Binghamton University to host nine Commencement ceremonies

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – Binghamton University will confer more than 4,100 degrees for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral candidates when it holds nine separate Commencement ceremonies in May, beginning with a doctoral hooding ceremony Wednesday, May 15, and ending with undergraduate ceremonies Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19.

All but the doctoral hooding ceremony will be held in the Events Center. Over 3,200 of the degrees awarded will be baccalaureate degrees, and 757 master’s students will cross the stage. More than 120 doctoral candidates will be hooded.

Each school and college will have its own ceremony, with Harpur College of Arts and Sciences holding three ceremonies to accommodate all of its graduates. The Decker School of Nursing will hold its ceremony at noon Friday, May 17, and the Graduate School ceremony for master’s candidates from the Decker School, Harpur College, the School of Management and the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science will be held at 4 p.m. the same day. Master’s candidates from the College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA) will be recognized during the CCPA ceremony at noon Sunday, May 19.

Three honorary doctorates will be awarded this year, all to Binghamton University alumni. The Doctor of Humane Letters will be awarded to humanitarian and student-athlete advocate Patricia Saunders ’65, at the 8:30 a.m. Harpur College ceremony; and to Howard Unger ’82, an innovative leader in capital investment dedicated to advancing human understanding and world peace, at the School of Management ceremony. Balakrishnan “Balki” Gopalan Iyer, MS ’00, a business leader in renewable and sustainable energy and an educator advancing special needs education, will receive the Doctor of Science at the Watson School ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, May 19. Honorary degree recipients will speak at their respective ceremonies.

In addition, educator Svetlana Iyer ’01, MSEd ’03, will be presented with the University Medal and will speak at the College of Community and Public Affairs ceremony at noon Sunday, May 19.

The complete 2019 Commencement ceremonies schedule is:

Wednesday, May 15

• 3 p.m. – Doctoral Hooding Ceremony, Osterhout Concert Theater, Anderson Center

Friday, May 17
Student speaker: Jessica Alzona

• Noon – Decker School of Nursing, Events Center

• 4 p.m. – Graduate School, Events Center

Saturday, May 18
Honorary degree and alumni award recipient remarks: Patricia Saunders ’65

• 8:30 a.m. – Harpur College of Arts and Sciences 1, Events Center

Student speaker: Chelsea Strong
Alumni award recipient remarks: The Honorable Judge Lillian Wan ’87

• 12:30 p.m. – Harpur College of Arts and Sciences 2, Events Center

Student speaker: Melanie Messinger
Alumni award recipient remarks: Kris Ahrend ’92

• 4:30 p.m. – Harpur College of Arts and Sciences 3, Events Center

Student speaker: Tiffany Dun

Sunday, May 19
Student speakers: Chloe Long and Julie Kunnumpurath
Student speakers: Sarah Rebecca Cohen (master’s) and Max Musashi Fischman (undergraduate)

• 8:30 a.m. – Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Events Center

• Noon – College of Community and Public Affairs, Events Center

Student speakers: Sarah Rebecca Cohen (master’s) and Max Musashi Fischman (undergraduate)
Honorary degree and alumni award recipient remarks: Howard Unger ’82
Student speaker: Sofia Haikin

• 3:30 p.m. – School of Management, Events Center

For more information, contact the Commencement Office at commence@binghamton.edu or 607-777-6452.