2013 Graduate School Commencement

Good morning. Congratulations to all of the graduates and their families and teachers. Share a brief remark. In Hebrew, in the Jewish tradition, there are no less than four words for intelligence or wisdom [words in Hebrew] and each one of them has a slight nuance, a little bit of a difference and it is in this assembly of people that we have myriad avenues of exploration and concentration on all of these different forms of wisdom. I bless us all that we are here today, in the presence of each other and in the presence of the one who gives us wisdom, and I bless us, that when we go forth from here, that we use all of our gained knowledge to make the world a better place. Thank you very much. [APPLAUSE] Good morning. Good morning, and welcome to this great convocation. I am Peter Weber, Dean of the Graduate School. It is my privilege to preside as we confer advanced degrees for Brown University. Woo! [CHEERS, APPLAUSE] I would like to begin by saluting candidates for the master’s degrees and the doctor of philosophy. Today we recognize your dedication and your achievements in research, scholarship, and teaching. I would like to especially acknowledge those who have served as officers of the Graduate Student Council: James Alan Doyle, Micah Duhaime, Khristina Gonzalez, Jacklyn Murphy, Ben Raymond, Paul Robertson, Stefanie Sevcik, Keeley Smith, and Stephen Young. I welcome the parents, spouses, partners and children of our graduating students. Will you please rise? [APPLAUSE] And finally I want to recognize your faculty advisors and mentors. If you're not standing already, please do so now. Next, please allow me to introduce the platform party. First, on your far left, are Christopher Beattie, Associate University Registrar, and two Associate University Chaplains, the Rev. Kirstin C. Boswell Ford and Rabbi Mordechai Rackover, from whom we have already heard. Next is Associate Dean Elizabeth Harrington, of the Division of Biology and Medicine, and Jabbar Bennett, who is Associate Dean both at the Graduate School and the Division of Biology and Medicine. He is followed by Peter Voss, a member of the Brown Board of Fellows and an alumnus of the undergraduate class of 1968. Mr. Voss will confer the degrees on behalf of the University later in the ceremony. He is joined in this official capacity by Artemis Joukowsky, Chancellor Emeritus and Fellow of the Brown Corporation and an alumnus of the undergraduate class of 1955, who is sitting with the faculty. [APPLAUSE] Also among our esteemed guests is this year’s Horace Mann Medal recipient, Dr. Karen King, PhD ‘84. Dr. King is the Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard University and a highly respected scholar of Early Christianity. To her left, we have John Tyler, Associate Dean of the Graduate School. [APPLAUSE] And finally we have Clyde Briant, Brown’s Vice President for Research and the Otis E. Randall University Professor of Engineering. Together, Clyde and John will present the Joukowsky Family Foundation Dissertation Awards. But before we get there, we'll turn to the students' choice. I think this would be a good time for you all to be seated. So we turn to the students' choice. Our student speaker today is Benjamin Raymond. Chosen by the Graduate Student Council to address today’s graduates, he will shortly receive a Master of Arts in Teaching. His training has focused on secondary education in English, and included student teaching at East Greenwich High School, where he taught freshman English, honors contemporary literature, and creative writing. Mr. Raymond has been an active member of the Graduate Student Council, serving as the Master’s Advocate. He is from Williamsport, PA. Before coming to Brown, he received his B.A. in English and Humanities in 2010 and his M.A. in English in 2012, both from Villanova University, in Radnor, Pennsylvania. His address is titled: “Pride, Considered.” Ben? [APPLAUSE] Good morning. The speaker at today's ceremony is charged primarily, but among other things, with capturing the "spirit of the day." He must articulate, in language, thoughts that are at once personal to him, and felt deeply by those to whom he speaks. Fortunately, I may be helped in this charge by the fact that I am, by profession, an English teacher. And as an English teacher, I impress upon my students the value and the beauty of words, of their tremendous power to move and inspire, to make oneself heard and understood. I also teach them that many words have double, even opposite meanings, depending on how and when and in what spirit they are used. “Pride,” the topic of my address today and an emotion I trust is felt deeply by all those in attendance, is one such word: powerful, nuanced, controversial, misunderstood. Now, rest assured, despite my being an English teacher I have no vocabulary lesson planned for you today. It is not my purpose to instruct or lecture. I am very confident that we’ve all had just about enough instruction and lecturing and are keen to begin enjoying the fruits of our labors. And enjoy them we should. The word “pride” means different things to different people. It is adaptable, equally useful in describing the feeling of joy at one’s achievements, and in condemning for excess, arrogance, and hubris. We often assume “pride” synonymous with “vanity,” a conceited, self-serving emotion we are all warned to avoid, and to which we all, at times, fall prey. But the word has other shades, shades which at times such as these are right to feel and to enjoy. The kind of pride I speak about today is one that reminds us that the significance of our achievements shrinks in comparison with the responsibilities that come with them. The uniqueness and rarity of our achievements are not, in my estimation, cause for elitism, pretension or entitlement. Even as we celebrate, we must acknowledge the debt of gratitude we owe to those whose work and patience has steadied us…and in many cases, funded us…to reach this very moment. The right kind of pride is one unpoisoned by vanity, one that is mixed with other, more grounding emotions. To help illustrate what I mean—look back, for example, on that moment when you told your parents you had been accepted at Brown. For all you Ph.D. candidates, I'm confident this was only five or six years ago. The first time the completion joke has landed. Remember the pride your parents felt knowing their child had been accepted to one of the finest and most well-respected institutions in the world. But also remember the accompanying crippling fear because you’d chosen a field in the Humanities or, God forbid, one that ends in “Studies.” That's two for two. The pride of sending a child to Brown, coupled with the fear that gainful employment was now impossible. I’m just kidding, Humanities. You went to Brown, you’re gonna be alright. Doctoral candidates, today you will be granted the degrees you’ve earned painstakingly exam by exam, defense by defense. However long it took you, however many pleas made to the cosmos, or to your DGS, you did it. Under the unflinching scrutiny of a dissertation committee after years of research and drafts and revisions and Prozac, you persevered, survived, and now rank among the world’s most promising engineers, historians, biogeochemists and ethnomusicologists. My fellow Master’s students, look back on that moment of ecstatic, unadulterated happiness when you read your acceptance letter and knew you’d be coming to Brown. Remember how proud you were. Remember how excited. But many of us also remember the sobering reality that our degrees would not be funded and that we were up Federal Loan creek without a research-assistantship paddle. This, my friends, is pride coupled with emotions that ground us, emotions that keep us honest. In the spirit of keeping ourselves honest, we are reminded today that this Bohemian life of ours must come to an end. The time of thesis and dissertation defenses is behind us. The time of frenzied job searches and frantic federal loan repayment lies ahead. Here, at the end of our journey together, we are reminded that like the days of tenure, nothing lasts forever. You're gonna be OK. But, all facetiousness aside, this is a moment for gratitude, for stillness, and for reflection. Today is a day to celebrate our accomplishments, and to recognize that these robes and gowns and hoods are not given to us by right, but by devotion and perseverance. What I wish to convey is that it is okay to be proud. In truth, it is right to be proud. Allow yourself this day, this delightful interlude between our work here, and our work out there, up the hill and across the green through the Van Wickle gate. There will be, I am assured, ample opprotunity to be reminded of the obstacles life will throw at us all. But not today. Not now, clothed in these robes, shared with these friends, and in this singular place. We are graduates of Brown. And that is no small thing. Take time today to thank your colleagues and advisors, as I thank mine: Elaine, Laura, Janet and Nikos. Take time today to thank your parents as I thank mine, Mom and Dad, for the years of patience, support, and love that put me here. Take time to thank those among you whose support and fellowship you will not soon forget, as I now thank my students at East Greenwich, who gave me infinitely more than I gave them, whose intelligence and compassion I will never forget, and whom I already miss as dearly and as deeply as my heart allows. Years from now, you may not remember much of this day, and likely less about who spoke, or what he wished to say. Truth be told, I probably won’t remember much of what I had to say either. And that’s OK. But if you remember nothing else, hold fast to that sense of pride, of accomplishment, of gratitude for having enriched and been enriched by a place like Brown. In good times and in bad, remember that you are a Brunonian, deserving of the privileges which come with such distinction, provided those privileges are passed on faithfully, and at every opportunity. Today, I ask you to join me in thanks and in reflection. Tonight, I ask you to join me for one final debauched evening at the GCB, but today, today, here and now, I ask you to join me in giving life to that persistent sense of pride which drives us forward from this moment, to an unwavering gratitude to where we’ve been, to this place, and to the people who make it everything it is. I am proud today—of my accomplishments, of yours, and of this beautiful university whose halls we must now leave. But above all else, I am proud to have spent this year, and to have shared this day, with all of you. I firmly believe that the merit of any distinction, award or degree, is determined by the merit of those with whom the distinction is shared. And if this is true, then there is great merit to the degrees we will be conferred here today. Because we have earned them alongside each other. I am proud to have been given the honor of speaking before you today, and prouder still that in your worthy company, I can now call myself an alum. Be proud. For I believe we are not only allowed, but are obliged to be so. My fellow graduates of Brown University, I wish you every possible success and happiness. Thank you, and congratulations. [APPLAUSE] Thank you Ben. We'll turn to the teaching awards. Teaching is an integral part of the education and preparation of doctoral students. As young scholars, researchers, and practitioners preparing for careers, graduate students are well-placed to communicate their excitement and expertise. Every year, the Graduate School presents the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching to one or two students who have demonstrated extraordinary energy and skill in the classroom. Earlier in May, Awards were conferred at a ceremony to Anna Bialek, from Religious Studies, and Jason Scimeca, from the Cognitive Science program. We want to honor and recognize them here today. Only Anna, though, is here with us. But please join me in congratulating Anna for receiving the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching: Anna, would you please rise? Alright, another award was conferred earlier in May: the Graduate School Faculty Award for Advising and Mentoring. Created by the Graduate Council in 2010, this award recognizes a faculty member who has made significant contributions as an advisor or mentor to graduate students. Any Brown faculty member who has served as graduate advisor, trainer, or dissertation chair, unofficial or official mentor is eligible for nomination. I would like to again recognize Ellen Rooney, Chair and Professor of Modern Culture and Media, and Professor of English, on receiving the 2013 Faculty Award for Advising and Mentoring. Ellen, would you please stand up and be recognized? It is now our pleasure to turn to the Joukowsky Prizes, and for that we introduce Clyde Briant and John Tyler who will confer the Joukowsky Family Foundation Dissertation Prizes. These prizes are named for the Joukowsky family, which has been so generous to the University. Will members of the Joukowsky family please rise? With these prizes, we recognize outstanding achievements in research by Ph.D. recipients in the humanities, and the life, social, and physical sciences. Recipients of the awards were nominated by their departments and final selections were made by the Graduate Council, which includes faculty members, deans, and graduate students. And so with that I turn this to Clyde Briant. Thank you, Peter. Thank you for letting me be part of the ceremony today. Let me begin, first of all, by congratulating all the degree recipients, the Masters degrees and the Ph.D. degrees. These are wonderful acheivements, and I know, as our speaker just said, you are very rightfully very proud of what you've just done. Let me also very much thank the Joukowsky family for making these awards possible. It's really very very important and exciting for the winners, and also highlights the importance of research and the graduate student thesis, so thank you very much. [APPLAUSE] We have four award winners today, and as I call your name would you please move forward to the stage and I'll read the citation and then Professor Tyler will present you with your award. The winner of the Joukowsky dissertation prize in the Humanities is Benjamin Raphael Teitelbaum, [APPLAUSE] Benjamin is receiving his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology. His thesis, “‘Come Hear our Merry Song’: Shifts in the Sound of Contemporary Swedish Radical Nationalism,” breaks new ground in the study of music’s political uses, a subject which has largely been explored in the contexts of censorship, propaganda, and protest songs. Drawing from a series of challenging ethnographic interviews, Benjamin succeeded in painting a portrait of a political movement that used rap, reggae, and Swedish folk to change its image, distancing itself from white-power music and skinhead hooliganism. He provides important historical context, while also showing how doctrines were adapted to the Swedish context. As a result of this work, his voice is sought for comment on Nordic social trends by the Scandinavian popular press. Benjamin is the Head of Nordic Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, a position he began last fall. He is preparing a book manuscript based on his dissertation. Congratulations, Benjamin. The Joukowsky dissertation prize in the Life Sciences is awarded to Jennifer Reeve Davis, [APPLAUSE] Jennifer is receiving her Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology. Her thesis is entitled “Genetic, Biochemical and Biophysical Investigations of Lignocellulose Degradation by Actinobacteria for Bioenergy Applications.” This novel research project, proposed by Jennifer and ultimately involving genomics, bioinformatics, biochemistry, and structural biology, not only created a new research area at Brown but has the potential to change the future of vehicle fuels. Her objective was to demonstrate that actinobacteria – a category of microbes – could be used to convert the carbon of plant biomass into biodiesel. Despite numerous reports of their abilities to degrade plant biomass and to produce antibiotics and other commodity chemicals, the use of actinobacteria to convert plant biomass into a biofuel or commodity chemical was unprecedented. Jennifer identified a cluster of genes that the bacteria need to metabolize PCA. Her work resulted in the discovery of a novel protein which is a member of a family of gene transcription regulators, which have many different roles in biology. The work is highly significant, providing a new path for the development of biofuels from the breakdown of plant biomass. With a wide variety of lab skills and numerous publications to her credit, Jennifer is weighing industrial postdoctoral opportunities in biotechnology. Congratulations Jennifer. [APPLAUSE] The Joukowsky dissertation award in the Physical Sciences goes to Michael Ming Hong Luk, [APPLAUSE] Michael is receiving his Ph.D. in Physics. His thesis, “The Search for a Heavy Top-Like Quark”, is an impressive presentation of the theoretical framework for the experimentation and the physics analysis he employed to try answer questions about the Higgs boson – the physical manifestation of an invisible field thought to give mass to elementary particles. Michael participated in the Compact Muon Solenoid particle physics experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, one of two large experiments at the world’s largest particle accelerator, which is located in Geneva. Michael’s search for a hypothetical particle called a T-quark advanced the work of correcting the Standard Model, which outlines particle behavior but leaves questions unanswered. Scientists have proposed corrections to help stabilize the mass of the boson, and Luk’s analysis appears to rule out one of the simplest realizations of this idea. His work, which employed a novel method to eliminate statistical fluctuations, is expected to figure prominently in the design of future experiments, influencing this field of research. Michael has accepted an engineering position at Intel in Portland, Oregon, where he will use his data analysis skills to work on the next generation of computer chips. Congratulations, Michael. The Joukowsky dissertation award in the Social Sciences goes to Susan Helen Ellison, [APPLAUSE] Susan is receiving her Ph.D. in Anthropology. Her thesis, “Mediating Democracy in El Alto: The Politics of Conflict Resolution in Bolivia,” examines effects of good governance, democratization, and conflict resolution programs in Bolivia. Based on 17 months of ethnographic research in foreign-funded legal aid centers, conflict resolution programs, and criminal courts her work provides a window on U.S. “democracy-promotion” interventions, the legal and extra-legal strategies that poor urban Bolivians employ, and Andean kinship relations. Her work also engages with a core issue in democratic theory and practice: the question of access to, and administration of, justice for all citizens. Her interdisciplinary approach makes her findings of interest to Bolivian scholars, advocates of Alternative Dispute Resolution, and scholars working on foreign aid and dispute settlement strategies among the urban poor. Susan has received several fellowships, including the Jacob Javits Award, the Social Science Research Council International Dissertation Research Fellowship, a Wenner-Gren Foundation award, and a National Science Foundation fellowship. A chapter of her thesis -- on the friends and kin who are interconnected through a broken-down industrial sewing machine -- won the Elsa Cheney Award for unpublished work by a Junior Scholar by the Gender and Feminist Studies section of the Latin American Studies Association. Susan is planning to teach in the fall and is currently developing her book proposal into a book manuscript. Congratulations, Susan. [APPLAUSE] This completes the presentation of our awards. Congratulations again to our award-winners. And now I'll turn the podium back over to Dean Weber. Well, thank you Clyde and John. And again, thank you to the Joukowsky family for their generosity, and to the recipients I add my congratulations for your outstanding contributions to scholarship. We now turn to the Horace Mann Award. It is with great pleasure that I call this year's Horace Mann recipient, Karen King, to the podium to receive her honor. [APPLAUSE] The Horace Mann Medal was established in 2003 and is given annually to a Brown Graduate School alumnus or alumna who has made significant contributions in his or her field, inside or outside of academia. Dr. King exemplifies this award. As a scholar and public intellectual, she has had an enormous impact on knowledge of and debate about early Christianity. She came to Brown University from Montana, after receiving a BA in Religious Studies from the University of Montana in 1976. At Brown, she entered the doctoral program in History of Religions: Early Christianity, and she received her Ph.D. in Religious Studies in 1984. From 1984 through 1997, she taught at Occidental College in California. In 1997, she joined the faculty of Harvard Divinity School, first as Professor of New Testament Studies and the History of Ancient Christianity, and subsequently as Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History. In 2009, Harvard awarded her the title of Hollis Professor of Divinity. This specific professorship is Harvard’s first endowed chair – established in 1721 – and is the oldest endowed chair in the United States. Karen King is the first woman to hold it. [CHEERS, APPLAUSE] Her research focuses on how manuscripts of previously unknown Christian works discovered in Egypt change the history of early Christianity. She is particularly interested in images of the divine feminine, sexuality, the voices of marginalized “heretics,” and alternatives to the heroizing of violence and martyrdom. She has written numerous books both for the Academy and for an educated general audience. Recently, Dr. King made international headlines for her revelation of a fragment of papyrus that portrays Jesus as referring to a wife. The text, she wrote, provided “direct evidence that claims about Jesus’s marital status first arose over a century after the death of Jesus in the context of intra-Christian controversies over sexuality, marriage, and discipleship.” Ours is not Dr. King’s first award or accolade. She has received research grants and awards for excellence in teaching and research; among them are grants from the Luce Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst, and the Graves Foundation. Dr. King is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Biblical Literature, the International Association for Coptic Studies, and Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas. It is our great pleasure to recognize Dr. King with the 2013 Horace Mann Medal. [APPLAUSE] I now turn the podium over to Matthew Lyddon, a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science, who received an A.M. degree in 2011. As President of the Graduate School Council, he will award this year's Wilson-Debloid Award. Thank you Dean Weber. Good morning everyone. Before I begin, I'm delighted to offer warm congratulations on behalf of the entire graduate student community to our graduating friends and colleagues. Your acheivements today inspire those of us who hope to follow in your footsteps in the not-too-distant future. We thank you for the privilege of having learned and grown as scholars, teachers and human beings in your company, and we wish you every success and fulfillment in all of your future endeavours. Fellow Brunonians, congratulations. [APPLAUSE] The Wilson-DeBlois Award, named for Brown's first Ph.D. recipients, George Grafton Wilson and Austin K. DeBlois is conferred annually by the Graduate Student Council to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the graduate student experience. This year's award recognizes Janet Peters' exemplary service to graduate students at Brown University. As Program Coordinator at the Writing Center, Janet delivers a sterling writing support service for all Brown students and demonstrates consistent dedication to the well-being of the graduate students working as associates. She spares no effort in resolving crucial logistical and financial concerns, in meticulously supporting associates in balancing their workload, and in helping graduate students to further their advisory and pedagogical skills. In short, Janet's tireless and motivational leadership assures a working environment in which graduate students can thrive as teachers, mentors, and leaders. Her contributions to the graduate student experience are deeply appreciated. I now call Janet to the podium to receive her award. Congratulations. Alright, so... I now turn to the awarding of the degrees. And I will call Mr. Voss. Socii honorandi: Homines quos ad gradum Magistri in compluribus disciplinis idoneos comperimus, vobis praesentamus, et eos ad hunc gradum promovere liceat rogamus. Candidati ad gradum Magistri ascendant. Auctoritate mihi commissa vos ad gradum Magistri admitto, omniaque jura ac privilegia ad hunc gradum pertinentia vobis concedo. Quare in testimonium haec diplomata vobis solemniter trado. Alright, please be seated. I have the honor to present to you the recipients of the Masters of Arts degree of Brown University. [APPLAUSE] The first student is Adrienne B. Marshall. [APPLAUSE] Kimberley Anne Adams Stefana Albu Stephen Forrest Barker Robert John Barnes II Adam Simon Bear Sara Rose Bobak Kathleen Bubrick Gerald M. Carbone Margaret Chang Joanna Ciavarella Brianna Marie Craft Mark Antonio Cruz Tianyuan Cui Erendina Alvarez Delgadillo Chiara Francesca Deltito Danielle Christine DeSantis Micah John Duhaime Linda Faber David Andrew Floyd Kaitlin Eileen Friedman Victoria Manova Fulton Yoana Gendzhova Anna Eunjoo Ghublikian Alexandra Sarah Goodman Caroline Cameron Griffith Benjamin Guy Jane Coleman Harbison Jacquelyn Diana Harris Linlang He Katharine Curley Hession Kelly Marie Homer Brian Todd Hotchkiss Shanna Han-Chi Hsu Jessica K. Jackson Milford Francis James III Wenzheng Jiang Christina LuNell Johnson Eun Jin Joo Michael Aaron Katz Krystle Veda Kaul Rebecca Anne Keane Jungmin Kwon Serena Monsa La Rocque Hyunsup Lee Hongye Li Sarah Rebecca Linet Anna Catharine Links Kristina Megan Michelle Lukowski Cindy Ka Yan Lung Andrea Luyken Julia Paige MacMillan Melissa Geraldine Marzano Aaron Darvon Massey James Heath Mayo Emily Marie McCartan Jared C. McKee Raha Moussavi-Aghdam Margaret Alice Mulcahy Nivedita Nath Cory Patrick Malachy O'Hayer Mary Catherine O'Neill Hyde Margaret A. Oti Julian Francis Park Jean Besen Paupeck Stephanie Lynn Primiani Maria De Los Angeles Quintero Kristin Lynn Rockwell Hannah Elizabeth Ross Lucia S. Rutter Maria Elyse Salciccioli Gabriel Rhodes Santner Robert Michael Sarwark Anna Katherine Shapiro Janice Shih Timothy Marcus Simonds Carina Ann Sitkus Kristina Marie Soprano Rama Srinivasan Gary Oscar Vargas Apanchanit Viranuvat Jiali *** Samantha Erin Wildeboer Cadence Elizabeth Willse Margaret Elizabeth Wilson Meghan Esther Wilson Di Wu Alright. Daniel Bisaccio, Director of Science Education in the graduate teaching program, will now present the recipients of the MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING degree of Brown University. It is my honor to introduce the recipients. Benjamin Keith Abrams Seth Bryan Bower Allison Cathleen Bryan Alexa Kalin Mitton Catao Janna Harriet Charles Rochelle Lisa Devault Nicole Katherine Estabrooks Alexandra Grace Hanner Catherine Justice Howland Ogechi Nosazena Irondi Veronica Leigh Johnson Sara Ellen Kissell Douglas Le Judith Elizabeth Masseur Jeremy David Mellema Allyson Michelle Miller Kathryn Alex O'Brien Benjamin John Raymond Jennifer Lind Reilly Emily Justine Scherer Eric Steven Spreng Amanda Joy Stewart Sean Michael Tinsley Michelle Corinne Vander Ploeg Latrice J. Williams Rebecca Mather Willner Debbie Lee Yoon OK, thank you Daniel. Next, Stephen Berenson, Clinical Professor of Theatre, Speech and Dance, will now present the recipients of the MASTER OF FINE ARTS degree of Brown University. [APPLAUSE] It is my honor to present the recipients. Leah Mahealani Anderson Alston Jeffrey Brown Victor Ismael Cazares John Grant Chapman Andrew Elias Colarusso Amanda Nicole Dolan Daniel A. Duque-Estrada Peter Mark Kendall Barrie Judith Kreinik Leicester Llwellhynn Landon III Andrew Henry Ledbetter John Paul Madera Elizabeth Celeste Morgan Margaret Namulyanga Tuong Vy Thuy Nguyen Ryan Guzzo Purcell Aubrey Lynn Snowden Caitlin Davis Sporborg Brandon James Vukovic Thank you Stephen. Next, Marion E. Orr, Director of the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions, will present the recipients of the MASTER OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS degree of Brown University, followed by the recipients of the MASTER OF PUBLIC POLICY of Brown University. It is an honor to present the recipients of the MASTER OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS. Cynthia Andrews Elder Aaron M. Hertzberg Diana Ines Perdomo It is an honor to present the recipients of the MASTER OF PUBLIC POLICY. Reza Amirmotazedi Erica Loretta Brown Benson Feng Stephen Joshua Harrington Eme Chimdinma Ikpeme Cory Bennett King Alexa Cosette LeBoeuf Hilary Jane McCann McConnaughey Jaclyn Hope Murphy Enzo Antonio Napoli Sepulveda Keeley Andrea Smith Santiago Alejandro Tellez Canas Nathaniel Young Walton Zeying *** Thank you Marion. Patrick M. Vivier, Associate Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice, will now present the recipients of the MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH degree of Brown University. It is my honor to present the recipients of the MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH. Mariam Siraj Amanullah Oluwatosin Elizabeth Babalola David Paul Joseph Borcsok Niya A. Branham Yoon A Eom German Escobar Heather Jean Felix Lena My Giang Erin Lynn Gosekamp Benjamin Michael Grin Ampson Paul Hagan Mengna Huang Priyanka Joshi Samantha Linda Kingsley Neeraja Krishnaswamy Wylie Luo Stacy S. Manolas Efstathios N. Michalopoulos Elizabeth Rachel Piette Adila Prasodjo Swathi Sampangi Patricia Maria Sandoval Sidra Jocelyn Scharff Carolyn Anne Schmiedel Heidi Marie Schneider Aigerim Shaimagambetova Caitlin Marie Towey Larry Orlando Warner Jessica Hélène Wells Edwina Lea Raynise Williams Mei-Fen Yang Thank you Patrick. Next, Associate Dean John Tyler will present the recipients of the MASTER OF SCIENCE degree of Brown University. It is my honor to present the recipients. Michael David Albert Sameer Bandal Katherine Rose Barcay Michael James Beach Catherine Marie Booth Raphael Bost Alicia Ann Boucher Ayse Muge Bozkurt Vaughn Everett Bryant Joshua William Skilken Brown Qidong Chen Wei Chen Edwin Kipkosgei Cheruiyot Sang Hung-I Morris Chuang Maria-Veronica Ciocanel Shane George Cooney Yuda Dai Nicole Danit Damari Xuan Deng Evelyn Denise Eng-Nol Jonathan Bartholomew Estrada Yang Fan Yi Fan Christian Alexander Glusa Jian He Elizabeth Margaret Hilliard Priya S. Hirway Aditya Gajanana Holla Huanzhong Huang Syed Raza Husain Mark Andrew Jacobson Michael Anthony Jandron Xin Jia Kelly Shenghua Jin Lauren Margaret Jozwiak Manisha Kanthilal Sarthak Khanal Xiaopeng Lai Ryo Kyung Lee Chen Liang Weiyi Liu Andrew Cleveland Loomis Wenqian Lu Fangjian Ma Ahmad Mahmoody-Ghaidary Yasaman Mani Michael Alexander Monn Vazheh Moussavi Annam Khac Nguyen Dimitra Papagiannopoulou Alexandra Papoutsaki Colleen Marie Peterson Ivana Petrovic Tabb Christopher Prissel Hannah Quay-de la Vallee Stephanie Nicole Quintana Kenneth R. Ramsley Hobart Christopher Reynolds Bryce Thomas Richards Erica Jill Salk Rahul Ratna Shakya Aakash Sharan Pamela Aletha Storlazzi David Michael Strickland Hang Su Li Sun Megan Bruck Syal Miao Tai James Tavares Anton V. Tokranov Dmitry Vagner Bo *** Meng *** Qun *** Hongwu Xiao Chen Xu Ming Xu Wen Xu Wenfeng Xu Hee Seung Yang Huiyuan Yang Tan Zhang Yang Zou Tan Zhang Yang Zou Thank you John. Angus Kingon, Professor of Engineering and Barrett Hazeltine University Professor of Entrepreneurship and Organizational Studies, will now present the recipients of the MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INNOVATION MANAGEMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP ENGINEERING of Brown University. It is my honor to present the recipients. Sitanun Ananraya Nicha Angsusingha David Benhamou Yi-Chun Chiang Min Hyun Cho Changjia Ge Amir Ata Ghofrani Ntohmchukwu N. Izuchi Jr. Donald T. Kim Margaret Lengerich Ulloa Chenyu Lin Scott Misheloff Linstone Lu Liu Takuji Nakano Abhishek Pramod Patil Patpimol Pichitphan Varsheeni Raghupathy Gad Regensburger Mor Regensburger Rosemary Romanos Paritosh Ketan Sanghavi Xinming *** Rajasekaran Kumbagudi Sundaram Michael Talgham Cohen Siyang *** Laurence John Wattrus Christopher David Whipple Jr Wendy Wenyan Yang Xiaoyang Yang Jenny Chin Yu Alright. Thank you Angus. Mr. Voss, I wish to report that 193 students have completed their requirements for their master's degrees and have permission to receive their degrees in absentia. Will all master’s degree candidates please rise? [CHEERS, APPLAUSE] Videte, igitur, ut probe integreque, in emolumentum rei publicae et in Dei honorem, ut decet eos hoc gradu honoratos vos geratis. Sedete. Congratulations on receiving your Master's Degree. [APPLAUSE] We will now move on to the awarding of the DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY degrees. [APPLAUSE] Socii honorandi: Homines quos ad gradum in Philosophia Doctoris idoneos comperimus vobis praesentamus, et eos ad hunc gradum promovere liceat rogamus. Candidati ad gradum in Philosophia Doctoris ASCENDANT. Auctoritate mihi commissa vos ad gradum in Philosophia Doctoris admitto, omniaque jura ac privilegia ad hunc gradum pertinentia vobis concedo. Quare in testimonium haec diplomata vobis solemniter trado. Alright, please be seated. I have the honor to present the recipients of the DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY degree of Brown University. Freida Aviva Abtan William Paul Accomando Jr. Stacy-Ann Adeniquea Allen Jacqueline Marie Anderson Nathan J. Backman Akbar Bagri Joseph William Bahlman Gregory Edward Baker Hanna E. Berk-Rauch Florencia Borrescio Higa William Derek Bowman Yuan Cao Rayna Michelle Carter Stephen M. Chambers Shan Che Signe Laura Christensen Orly Clerge Ryan J. Cochran David A. Colbert Nicholas Stephen Coleman Alicia Lee Cooper Leroy Leon Cooper Alissa Annie Cordner Jennifer Noel Costanza Adam Darlow Diana J. Davis Jennifer Reeve Davis Christy Ann DeLair Çağatay Demiralp Kerri Leann Donaldson Hanna Diana J. Donovan James Alan Doyle Federico Droller Jennie Marie Duggan Matthew Lee Duperon Angelica Duran Martinez Naşide Gözde Durmuş Susan Helen Ellison Paul James Firenze Heather Anne Ford Jinxia Fuz Alex Geringer-Sameth Sonja Glaab-Seuken Jacob Salomon Goldston Chao Gong Khristina F. Gonzalez Isadora Grevan de carvalho Simina Ruxandra Grigoriu Peng Guan Martin Maximiliano Guzman Timothy M. Haase Omar Sultan Haque Caroline J. Harper Tai-Sen He Don N. Ho David Michael Hollibaugh Baker Younghun Hong Thomas Andrew Hulse Noelle Ariane Hutchins Emmette Ramsey Hutchison Paul Michael Huwe Yohei Ishii Sukriti Issar Chathuraka Teekshana Jayasuriya Jessica Johnson Hye-Young Jung Sohini Kar Sinan Karaveli Kwang-Min Kim Alice Klima Paul A. Klumpe Alex Robert Knodell Dorothy Marie Koveal Roto Le Chad J. Leahy Sunghwan Lee Thomas Peter Leppard Inna Leykin Li-Mei Lim Chang Liu Feng-Hao Liu Jingyu Liu Yanan Liu Shannon Elizabeth Loomis Daniel Scott Loss Michael Ming Hong Luk Mercedes Carrillo Lyson Aniruddha Maitra Arturo Alejandro Márquez Gómez Stephen Devins Marth Kyle James Matthews Sam Irving McNeal Jr. Amanda Minervini Daniel Leo Miranda Christine Young Mok Shay Mozes Abdel Gabar Mustafa Dinakar Muthiah Dhritiman Nandan Chima D. Ndumele Ezio Neyra Magagna Elizabeth Ann Normand Yagmur Nuhrat Robert Matthew Ogburn Jonathan Morin Olly Ee Cheng Ong Fabio Pavia Omar Pereyra María Pizarro Prada Colin Arms Porter Chloe Nerissa Poston Catherine Alexandra Pratt Emma Christine Reilly María Isabel Restrepo Tamayo Jacob Charles Richman Anna Macklin Ritz Gregory James Rizza Paul Mark Robertson Felicia I. Salinas-Moniz Paul Francis Salipante Mark Robert Salvatore Kateryna Samoilova Michael A. Segala Miguel Angel Segovia Sarah Jane Seidman Junhyeok Seo Nicholas J. Shubin Daniel F. Silva John Roma Skok Pantelis Solomon Susan Little Solomon Arnold Ji-ung Song Sandra I. Sousa Florian Erhard Sprung Deqing Sun Xiaolian Sun Benjamin Raphael Teitelbaum Sean S. Teller Julia Timpe Lulu I. Tsai Jason Matthew Urbanus Felipe Valencia Vladimir Vlaovic Marek Vondrak Kimberly A. Waller Zhi *** Heidi Katherine Wendt Chiwook Won Yang Yang Xiaojiao Yu Zohar R. Zephrani Yifan Zhang Jiachen Zhou Wenjin Zhou Xueyu Zhu I wish to report that 48 students have completed their degree requirements and have permission to receive their degrees in absentia. Will all doctoral candidates please rise? [CHEERS] Videte, igitur, ut probe integreque, in emolumentum rei publicae et in Dei honorem, ut decet eos hoc gradu honoratos vos geratis. Sedete, Doctores in Philosophia. Congratulations on receiving your DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY degrees! [CHEERS, APPLAUSE] Congratulations! I would like to thank my fellow deans and the Graduate School's staff in particular for helping to make this event a success. These are the people who received your applications originally, greeted you when you came to Orientation, and processed aid and appointments. They join you today to celebrate your accomplishments. It is also my pleasure to share this celebration with you and your families, as well. As you go out into the world to serve—in the words of Brown’s charter, “with usefulness and reputation”—as post-doctoral fellows, to work in government, the private sector, non-profit organizations, and as faculty in colleges and universities all over the United States and abroad, I ask you to remain connected to Brown as loyal alumni. You are now, and will remain, an integral part of the University and its traditions. I now proclaim: Auctoritate mihi commissa declaro ceremonia terminata. [CHEERS] Congratulations. The Graduate School Convocation has concluded and only the benediction remains. After the benediction, we ask that graduates, family and guests remain in their places until the platform party and faculty have left the tent. We ask that graduates join us at the University Ceremony on the Main Green. There are seats reserved for you there in Section 5. Graduates will exit by section and row, as directed by staff. Thank you. Would the entire audience please stand? I invite the Rev. Boswell Ford to the podium. Would you please join me in prayer? Gracious Creator, we place all before you on the altar of truth. This time spent in Brunonian's hallowed halls; the friendships that have been formed; the learning that has been gleaned: however it was that those standing before you have come, they leave now as graduates of this dear institution. Help them to remember that this is not an ending, but really the beginning. It is the beginning of a new chapter, a new story, if you will. To the graduates: as you depart from this place, may passion inspire you; may injustice trouble you; may hope guide you; and may faith sustain you. May you be supported by those who love and believe in you; may you not be troubled by those who don't. May you go in peace; in love; and with endless gratitude for all that life has yet to bring you. Whenever you feel that you cannot win, think on this day, knowing and believing that you have already accomplished much, and be inspired. Celebrate this ending; rejoice in this beginning; and go forth to change the world. Amen. [CHEERS, RECESSIONAL MUSIC]