Macaulay Class of 2015 Commencement Program

COMMENCEMENT
2015
MAC AU LAY ~ TH E H O N O RS C O LLEGE at THE CIT Y UNIVERSIT Y of NEW YOR K
Commencement Exercises
June 2, 2015
Avery Fisher Hall
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
a transformative journey
through service
Last summer, I was one of the Macaulay Global Brigades presidents leading a group of
60 students on a medical, public health, and environmental service trip in Panama. Over
the course of one week, Macaulay students worked together with community members
to help them meet their health and economic goals. Each day, when our work was
done, we returned back to our lodging for homemade meals, and we ended the day
by holding reflections outside under the starry night sky. Reflection, to me, has always
created a safe space to ask questions, to critique our work, and to briefly appreciate
the lives we lived back home. On the final night of the trip, I concluded the reflection
session with a speech about my Macaulay journey, starting with my first Macaulay Global
Brigades service trip three summers ago.
That trip was my first ever service trip, back when I was still a pre-medical student,
feeling exhausted after conquering Biology and Chemistry all in one go. My most
memorable memory from that trip was when a young mother visited our clinic, carrying
her infant on one arm and a manila envelope on the other. Inside the envelope were
medical documents and x-rays, and inside her infant was an unknown heart disease,
which the mother never realized until the doctor explained the documents and x-rays
to her. But even after understanding her child’s situation, she did not have the $6 for
transportation and the $20 for further testing. Finding time was also an issue. From
sunrise to sunset, she fed and watched over her other children and tended the crops
by the hillsides. The doctor, stumped at the situation, urged the mother to come back
the next day when a plan of action would be determined. That night, lying on my top
bunk under the mosquito net, I stared at the ceiling, reflecting for hours and comparing
peoples’ lives here to those in New York City. Soon enough, my thoughts converged into
this question: “What is my place in this world?” This challenged my perspective in service
work, converting feelings of sympathy into a desire to act. Usually, revelations would
stop there and fade away—but thanks to Macaulay, it manifested into a journey of
ceaseless growth. So to the 60 students still listening to my speech, I ended the speech
by describing how I found my true passion in public health and medical anthropology,
pursued my life-long dream of volunteering in the Philippines, and turned service into a
platform for empowering fellow students.
Now fellow graduates, I invite you all to ask yourselves, “What was your Macaulay journey
like?” As you briefly run through the memories of your past four years at Macaulay, ask
yourselves now, what would happen if you were never given an Opportunities Fund?
What would also happen if your tuition was not covered? For me, without the full fouryear scholarship, the Opportunities Fund, and Macaulay’s genuine value in the student
experience, I can’t imagine what I would be doing instead. Would I have to push back my
life-long dream of volunteering in the Philippines because of financial restraints? Would
I still be the same individual I am now, with well-defined passions and goals? Would I
leave this hall in debt?
Throughout our Macaulay journey, we sometimes forget to take a moment to look
back and appreciate the experiences that led us to where we are now. But let us also
take those experiences—those moments of successes and failures, those times of
achievements and disappointments, and those periods of sanity and insanity—and
grab hold of them, never letting them be sealed away as we start the next chapter of
our lives. As you step out of this room and into the real world, keep this final question
in mind: With the investment made in your Macaulay journey, how will you give back
to Macaulay and to your community? If you reflect back on your Macaulay journey and
appreciate all that has been done, the answer will surely come to you. Thank you.
Geoffrey Mercene
Brooklyn College
dedication
to the class of 2015
—Joseph Berger, Visiting Professor
I feel lucky to have had the pleasure of teaching about 20 members of the Class of 2015
in the “Peopling of New York” course, and in whatever ways I was able to enlighten them
I also learned a lot. What I was reminded of time after time by my students was the
privilege—yes privilege--of having to struggle, of having to strive to do better and be
better when there’s no cushioned fallback. The students I’ve had at Macaulay—and I bet
it’s true of the entire graduating class--have been immigrants from two dozen nations
curious at what else America has to offer, or relative newcomers to New York breathlessly
astonished by this clamorous, electrifying city, or children of modest breadwinners taking
advantage of Macaulay’s high quality and more than reasonable price. They all have come
to class with the hunger to achieve, perhaps to rise above their roots but usually mindful
that failure or second-rate work was not an option because there was no safety net
awaiting them. That has given them something special--a fire in the belly, a persistence
and resilience that will serve them well beyond Macaulay through the careers and lives
they shape.
The great boxer Joe Louis said at the end of his life “I did the best I could with what I
had.” And what he did was remarkable. But you the graduates of Macaulay seem to reach
even deeper into yourselves, find the resources to go a step or two beyond what you
anticipated. That zest will take you far in whatever you do. Never lose it, stay curious,
go back to doors that seem to close and knock on them a different way. And cherish
what you already have, your families and your friends. There will be setbacks, perhaps
aplenty, but setbacks can often be challenges in disguise and in retrospect are often
seen as blessings. And always keep your eyes open for the possibilities life offers. There
are countless ones and there for the plucking by those like you who realize life comes
with struggle, which builds muscle, accomplishment and ultimately real wisdom.
Congratulations to you all!
the macaulay equation
In 2013, Macaulay Honors College honored Chancellor Emeritus Matthew Goldstein during
commencement for his vision and leadership. The Macaulay Equation, a mathematical formula by
Andrea Cella ’13, College of Staten Island, was presented to Matthew Goldstein to symbolize the
endless possibilities afforded for
Macaulay and its students.
The Macaulay Equation was later introduced to the Class of 2017 at freshman orientation when
students are gathered for the first time to engage in community building activities. The delta symbol
Δ which was originally incorporated into the formula to represent Matthew Goldstein, was reimagined
to exemplify each student.
The limit of the Macaulay Equation is equal to infinity. It represents everyone in the Macaulay
community. Macaulay Honors College ties us to each other and the ways that we are connected are as
infinite as the ripple effect of each student who crosses the stage during commencement.
order of
exercises
Pre-Commencement Concert
The Lehman College Wind Ensemble
Alan Hollander, Director
Processional
Marshal for the Academic Procession
Owen Gutfreund, Associate Professor of Urban
Affairs & Planning, Hunter College
Greetings
Trustee Judah Gribetz
Board of Trustees
The City University of New York
Judy Bergtraum
Interim Vice Chancellor
The City University of New York
Commencement Address
Fareed Zakaria
Star-Spangled Banner
Anniversary Video
The Macaulay Triplets
Remarks from the Class of 2005
Raj Basak ’15, City College
Alex Hajjar ’15, Brooklyn College
Nicholas Leung ’18, Baruch College
Alexandra Marks ’16, Brooklyn College
Anthony Massa ’17, College of Staten Island
Virginia Milieris ’14, Hunter College
Christy Ng ’18, Lehman College
Emily Stone ‘17, Hunter College
Satchel Tangonan ‘15, City College
Christopher Ushay ‘17, City College
Yosef Ibrahimi, Queens College
Introductions
Joseph Ugoretz
Associate Dean, Teaching, Learning & Technology
Remarks from the Class of 2015
Geoffrey Mercene, Brooklyn College
Macaulay Alma Mater
Hearken Well (O Macaulay)
The Macaulay Triplets and All Assembled
Presentation of the Graduates
Mary Pearl, Provost and Senior Associate Dean
Joseph Ugoretz, Associate Dean
Welcome
Conferral of the Academic Degrees
Ann Kirschner
Dean
Ann Kirschner
Dean
Recessional
Guests are requested to remain at their seats
during the recessional
degree candidates
Bachelor of Arts
Indira Abiskaroon, Hunter College
Art History, Latin & Greek, Special Honors
Program
Jessica Astudillo, Hunter College
Psychology
Marinna Bradfield, Queens College
French, Italian Grades 7-12
Cyril Abraham, Brooklyn College
Religion, Chemistry
Nicole Avento, Hunter College
Environmental Studies,
Women & Gender Studies
Patrick Brazil, Hunter College
Mathematics
Zachary Adler, Queens College
Psychology and Neuroscience
Simon Ayzman, Hunter College
Computer Science
Daniel Afonin, Hunter College
Psychology
Zohar Bachiry, Queens College
Urban Studies
Ebrahim Afshinnekoo, Queens College
Environmental Sciences: Geology
Nahid Bakhtari, Baruch College
Biological Sciences, Psychology
Amandeep Ahluwalia, Brooklyn College
Biology, Psychology
Sherifa Baldeo, Hunter College
Psychology
Nadeem Ahmad, City College
Economics
Clarissa Baquiran, Queens College
Music
Mehreen Ahmed, Queens College
Psychology & Neuroscience,
Anthropology, Psychology
Aniqa Bari, Brooklyn College
Psychology
Nabil Ahmed, Brooklyn College
Film Production
Michael Akyuz, Brooklyn College
Chemistry
Duwa Alebdy, Hunter College
Psychology
Amanda Alessi, College of Staten Island
Science Letters & Society (Education)
Aisha Ali, Queens College
Anthropology, Psychology & Neuroscience
Sarah Allam, Brooklyn College
Journalism
Lila Altman, Hunter College
Chinese Language & Literature, Music
Emmanuel Aprilakis, Hunter College
Classical Studies
William Arguelles, Hunter College
English Literature, Psychology, Special
Honors Program
David Arteaga, Hunter College
Political Science
Kaitlyn Barry, Hunter College
Psychology
Michael Bavalsky, Brooklyn College
History
Tyler Bay, Queens College
Media Studies
Carlsky Belizaire, Queens College
Political Science
Chana Ben-Zacharia, Hunter College
Psychology, Theatre
Daisy Berisha, Lehman College
Psychology
Monika Brzostowska, Queens College
Environmental Studies
Reinard Bukalan, Queens College
Media Studies
Nicholas Burney, Hunter College
Psychology
Karissa Caputo, Queens College
Spanish Grades 7-12
Natasha Chait, Queens College
Psychology
Harry Kuan C Chen, Lehman College
French, Biology
Jessie Chen, Hunter College
Chemistry, Music
Shannon Chen, Baruch College
Psychology, Writing
Wooyoung Cho, Queens College
Chemistry
Constantine Christodoulou, City College
Economics, Psychology
Peace Chung, Baruch College
Business Communications
Stephanie Chung, Lehman College
English, Multimedia Studies
Muhammad Bhutta, Brooklyn College
Psychology
Sean Coffey, Hunter College
Chinese Language & Literature, Political
Science
Tyler Bianco, Queens College
Physics
Elizabeth Coluccio, Brooklyn College
English, Journalism
Allison Bigelow, City College
English
Caitlin Corona, Queens College
Environmental Studies
Lauren Blachorsky, Queens College
Biology, Neuroscience
Renee Cotsis, Baruch College
Psychology
Thomas Bolan, Hunter College
English Literature
Kathryn Cox, Queens College
Mathematics, Elementary and Early
Childhood Education
“The perks of being a Macaulay student represent Macaulay’s greater belief in what we
can all do when given a space to reimagine possibilities.”
Zohar Bachiry, Queens College
Nicholas Crispi, Hunter College
Economics, Math/Statistics & Applied
Mathematics (BA/MA)
Zachary Frenkel, Queens College
Political Science
Samuel Jenkelowitz, Brooklyn College
Economics
Michael Fuzaylov, Brooklyn College
Economics
Thomas Gamble, City College
English
Emily Jennings, Queens College
English Grades 7-12
Elliot Gangaram, Queens College
Mathematics, Economics
Maria Kakurina, Hunter College
Psychology, Mathematics
Paula Garcia-Salazar, City College
International Studies, Political Science
Caroline Kaleda, Hunter College
English Literature, Psychology
Veronica Gavryushenko, Baruch College
Business Communications
Isuree Katugampala, Brooklyn College
Anthropology
Sarah Giglio, College of Staten Island
Science Letters and Society (Education)
Martin Keenaghan, Hunter College
English Literature
Alexandra Ginzburg, Hunter College
Economics, Russian
Saveliy Kelebeyev, Hunter College
Chemistry, Economics
Danielle Gold, Hunter College
Media Studies
Leah Khukhashvili, Queens College
Linguistics: General
Michael Grasberg, Hunter College
Actuarial Science, Psychology
Rita Kirzhner, Hunter College
Economics, Psychology
Grecia Huesca Dominguez,
Lehman College, English
Hunter Gross, Hunter College
Chinese Language & Literature,
Political Science
Christine Kitson, Hunter College
Media Studies
Rosemarie Dominguez, Queens College
Communication and Science Disorders
Mitchell Guido, Queens College
Music, Music Education
Michael Dorman, Queens College
Accounting
Joanna Gustek, Baruch College
Actuarial Science
Karen Du, Hunter College
Childhood Education 1-6 Quest, English
Literature
Jason Haber, Hunter College
Political Science, Religion
Sylvia Czander, Brooklyn College
Classics, Linguistics
Juliana Daxland, Queens College
Linguistics: General
Yvette Deane, Queens College
Political Science, Sociology
Anastasia Deda, Queens College
Economics
Hayley Desmond, Hunter College
Biological Sciences
Richard Destefano, Hunter College
Chemistry
Joseph Didonato, Brooklyn College
Creative Writing, Psychology
Catherine Dinh-Le, Lehman College
Art
Thomas Doherty, Hunter College
English Literature, Religion
Caroll Dweck, Hunter College
Psychology
Nada Elmansy, Hunter College
Chemistry, Political Science
Juliel Espinosa, Hunter College
Chemistry
Anthony Fandacone, Baruch College
Actuarial Science, Psychology
Jonathan Farrell, Brooklyn College
Television and Radio
Dylan Faughey, City College
Economics, Political Science
Alannah Fehrenbach, Brooklyn College
Communication, Film
Ben Flikshteyn, Hunter College
Chemistry, Economics
Thomas Flynn, Hunter College
English Literature, Film
Danielle Frastai, Brooklyn College
Art
Kevin Ju, Hunter College
Mathematics
Viktoriya Konstantinova, Baruch College
Psychology
Sabina Korman, Hunter College
Chemistry
Nicola Kornbluth, Queens College
Economics
Alexander Hajjar, Brooklyn College
English Teacher, Grades 7-12
Malamo Koutsogiannis, Hunter College
Spanish, Mathematics Adolescent
Education (BA/MA)
Daniel Hart, Hunter College
Chemistry, Economics
Eric Kramer, Hunter College
Chemistry, Classical Studies
Thomas Hart, Hunter College
Biological Sciences
Anastasiya Kryukova, Hunter College
Psychology
Arleny Henriquez, Hunter College
Psychology
Richard Kuan, Hunter College
Studio Art, Chinese Language& Literature
Christine Hirt, Hunter College
Environmental Studies, Religion
Gayoung Kwon, Baruch College
History
Seong Im Hong, Hunter College
Psychology, Women & Gender Studies
Cyrus Lalkaka, Hunter College
Geography
Jack Houlton-Vinyl, Hunter College
English Literature, Special Honors Program
Brian Lamberta, Hunter College
Urban Studies
Oliver Houser, Hunter College
Music
James Lambros, Hunter College
Media Studies
Gidget Irizarry, Hunter College
English Literature, Art Studio
Michael Lanci, Hunter College
Environmental Studies, Political Science
Naomi Isaac, Brooklyn College
History
Laura Landaw, City College
International Studies, Area Studies:
Black-Puerto Rican-Jewish Studies
Hillary Jaramillo, Brooklyn College
Chemistry
“People here believe in us, whether it be the administration, faculty, advisors and/or
classmates, even when we couldn’t believe in ourselves.”
Maryam Esperanza Razaz, Brooklyn College
Elizabeth Langer, Queens College
Studio Art, Psychology
Anastasia Martinova, Baruch College
Psychology
Jacqueline Larsen, Brooklyn College
Psychology
Natasha Masub, Brooklyn College
Sociology
Erika Larsen, Hunter College
Philosophy
Johanna Mattsson, Baruch College
Journalism, Psychology
Taylor Latrowski, Hunter College
English Literature, Media Studies,
Special Honors Program
Reva Mcaulay, Hunter College
Environmental Studies
Joseph Lawlor, Lehman College
Economics, History
Jae-Eun Lee, Baruch College
Liberal Arts
Alexander Lemell, Hunter College
Philosophy, Psychology
Raymond Liang, Hunter College
Biological Sciences, Computer Science
Jason Liggayu, City College
Economics
Jeffrey Lin, Hunter College
Chinese Language & Literature, Psychology
Christina McEachern, Hunter College
Media Studies
Genevieve McNamara, Hunter College
History, Special Honors Program
Bryan Medina, Hunter College
Psychology, Russian
Malka Mermelstein, Brooklyn College
Psychology
Jaclyn Miceli, College of Staten Island
Science Letters & Society (Education)
Virginia Milleris, Hunter College
Media Studies, Psychology
Kevin Lin, Hunter College
Psychology
Chelsea Minuche, Hunter College
Chinese Language & Literature, Political
Science
Rose Lin, Hunter College
English Literature, Philosophy
Kevin Mishan, Hunter College
Chemistry, History
Alyssa Lopez, Queens College
History
Rebekah Misir, Lehman College
Mathematics
Min Lu, Hunter College
Classical Studies
Patrick Moy, Hunter College
Chemistry
Chrisinda Lynch, City College
English
Asha Moye, Hunter College
Psychology
Rui Yan Ma, Queens College
Physics, Mathematics
David Musheyev, Hunter College
Biological Sciences
Ayala Magder, Queens College
Environmental Studies,
Urban Studies (BA/MA)
Victoria Myszko, Hunter College
Childhood Education 1-6 Quest, Geography
Shirley Mak, Queens College
Music
Linda Maleh, Baruch College
Psychology
Bianca Malhotra, Hunter College
Economics
Linda Manchery, Brooklyn College
Religion, Chemistry
David Mandil, Baruch College
Psychology
Charles Maniego, Queens College
Biology, Sociology
Mark Markov, Brooklyn College
History
Diane Narouz, College of Staten Island
English
Nicholas Nelson, Baruch College
Economics
Nicole Ng, Hunter College
Biological Sciences
Brieanna Ngui, Brooklyn College
Communication, Psychology
Alexandra Nicoletti, Queens College
Music, Psychology
Slavena Salve Nissan, Hunter College
Biological Sciences
Natalia Oliver, Lehman College
Political Science, Philosophy
Rael Olivera, Lehman College
Psychology
“When hard times hit, do not dwell on your failures; get back up and take advantage of
every opportunity in front of you—it might only come once.”
Carlsky Belizaire, Queens College
Elissa Olivera, Queens College
Communication and Science Disorders,
Environmental Sciences: Geology
Marisa Oppenheim, Queens College
Economics, Accounting
Christina Oros, Brooklyn College
Speech Language, Pathology, Audiology
Gargi Padki, City College
International Studies
Cali Paetow, Brooklyn College
Television and Radio
Danica Pagulayan, Hunter College
English Literature, Women & Gender Studies
Ashley Palma, Queens College
English
Karen Paltoo, Queens College
Anthropology
Demetra Panagiotopoulos,
Hunter College
Psychology
Ji Won Park, Hunter College
English Literature
Kush Patel, Brooklyn College
Chemistry
Joseph Pearl, Hunter College
Geography
Ramona Persaud, Hunter College
Chemistry, Psychology
Sanya Pesic, Hunter College
Chinese Language & Literature, Psychology
Julia Peters, Brooklyn College
Women and Gender Studies
Aruna Phekoo, Queens College
Psychology & Neuroscience
Angela Pitto, Hunter College
Economics
Shanika Powell, Hunter College
Film
Juliet Prieto, Hunter College
Chemistry
Elizabeth Pysher, Hunter College
French, Mathematics
Aamir Qureshi, Queens College
Psychology & Neuroscience
Thomas Rachko, Hunter College
History, Political science
Mikhail Relushchin, Baruch College
Political Science
Jacqueline Retalis, Brooklyn College
History
Justin Rhoda, Hunter College
Mathematics, Economics (BA/MA)
Shivani Sharma, Brooklyn College
Economics, Political Science
Francesca Teora, Hunter College
Psychology
Christian Ribeiro, Hunter College
Political Science, Spanish
Jacqueline Shay, Queens College
Psychology & Neuroscience, Psychology
Jonathan Tepp, Queens College
Biology
Samantha Riddell, Hunter College
Media Studies
Chloe Sheffer, Hunter College
Psychology, Russian
Igor Teslya, Hunter College
Psychology
Maximilian Rief, City College
English, Political Science
Brian Shin, Hunter College
Biological Sciences, Psychology
James Thomas, Brooklyn College
Chemistry, Religion
George Ritorto, College of Staten Island
Psychology
Muhammad Shoaib, Hunter College
Biological Science, Chemistry
Jessen Thomas, Brooklyn College
Biology, Classics
Gianni Rivera, Hunter College
Political Science
Carmen Shum, Baruch College
Business Communications
Tanya Tinajero, Hunter College
Economics
Aleksey Rodionov, College of Staten Island
Political Science
Stephanie Sica, Baruch College
Business Journalism
Jacqueline Tosto, Hunter College
Political Science
Christian Rojas, Hunter College
Chemistry
Graham Siegling, Hunter College
Dance, German
Suki Tsang, Brooklyn College
Chemistry
Anastasia Romanova, Hunter College
French, Philosophy
Muhtasham Sifaat, Lehman College
Psychology
Kevin Tseng, Hunter College
English Literature
Esther Rong, Hunter College
Biological Sciences
Caroline Sigler, Hunter College
Computer Science, History
Kaity Tung, Hunter College
Biological Sciences
Laura Rooney, Hunter College
Anthropology
Pawandeep Singh, Brooklyn College
Psychology
Bonnie Rose, Queens College
Political Science
Steven Sklyarevskiy, Baruch College
Psychology
Demelio Urbano, Hunter College
Biological Sciences, Psychology,
Special Honors Program
Mina Rostrom, Baruch College
Philosophy
Jason Sloan, Hunter College
Biological Sciences, English Literature
Lenny Rostomian, Hunter College
Biological Studies, Classical Studies
Daniel Sokolovsky, Hunter College
Statistics
Samantha Rotenberg, Queens College
Psychology
Sergey Sorokin, Baruch College
Actuarial Science
Sohail Sakkari, Hunter College
Biological Sciences
Shayna Sosnowik, Queens College
Psychology and Neuroscience
Joseph Salem, Hunter College
Media Studies, Music
Michael Stivers, Hunter College
Philosophy
Zachary Sandman, Brooklyn College
American Studies
Dylan Sun, Hunter College
Chemistry, Statistics
Daniel Scarpati, Brooklyn College
Film, Television & Radio
Matthew Sunday, City College
Political Science
Meagan Schlapp, Hunter College
Chemistry
Abhinaya Swaminathan, Baruch College
Economics, Liberal Arts
Daniel Schwartz, Queens College
Biology
Joseph Szpigiel, Queens College
Chemistry
Sarah Settineri, Hunter College
Media Studies, Political Science
Shima Tafreshi, Hunter College
Chemistry, French
Ramim Shafi, Hunter College
Chemistry
Michael Taft, Hunter College
Psychology
Rawan Shafi, Queens College
Psychology
Kiran Tak, Queens College
Psychology & Neuroscience, Psychology
Alexi Shalom, Hunter College
Sociology
Victoria Tang, Brooklyn College
Art History, French
Joseph Valerio, Brooklyn College
Political Science, Psychology
Rosita Valle, Hunter College
English Literature, Psychology
Ashley Van Der Griten, Hunter College
Media Studies
Avichai Vazana, Queens College
Mathematics
Vlad Velicu, Hunter College
Chemistry, English Literature
Vishal Vig, Queens College
Psychology & Neuroscience
Gabriela Voll, Hunter College
Computer Science, Studio Art
Jessica Von Tresckow, Hunter College
Economics, German Language & Literature,
Political Science
Tomasz Wasik, Hunter College
Chemistry
David Russell Weiss-Irwin, City College
Political Science
Hannah Westerman, Hunter College
Psychology, Sociology
Divina Wiley, College of Staten Island
Psychology
Rebecca Wojsnis, Queens College
Anthropology, English
“Studying abroad made me the person that I am today. Without Macaulay such a trip
would not have been possible.”
Raubern Totanes, City College
Phoebe Wolfe, Hunter College
English Literature
Alda Yuan, Hunter College
Chemistry, History
Tina Zarbaliev, Hunter College
Media Studies, Political Science
Jodi Wong, Queens College
Communication and Science Disorders
Jennifer Zagelbaum, Hunter College
Biological Sciences
Kelvin Wu, Baruch College
Business Communications
Katarzyna Zajac, Queens College
Anthropology, Psychology
Mona Zeitoun, Hunter College
Art Studio, Chinese Language & Literature,
Political Science
Shu Shu Wu, Hunter College
Psychology
Sylvia Zaki, Queens College
Communication and Science Disorders,
Psychology
Vita Xie, Brooklyn College
Sociology
Wangzikang Zhang, Hunter College
Chemistry
Macaulay Honors College recognizes the absence of Raphael Blanco who would have graduated this spring from Baruch College.
Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts
Nicholas Crispi, Hunter College
Economics (BA), Math/Statistics & Applied
Mathematics
Gregory Dreifus, Hunter College
Mathematics, Statistics & Applied
Mathematics
Ayala Magder, Queens College
Urban Studies, Environmental Studies (BA)
Justin Rhoda, Hunter College
Economics, Mathematics (BA)
Helena Mapoy, Hunter College
Adolescent Education (Physics)
Rebecca Zielkowski, Hunter College
Adolescent Education: Mathematics
Lara Porter, Hunter College
Economics
Bachelor of Architecture
Noshin Apurba, City College
Architecture
Simit Christian, City College
Architecture
Bachelor of Business Administration
Oriana Asano, Baruch College
Marketing Management
Kelly Chan, Baruch College
Management
Alice Cogan, Baruch College
Finance
Maksim Avrakh, Baruch College
Finance
Richard Chan, Baruch College
Statistics & Quantitative Modeling
Narciso Correa, Baruch College
Computer Information Systems
Abdullah Ayaz, Baruch College
Finance
Christopher Chang, Baruch College
Finance
Krystal Dong, Baruch College
Accounting
Isadore Betesh, Baruch College
Management
Vincent Chen, Baruch College
Statistics & Quantitative Modeling
Edson Flores, Baruch College
Economics
Taylor Biegel, Baruch College
Finance
Megan Chiu, Baruch College
Accounting
Josh Gross, Baruch College
Economics
Teressa Cali, Brooklyn College
Business Administration
Min Jee Choi, Baruch College
Management
Mariama Gueye, Baruch College
Human Resource Management
“Whether I talk to you every day, I’ve met you only a handful of times, or not at all—
the collective Macaulay support is something I would be lost without.”
Rebecca Wojsnis, Queens College
Michelle Guo, Baruch College
Marketing Management
Wai-Yu Lin, Baruch College
Marketing Management
Ngawang Tsetan, Baruch College
Finance
Michael Harris, Baruch College
Statistics & Quantitative Modeling
Yang Lin, Baruch College
International Business
Thinh Kenny Vu, Baruch College
Statistics & Quantitative Modeling
Jacqueline Helmig, Queens College
International Business
Yana Manevich, Baruch College
Marketing Management
Johnny Wang, Baruch College
Marketing Management
Wai Ho, Baruch College
Statistics & Quantitative Modeling
Rafat Miah, Baruch College
Finance
Raymong Wang, Baruch College
Accounting
Yang Jin Houng, Baruch College
Marketing Management
Aashumi Mody, Baruch College
Finance
Jeffrey Wu, Baruch College
Finance
Amanda Huang, Baruch College
Marketing Management
Nicholas Nehaul, Baruch College
Management
Kelly Wu, Baruch College
Accounting
Manal Janati, Baruch College
Accounting
Prerak Paul, Baruch College
Statistics & Quantitative Modeling
Joanna Yang, Baruch College
Finance
Ivan Kaloyanov, Baruch College
Statistics & Quantitative Modeling
Jessica Piccolino, Baruch College
Accounting
Lena Yang, Baruch College
Finance
Abhishek Kastiya, Baruch College
Finance
Sean Proctor, Baruch College
Economics
Seo Hee Yoon, Baruch College
Marketing Management
George Kruchinina, Baruch College
Statistics & Quantitative Modeling
Jay Qiu, Baruch College
Accounting
Michael Zaslowsky, Baruch College
Accounting
Mohit Kumar, Brooklyn College
Business Administration
Salihe Redzovic, Baruch College
Finance
Ryan Zim, Baruch College
Entrepreneurship
Chandrapaul Latchman, Baruch College
Finance
Christopher Schacht, Baruch College
Computer Information Systems
Devon Khan, Baruch College
Accounting
Ruchi Shah, Baruch College
Finance
Derek Ku, Baruch College
Statistics & Quantitative Modeling
Sion Siyanov, Baruch College
Statistics & Quantitative Modeling
Lawrence Kulishevsky, Baruch College
Finance
Keith Stegner, Baruch College
Real Estate
Hye Min Lee, Baruch College
Accounting
Camille Studer, Baruch College
Marketing Management
Jessica Lin, Baruch College
Accounting
Semyon Toybis, Baruch College
Statistics & Quantitative Modeling
Bachelor of Engineering
Mahtab Alam, City College
Biomedical Engineering
Eriugen Gjoka, City College
Chemical Engineering
Antonios Moudoukoutas, City College
Biomedical Engineering
Alex Bonilla, City College
Biomedical Engineering
Nablul Haseeb, City College
Civil Engineering
Max Mueller, City College
Mechanical Engineering
Alexander David, City College
Biomedical Engineering
Samhita Kattekola, City College
Chemical Engineering
Sophia Palumbo, City College
Civil Engineering
Jakub Dosoudil, City College
Electrical Engineering
Philip Kim, City College
Chemical Engineering
Dario Pinos, City College
Mechanical Engineering
James Fallon, City College
Electrical Engineering
Robin Li, City College
Biomedical Engineering
Leslyn Prasad, City College
Civil Engineering
Bishoy Ghobryal, City College
Biomedical Engineering
Pin Hao Liang, City College
Mechanical Engineering
Kirstie Rodriguez, City College
Electrical Engineering
“What I appreciate the most about Macaulay is the rich opportunities it offered me,
allowing me to realize my potential and my passions.”
Ebrahim Afshinnekoo, Queens College
Da Wi Shin, City College
Biomedical Engineering
Sreenath Varma, City College
Biomedical Engineering
Salman Zaidi, City College
Mechanical Engineering
Andy Singh, City College
Mechanical Engineering
Choong Ye, City College
Biomedical Engineering
Mohammad Zaryab, City College
Electrical Engineering
Annmarie Errico, Queens College
Music Performance
Emily Wong, Brooklyn College
Music Performance, Business Management
and Finance (BS)
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Rachel Kisty, Brooklyn College
Creative Writing
Bachelor of Music
John Cleary, Brooklyn College
Music Composition
Bachelor of Science
Saira Akhtar, Brooklyn College
Health and Nutrition Sciences
Dhiwya Alex, College of Staten Island
Biology
Nechama Averick, College of Staten Island
Biology
Zaki Azam, Brooklyn College
Psychology
Sara Babad, Brooklyn College
Psychology
Rajshekhar Basak, City College
Physics
Argeta Benis, College of Staten Island
Mathematics 7-12
Theodore Berman, Brooklyn College
Business, Management & Finance
Dmitriy Berman, Hunter College
Accounting
Yash Bhardwaj, City College
Math in Scientific & Industrial Applications
Jonathan Boroumand, Brooklyn College
Financial Mathematics, Economics (BA)
Daniel Choi, Hunter College
Nursing
Mohammad Chughtal,
College of Staten Island
Business
Cody Cimbal, College of Staten Island
Biochemistry
Robin Cohen, Brooklyn College
Computer and Information Science
Rossana Cruciata, College of Staten Island
Biology
Emilie Dabrowski, Hunter College
Nursing
Parmanand Dasrat, City College
Chemistry
Aislinn Deely, Queens College
Environmental Sciences: Geology
Jordan Fogle, Lehman College
Health Services Administration
Paul Guglielmetti, College of Staten Island
Computer Science
Edward He, College of Staten Island
Chemistry, Biochemistry
Kieran Hepworth, College of Staten Island
Computer Science
Melanie Ho, Baruch College
Public Affairs
Zoya Huda, City College
Biology
Kawsar Ibrahim, College of Staten Island
Psychology
Joseph Derosa, City College
Chemistry
Mahreen Ijaz, City College
Computer Science, Management &
Administration (BA)
Raechel Eliasen, College of Staten Island
Communications
Nawshin Jamil, City College
Biology
Edward Engelson, College of Staten Island
Accounting
Ha Young Jung, Lehman College
Nursing
Michael Ferrigno, Brooklyn College
Health and Nutrition Sciences
Chhada Kabariti, Brooklyn College
Biology
Lauren Fink, Brooklyn College
Biology, Psychology
Joseph Kabariti, Brooklyn College
Computer and Information Science, Biology
“There are very few institutions in this world that can say they are such a gateway to
affluence for people like us. There are very few institutions in this world that host such
a diverse array of students and experiences.”
Michael Lanci, Hunter College
Linda Kallash, City College
Chemistry
Joseph Palumbo, College of Staten Island
Communications, English (BA)
Jessina Wong, Brooklyn College
Psychology, Physics (BA)
Kaitlyn Kelly, College of Staten Island
Nursing
Jenna Pantophlet, College of Staten Island
Biology
Vincent Wong, College of Staten Island
Psychology
Spencer Kim, Brooklyn College
Biology, Chemistry (BA)
Milan Patel, Brooklyn College
Biology
Anna Kozlova, Brooklyn College
Biology
Karem Penalo, Lehman College
Physics
Alison Wong, Lehman College
Environmental Science,
Political Science (BA)
Martin Lapinski, College of Staten Island
Biology, Mathematics
Jake Perez, Hunter College
Nursing
Trevor Lee, Brooklyn College
Biology
Keisha Kristin Pilos, Hunter College
Nursing
John Lee, City College
Biology
Pranitha Prabhu, Brooklyn College
Biology, Spanish (BA)
Kevin Lee, College of Staten Island
Chemistry, Biochemistry
Zohaib Qazi, Brooklyn College
Biology, Psychology
Hansol Lee, Lehman College
Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry
Wen Niao Qu, City College
Computer Science
Alexa Lempel, Queens College
Physics
Ayesha Rehman, City College
Mathematics
Christine Li, Brooklyn College
Business Management and Finance
Michelle Sawh, City College
Chemistry
Laura Logozzo, City College
Geology
Kevin Sekniqi, City College
Computer Science
Megan Low, Brooklyn College
Biology
Michelle Shayowitz, Brooklyn College
Biology
Amy Luo, College of Staten Island
Computer Science
Safanah Siddiqui, Brooklyn College
Biology, Psychology (BA)
Hosea Mak, College of Staten Island
Chemistry
Igor Smolianski, College of Staten Island
Chemistry, Biochemistry
Christopher Maniscalco,
College of Staten Island
Psychology
Amanda Strano, Brooklyn College
Psychology
Anton Mararenko, College of Staten Island
Biochemistry
Steve Mathew, Lehman College
Physics
Geoffrey Mercene, Brooklyn College
Health and Nutrition Sciences
Elnara Mikhaylova, City College
Psychology
Richard Mizrahi, Brooklyn College
Computational Mathematics,
Philosophy (BA)
Jonathan Moallem, Lehman College
Physics
Y-Lan Nguyen, City College
Biology
Yocheved Strum, Brooklyn College
Biology, Psychology (BA)
Aleksandr Tagotin, City College
Computer Science
Satchel Tangonan, City College
Psychology
Shenuque Tissera, College of Staten Island
Economics
Raubern Totanes, City College
Physics
Sophia Varriano, College of Staten Island
Biology
Giona Vazhappilly, Lehman College
Accounting
Lucas Vizeu-Quintana, Lehman College
Computer Graphics & Imaging
“Thank you, Macaulay, for going above and beyond. NYC offered us the moon; you
offered us even more.”
Amirah Yasin, Hunter College
Steven Woolverton,
College of Staten Island
Business
Jiemin Yang, Queens College
Graphic Design, Theatre and Dance (BA)
Amirah Yasin, Hunter College
Nursing
Ismail Yasin, Lehman College
Nursing, Anthropology/Biology/Chemistry
Allen Yevtukhov, Brooklyn College
Biology
Sung Whan Yoon, City College
Psychology
Jonathan Zacharowicz,
College of Staten Island
Chemistry, Biochemistry
David Zakay, City College
Biology, Area Studies: Black-Puerto RicanJewish (BA)
Lucinda Zawadzki, College of Staten Island
Biology
Rosalie Zawadzki, College of Staten Island
Biology
David Zilberman, Brooklyn College
Biology
Jonathan Zimmer, College of Staten Island
Computer Science
CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique & Interdisciplinary Studies
David Beagle, Brooklyn College
Language in Theory and Practice
Timothy Migliore, Lehman College
Urban Studies, Russian Studies
Alyssa Blumenthal, Queens College
CUNY Baccalaureate Program
Kwame Ocran, Hunter College
Philosophy
Henry Kramer, Hunter College
Psychological Dimensions of Religion
Michael Pérez, Brooklyn College
Computational Linguistics & Intelligent
Systems
William Lorenzo, Brooklyn College
Elements of Mathematics, Cinema Studies
“Even though I had been gone for an entire year, when I returned, it felt as if I had
never left. My old friends introduced me to new friends, and the new staff quickly gave
me the support I needed to make it through my toughest semester of undergrad.”
Angela Pitto, Hunter College
Maryam Esperanza Razaz,
Brooklyn College
Analytical and Biological Chemistry,
Medieval Studies
Albert Tong, Brooklyn College
The Science of Healing
Romi Zayas, Lehman College
Japanese Language and Culture
Class of 2015
senior awards
Macaulay Community Service Award
Springboard Awards
Recognizing outstanding volunteer service work that exemplifies
Macaulay’s belief that every student must challenge him or herself
to improve the lives of others.
The Macaulay Springboard Award recognizes students who have
taken the idea of a thesis or capstone project in new directions.
By reimagining the final project, pushing the boundaries of what
research and scholarship can achieve, these students have launched
new models, new ways of looking at their world, their studies, their
communities and their futures.
Amanda Huang & Renee Cotsis, Baruch College
Geoffrey Mercene, Brooklyn College
Paula Garcia-Salazar, City College
Ben Flikshteyn, Hunter College
Giona Vazhappilly, Lehman College
Ebrahim Afshinnekoo & Alyssa Blumenthal, Queens College
Edward He, College of Staten Island
Macaulay Legacy Award
Recognizing exceptional co-curricular contributions to the
Macaulay community that have provided a template for future
student activities and outreach.
Peace Chung & Chandrapaul Latchman, Baruch College
Maryam Esperanza Razaz & Daniel Scarpati,
Brooklyn College
Satchel Tangonan, City College
Erika Larsen, Hunter College
Christina Oros, Brooklyn College
“Storytelling and Sign Language”
macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/storytelling/
Victoria Tang, Brooklyn College
“Building a New France in New York”
macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/newfrancenewyork/
Michael Bavalsky, Brooklyn College
“Rethinking Atticus Finch: A Paragon of Virtue or
Just Another Politician?”
macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/springboardsite/
Ayesha Rehman, City College
“Evolution of Rape Laws in Pakistan”
http://macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/hudoodlaws/
Lucas Vizeu-Quintana, Lehman College
Carlsky Belizaire, Queens College
Shenuque Tissera, College of Staten Island
Spirit of Macaulay Award
Recognizing a graduating senior whose outstanding leadership
and overall contributions to Macaulay, CUNY, and beyond have
created transformative experiences for students, faculty, and
administrators.
Rajshekhar Basak, City College
The Bruno Salazar
Alumni Network Award
Named in honor of Bruno Salazar ’10, City College, for his courageous
tenacity in the face of challenging circumstances.
Rosalie Zawadzki, College of Staten Island
Mark Markov, Brooklyn College
“The Science Wars and the End of History”
http://macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/sciencewars/
Maryam Esperanza Razaz, Brooklyn College
“Musings of an Aspiring Medievalist/Doctor”
http://macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/maryievalist
named scholarships
Horace W. Goldsmith Scholars
Jewish Foundation
for Education of Women
Nechama Averick, College of Staten Island
Yang Lin, Baruch College
Simon Ayzman, Hunter College
Shirley Mak, Queens College
Rajshekhar Basak, City College
Jenna Pantophlet, College of Staten Island
Lauren Blachorsky, Queens College
Kirstie Rodriguez, City College
Alyssa Blumenthal, Queens College
Paula Garcia-Salazar, City College
Christin Hu, City College
Erika Larsen, Hunter College
Hansol Lee, Lehman College
Jae-Eun Lee, Baruch College
Bianca Malhotra, Hunter College
Geoffrey Mercene, Brooklyn College
Danica Pagulayan, Hunter College
Maryam Esperanza Razaz, Brooklyn College
Ayesha Rehman, City College
Michael Stivers, Hunter College
Albert Tong, Brooklyn College
Demelio Urbano, Hunter College
Jennifer Zagelbaum, Hunter College
Jack Nash Scholars
Daniel Afonin, Hunter College
Thalia Bloom, City College
Min Jee Choi, Baruch College
Gayoung Kwon, Baruch College
Rui Yan Ma, Queens College
Ayesha Rehman, City College
Shivani Sharma, Brooklyn College
Aleksandr Tagotin, City College
Vincent Wong, College of Staten Island
Romi Zayas, Lehman College
Kenan Leadership Scholars
Gargi Padki, City College
Michael Perez, Brooklyn College
Lara Porter, Hunter College
Jessen Thomas, Brooklyn College
David Weiss-Irwin, City College
Lisa Goldberg-Revson Scholars
Nadeem Ahmad, City College
Mahtab Alam, City College
David Arteaga, Hunter College
Harry Kuan C Chen, Lehman College
Peace Chung, Baruch College
Kathryn Cox, Queens College
Jakub Dosoudil, City College
Paula Garcia-Salazar, City College
Nawshin Jamil, City College
Laura Landaw, City College
Elizabeth Langer, Queens College
Bianca Malhotra, Hunter College
Linda Manchery, Brooklyn College
Geoffrey Mercene, Brooklyn College
Timothy Migliore, Lehman College
Kwame Ocran, Hunter College
Gargi Padki, City College
Michael Perez, Brooklyn College
Sean Proctor, Baruch College
Michelle Sawh, City College
Muhtasham Sifaat, Lehman College
Michael Stivers, Hunter College
Jessen Thomas, Brooklyn College
Raubern Totanes, City College
Alison Wong, Lehman College
Wagner Family Scholar
Jennifer Zagelbaum, Hunter College
Bishoy Ghobryal, City College
Rudin Scholars
Wallace Global Fund
Chana Ben-Zacharia, Hunter College
Duwa Alebdy, Hunter College
Joseph Didonato, Brooklyn College
David Arteaga, Hunter College
Catherine Dinh-Le, Lehman College
Nicole Avento, Hunter College
Jonathan Farrell, Brooklyn College
Kathryn Cox, Queens College
Mitchell Guido, Queens College
Nablul Haseeb, City College
Alexander Hajjar, Brooklyn College
Zachary Hayworth, City College
Jack Houlton-Vinyl, Hunter College
Brian Lamberta, Hunter College
Daniel Scarpati, Brooklyn College
Rosalie Zawadzki, College of Staten Island
Starr Scholars
Alyssa Blumenthal, Queens College
Alex Bonilla, City College
Daphne Chang, City College
Bishoy Ghobryal, City College
Mariama Gueye, Baruch College
Hillary Jaramillo, Brooklyn College
Hosea Mak, College of Staten Island
Geoffrey Mercene, Brooklyn College
Virginia Milieris, Hunter College
Y-Lan Nguyen, City College
Sarah Park, Baruch College
Ayesha Rehman, City College
Justin Rhoda, Hunter College
Da Wi Shin, City College
Jason Sloan, Hunter College
Choong Ye, City College
Edward He, College of Staten Island
Hillary Jaramillo, Brooklyn College
Saveliy Kelebeyev, Hunter College
Jae-Eun Lee, Baruch College
Kevin Lee, College of Staten Island
Natasha Masub, Brooklyn College
Slavena Salve Nissan, Hunter College
Ayesha Rehman, City College
Esther Rong, Hunter College
Katherine Serrano Sosa, City College
Muhammad Shoaib, Hunter College
Safanah Siddiqui, Brooklyn College
Suki Tsang, Brooklyn College
Kaity Tung, Hunter College
Demelio Urbano, Hunter College
Rebecca Wojsnis, Queens College
Seo Hee Yoon, Baruch College
macaulay alma mater
Hearken Well (O Macaulay)
commencement
address
Fareed Zakaria
Fareed Zakaria is host of CNN’s flagship international affairs program Fareed
Zakaria GPS, and a New York Times bestselling author. Recipient of the Peabody
Award, Fareed Zakaria GPS brings in-depth interviews with the, heads of state,
as well as countless intellectuals, business leaders, politicians and journalists
to 200 million homes in more than 200 countries. Zakaria is also a Washington
Post columnist and a contributing editor to The Atlantic. Zakaria’s most recent
publication In Defense of a Liberal Education calls for a renewal of a commitment
to a broad general education and highlights this American tradition as a driver of
economic growth and personal fulfillment. He received a B.A. from Yale College
and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Past Honorary Degree Recipients
2008 Peter Gelb
2009 John C. Whitehead
2010 Paul and Daisy Soros
2011 Joel I. Klein
2012 Merryl H. Tisch
2013 Reynold Levy and Virginia Slaughter
2014 Harold E. Varmus
administration
Board of Trustees, The City University of New York
Macaulay Honors College Foundation Board of Directors
Matthew Goldstein
William E. Macaulay
Frederick Schaffer
Yosef Ibrahimi ’05 (Queens College)
Ellyn McColgan
Laura S. Schor
Ann Kirschner
Anthony E. Meyer
Michael Zigman
Ann Limberg
James B. Milliken
Honorary Directors
Kenneth Arrow
Peter Gelb
David Remnick
Macaulay Advisory Council
Ken Abbott
Betty Sue Flowers
Celia McGee
Karen Arenson, co-chair
Bruce R. Gordon, M.D.
Rodney Nichols
Edith Cameron Bjornson
Michael D. Grohman, co-chair
David Rippon
Tony Brown
Idit Harel
Jerry Rosenfeld
Iris Chen
Fiona Hollands
Virginia Slaughter
Gene Dattel
Philip Isom
Estelle Newman Tanner
Shelley Fischel
Ann Kirschner
Presidents
Mitchel B. Wallerstein, Bernard M. Baruch College
Jeremy Travis, John Jay College for Criminal Justice
Karen L. Gould, Brooklyn College
Ricardo R. Fernández, Lehman College
Lisa Staiano-Coico, The City College of New York
Felix V. Matos Rodriguez, Queens College
Jennifer J. Raab, Hunter College
William J. Fritz, College of Staten Island
Provosts
David P. Christy, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic
Affairs, Baruch College
Jane Bowers, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic
Affairs, John Jay College for Criminal Justice
William A. Tramontano, Provost & Vice President for Academic
Affairs, Brooklyn College
Anny Morrobel-Sosa, Provost & Vice President for Academic
Affairs, Lehman College
Maurizio Trevisan, Provost & Chief Academic Officer, The City
College of New York
Elizabeth Hendrey, Acting Provost and Vice President of
Academic Affair, Queens College
Vita Rabinowitz, Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs,
Hunter College
Fred Naider, Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs,
College of Staten Island
Directors & Associate Directors
Nancy Aries, Baruch College
Gary Schwartz, Lehman College
Tammy Lewis, Brooklyn College
Christopher Bonastia, Associate Director, Lehman College
Geraldine Murphy, The City College of New York
Ross Wheeler, Queens College
Susanna Yurick, Associate Director, The City College of New York
Charles Liu, College of Staten Island
Lev A. Sviridov, Hunter College
Lisa French, Associate Director, College of Staten Island
Dara N. Byrne, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Advisors
Stacey Backenroth, Baruch College
Charlotte Glasser, Hunter College
Christina Chala, Baruch College
Cristina Gleicher, Hunter College
Lena Tuck, Baruch College
Joanna Kata, Hunter College
Cheryl Oliveri, Brooklyn College
Adrienne FitzGerald, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Jaime Weiss, Brooklyn College
Jason Howie, Brooklyn College
Wynter Greene, Lehman College
Alida McKee, The City College of New York
Lorna M. Ronald, Queens College
Irina Stoyanova, The City College of New York
Anita Romano, College of Staten Island
Vasiliy Arkanov, Hunter College
Lindsey Dedow, Queens College
Macaulay Honors College Administration
Ann Kirschner, Dean
Lisa Brundage, Director, CUNY Advance
Georgia Southern-Penn, Assistant to the
Dean
Academic Affairs
Mary Pearl, Provost & Senior Associate
Dean
Andrew Adair, Associate Director of
Student Development
Jeffrey Angeles, College Assistant for
Enrollment Management and Institutional
Research
Marianne Booufall-Tynan, Director of
Enrollment Management
Darren Staloff, Director of Hertog
Scholars Program
Cameron Stewart, Student Writing
Specialist & Facilitator of Literary Projects
Joseph Ugoretz, Associate Dean of
Teaching, Learning, and Technology
Yevgeniy Zhuravel, IT Support Assistant
Advancement
Instructional Technology
Fellows
Kevin Ambrose
Stephen Boatright
Marnie Brady
Chris Brandon
Pamela Burger
Tahir Butt
Sean Moriarty, Vice President of
Advancement
Olga Barskaya, Manager of Special Events
Brianne Donnelly, Assistant Director of
Alumni Relations
Chris Caruso, Senior ITF
Jennifer Corby
Maggie Dickinson
Bronwyn Dobchuk-Land
Amina Holman, Development Associate
Caroline Erb
Mary Carney, Laptop Coordinator & A/V
Custodian
Stephanie Hyacinth, Director of
Corporate and Foundation Relations
Margaret Galvan
Gianina Chrisman, Assistant Director of
Internships & Undergraduate Research
Autumn Payne, Director of Annual Giving
and Special Events
Jeremy Greenfield
Meda Datcu, Coordinator of the Hertog
Scholars Program
Sasha Da Silva, Scholarship Coordinator
to Academic Affairs
Finance & Administration
Karen Gregory, Senior ITF
Scott Henkle, Senior ITF
Aaron Kendall
Jenny Kijowski, Senior ITF
Amanda Licastro
Chris Daversa, Student Development
Coordinator
Carolyn Geisel, Executive Director of
Business Finance
Danielle Jackson, College Assistant for
Institutional Research
Alimamy Kamara, Interim Associate
Director of Admissions
Joseph Dunning, Administrative
Superintendent
Caroline Loomis
Benjamin Miller
Mike Lamb, Thomas R. Slaughter Scholarin-Residence & Associate Director of
Immersive and Personalized Education
Amanda Hick, College Assistant for
Finance & Administration
Kathleen Paramore, Finance Specialist
Charmain Liddelow, Assistant to the
Director of Enrollment Management
Veronica Maldonado, Associate Director
of Scholarships and Grants
Jose Luis Moreno, Network/System
Manager
Su Ng, Assistant to the Associate Dean
Kelly O’Donnell, Director of Science
Forward
Michael Parascandola, Digital Services
Associate
Diane Phillips, Director of Institutional
Research
Carolina Ruiz, Cultural Passport
Coordinator
Jeff (Yu) Guan, College Assistant for
Finance and Administration
Katherine Logan McBride
Sara Martucci
Christina Nadler
Andres Orejuela
Lydia Pelot-Hobbs
Joseph Pentangelo
Marketing &
Communications
Grace Rapkin, Director of Marketing &
Communications
Kamili Posey
Gwen Shaw
Aaron Slodounik
John Sorrentino, Senior ITF
Owen Toews
Marika Bailey, Creative Services Manager
Kara van Cleaf
Kathryn Lineberger, Digital Media
Strategist
Ashley Williard
Sheila Stainback, Media Relations
Manager
Tommy Wu
Special Thanks
Each Macaulay student crossing the stage at
commencement represents the unique partnership that
Macaulay Honors College shares with dozens of campus
administrators and faculty members across five boroughs
and eight campuses—all of whom work tirelessly on
behalf of our students. We wish to thank our remarkable
colleagues who helped to make this day possible and who
made the students’ experience a truly exceptional one. It
really does take a village.
Macaulay Honors College extends its appreciation to the
staff and students who serve as volunteers. We also wish
to thank the staff of Lincoln Center for their assistance and
contributions in planning this momentous occasion.
History of Macaulay
In 2001, the City University of New York established the
CUNY honors college to provide a globally competitive
program for the most talented and academically gifted
of New York’s students. The unique vision of Chancellor
Emeritus Matthew Goldstein and founding Dean Laura
Schor allowed these students access to the academic
breadth of the CUNY system, using a model that derived
its strength from highly collaborative relationships with
five CUNY senior colleges.
We are grateful to William and Linda Macaulay for the
transformational gift in 2006 that enabled us to move to
our current home on West 67th Street, and become the
Macaulay Honors College at the City University of New
York. Since then we have grown our consortium from five
to eight campuses, with the addition of John Jay College
to our community in 2013.
From the start, Macaulay received recognition for
exceptional advising, hands-on internships and research
opportunities, community service and global learning
opportunities, and a commitment to provide the skills and
experiences for each student to excel.
The College offers innovative seminars linking students
with the history, arts and resources of New York; the
Opportunities Fund, which
allows each student to shape
their own unique learning program, and master teachers
whose special experiences inspire and motivate students
to explore new ideas and apply that knowledge to real
world concerns.
Macaulay’s Mace
The ceremonial
mace is a tradition at
commencement. Carried
by a designated marshal,
it symbolizes the authority
by which a college grants
degrees.
The centerpiece of the mace is a medallion. The image
over the logo symbolizes that, while Macaulay scholars
may be separated geographically, many bridges connect
them. A large scepter representing the student body
supports the medallion, and a small ball at the bottom
symbolizes the vision for Macaulay Honors College. The
bands on the neck and shaft embody the values that drive
our mission: scholarship, leadership, service, diversity, and
imagination.
Academic Regalia
Scholars have worn the traditional cap and gown costume
since medieval times. To identify the wearer’s degree, the
subject in which it was conferred, and the institution that
granted it, American colleges and universities established
a code of regulations. While many institutions have
incorporated official school colors for their academic
gowns, it is still possible to recognize the wearer’s
academic background by the cut, length, and color of the
gowns and hoods.
The wearer’s degree is identified by the cut of the gown as
well as how it is worn. The bachelor’s gown is worn closed
and has pointed sleeves. The master’s gown is worn open
or closed and has oblong sleeves slit at the elbow. The
doctor’s gown, the most elaborate of all academic gowns,
is worn open or closed and has bell-shaped sleeves,
usually crossed with three bars of velvet. The length of the
hood also identifies the degree: 3 feet for a bachelor’s, 3
feet and 6 inches for a master’s and 4 feet for a doctor’s.
The color of the hood’s velvet binding identifies the
wearer’s area of study. These colors include purple for law,
blue for philosophy, gold for science, and white for arts,
letters and humanities.