Brooklyn College COMMENCEMENT May 27, 2021 The Star-Spangled Banner (The National Anthem) O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? Fanfare and Alma Mater On campus green, with towers of marble Lifting white spires in air. Oh, Brooklyn is our Alma Mater, And she is wondrous fair. Within the gray halls ever lit, The lamps of learning burn, And ever on to goals of glory Young eager spirits yearn. Traditional Tune, Arranged by Malcolm J. Merriweather Words by Robert Friend, Class of 1934 #BCGrad2021 Cheers to the Class of 2021! 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Brooklyn College Commencement Ceremony • May 27, 2021 Table of Contents Message From the President ........................................................................................................ 2 Message From the President of the Brooklyn College Alumni Association ....................................................................... 3 College Administration, Schools, Departments, and Interdisciplinary Programs ......................................................................................... 4 BC Celebrates: Resilience and Hope—Class of 2021 Virtual Celebration ........................................................................................................................ 6 Valedictorian ............................................................................................................................................... 7 Distinguished Alumna ....................................................................................................................... 8 Honorary Degree, Keynote Speaker .................................................................................... 9 Candidates for Graduation ............................................................................................................ 10 Honor Societies ........................................................................................................................................ 33 Special Programs ..................................................................................................................................... 33 The Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn College Foundation, Inc. ............................................................................... 34 The Board of Directors of the Brooklyn College Alumni Association ....................................................................... 34 The Board of Trustees of The City University of New York .......................... 35 Commencement Planning Team ............................................................................................ 35 Disclaimer ...................................................................................................................................................... 35 Brooklyn College Commencement Ceremony • May 27, 2021 Message From the President Congratulations on graduating from Brooklyn College, Class of 2021! Today is a day to celebrate the great determination, knowledge, and ambition that brought you to this moment. I am proud of you. Your family and friends are proud of you. And the staff and faculty at Brooklyn College are proud of you. Each of you spent more than a year overcoming the life-changing obstacles brought on by both a global pandemic and tremendous social upheaval. You have persevered to obtain your college degree during one of the most challenging time periods that many of us will experience in our lifetime. You stayed strong and rallied. You made it. And with your Brooklyn College degree, you join a network of more than 160,000 alumni around the world whose successes are rooted in a legacy of intellectual rigor, respect for diversity, and global citizenship. Many thanks and appreciation to the alumni, trustees, distinguished guests, staff, faculty, family, and friends who have joined together today to applaud you. Our very best wishes to each of you in all your future endeavors. Cheers to the Class of 2021! Michelle J. Anderson President 2 Brooklyn College Commencement Ceremony • May 27, 2021 Message From the President of the Brooklyn College Alumni Association Congratulations, Class of 2021! Your dedication, perseverance, and resilience during these unprecedented times have paid off. With an invaluable Brooklyn College education and a wealth of unique experiences, you are well-equipped for this new beginning. I know you will go far. It is my distinct honor to welcome you to the Brooklyn College Alumni Association (BCAA), an exceptional community with over 160,000 members. With the support of the Office of Alumni Engagement, the BCAA aims to keep you connected to each other and our alma mater. As esteemed members, you will continue to hear from us about ways to stay connected and engaged. Congratulations again on your graduation from Brooklyn College. We are proud to celebrate you and excited to see you take off into the world. Welcome to our alumni family! Agnes Ford ’69 President, Brooklyn College Alumni Association 3 Brooklyn College Commencement Ceremony • May 27, 2021 College Administration Michelle J. Anderson ......................................................................President Anne Lopes ...................................Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Alan Gilbert .....................................Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Zunera Ahmed .....................................................Special Assistant to the President Lillian O’Reilly .............................Vice President for Enrollment Management and Retention Ronald C. Jackson ..................................................Vice President for Student Affairs Todd M. Galitz ......................................... Vice President for Institutional Advancement Tony Thomas ................................................. Chief Legal & Labor Relations Officer Anthony Brown ............................................................. Chief Diversity Officer Schools, Departments, and Interdisciplinary Programs Murray Koppelman School of Business—Qing Hu, Dean Department Chairs Daniel Tinkelman ....................................................................Accounting James Lynch ...............................................................Business Management Yehuda Klein .........................................................................Economics Hong-Jen Lin * ...........................................................................Finance School of Education—April Whatley Bedford, Dean Department Chairs Hanna Haydar ........................................Childhood, Bilingual, and Special Education Jacqueline Shannon .................................... Early Childhood Education/Art Education Florence Rubinson ................................. School Psychology, Counseling and Leadership Eleanor Miele ...............................................................Secondary Education School of Humanities and Social Sciences—Kenneth Gould, Dean Department Chairs Prudence Cumberbatch ..........................................................Africana Studies David Schur .............................................................................Classics Susan Longtin ...................................... Communication Arts, Sciences, and Disorders Ellen Tremper ...........................................................................English Philip Napoli ............................................................................History David Brodsky .....................................................................Judaic Studies Alejandro Alonso ..............................................Modern Languages and Literatures Robert Lurz ......................................................................... Philosophy Immanuel Ness ..................................................................Political Science Alan Aja ......................................................... Puerto Rican and Latino Studies Timothy Shortell .......................................................................Sociology 4 Brooklyn College Commencement Ceremony • May 27, 2021 Schools, Departments, and Interdisciplinary Programs (cont’d) School of Humanities and Social Sciences (cont’d) Interdisciplinary Program Directors and Coordinators Jocelyn Wills. American Studies Dale Byam .....................................................................Caribbean Studies Katherine Hejtmanek .................................................Children and Youth Studies Sharona Levy ................................................................... Communication Jonathan Nissenbaum .................................................................Linguistics Lauren Mancia ................................................................ Studies in Religion Rebecca Boger ...............................................................Urban Sustainability Namulundah Florence ............................................... Women’s and Gender Studies School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences—Peter Tolias, Dean Department Chairs Jillian