More than 1,700 Graduating Students March in Adelphi's 122nd Commencement

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - May 22, 2018 - PRLog -- Annual Commencement ceremonies for Adelphi University graduating students took place Friday, May 18, at NYCB Live: Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. More than 1,700 graduating students included those completing bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees this spring or expecting to this summer, as well as those who completed degree requirements in Fall 2017.

Adelphi University President Christine M. Riordan shared a welcome with the graduates and guests, as did Board of Trustees Chair Ronald B. Lee '67, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Sam L Grogg, and Faculty Senate Chair and Professor Beth Christensen. Student speakers were Isuri Wijesundara, theatre arts major and Class of 2018 president, and Cristin Sauter, candidate for a Master of Social Work.  U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York also spoke to the graduating students and guests.

"Keep Adelphi in your hearts," said keynote speaker Richard Garner, dean of Adelphi's Honors College. "Support it in the years to come, because it's your school. It's an instrument of higher education—a forum for the creation and expression of ideas, for the transmission and creation of knowledge—and as such it's one of the means to make your future better and even a future beyond yours that none of us will see."

Other events leading up to Commencement included a Lavender Graduation Celebration to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally students and to acknowledge their achievements and contributions to the University and a Multicultural Graduation Celebration to recognize the academic achievements and contributions of underrepresented students. Commencement week events included the Nursing Pinning Ceremony on May 17 and the Doctoral Hooding, held in the afternoon following Commencement ceremonies.

See video of both Adelphi's Commencement (https://youtu.be/EhJiLNfUgx0) and Doctoral Hooding (https://youtu.be/SKrfOjteLZo).



Five graduating students featured in video profiles shared at Commencement

Rebecca Gotterbarn (https://youtu.be/Ib2O1Ex9Yl4), from Garden City South, New York, was a scholarship athlete in bowling and an Academic All-American, and worked in computer security in Adelphi's Office of Information Technology and as a campus tutor. She received her Bachelor of Science with a major in computer science and minor in history and plans to work in information security.

Lentz C. Lefevre (https://youtu.be/U9_G53ffA1M), from Huntington, New York, is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq, a former banker (including serving as an assistant vice president and business banker for Chase Bank in Huntington), and a Red Cross volunteer in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. He is completing a Master of Public Health and plans to become a physician.

Chitralekha Kar Pooja (https://youtu.be/T3yOW7co7dQ), from Dhaka, Bangladesh, was in Adelphi's Levermore Global Scholars program, established the United Nation Association-USA Adelphi Chapter, and worked to create a sustainable clothing supply chain in Bangladesh and a sustainable earning system for acid-attack victims. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and hopes to work in the sustainable clothing industry and for the United Nations.

Charlotte Champigny (https://youtu.be/RIdkTfm1x9k), from Harrison, New York, earned a bachelor's degree in biology—after overcoming two debilitating strokes suffered before she started college. With the help of many on campus, in particular the Bridges to Adelphi program, she received her degree and hopes to continue working in medical or scientific research. Also see a story about her (http://news.adelphi.edu/au_news/charlotte-champigny/) from earlier this year.

Matteo Cannavera (https://youtu.be/fpULChGjiKE), from Cagliari, Italy, was Italian Singles National Champion under 13 and a member of the Adelphi varsity men's tennis team, twice earning NE10 Player of the Year honors. Among his student experiences, he worked on the Adelphi Student Investment Fund, which actively manages a portion of the University's endowment funds. After earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance with a focus on blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, Matteo will continue to work at Morgenstern Capital in Manhattan, where he has been a junior analyst since last summer.

About Adelphi: A modern metropolitan university with a personalized approach to higher learning.

Adelphi University is a highly awarded, nationally ranked, powerfully connected doctoral research university offering exceptional liberal arts and sciences programs and professional training with particular strength in its Core Four—Arts and Humanities, STEM and Social Sciences, the Business and Education Professions, and Health and Wellness. Adelphi is dedicated to transforming students' lives through small classes, hands-on learning and innovative ways to support student success.

Founded in Brooklyn in 1896, Adelphi is Long Island's oldest private coeducational university. Today Adelphi serves nearly 8,000 students at its beautiful main campus in Garden City, New York—just 23 miles from New York City's cultural and internship opportunities—and at dynamic learning hubs in Manhattan, the Hudson Valley and Suffolk County, and online.

More than 100,000 Adelphi graduates have gained the skills to thrive professionally as active, caring citizens, making their mark on the University, their communities and the world.