Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa, on distinguished individuals. Honorary degrees recognize extraordinary intellectual or artistic achievement, service to the University and to the wider society, and those who serve as examples to the institution’s student body.
PHONG H. BUI BFA ’85 (Illustration) Phong Bui is an artist, writer, independent curator, publisher and artistic director of the Brooklyn Rail, the River Rail, Rail Editions and Rail Curatorial Projects. He is a trustee of Studio in a School, the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, Anthology Film Archives, the Third Rail, the Miami Rail, Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program, Second Shift Studio Space of Saint Paul, International Association of Art Critics (AICA-USA 2007–2020), among others, and was curatorial advisor at MoMA PS1 (2007–2010). He is also a member of the Art Advisory Council of Fountain House Gallery, cofounder and co-chairman of the Monira Foundation, a nonprofit which aims to curate ongoing exhibitions and public programming at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City and beyond. His recent projects include Artists Need to Create on the Same Scale that Society Has the Capacity to Destroy, an ongoing Rail Curatorial Project that was exhibited in HONORARY 2019 as an official Collateral Event of the Venice Biennale and at Colby Museum in Waterville, Maine. Forthcoming projects include the Detroit Rail; the L.A. Rail; the first U.S. retrospective of Jonas Mekas; andOccupy Industry City: Artists Need DEGREE to Create on the Same Scale that Society Has the Capacity to Destroy, Year 3; among others.
RECIPIENTS NJIDEKA AKUNYILI CROSBY Akunyili Crosby was born in Enugu, Nigeria, in 1983 and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. She was a participant in La Biennale di Venezia, 58th International Art Exhibition, May You Live In Interesting Times, curated by Ralph Rugoff (May 11–Nov. 24, 2019). Her recent solo exhibitions include Njideka Akunyili Crosby: “The Beautyful Ones,” National Portrait Gallery, London (2018–2019) and Counterparts, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas (2018–2019), and Baltimore Museum of Art (2017–2018). Akunyili Crosby is also the recipient of an honorary doctorate of art from Swarthmore College in 2019 and a 2017 MacArthur Fellowship and was named among Financial Times’ Women of the Year in 2016. SILVER STAR OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS
LIBBY NEWMAN BFA ’80 (Printmaking) Libby Newman BFA ’80 (Printmaking) was founding director and curator of the Esther M. Klein Gallery at the University City Science Center in West Philadelphia for 25 years. As a representative of Artists Equity, she advocated for artists’ rights before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means. Newman was also curator of exhibitions for the governor’s garden in Harrisburg during the tenure of Pennsylvania Gov. Richard Thornburgh (1979–1987). For her contribution to the arts community, she was selected to be a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania. Additionally, Newman is an active artist who produces prints, paintings, paneled screens and artists’ books. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is in the collections of more than 30 museums and libraries around the world, including those of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem; the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.; the Paper Museum in Tokyo; and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
DAVID EWING BFA ’68 (Film) David Ewing is a 12-time Emmy Award–winning editor and producer for a SILVER wide variety of clients, including ABC Jennings Unit, ABC Koppell Unit, CBS, CNN, Discovery, Frontline, National Geographic, NBC Dateline, PBS, TLC and many other organizations. David’s work has varied, ranging from the ABC STAR AWARD documentary Peter Jennings: From the Killing Fields, to CableACE nominee Wildlife Adventures: Survival of the Yellowstone Wolves, to Becoming Al Gore for CNN. He also has four Peabody Awards. RECIPIENTS In addition, David also has his own production company, DE Media, a division of Bayside Productions, where he produces, directs, writes, films and edits documentaries and news features. As if that’s not enough, he also acts, and appeared in Season 4 of Netflix’sHouse of Cards and in the Rob Reiner filmLBJ , which starred Woody Harrelson. PAST SILVER STAR ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS
1955 1965 1978 1991 2001 2011 Tina Leser Joseph Kramer ’47 Albert Gold Lydia Artymiw Margaret Garwood Evan Solot Irving Penn DIPL ’38 (Advertising Design) DIPL ’38 (Illustration) BM ’73 (Piano) BM ’75 (Composition) BM ’67 (Trumpet), (Design Laboratory) Theodore Miller ’47 Ed Colker DIPL ’49 Myra Mimlitsch-Gray MM ’75 (Music Performance) 1979 (Advertising Design) (Advertising Design) BFA ’84 (Jewelry) Leonard Lehrer 1956 Charles Santore Morris Lomden ’47 BFA ’56 (Illustration) Raymond Ballinger DIPL ’31 BFA ’56 (Illustration) 1992 2002 (Advertising Design) (Advertising Design) Jerry Pinkney DIPL ’60 Diane Monroe 2012 Bernard Glassman DIPL ’47 1980 Henry C. Pitz DIPL ’17 (Advertising Design) BM ’75 (Violin) Hilary Clark (Advertising Design) Evelyn Copelman Spivak ’41 (Illustration) Pearl B. Schaeffer Eileen Neff BFA ’72 (Painting) BFA ’98 (Modern Dance) (Illustration) 1966 BFA ’79 (Dance) Alina Wheeler 1957 2003 Rudolf Freund, Jr. 1981 BFA ’70 (Illustration) Wharton Esherick ’08 1993 Jennifer Childs DIPL ’36 (Industrial Art) Marguerite Walter (Drawing) Stanley Clarke ’71 (Bass) BFA ’90 (Theater) 2013 DIPL ’38 (Teacher Training) Charles Sheeler CERT ’01 1967 Joe Dante BFA ’68 Richard Kidney Kate Flannery (Industrial Drawing), Morris Berd DIPL ’36 1982 (Photography) BFA ’75 (Film) BFA ’87 (Acting) CERT ’02 (Decorative Painting (Advertising Design) Philip Eitzen DIPL ’52 Jayson Scott Musson 1994 2004 and Applied Art) (Advertising Design) BFA ’02 (Photography) 1968 Ruth Fine Donald Chittum 1958 Arnold Roth ’50 1983 BFA ’62 (Painting) BM ’56 (Music Performance) 2014 Earl Burns Milliette (Illustration) Thomas F. Schutte Florence Quivar Joseph Musso Adam W. Blackstone ’04 CERT ’13 (Industrial Drawing, BM ’67 (Voice) BFA ’63 (Illustration) (Instrumental Performance) 1969 Constructive Design and 1984 Jeffrey Stern William Stephens BS ’55 1995 2005 Modeling) Kevan Moss BS ’70 BFA ’75 (Film) (Industrial Design) John E. Davis Riitta Vainio Sol Mednick DIPL ’39 (Environmental Design) BM ’72 (Music Theory) DIPL ’62 (Dance) 2015 (Advertising Design) 1970 1985 Deborah Willis Susan Welchman Piper Shepard George Krause DIPL ’58 1959 Jacob Landau BFA ’75 (Photography) BFA ’70 (Photography) BFA ’85 (Fibers) (Advertising Design) Frances Lichten DIPL ’07 DIPL ’38 (Illustration) Brittanie Michelle Richardson 1996 2006 (Applied Art) 1971 BFA ’09 (Acting) 1986 Tom Butter Katherine D. Strickland Warren Blair DIPL ’47 Sidney Goodman Wesley Emmons BFA ’75 (Printmaking) BFA ’98 (Theater) 2016 (Advertising Design) BFA ’58 (Illustration) BFA ’54 (Jewelry/Metals) Janine Cappello Don Moyer Fredric Snitzer 1960 1972 1987 BFA ’86 (Modern Dance) BFA ’70 (Graphic Design) BFA ’73 (Sculpture) John William Brown Paul Keene Kim Yvonne Bears-Bailey Robert Capanna 1997 2007 DIPL ’50 (Advertising Design) BFA ’42 (Illustration) BFA ’84 (Ballet) BM ’73 (Composition) Edward Kalehoff Dan Dailey Marguerite Gaudin DIPL ’30 Stephen M. Zablotny 1973 BM ’69 (Composition) BFA ’69 (Fine Art) 2017 (Advertising Design) BS ’70 (Industrial Design) Noel Mayo BS ’60 Kathy Rose BFA ’71 (Film) Vincent J. Trombetta Robin Eubanks Dana P. Vaughan Peggy Turner Zablotny (Industrial Design) BM ’65 (Saxophone) BM ’78 (Trombone) (1899–1983) c.1920 1998 BS ’70 (Industrial Design) Daniel Joseph Janice Berenstain and 2008 1961 1974 BS ’06 (Industrial Design) 1988 Stanley Berenstain ’45 Charles Long Irene Laverty Barry Wilke BS ’58 William Krebs (Illustration) BFA ’81 (Painting) 2018 DIPL ’29 (Fibers) (Industrial Design) BFA ’66 (Interior Design) William R. McCann Jackson Grace Gay Lucas Steele Boris Drucker DIPL ’42 Eugene Feldman DIPL ’42 Barbara Silverstein BFA ’80 (Trumpet) BFA ’99 (Theater) BFA ’01 (Musical Theater) (Advertising Design) (Advertising Design) BM ’69 (Piano) Catherine Edelman 1999 2009 1962 1975 BFA ’85 (Photography) 1989 Irene Bedard Richard Amsel Mildred Jantzen Richard Reinhardt Stephen Albert BFA ’91 (Theater) BFA ’69 (Illustration) 2019 DIPL ’22 (Art Education) BFA ’47 (Art Education) BM ’62 (Composition) Johnny Irizarry Stephen Quay Teneise Mitchell Ellis 1963 1976 Ken Carbone BFA ’83 (Painting) BFA ’69 (Film) BFA ’05 (Jazz Dance) Virginia Mason Gifford Olaf Skoogfors BFA ’73 (Graphic Design) Timothy Quay Peter Freudenberg 2000 DIPL ’30 (Advertising Design) BFA ’53 (Metals) Leslie Smolan BFA ’69 (Illustration) BFA ’67 (Painting) BFA ’75 (Graphic Design) C. Samuel Micklus 1964 1977 BS ’66 (Industrial Design) 2010 Al Bendiner CERT ’18 Elaine Kurtz DIPL ’50 1990 Brian T. Vernon Renee Jaworski (Industrial Drawing) (Advertising Design) Marjorie Levy BFA ’92 (Jazz Dance) BFA ’94 (Modern Dance) Jerome Kaplan DIPL ’47 BFA ’69 (Ceramics) Alphonse Mattia (Advertising Design) BFA ’69 (Wood) PAST HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS
1961 1975 1988 2000 2013 Harold Taylor Milton Glaser Dorrance H. Hamilton Lily Yeh Douglas Carter Beane Marcus Aurelius Renzetti Armin Hofmann Kenneth J. Hiebert 1976 2001 Sam S. McKeel 1962 Anni Albers Helen W. Drutt English 2014 John W. Merriam Benton Spruance Josef Albers Jane Golden Robert L. Battle Thomas M. Messer 1963 1977 Howard A. Wolf 2002 2015 Karl Sherman Saul Steinberg Walter E. Dallas Lynda Barry 1989 1964 1978 Martin Friedman 2003 2016 Saul Bass Mercedes Matter Meredith Monk Mildred Constantine Thomas Robert Kitt Victor D’Amico Maurice Sendak Robert A. Moog Ronald J. Naples 1979 Edward R. Tufte 1965 Paul Rand 1990 2017 Eugene Grigsby Richard Rogers Katherine Dunham 2004 Glorya Kaufman Edward Hopper Liv Ullman Lukas Foss Leilani Lattin Duke 2018 Erwin Panofsky Nam June Paik Roberto Memmo 1980 Kevin L. Beggs Mrs. Malcom Lloyd Sen. Claiborne Pell Helen Frankenthaler 2005 Lorna Simpson 1966 Rudolf Nureyev 1991 Rexford T. Cardwell, Jr. Alfred P. West, Jr. Edwin Dickinson Ivan Chermayeff Kal Solomon Rudman 1981 2019 Willard G. Rouse III Dominick Peter Stuccio 1967 H. Ober Hess Ellen Stewart Holly Robinson Peete Edmund Bacon Leo Steinberg 2006 Zhang Xiaogang Paul Froelaich Walter Terry 1992 William M. Hurt Susanne Langer Mary Ellen Mark 1982 Bernard C. Watson 2007 1968 Placido Domingo Rosalyn Drexler Louise Nevelson Jack Lenor Larsen 1993 2008 Lessing J. Rosenwald Harvey K. Littleton Claire Van Vliet Edna Andrade Thomas Wilfred 1983 1994 Ira Brind 1969 George Crumb Joan Myers Brown Stanley Clarke BM ’71 (Bass) R. Sturgis Ingersoll Alwin Nikolais William P. Daley Miguel Angel Corzo Howard Mitchell Henry Holmes Smith Richard Saul Wurman 2009 1970 1984 1995 Portia Hamilton Sperr Berthe von Moschzisker Joseph Castaldo Joel N. Bloom James Lapine Alice Neel Philip Glass 1971 2010 Alexey Brodovich 1985 1996 Peggy Amsterdam (posthumously accepted by Andrew Heiskell Robert M. Greenberg Robert Capanna Irving Penn) Denise Scott Brown Marjorie Samoff Moses Pendleton Howard A. Wolf Robert Venturi 1997 2011 1972 1986 Robert Oldenburg Louis J. Massiah G. Robert LeRicolais Roger L. Stevens Edward G. Rendell Bill Moggridge John Szarkowski Judith Jamison ’64 (Dance) Grover Washington, Jr. 2012 Richard Reinhardt BFA ’47 1973 1998 Tony Auth (Art Education) Anais Nin Richard S. Gurin Neil Gaiman 1987 Peter Nero 1974 Laurie Anderson Herbert Bayer 1999 J. Carter Brown Pater DeGelleke Arthur Mitchell Joseph Papp Arnold Newman DEGREE CANDIDATES
SCHOOL OF ART Hannah Fayann Voley SCHOOL OF Cailyn A. Mathis with presented by Mara Scrupe, Guangyu Zhang with DANCE a minor in Business a minor in Art Education Kelly Rose McCaffery dean presented by Donna Qianna A. McDonald Faye Burchfield, dean Master of Arts in Teaching Bachelor of Fine Arts in Lily A. Mello Photography in Visual Arts Master of Fine Arts in Dance Lexie Moore with Kirsten Albert a minor in Art History Alejandro J. Camacho** Julian Alexander Junpei Barnett* Khiari B. Allen** Nyla Adina Kizazi Mawusi Murray Zachary August Erdmann Heidi Cruz-Austin* Kristopher R. Arnold Angelica Noelle Nieves-Merced** Maya Niema Flemming Oded Graf* German Ayala Vazquez Kira Shiina Nishimura-Russ Julie Anne Hayes Marina Osthoff Magalhães* Nicholas G. Cattie Kathryn Virginia O’Malley Alexandra Jensky James Patrick McGinn* Megan R. Chapman Sarah Kaylee Pickel with Jill Lindsey Ludwig** Mersiha Mesihovic* Kelli Marie Creutzinger with a minor in Business Eddie Geovanny Shannon Audrey Murphy* a minor in Print Media Robby Pine with Velasquez-Ramirez Jennifer C. Nugent* Karli R. Kasprzak a minor in Business Alyssa Nicole Willgruber** Lilach Orenstein** Zoey Sutton Koch** Mikaela Rada with Meredith K. Rainey* Mario Dante Napoli a minor in Musical Theater Master of Fine Arts in Zoe Scofield* Book Arts + Printmaking Omakshi Pandey Jordan Tyler Ricks Miles Edward Yeung-Tieu* Emily Jenae Roberson Amalia Aviles Lugo Julia M. Pilkus Chelsea Marie Zeffiro** Alexis Jordyn Rogers Eileen P. Bowen Aubrey A. Richey with Roukijah Rooks with Matao Dreskin a minor in Creative Writing Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Joseph G. Sabol with a minor in Business Timothy Sean Furey Amani Ball a minor in Art History David Rubio Angelique Ashley Kopacz Caroline Bradbury Ludia H. Sim with Jinsei Sato† Sarah Moody Nicole Bradbury a minor in Film + Video Kylie Schoenig Sara Moose-Torres Melanie Ann Breaux with Jamie N. Stow Kyle Edward Tanguay Rebecca Lyn Rolseth a minor in Music Business, Rebecca Torres with Rhapsody Semone Taylor Maria Anne Welch Entrepreneurship + Technology a minor in Creative Writing Morijah N. Thomas with Nasir Maliek Campbell† Sarah C. Troost minors in Art Therapy Master of Fine Arts in Lydia R. Ciaffone** Studio Art Kara Elisabeth Wilson and Music Ellicia Tamara Clayton with Jiamond Watson Kachina Leigh** a minor in Creative Writing Ajia T. Wilmore Yang Song** SCHOOL OF Jazmine S. Colon Patrick Lamar Wright Aaron Yetter** CRITICAL & Bre’ana Alexandra Daniels with Alessandra Taylor Wun a minor in Business with a minor in Business Bachelor of Fine Arts in PROFESSIONAL Lucia Cavaliere De-Poli Craft + Material Studies STUDIES Emani Drake Bachelor of Fine Arts in Gabriela Passaro Barbieri with presented by Erin Elman, dean Nyah Nicole Duckworth with Modern Dance a minor in Music Business, minors in Business and Gretchen Ann Perrucci Entrepreneurship + Technology Master of Education in Creative Writing Isabelle Emerenciana Frascella Educational Program Design Leielani Alexis Ealey** Katherine Maas Danielle P. Scicluna Ophelia Fernandes† SCHOOL OF DESIGN Elizabeth Reed Jason A. Springer Samantha Gilberg presented by Mark Tocchet, dean Alison Robin Thompson Joy Giuffre Bachelor of Fine Arts in Madison Eve Graham** Master of Arts in Museum Interdisciplinary Fine Arts Master of Education in Alexander Hall, Jr.** Communication Claire Joan Christenson** Educational Technology Natalie E. Hamilton Kaitlynd O’Doherty Megan Pearl Marion† Jeanmarie E. Braddock Molly Hawkins with Simone Williams Madeline Craig a minor in Advertising Practices Master of Arts in Museum Matthew L. Wittig Alexandra Maxwell Victoria Hecker with Education Damita Romaine Pridgen a minor in Art Therapy Erin Grace Dempsey** Bachelor of Fine Arts in Emma Jeannette Junghans Bailey Montana Gamberg** Fine Arts Bachelor of Fine Arts Madeline Klemm Rachel Ann Kiskaddon Serena Lilliann Brown in Creative Writing Julia Ann Theresa Lane with Melania N. Majowicz** Victoria Canning Shane S. Bowman a minor in Business Nhi Nguyen** Lia Gangemi Elizabeth J. Carlson Tatiana V. Lawson Brandon P. Rothenberger** Erica Hemler Batoha with a minor in Screenwriting Yiyu Lin Zoey Koester Zoe C. Darazsdi with Karlie Emma Lineberry Master of Arts in Museum Studies Jacqueline R. Kolifrath with a minor in Art Therapy Nina M. Lomanno Renee Elisa Hoffman** a minor in Art Education Jaymie Jaclyn Hommel Ana Patricia Lynch-Comer** Molly Elizabeth Wolanski Olivia Johanna Lane Blair P. Krassen Katie Ann Magyar with Marie C. Pappolla Erin Stone Leso a minor in Business, Nox Shou Mikayla Rose Morell University Honors Scholar Megan L. Smock Victoria Rose Elisabeth Plitt Bryana Nicole Mainor** with * Degree conferred August 2019 Nicholas P. Steinman a minor in Business Christian Davis Porter ** Degree conferred December 2019 Samuel R. Telep** Shahada Thomas † Anticipated degree conferral August 2020 Kathleen M. Wells DEGREE CANDIDATES
Master of Design in Brent Gilliard Shania N. Veal SCHOOL OF MUSIC Frankie Gula Samuel R. Walker Product Design presented by Micah Jones, dean Kamakshi Arora Anjali Micheala Karustis Tenzin Yougyal Kevin Sheng Chen YoungJoo Kim Master of Arts in Teaching in Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film + Elmira Deldari Kandelaji** Sophie Lane Music Education Amber Lee Animation Raunak Deshmukh Justin S. Cabrera Christopher J. Lennon Yike Liu Alena Rose Popolo Nicholas Paul Cesario Devyn Luzniak Xinzhu Wei** Shawn Clerkin** Sunset McCarthy Bachelor of Fine Arts in Justin C. Goins Master of Fine Arts in Museum Abigail L. McManus Film Design Sydney Michelle Halberstadt Anne E. Moses Exhibition Planning + Design Amelia Bilton with Nicholas Andrew Harmantzis Alexa C. Nyiri Michael Derian a minor in Screenwriting Anastasia Rose Krawiecki Kara O’Brien with Abigail Jane Sarver-Verhey Tamara Comegys Tonya Elizabeth Mayo a minor in Creative Writing Seo Yeon Park Luke Y. Militch Tyler R. Pendzik Bachelor of Fine Arts in Joshua A. Soltroff** Raymond D. Rivera Bovo Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Joseph James Watts** Emma Rose Berger with Joseph Cyril Rogers with Film + Digital Video a minor in Business a minor in Print Media Erica R. Anderson Master of Music in Jazz Studies Katerina M. Schurek Alexander Moore Caswell Destiny S. Bailey with Dae Jin Hong Shawnee N. Sinex with Kibria S. Chavez† a minor in Film + Media Studies Seunghee Lee** a minor in Art History Nicholas C. Cobb Luke R. Carpenter Connor G. O’Neill** Alexandra P. Smith Daniel George Cowden Kyrie Elizabeth Clemmer with Jacob Michael Shoener Blue Spencer-Elbostic Gabrielle R. Deans a minor in Film + Media Studies Dallas Taylor Emily Tann Patric Dempsey Nnamdi I. Ejim** Joseph Wagner Annemarie Tassoni Paige Flowers Aaron Forde Fenichell Hannah Wynne** Christen M. Franco Jahvi R. Thomason Ashley Marie Medina Viktor Freeling Georgina Esmeralda Vega Leah Anne Prather with Master of Music in Music Education Angela L. Robinson Jacqueline Kimura Yau a minor in Film + Media Studies HyeRi Yun Daniel Ryan Bulgarelli* Angel Jefferson Sydney B. Rosenzweig with Miranda Coghlan Davina Tiara Johnson a minor in Photography Bachelor of Science in Joshua Aaron Cooperstein Arielle Nicole Markstein Daniel William Rudolph with Industrial Design Mark John Crossley* Malaika Terrence Mebane with a minor in Music Business, Rebecca Dreyman* Ian Botes a minor in Film + Video Entrepreneurship + Technology Megan Elder* Cheuk Lam Law† Jason Mitrione Daniel Strauss Jordan Graef Misael Siegert-Wilkinson Zachary D. Peacock Joshua Wilkinson ShelleyAnn Greenberg* Zhi Hong Zhang† Olivia Kathleen Ripke with Adam William Michael Hackel Bachelor of Fine Arts in a minor in Photography MiJen Kathryn Hong** Game Art Peter Rub SCHOOL OF FILM Danielle Elizabeth Johnson* Ryan Schilling* Rylee P. Cassel with presented by Wendy Weinberg, dean Margaret Geneva Buchanan Sheneman** John H. Teesdale a minor in Art Education Andrew Garrett Snyder* Shymia Nakira Wallace Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jason D. Clibanoff** Sonia Straley* Nnyji A. Whitfield Animation Lukas K. Helgesen Nicholas Terramani* Mac Rose Kyle Michael Titmas* Bachelor of Fine Arts in Neil A. Andruski** Joan. J Swift** Steven E. Yoder* Illustration Jasmine A. Bradley Katherine Marie Wirtanen Quadijah Bullock Olivia A. Austin Chloe R. Carr Bachelor of Music in Brianna J. Ballinghoff Bachelor of Fine Arts in Skylar Anne Forrest Composition Arianna L. Bartolacci Photo + Film Alicia Glenn Colin Barry† Lauren N. Benson David Dunnington Rebecca Grier** Young Woo Cho Julia Bianchi Christine J. Obell Khyle Hightower Marco A. Newsome Asia S. Blackshear with Jhaneen P. Jones Jonathan K. Rose a minor in Creative Writing Bachelor of Fine Arts in Writing Skyler Keiser Mark F. Samani with Rachel C. Buccilli for Film + Television Cinthia Y. Navarro a minor in Music Business, Yanlei Cai Matthew D. Anderson Hannah S. Nowoslawski Entrepreneurship + Technology Donnie D’Amico Alexander J. Branco with Emma K. Oehlers Megan R. Short with Julia L. Davis a minor in Creative Writing Marcus J. Purnell a minor in Music Business, Logan DeCarme Nastasja Anjela Haughton with Tonya Amyrin Rice Entrepreneurship + Technology Skyler J. DePietro-Norbury a minor in Film + Video Kevin Rivera John DiMauro with Seph McAndrew Sydney Lyn Schaeffer a minor in Creative Writing Rhys N. Perih** Jacob I. Silverstein Emileigh P. Ebersole Benjamin Charles Waldman with Haley A. Slocum Sean C. Ellmore a minor in Film + Media Studies Marcus L. Smith, Jr. Arda Ergin† Benjamin Warren Sutherland** Stephanie Flores * Degree conferred August 2019 with a minor in Screenwriting Raphael R. Foer ** Degree conferred December 2019 † Anticipated degree conferral August 2020 DEGREE CANDIDATES
Bachelor of Music in Daniel T. Brower IRA BRIND SCHOOL Bachelor of Fine Arts in Instrumental Performance Stefano A. Cotugno OF THEATER ARTS Musical Theater Nicholas George Xavier Blum Stephen J. Davies Tess Olivia Ansbro** presented by David Howey, dean Jayden L. Bowie-West Nicholas J. Demalderis** Zachary Baccaro David Emmanuel Byrd with Hayley Elizabeth Dare Derbyshire Master of Fine Arts in Eleanor L. Borzilleri a minor in Music Business, Lou Diamond Devised Performance Fiona B. Chin Entrepreneurship + Technology Justin Robert Dudzinski† Brendan Connors with Connor Hogan** Jeung Hwan Cho** Vincent Duong a minor in Music Mark William Kennedy** Bryan P. Cowan with Dominic J. Ferrero Jeremy M. Cousar with Jacqueline Rose Libby** a minor in Music Business, Ian Michael Gold a minor in Music Business, Adam Montgomery** Entrepreneurship + Technology Craig Charles Hamilton Entrepreneurship + Technology Christine Octavia Shaw** Mark A. DeLucca** Nathaniel J. Hammer Boris Dansberry Jacinta Rasma Lee Yelland** Mark R. Eder Jooa Han** Matthew Donzella Jonathan R. Ford with Lucas Hegewisch Graduate Certificate in Alicia E. Easterday a minor in Music Education Mekhi D’Sean Jackson Devised Performance Isabel Marlee Gordon* Ryan Gravinese Sean M. Kelley Dana N. Grossman Tony Lamont Moaton, Jr. Hangyul Kim Kiara Laserna Jessie D. Hoffman Joseph Charles Lockwood with Yelim Lee Sarah Norcross Hough Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting a minor in Music Education James M. Licata** Daniel Jones John McDermott with Amber Park Jaz Blain Jocelyn P. Kilpatrick** a minor in Music Business, Janel N. Pascucci Angelina Rose Capone Lawrence J.D. Kinnon Entrepreneurship + Technology Jonah W. Pfluger** La’Needra Louise Luvenia Autumn N. Kirkpatrick Christopher Michael Taglianetti Arthur S. Rivell Cornelious with a minor in Anna Faye Lieberman with with a minor in Music Business, Stephen J. Robinson Creative Writing a minor in Creative Writing Entrepreneurship + Technology Valentina Rodriguez** Christian Flynn Madalyn A. Mackarey** Morgan Walbridge Daria M. Rolle-Vining† Stephen Robert Giordano Mary Jeanine McCabe with a minor in Music Business, Marchaina Roscoe with a Flynne Rebecca Hassler Kaitlyn N. McSalis** Entrepreneurship + Technology minor in Film + Media Studies with a minor in Musical Theater McKenna K. Mitchner-Kelley Zachary B. Weissberger with Ellis Rovin Michael T. Jernick Allison Marie Paleno a minor in Music Education Emily N. Rowe† Julienne M. Jordan Nicolette R. Palombo Benjamin Rubio Jacob Tyler Kemp Gregory K. Power Bachelor of Music in Fatima Saeed Mallory Kohn Kaytie J. Scott Vocal Performance Domenyka Alejandra Sarauz** Morgan Elizabeth MacConnell Malynne Elise Smith Robert H. Alston III† Alec G. Septien Lashaun Morgan with Georgiana Summers Melanie M. Ashe** with Nicholas Serafin a minor in Creative Writing David M. Tibbs** a minor in Music Education Benjamin T. Terwilliger Madison H. Pratt with Mae Waldron Gineasa A. Brice with Eric Richard Thomas a minor in Musical Theater Marlee R. Waleik a minor in Music Business, Joseph David Tocket† Winifred F. Schwed with Timothy S. Williams Entrepreneurship + Technology Brian Thomas Trifaro† a minor in Musical Theater Taylor B. Charles† with Christian Vernis** Aaron Grady Shaw Bachelor of Fine Arts in a minor in Music Education Rosalind Vo Darrell Alonzo Williams, Sr. Theater Design + Technology Walker John Clark Jonathan Winder* Corrine Celestia Meehan Hayley Elizabeth Dare Derbyshire Michael J. Wolfe** Bachelor of Fine Arts in Directing, Playwriting + Colin J. Sass Breyonna Zhane Evans† Mandii York with Cole M. Supsic Production Sophia Grace Hager† a minor in Songwriting Kat Wheary Soyeon Huh Brittney S. Anderson Jieling Lin with Azariah R. Baker† a minor in Music Education Courtney Cameron† Matthew Michael Moore† Joshua Davis Farner Adriana Nicole Orsini Zachary James Heckler Valerija Pabijanskas Devon K. Moreno Shannon Marie Rinker** Allison N. Mudd** Allison Santos Lezama with Hannah Sandler** a minor in Music Education Rudolf Schreiber Kodili P. Ukeekwe Elizabeth S. Smith** Anastassia A. Vertjanova** Bachelor of Science in Music Tamara Wheaten** Business, Entrepreneurship + Technology Annisstar Afriyie Arning† Joshua Ayers† Samuel Alexander Baron Charles R. Barrett IV Justin Thomas Bertrand * Degree conferred August 2019 ** Degree conferred December 2019 † Anticipated degree conferral August 2020 THE UNIVERSITY’S HISTORY UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC TRADITIONS
Celebrating its 142nd Commencement this year, University of the Arts is one of Led by the grand marshal carrying the University mace, the academic procession the nation’s only universities dedicated to the visual and performing arts, design and begins with the candidates for degrees, followed by the faculty from the three writing. The University evolved from two institutions that were each over a century colleges, who in turn are followed by the President’s Council, members of the old when they merged: Philadelphia College of Art (PCA) and Philadelphia College Board of Trustees, distinguished guests, chairman of the board and the president of Performing Arts (PCPA). of the University. PCA was established in 1876 as part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The tradition of academic regalia dates from the 12th and 13th centuries, when Together, they were originally known as the Pennsylvania Museum and the School universities were emerging from religious organizations. The tradition of a long robe of Industrial Art, created in response to the growing interest in art and art education for academia arrived in the country with the colonists and served as the norm at stirred by the country’s Centennial Exposition. In 1948, PCA changed its name to Harvard College, the College of William and Mary, and all American colleges and the Philadelphia Museum School of Art, reflecting expanded programs that trained universities founded in the two centuries thereafter. In 1932, the American Council artists in a variety of areas. The school received accreditation as a college in 1959 and on Education authorized a Committee on Academic Costumes and Ceremonies to in 1964, it separated from the museum to become Philadelphia College of Art. oversee the code for academic regalia. The performing arts programs of University of the Arts date back to 1868, when The gown for the bachelor’s degree has pointed sleeves and is designed to be three graduates of Germany’s Leipzig Conservatory opened Philadelphia Musical worn closed. The gown for the master’s degree has oblong sleeves, while the gowns Academy, one of the first European-style conservatories of music in the U.S. The of the doctoral degree have bell-shaped sleeves and are often trimmed with velvet. Academy became an independent college of music in 1950, one of only eight Black is the standard color for bachelor’s and master’s degree robes. Doctoral institutions in the nation to offer four-year Bachelor of Music degrees. The school degree robes may be black or of a special color and design as established by the changed its name to Philadelphia College of Performing Arts in 1976. One year particular institution. later, Philadelphia Dance Academy became part of PCPA and in 1983, the School of Master’s degree hoods are usually shorter than those for doctoral degrees. The color Theater was created, achieving the college’s ideal combination of dance, music and of the hood lining usually denotes the school’s official color, and the velvet trim, the theater arts. earned degree. For example, brown is the color reserved for fine arts degrees, pink In 1985, PCA and PCPA merged to become Philadelphia Colleges of the Arts, a for music, blue for philosophy, yellow/gold for science, purple for law and white collaboration that brought the institution one step closer to becoming the nation’s for literature. The color and shape of the hats and tassels are matters of national, first comprehensive arts university. After being granted university status in 1987, institutional or personal preference. University of the Arts became the largest institution of its kind in the nation, The presidential mace and medallion were designed, crafted and presented by offering programs in design, fine arts, media arts, crafts, music, dance and theater. In Richard H. Reinhardt BFA ’47 (Art Education) (1921–1998), faculty member, 1996, the University established the College of Media & Communication (CMAC), former dean of Philadelphia College of Art and professor emeritus. The medallion offering degrees in Communication, Writing for Film + Television and Multimedia. incorporates a medal coined in 1876 in honor of the United States Centennial and In 2011, CMAC and the College of Art & Design merged to form the College of the founding of the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art, a forerunner Art, Media & Design. In 2017, the University acquired Philadelphia Art Alliance, of University of the Arts. The medallion’s grosgrain ribbon neckpiece was designed an iconic, century-old exhibition and performance space, and a Philadelphia and woven by Warren Seelig, professor of Crafts. cultural gem. Students who graduate with academic honors wear stoles to denote their Today, approximately 1,800 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate accomplishments: red/white, honors/cum laude; silver/white, high honors/magna programs taught by almost 500 full- and part-time faculty members on the cum laude; and gold/white, highest honors/summa cum laude. University’s campus, located on Philadelphia’s vibrant Avenue of the Arts. The University’s undergraduate programs include Acting; Animation; Craft + Material Honor cords are also worn, indicating participation in honor societies and service Studies with concentrations in Ceramics, Fibers/Textiles, Glass, Jewelry/Metals activities. Red/white cords are for students in the University Honors Scholars or Wood/Furniture; Creative Writing with concentrations in Fiction or Poetry; program; blue/gold cords indicate members of Delta Alpha Pi, an honor society Dance; Directing, Playwriting + Production; Film + Animation; Film + Media for high-achieving students with disabilities; and red/gold cords are worn by those Studies; Film + Video; Film Design + Production; Fine Arts; Game Art; Graphic recognized by the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Purple cords indicate Design; Illustration; Industrial Design; Instrumental Performance; Music Business, Artists of Service—those who have been committed to serving the underprivileged Entrepreneurship + Technology; Music Composition; Musical Theater; Photo + Film and underserved communities in our area. Maroon/gold cords are worn by students Media; Photography; Theater Design + Technology; Vocal Performance; Writing for serving as resident assistants, and orientation and student community leaders. Black/ Film + Television; 5-Year BFA/MAT in Visual Arts-Art Education; and 5-Year BM/ red cords are given to those who serve their fellow students in the role of Academic MAT in Music Education. Achievement Program peer mentors, while silver/gold cords go to those serving as Advising Center peer tutors and writing fellows. Graduate programs include the nation’s only PhD in Creativity and master’s degrees in Book Arts + Printmaking, Dance, Devised Performance, Educational Program Design, Educational Technology, Jazz Studies, Product Design, Museum Communication, Museum Education, Museum Exhibition Planning + Design, Music Education, Studio Art, and Teaching Visual Arts. NOTES UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS 142ND COMMENCEMENT
ADVANCING HUMAN CREATIVITY
ADVANCING HUMAN CREATIVITY