 Welcome graduates, faculty, family, and friends. I'm Dr. Cynthia Forehand, Professor of Neurological Sciences and Dean of the Graduate College. An academic recognition, and it is my honor to announce in the presence of candidates for academic recognition, members of the faculty, staff, honored guests, parents, and friends that the 2023 Graduate College Ceremony is convened. You may sit. I'd like to thank the musicians from the Pipers and Drummers of the Vermont Institute for Celtic Arts for leading the processional. I'd also like to thank our faculty marshals, Dr. Karen Colleen, Jennifer Laurent, and Brian Balloff. I have a few brief announcements. Please make sure that your cell phones remain silent for the duration of the ceremony. And also, as you note, we have a professional photographer from Grad Images who's taking photos of the graduates. And the photos will be sent electronically to each graduate for consideration. Anyone else wishing to take photos or video is welcome to do so in the area to my right, providing that we maintain an access aisle for egress. Finally, if there are now empty seats behind the graduates, please feel free to fill them. The faculty marshals will let you know if there are any seats that are off-limit. It is now my pleasure to introduce Provost Patti Prelock, who will provide the Graduate College Ceremony Reflection, Provost Prelock. Good afternoon. And what an exciting afternoon it is, right, graduates? And thank you to our amazing family, friends, and faculty who support them. I'm so honored to join all of you this afternoon to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of these young people before us. But before I speak to our graduates, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our dean, Cynthia Forehan, who is retiring on June 30th after leading the Graduate College for more than a decade. So, Cindy, would you please join me at the podium? She didn't know this was happening, so she's going, what is this about? For 36 years, Dean Forehan has contributed to our university community in so many ways. She is a talented neuroscience teacher beloved by her students. She nurtured and coordinated the university and Larner College of Medicine curricula for many years. And her funded research program focused on how the nervous system is altered by disease and injury. And while each of these is noteworthy, even more impressive is her service as dean of the Graduate College. Just a few of Cindy's many, many accomplishments. She increased graduate enrollment of more than 25%. She added nearly 30 new graduate programs and certificates. She showed us substantial increases in our graduate students' stipends and benefits. She established the Graduate Writing Center and other graduate student services. She had significant growth demonstrated in our Accelerated Masters Program portfolio and in the help of developing online graduate programs back when this was a novel concept. Most importantly, though, Cindy has brought a student-centered approach to everything she does. She has been a tireless advocate for excellence in graduate education. She has found ways to support graduate student success and she's removed barriers that detract from the graduate student experience. A true servant leader and a model university citizen, Cindy has led with respect, compassion, persistence, integrity, and a laser-like focus on her mission to evaluate graduate education at the University of Vermont. Dean Forehand's legacy is one of excellence, dedication, and remarkable progress. I am pleased to bestow upon her the honor of Dean Emerita in recognition of her career, of professional accomplishments, and distinguished service. I don't even know the wife such a thing. As you can see, Cindy's a great friend, so I'm going to miss her. Now to focus on our graduates. Today is a day of rich tradition, ritual, and pageantry, all of which symbolize your dedication to learning and to celebrate your achievement of an advanced degree. And while today is a time for celebration, it's also an opportunity to reflect on the significance of what you have accomplished and what I know you're gonna be doing next. Some of you will spend your careers in libraries and laboratories inventing and discovering wondrous things. Others will spend their days surrounded by children in schools, measuring the impact of climate change on mountaintops, or walking city streets to better understand how we can eliminate poverty. Still others will work in clinics ensuring the health of marginalized populations, in boardrooms, pitching, innovative, and sustainable approaches, or in barns supporting safe and healthy food systems. As holders of advanced degrees, you are among the most educated members of our communities, locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. You will leave the University of Vermont in service to your families, to your colleagues, to your communities, and to your society. You may encounter many defeats as Maya Angelou has shared, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter defeats so you can find out who you are and what you can rise from. So your graduation day is not just a celebration, but a day of commitment to the future, a commitment to the important role each of you will play in creating safe, sustainable, just, equitable, inclusive, and a prosperous tomorrow, not just for some, but for all. So on behalf of all of your faculty, your staff, and your graduate advisors, I want to share their pride and gratitude for your hard work, your dedication, your resilience, and for the important contributions you have made to our campus. And know you will always be a Catamount family member. Make us proud. Congratulations. Thank you, Provost Prelak. It is now my pleasure to introduce past Vice President and newly elected President of the Graduate Student Senate, Ejaz Ohak. He is a doctoral candidate in the computer science program. Ejaz. Dear graduates, faculty members, and distinguished students, I stand before you today as an international student from Pakistan who is proud to have served as the Vice President of the Graduate Student Senate at the University of Vermont. I'm honored to address you on this special occasion, and I thank the Graduate College for giving me this opportunity to speak. Today marks a significant milestone in your lives. You have accomplished something that many people only dream of achieving. As you celebrate your success, I want to share with you some thoughts on what these achievements mean for you and for our community at the University of Vermont. For me, being a graduate student at UVM has been a transformative experience. It has challenged me to think beyond my own borders and explore different perspectives. While at the same time, it has allowed me to contribute to my unique perspective to our academic community. I believe that this is what makes UVM so special. It is a place where diversity is not only celebrated, not only embraced, but celebrated. As a Pakistani student, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to become a leader on this campus, but UVM saw beyond my nationality and welcomed me into its community. It gave me a platform to raise my voice, to engage with my peers and to make a difference. It is a testament to the level of inclusivity and acceptance that UVM values and practices. I know that for some of you, this accomplishment may have come with many challenges. You may have faced financial, personal, or academic obstacles. You may have felt overwhelmed, not just or even isolated at times, but you persevered. You showed resilience, determination, and courage. You proved that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. Your success is not just a reflection of your individual achievements. It is a reflection of the support and encouragement you received from your mentors, advisors, friends, and family. It is a reflection of UVM commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive environment that empowers its students to excel. As you move forward, I urge you to carry this sense of community with you. We live in a world that is increasingly divided, polarized, and hostile. It is easy to feel isolated, disconnected, and disheartened, but we must remember that we are not alone. We are part of a larger community that share our values, our aspirations, and our struggles. Let us continue to build bridges of understanding, compassion, and solidarity. Let us continue to support and uplift one another. Let us continue to challenge yourself to be the best versions of ourselves, and let us never forget that we are all a part of the same community, bound by our shared experiences, and our commitment to making the world a better place. In closing, I want to congratulate you on this remarkable achievement. You have worked hard. You deserve to celebrate your success, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors, and I hope that you will continue to stay connected with the UVM community. Thank you very much. Thank you, EHS. It is now my distinct honor and privilege to introduce this year's graduate college ceremony keynote speaker, UVM graduate alumnus, Dr. Wanda Heading-Grant. Dr. Heading-Grant is Carnegie Mellon's university's inaugural vice provost for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and chief diversity officer. She also holds a faculty appointment as distinguished service professor in the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon. She's an accomplished and sought after leader. Throughout her 33-year career in higher education, she has established programs, policies, and practices fundamental to the advancement of inclusive excellence, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Her career service spans a broad range of academic and administrative roles. Her wealth of professional experience and volunteer involvement on boards of nonprofit organizations and civil rights committees have earned her a reputation as a cultural architect, able to build and sustain real and lasting change. She received both her bachelor's and her doctoral degrees from the University of Vermont, where she later served as vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion, vice president for human resources, diversity, and multicultural affairs, chief diversity officer, associate provost, and associate dean. She is most proud of receiving the 2018 University of Vermont Alumni Achievement Award. Her efforts and dedication also earned her a formal recognition by the Vermont Women in Higher Education Association, which named a new state award in her honor, the Dr. Wanda Hedding Grant Justice Award for years of dedicated leadership and service in fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in higher education. She is a mentor to many of us in this room. Ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Wanda Hedding Grant. Thank you. Hi, everyone. Hey, that's right, that's right. I am going to lock my, here, and take a step forward. I've been working on this. I'm about 30% weight bearing. And it's what happens when you see Denzel Washington in the airport and you start to run and chase and trip over luggage. It's also when you feel somebody touching your head and said, please wake up and you wake up and you realize you're at the bottom of your staff. You just really missed the staff and you fell. So thank you, Dean Forhan, for that introduction. You know how people say, is that me? Were they talking about me? I'm not gonna say that. I'm gonna like, heck yeah. She was talking about me. I worked hard, so thank you. I am so appreciative for being invited to be a part of this awesome day, this awesome moment for the graduate class of 2023. Yes, right, that's right. To Provost Patty Prelock and the entire, entire platform party, faculty and staff, it is good to be among you. It is good to see everyone. I know so many of you and so many I don't know. I forgot my glasses, so if I don't wave back at you, just stand up and start swinging your arms and I'll know you're somebody I am supposed to know. But I can see my message here. As said, I am Dr. Wanda Heading-Grant. I use she, her, hers pronouns and I am a fellow catamount. Yes, you are joining a select and prominent group of individuals. Your achievements and accomplishments are worth shouting about, dancing about and as well reflecting on. I loudly and proudly shine a light on you today. My trip to getting here today was not an easy task physically, but I knew I did not want to miss out on being here. I believe that being here would be the medicine for my soul, my aches and my pains, that it would remind me at a time when I needed it the most that I am a phenomenal woman and that I was making a difference and that I am the offspring of generations of black women and men who were denied access and a chance to excel based on the color of their skin and identity. I am a benefactor of their tenacity, grit and sacrifices. That's right. Being here would remind me that through God all is possible. I wanted to be here because it is here where I adult it, honed my skills and abilities. I wanted to be here because it is in Vermont and in this community that I found purpose and was set on my path. Two months ago when I trotted down the stairs in my Vermont home to get my computer, I missed a step, broke my leg in three places and then continued to tumble down the last few steps. The pain was something I never felt and the fear was real. I laid there with my foot in my hand as it grew to look almost unrecognizable. When the paramedics arrived, they needed to figure out how to get me off the steps, control my pain as well as my emotions. The paramedics were nice. One said, it will be okay. He said he had broken almost every bone in his body participating in sports and for me to trust him. And I said, what? Trust you. He then said, we're going to help you. We're going to help you by relieving some of the pain as soon as we get the IV in your hand. I then thought, huh, in my hand, that's going to hurt more pain. He then said, we're going to give you some fentanyl and from deep in my belly and through all the pain I said, fentanyl. And he chuckled along with the other two paramedics and he said, this is a little different than what you hear about or read about. I promise you, this fentanyl is good. It's okay. Thoughts were running through my head, each thought competing to be the first. The tears that flowed were not just because of the pain I was feeling in that moment, but what that fall would come to reveal to me about myself, God's grace and the love of family and friends. Thus, I thought I would share some chapters from my unwritten memoir. I hope it helps you to see the power of education from my lens and how it transcended my work as a professional and thought leader in an area in regards to equity, inclusivity and justice. Forgive me for those who may have heard a few of this. I assume that was a clap. In my high school yearbook, it says that I aspire to have a career in business. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for a career. So since I had not, but since I was told that I was good in math as part of a cluster group of students who were going to college, I just decided business sounded good. I thought it would impress my peers, I thought it would make my mother happy and the only thing I knew was that I had just recently seen the cover page of a college brochure in my guidance counselor's office that was advertising a career in the field of business. It didn't matter that I had never thought about a career in business, that I had no role models, no directions, no plans, how was this even going to happen? Heck, even the cover of that page and the people that were in from a design standpoint did not even look like me. I just again wanted to impress my peers and please my mother. Her name was Dorothy. We lost Dorothy, my mom, a long time ago, but I think she would be pleased with how I turned out. She loved Vermont and I so loved her. Chapter 27, beyond my imagination. While here in service to others, I volunteered at the Salvation Army, I volunteered at Women Helping Battered Women when it was called that at that time, marched and spoke in solidarity with lactating mothers, with my LGBTQ plus friends and colleagues, went to Catholic Masses, attended services in a synagogue, learned about town halls and frost heaves, shepherd pie and that drive-in theaters was still a thing. I found my Baptist church family got married and had three kids. I met and conversed with civil rights giants, Harry Belafonte and I talked for three hours in the Burlington Airport. As we waited for his playing, that was delayed. Where he shared stories about his time with Dr. King and how Dr. King would tell him, don't bail me out of jail too early after he was arrested for marches and demonstration. It was during those times that people paid attention. I walked down College Street here in Burlington with the Lake James Baldwin, drove Angela Davis around looking for a vegan restaurant and listened to what I felt like. Listened to her talk about what inspired or inspired a movement, whether it was intentionally or unintentionally for her. I laughed about getting into some good trouble with the late and great John Lewis twice. I shook the hands of the late Elie Wiesel, took three times for BB King and his orchestra. He loved my sweet potato pie. He said it tasted like his mama's. And yelled out to Michelle Obama, I love you Michelle. And she said, I love you too. Ah, should have been there. These encounters were more than a moment for this catamount. They were transformational. My goals and who I wanted to be in life became clear each time I engaged and listened to one of those icons or immersed myself in an environment that was unfamiliar to me, but yet rewarding to me. It was beyond anything I could have imagined for myself. Chapter 50, I think I would call it service to others. The late Krista McAuliffe, teacher and astronaut, most famous declaration was about touching the future of students through her teaching. This resonates with me because it speaks to my enjoyment and interest in working in an environment where you get to touch the future of others. I am more than hopeful. I am committed to being a doer, not just a dreamer. I am committed to being a doer, not just a talker. I am committed to being a change agent. I no longer think that chance or luck put me on the path to where I am now. The challenges I experienced as a child, as a teenager and young adult filled my dedication to inclusivity, equity and social justice work. I knew the community structures and systems where I grew up were less than what they should have been for me and for others. We deserved better. As I got older, I saw those same broken and unfair systemic practices executed in larger and broader ways nationally and internationally within institutional settings and in the behaviors of individuals with power. I took the time to examine my personal and professional roadmaps. I wanted to be better prepared for the future bumps, obstacles and detours in the road that lied ahead. I studied the landscapes around me and by clarifying my priorities along the way, along with my life experiences and more education, I became better at navigating my way through the terrain of higher education and beyond. I knew where and when I needed to speed up to slow down as well as take care of myself. I have taken spiritual walks when it seemed like no matter what I did, no matter what I said that no one could see the importance of civility, diversity, inclusion, responsibility, innovation, fairness and equity. Humanitarian and Holocaust survivor, Ellie Wazel wrote and I quote, I belong to a generation that has often felt abandoned by God and betrayed by mankind. And yet I believe that we must not give up on either. We must choose between the violence of adults and the smiles of children, between the ugliness of hate and the will to oppose it, between the inflicting suffering and humiliation on our fellow man and offering him the solidarity and hope he deserves or not. I know I speak from experience that even in darkness it is possible to create light and encourage compassion. I still believe in man in spite of man, end of quote. I had faith. I had a determination in my view. I needed to be a part of solution, big, small. I needed to do something. I am sure that is when and where my grit and courage blossomed. Today is just a hot mess. That's what I would call chapter 56. Many institutions and organizations strategize how to make their commitment to DNIB, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging visible and to embed them in their structure and foundation. But there's a real threat to this work, to the hopes and dreams that I and others who have made a career out of doing this. There is a threat. In my opinion, that while some are fighting against inequality, others are content with just building more equity for themselves. Some are confusing, prejudice, bias, and hatred with patriotism. In moments of crisis, the most vulnerable are being used as scapegoats. Communities of people are being othered and attacked and some have weaponized politics to further divide us into spew violence. My brain gets tired. Sometimes I need to rest. And when I rest, I usually start studying, start thinking about how I can do things better. This kind of thinking has led me back to the teaching of Jim Collins and Simon Sinek. Jim Collins, a researcher, author, and speaker who focuses on business management, sustainability, and growth of companies, said in his book, Entrepreneurship 2.0, I quote, uncertainty is chronic, instability is permanent, disruption is common, and we can neither predict nor govern events. There will be no new normal. There will only be continuous series of not normal episodes. Define prediction and unforeseen by most of us until they happen, end of quote. I think COVID would have shown us that. Simon Sinek, an author and motivational speaker, talks about Dr. James Kahr's game theory. Game theory is about how to come up with a winning strategy in the game of life. It describes two kinds of games, the finite game and the infinite game. The finite game has known players, fixed rules and agreed upon objective, like in sports. The rules are known, they are agreed upon, and there is a winner and there is a loser. The infinite game has known and unknown players. New players can enter the game at any time. The rules are changeable, and the objective is to keep the game in play, to perpetuate the game. There are no winners or losers. Players just drop out of the game when they have no more will to play or exist. The idea is to think beyond short term, like the next quarter or the next election, but to consider the next generation, there is no end. So, by doing this, I believe that leaders can make decisions that maintain and develop and sustain purpose and legacy long after they are gone. So what I've done in doing my work is I've married these two concepts. It has allowed me to not only see the attacks on DEIB as one of the continuous series of not normal episodes, but to treat them as normal, then I can be better prepared for the surprises and the uncertainties that come with it. Basically, I should expect them. Basically, it will help me advocate, lead, create, design efforts and initiatives that are successful to death or today and tomorrow. Remember, this harkens back to all those great giants that I said I met and spent time with around civil rights and humanitarianism. They were not, many of them, able to see what they had created and what they had worked for. It's a selfless task, the epilogue, the end. I call it liberation. Poet, writer, civil rights activist, Ordu Lord said, when I dare to be powerful to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid. It is in, thank you, it is in this space of education on this campus and in this community where I honed my critical thinking skills. It is here that I gained multiple strands of knowledge and engaged in the fight for liberation of many and not just myself. It is where I found new and different communities to engage with while helping to create and expand spaces for black and brown bodies. It has informed my critical awareness and perspectives of my surroundings. It made me stronger and powered me in this complex and complicated world. We must have compassion and ethnic of care for others, no matter the profession. You must work to see the invisible. You must work to help the most vulnerable and teach others how to do it. Be active for tomorrow because for tomorrow you may fall in one of those categories where you will need help and compassion. We must be emboldened and charged to do our utmost to ensure equitable access to education for all. We must do it with an awareness and an understanding of histories while sharing truth and facts so that our responses are crafted and implemented with and for the love of all human beings. Otherwise, I say it is a crime against humanity. My time here changed my life in ways I never thought about. The education I received formally and informally was invaluable. Of course, there were trials and tribulations. It wasn't perfect, but there are so many who would want what I had and what I have. I look at you with hope and with expectations. I'm sorry, I'm going to repeat that. I look at you with hope and with expectations that you live joyously and responsibly for the betterment of all of us. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King said, if you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl. But all by all means, keep moving. And that's what I plan to do. So fellow Catamont's class of 2023, I can't wait to see what you do and how you contribute. So, go in peace and do your thing. Thank you. Get a picture of this. I need a picture of this. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Wanda, heading Grant. Now, the moment we have all looked forward to today, as Dean of the Graduate College at the University of Vermont, it is with great pride that I congratulate our students on their accomplishments. Graduates will be asked to come forward to receive their individual academic hoods and diplomas. Formal degree conferral by the president will take place at tomorrow's university-wide commencement ceremony. As I noted earlier, grad images will be taking photos of each graduate, but families are welcome to come forward to photograph their graduate too. The names of all graduates will be read by Dr. Elizabeth Fenton, a distinguished member of the graduate faculty. The Doctor of Philosophy is the highest degree in all of academia and is typically awarded after many years of study and the successful completion and public defense of original, independent, and significant research. Faculty marshals, please have the PhD graduates proceed to the stage where they will be joined and hooded by their advisor or guest hooter. The Doctor of Philosophy in Biology, Emily Beasley in Biomedical Engineering, Jaspreet Singh Nagy in Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Studies, Shomen Mystery, Emery Pact, Breeshti Sabikunagar, Priscilla Snyder in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Gabriel Thomas McGahn, Elsa B. Richter in Electrical Engineering, Shaquille Chowdhury in Food Systems, Josiah Taylor in Materials Science, David Alamire in Mathematical Sciences, Hunter Reem, Damon Zhu in Natural Resources, Jennifer Ann Santuro in Neuroscience, Halem Thomas in Plant and Soil Science, Johnika MiaMaria Anderson, Catherine E. Horner in Plant Biology, Burke Tinas in Psychology, Merylise Amiti, Zoe Breyer, Matthew Cyril Broomer, Amanda Falcone, Jessica Perez. The Doctor of Education is a practice-oriented degree awarded after years of study in the construction and application of new knowledge and is the highest professional degree in the field of education. Faculty marshals, please have the Doctor of Education graduates proceed to the stage where they will be hooded by their advisor. In Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Ashraf Alamintori, Rianan M. Kim, Mary Beth Seller, professional doctorates are practice-oriented degrees awarded after years of clinical and classroom study and inquiry. These degrees are the highest professional degrees in their field. Faculty marshals, please have the Doctor of Nursing Practice graduates proceed to the stage where they will be joined and hooded by program director, Professor Jennifer Lauren, Tara Burnham, Jamie White-Charleson, Julia Nicole Chimenti, Lauren Fedorca, Davenport Heller, Megan Nackle, Amal Langston, Christine Malcolm, Emily Miller, Kathleen Monfort, Kristen Ann Morgan, Amanda B. Parent, Emily Grace Peck, Natalie Ray, Kelsey Joan Rumley, Patrick Shepard, Mayra Singh, Sarah Steenbeek, Jessica Chong, Layla Ziad. Congratulations to our doctoral graduates, to the awarding of master's degrees. The master's degree is granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or higher order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. Master's graduates will be hooded by one of our distinguished university scholars, Jan Phook and Beverly Wemple. Faculty marshals, please have the master of accountancy graduates proceed to the stage. Madison Marie Bellows, Daniel Victor Camano, Taylor Blaise Clark, Jacob Curtis, Brandon Donahue, Ava Friedlander, Susanna Graham, Jessica Johnston, Oliver Calista, Daniel James McGuire, Taylor Martell, Julia Mulligan, Sarah Musick, Nicholas Carl Schwartz, Nathan Terrio. Faculty marshals, please have the master of arts graduates proceed to the stage. In English, Grace Althea Clement, Joy Mazara, Eleanor Gwyneth McDowell, Wendy Elizabeth Dumond Mellon, Devin Nicole Moore, Edwin Nana Owusu, Aaron David Robinson, Noah Sloik, Michael Drew Williamson, In Greek and Latin, Madeline McIntyre, Alexandra Noelle Seiler, In History, Isabel Linnea Nash-Bernie, Michael Carter, Elizabeth Champion, Ines Luisa Dearo, Elizabeth Ann Farrell, Alina Fensterer, Juniper Oxford, Caleb M. Riley, Eleanor Grace Sechko, Caroline Talbot. Faculty marshals, please have the master of arts in teaching graduates proceed to the stage. In Curriculum and Instruction, Carissa Becker, Paige Bazalian, Landon Crawford, Lisa Ann-Marie Claridis, Christine Rodriguez, Sophia Verheyen. Faculty marshals, please have the master of education graduates proceed to the stage. In Curriculum and Instruction, Amanda Renee Alamire, Catherine Belval, Amanda Biggs, Daniel Patrick Diamond, Lucy Rose Gibbs, Scott Pooler, In Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Justin Mark Hideaki Salisbury, In Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration, Aiden G. Andrews, Anna Maria Cavalleri, Gabby Kuna, Elizabeth Diaz, Alexis Kane, Patrick Lovelace, James McAllister, Logan Enrique DeMello, Maria Del Sol Nava, Emma Squire, In Interdisciplinary Studies, Katie Black, Matthew David Black, Katerina Lifkova Kosravi, Makadia Lagu, Victoria Ann Riley, In Special Education, Keegan Bliss, Sarah Elise Block, Megan C. Brady, Maggie Brigante, Rachel Servany, Emily Madison Salenty, Carmen Teresa Dennis, Natalie Ann Dewey, Madeline Heavey, Sandra Jewel King, Loben Schwartz, Madeline Moore, Amy Nguyen, Julia Robb, Thomas Quinn Smith, Anna Mae Travers, Katerina Visek, Carrie Wells. Faculty marshals, please have the Master of Public Administration graduates proceed to the stage. Christine Galees, Nicholas John Gaten, Evan Kay, Joseph W. Pitter, Margaret Smithson, Jesse Streeter, Shannon Taggart. Faculty marshals, please have the Master of Public Health graduates proceed to the stage. Jamie Cotton, Joanne Talia Diombu, Sinead Gallagher Donnelly, Goffier, Heidi Kalb, Anna Kim, Nishiyeni Logandran, Vanessa Murasio, Sophia McLaughlin, Melanie Beth Meyer, Katrina Tracy Morrow, Patrick Payne, Donald Pico, Angela Pellegrino Wood, Catherine Rampone, Sasha Rosen, Haley Michelle Ross, Elizabeth Ann Sparks, Joseph Stacey, Katya Vieira DeMorais Lacas, Faculty marshals, please have the Master of Science graduates proceed to the stage. In chemistry, Kayla L. Johnson, in civil and environmental engineering, Finn Anders Bondeson, Sierra Emily Espeland, Nicholas David Prusik, in communication sciences and disorders, Alexander Benevento, Megan Drohan, Rachel Emery, Catherine Fagan, Brittany Lene Gruber, Emily Hemstead, Allison Holt, Emma Lamoth, Jordan Emily Mushaud, Mariam Norton, Anna Ellen Faganabon, Elizabeth Grace Quinn, Margaret Spence, Brianna Stewart, Tristan Kiara Thompson, Cassidy Balcoviac, Kendall Elizabeth Ware, in complex systems and data science, Janie Alex, Spencer Dooley, Fredrickson, Sarah Elizabeth Groba, Theodore Hadley, Frederick Cary Hall, Patrick Harvey, Jayce Slesser, in computer science, Jack Boynton, Nicholas Hella, John Clay Kaufman, Yusuf Khan, Jaden Christopher Barron, in counseling, Gillian Beyond, Harrison A. Bly, Brittany Sierra Claes, Allison Cobb, Samantha Crosby, Zaneb Elzemsimi, Crystal Hutchinson, Iskander Kahn, Abigail Lazarowski, Stella Leach, Isabel Lippincott, Leisha Carol Bronzinski, Makayla Rath, Catherine Santamaria, Amelia Rose Stahl, Basu Bidari, Sidney Bloom, Molly Elizabeth Duff, Mallory McGallyard, April Willow McGillwain, David Malue, Celia Luanna Nezbit, Patrick Schaefer, Ingeology, Ashton Keeroll, Victoria Treto, in mathematical sciences, Benedict Houston, in mathematics, Siki Wan, in mechanical engineering, Thomas Chivers, Jake Barakian, in medical laboratory science, Maline Chinju Lapras, Katrina Papa, in natural resources, Francis Hogue, Peter Thomas Melike, Sarah Taylor Ramondi, in nursing, Hope A. Dorsey, in nutrition and food sciences, Allison Bain, Sini Karjulian Linen, in pharmacology, Dorcas Loise, Perrin Patel, Rachel Patron, Nellie Stidham, in physical activity and wellness science, Riley Drabb, Samuel Eaton, Kylie Amber Foster, Stephanie Hibbard, faculty marshals, please have the master of science in biomedical engineering graduates proceed to the stage, Dakota Amber Allen, Zachary S. Munson, Steven Gerard O'Driscoll, Dustin Pireslet, faculty marshals, please have the master of science in dietetics graduates proceed to the stage, Kaitlyn Bildhouser, Zoe Phylan, Ariam Caroline Fennash, Melissa Suzanne Kelly, Ilham Malik, Courtney Lynn Randall, faculty marshals, please have the master of science in engineering management graduates proceed to the stage, Ashley Marie Mercado, Shamir Patel, faculty marshals, please have the master of science in medical sciences graduates proceed to the stage, Elner Delemetovic, Edgar Lionel Itundi Gono, Joseph Anthony Gallo, Ashley Lyon, Matthew Ryan Palowski, Natalie Thee Tikamarova, faculty marshals, please have the master of social work graduates proceed to the stage, Rachel Altman, Tessie Barber, Brooke Bergeron, Allison Klein Campbell, Meredith Clark, Rachel Whitney Dingman, Sophie Domen, Allison Fishthal, Kathy Frost Brooks, P.C. Garvey, Joseph Goodrow, Riley Halleck, Rebecca Jane Hinnah, Tanner Hilbisch, Lily Hoffman, Maverick Joyce, Sydney Kailas, K. Lucas Kovokovic, Gabrielle Martelow, Leslie Anne McCoy, Daronne Metley, Alistair Murphy, River E. Parker, Shane Charles Pearson, Catherine Rawlins, Courtney Rose, Kylie Roden, Maya Shulman, Andy Sobranek, each Alexandra Seward, and Shanley, Megan Spatola, Emma Trepler, Delia Wright. It is now my pleasure to be the first to congratulate you following the presentation of your diploma in graduate hood. You have accomplished much to get to this day, and you should be as proud as yourselves as we are of you. My best wishes go to each and every one of you, and I hope to see you again tomorrow at the full UVM commencement ceremony where President Garamalla will officially confer degrees. At this time, I would like to take a moment to recognize our faculty whose hard work and dedication to the creation and transmittal of knowledge has made your education here among the best in the nation. And, importantly, I would also like to acknowledge those who have supported you in many ways along your journey. Those who have kept you grounded and focused on your dreams, students, I ask that you please rise and join me in thanking your families and friends. The party and the graduate faculty will now recess. Please wait until the platform party and graduate faculty have recessed before leaving, and note that the students will not recess with the ceremony. These proceedings are now closed.