Stony Brook University Celebrates 52nd Commencement Ceremony
6,459 degrees conferred at Long Island’s largest commencement
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Members of the Class of 2012 throw their caps in the air to celebrate their graduation. |
STONY BROOK, NY, May 23, 2012 – At Stony Brook University’s 52nd annual Commencement ceremony held on Friday, May 18, 2012, at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, nearly 6,500 students earned the right to turn their graduation tassels to the left, joining more than 150,000 proud alumni around the world whose lives and work personify the mission of Stony Brook University.
“Graduating from Stony Brook University means you have received a degree from one of the best universities in the world, one of the top 50 public universities in the U.S., and one of the 61 members of the Association of American Universities (AAU), the most prestigious research universities in North America,” said Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr., MD, during his commencement address.
At the ceremony, remarks were also delivered by U.S. Senator Charles Schumer; Glenn Dubin (’78), an entrepreneur, philanthropist and honorary degree recipient (one of four) who delivered the commencement address, and student speaker, Psychology major and Moscow native who grew up in Brooklyn, Miryam Yusufov. The student speaker is chosen by a panel of students and faculty based on an essay submitted and ultimately transformed into commencement remarks.
During the ceremony, Provost Dennis N. Assanis announced a five-way tie for the Ward Melville Valedictorian Award, the University’s most distinguished undergraduate honor named for the first chairperson of the Council of Stony Brook University. The Ward Melville Valedictorian Award goes to the graduating senior or seniors who have attained the most outstanding academic record during four years at Stony Brook. The five students that received the award with a 4.00 GPA are: Sean Fitzgerald (Environmental Studies & Marine Vertebrate Biology); Sean Hoffman (Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Economics); Jennifer Jung (English); Muntazim Mukit (Biochemistry); and Michelle Vessio (History, Teacher Preparation in Social Studies).
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Emilisa Trotman and Mark Maloof present President Stanley with a check for the Senior Class Gift of $13,500. |
Provost Assanis also announced a five-way tie for the H. Lee Dennison Valedictorian Award, named in honor of Suffolk County’s first chief executive and presented to the graduating senior or seniors who entered Stony Brook as a transfer student, completed at least 60 credits of letter-grade work at Stony Brook and attained the most outstanding academic record in that work. The five students that received the award with a 4.00 GPA are: Caroline Dwyer (Sustainability Studies); Andrew Jacobs (Cinema & Cultural Studies); Vincent Massa (Social Work); Carolyn Schumann (Psychology); and Xinyu Wang (Business Management).
On behalf of the Class of 2012, Emilisa Trotman (Sociology) and Undergraduate Student Government President Mark Maloof (Biochemistry) presented President Stanley with the Senior Class Gift of $13,500, the largest class gift in Stony Brook’s history. The Senior Class designated the gift to help support the Sunrise Fund at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, which raises awareness and funds to help children fighting cancer and provide support to their families.
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GRADUATION 2012 FAST FACTS
BACCALAUREATE 3,930
MASTER 1,598
DOCTORAL 457
CERTIFICATES 351
MD 123
MASTER/DOCTORATE BREAKDOWN
ADVANCED GRADUATE CERTIFICATES 66
MASTER OF ARTS 216
MASTER OF ARTS IN HIGHER
EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION 4
MASTER OF ARTS IN LIBERAL STUDIES 67
MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING 40
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 124
MASTER OF FINE ARTS 33
MASTER OF MUSIC 9
MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY 1
MASTER OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 37
MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH 24
MASTER OF SCIENCE 655
MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK 159
POST-MASTER’S ADVANCED
GRADUATE CERTIFICATES 36
POST-PROFESSIONAL MASTER OF SCIENCE 7
DOCTOR OF DENTAL SURGERY 38
POSTDOCTORAL DENTAL CERTIFICATE –
ADVANCED EDUCATION PROGRAMS 31
DOCTOR OF MEDICINE 123
DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS 27
DOCTOR OF NURSING PRACTICE 24
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 326
DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY 55
POST PROFESSIONAL DOCTOR
OF PHYSICAL THERAPY 19
WITH HONORS
SUMMA CUM LAUDE 268
MAGNA CUM LAUDE 278
CUM LAUDE 376
HONORS COLLEGE 59
HONOR SOCIETIES
ALPHA EPSILON DELTA 29
ALPHA KAPPA DELTA 5
ALPHA OMEGA ALPHA 20
ETA KAPPA NU 26
GOLD FOUNDATION 17
GOLDEN KEY 1,403
LAMBDA TAU 10
OMICRON KAPPA UPSILON 4
PHI ALPHA THETA 28
PHI BETA KAPPA 187
PHI SIGMA IOTA 4
PI SIGMA ALPHA 17
PI TAU SIGMA 18
PI THETA EPSILON 10
PSI CHI 83
SIGMA BETA 43
SIGMA PI SIGMA 16
SIGMA THETA TAU 127
TAU BETA PI 24
UPSILON PI EPSILON 7
© Stony Brook University 2012