MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT H UN UT IV O E M R S N I O T Y M N 3 3 E 9 W 1 J E R S E Y MAY TWELFTH, THIRTEENTH, NINETEENTH & TWENTIETH 202TWO THOUSAND TWENTY1 ONE WEST LONG BRANCH, NEW JERSEY ACADEMIC REGALIA The history of academic dress reaches far back into the earliest days of the oldest universities. A statute of 1321 required that all “Doctors, Licentiates, and Bachelors” of the University of Coimbra wear gowns. In England, in the second half of the 14th century, the statutes of certain colleges prescribed the wearing of a long gown. In the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe, the wearing of a robe often signified a degree candidate’s political or religious affiliation; in the northern universities and those of the British Isles, the robes signified that tuition and boarding fees of the wearer had been paid and also entitled him to special immunities in civil law, as well as providing him warmth at lectures and chapel. When American colleges and universities desired to adopt some suitable system of academic apparel, a conference held at Columbia University in 1895, made up of representatives from various institutions, drew up a “By-Law, Regulation, or Statute” for the establishment of a suitable code of academic dress for colleges and universities in the United States. This code, with modifications made in 1959 by the Committee on Academic Costumes and Ceremonies of the American Council on Education, is still in force; the costumes and colors, trimmings, and patterns you will see are traditional, and interpret both the degree and field of learning. The bachelor’s gown, designed to be worn closed, has pointed sleeves; the master’s gown, which may be worn open or closed, has an oblong sleeve open at the wrist that hangs down in the traditional manner. The rear part of its oblong shape is square cut, and the front part has the arc cut away. The doctor’s gown has bell-shaped sleeves. It may be worn open or closed. Black is the recommended color for all academic gowns. Bachelor’s and master’s gowns are untrimmed. Doctor’s gowns are faced with black velvet, with three bars across the sleeves; the color of the velvet may also be that which is distinctive to the degree, agreeing with that of the edging of the hood. In the 1960s, many American land-grant universities adopted the British and the Scottish tradition of using the official school color(s) for the robes of their doctoral recipients—for instance, Yale: sky blue; Harvard: crimson; University of Pennsylvania: scarlet and blue; Columbia: slate gray; Rutgers: scarlet and black. The colors you will see in the hoods of our faculty represent the various fields in which the degrees were taken: Apricot: Nursing Orange: Engineering Brown: Fine Arts Pink: Music Citron: Social Work Purple: Law Crimson: Journalism Sage Green: Physical Education Dark Blue: Philosophy Salmon Pink: Public Health Golden Yellow: Science Scarlet: Theology Green: Medicine Yellow-Brown: Commerce, Business, Accountancy Lemon-Yellow: Library Science White: Arts, Letters, Humanities Light Blue: Education The hoods, differing in length for the three degrees—bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s—are lined with the official colors of the university or college conferring the degree, usually with one color forming a chevron pattern over the other. Hoods are edged and bound with velvet or the color appropriate for the degree. You will see in our procession many hoods edged with dark blue, representing doctor of philosophy. Mortarboards are the approved headgear. The tassel, worn on the left side of the cap, may be gold if the holder has a doctor’s degree. H UN UT IV O E M R S N I O T Y M N 3 3 E 9 W 1 J E R S E Y Founded in 1933, Monmouth is a private, mid-sized, comprehensive university with a broad commitment to the liberal arts. Monmouth University offers 33 undergraduate and 26 graduate degree programs, including three doctoral programs. Students benefit from a rigorous academic experience, small classes, and professors who meet the highest standards for scholarship and teaching. Our students participate in more than 120 active clubs and organizations, including 14 fraternities and sororities, six media organizations, and an NCAA Division I athletics program fielding 23 teams. Monmouth’s beautiful 170-acre coastal campus, close to New York City and Philadelphia, includes a blend of historic landmarks and state-of-the-art facilities. 1 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jeana M. Piscatelli '01 '02M, Chair John A. Brockriede Jr. '07 '10M, Vice Chair Leslie N. Hitchner, Vice Chair Christopher D. Maher, Treasurer John C. Conover III, Secretary Miles J. Austin III '19 Jeremy Grunin Valerie Montecalvo Michael V. Benedetto, Esq. '90 Raymond G. Klose '77 Antoinette M. Musorrafiti Tasha A. Youngblood Brown '97 '03M Patrick F. Leahy, Ed.D. (Ex officio) Tavit O. Najarian, Sc.D. Thomas D. Byer '67 Nancy A. Leidersdorff '97 Michael A. Plodwick '82 Karyn F. Cusanelli '89 (Ex officio) Dean Q. Lin, FACHE Christopher W. Shaw Mary Vaden Eisenstadt Lisa McKean Webster B. Trammell Jr., Psy.D. '70 '73M Denis J. Gallagher '76 Thomas J. Michelli James S. Vaccaro III Stephen E. Gerard '89M LIFE TRUSTEES Marianne C. Hesse William B. Roberts Harold L. Hodes '65 TRUSTEES EMERITI Stanley S. Bey '59 John H. Kessler '69 Thomas A. Porskievies '82 '86M Alan E. Davis, Esq. Henry D. Mercer, III '87 '17HN Steven J. Pozycki '73 Paul S. Doherty Jr. '67 '04HN Stephen M. Parks '68 '07HN Alfred J. Schiavetti Jr. '11HN Judith Ann Eisenberg Charles T. Parton '01HN Robert B. Sculthorpe '63 '15HN Alfred L. Ferguson, Esq. '13HN STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION OFFICERS Naser Haroon, President Jenna Lee, Vice President Ariana Valencia, Director of Budgets David Fasolino & Marie Cox, Co-Chairs, Academic Affairs Committee Cameron Gaines, Director, Student Affairs Committee CLASS OF 2021 OFFICERS Christine Santoriello, President Robert Agosto, Vice President Alyssa Engel, Secretary Kailee Forlai, Treasurer 2 MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT May 12, 13, 19, 20, 2021 Rekha Datta, Ph.D., Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, Presiding PROCESSIONAL Pomp and Circumstance, Sir Edward Elgar PROVOST'S WELCOME GREETINGS CONFERRAL OF DEGREES IN COURSE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS ALMA MATER RECESSIONAL Trumpet Voluntary, Henry Purcell All commencement participants and guests are requested to remain in their seats until all of the ceremony participants process out. 3 DISTINGUISHED TEACHER AWARD 2021 RECIPIENT Michele Van Volkom, Ph.D. Senior Lecturer, Psychology Michele Van Volkom, Ph.D. joined the faculty of Monmouth University as an instructor in the Department of Psychology in the summer of 2003. She was promoted to senior lecturer on July 1, 2020. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Seton Hall University, and her master’s and Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Albany. She regularly teaches Introduction to Psychology, Psychology of Adulthood and Aging, and numerous research and laboratory courses, including Statistics and Thesis in Psychology. Her primary research interests are the relationship between birth order and personality as well as sibling relationships in adulthood. She supports students in numerous ways, including mentoring student presentations for scholarship week every year since its inception, and regularly presenting and publishing work with student co-authors. Van Volkom particularly enjoys service to her department and the University, as she is able to work with so many wonderful colleagues. Her past service has included being a member of multiple search committees, participating in various new student orientation events, service as a first year advisor, and being a member of the Undergraduate Academic Standards and Review Committee. Her current and ongoing service includes membership on Faculty Council as well as being a department advising coordinator for the Department of Psychology. In service to her field, she is a reviewer for several journals as well as for conference presentations, symposiums, and awards. She resides in Ocean Township with her husband, Joseph. A Message to the Graduates from Dr. Michele Van Volkom Dear Class of 2021, It is my honor to share in and celebrate this momentous occasion with you! I am sure over the past year you have often heard some variation of the word “challenge” due to the pandemic that has affected every corner of the world. But, the important part of this challenging time is that you are here…you made it…you overcame! The flexibility and fortitude you have shown to get to this point will serve you well during the inevitable new “challenges” you will face in the future. Remember the pride you feel today, and hold that feeling with you in the years to come. As you look toward the future, my advice is to always be grateful to those who have helped you succeed in your education. An education is not something to be taken for granted, and our accomplishments are made possible with the support of others, whether they be family, friends, significant others, or professors. As you embark on your respective careers and/or further education, surround yourself with wonderful mentors, as they will be key to not only realizing your dreams, but will help bring you happiness in your work. While easier said than done, always try to maintain a positive outlook on life and nurture the relationships that are most important to you. After all, research in psychology shows that optimism and a strong social support network leads to a longer, healthier life! I wish you all good health, success, love, peace, and joy in the years ahead. Congratulations! 4 UNDERGRADUATE & GRADUATE CANDIDATES Honors for spring undergraduate candidates and highest-ranking undergraduate degree recipients by department are included in the Spring Commencement program insert and published online at monmouth.edu/commencement.