Distinguished Speakers, Including Two Alumni, Earn Honorary Degrees at Commencement Ceremonies

Honorary degree recipient and Commencement speaker Dr. Yvonne Spicer ’84 M’85 in May 2019

A national education leader, a social marketing pioneer, a community-transforming philanthropist and the first mayor of the City of Framingham (Mass.) earned honorary degrees during SUNY Oswego’s Commencement ceremonies on May 18.

Speaking and receiving honorary doctorates in humane letters were:

• Dr. Mildred García, president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences ceremony

• Jeff Ragovin ’00, the chief growth officer of Social Native, at the School of Business ceremony

• Noreen Reale Falcone, a respected community leader and philanthropist; and

• Dr. Yvonne Spicer ’84 M’85, mayor of Framingham (Mass.) and a leading national advocate for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education—at the combined ceremony for the School of Communication, Media and the Arts and for the School of Education

Nearly 1,800 students received degrees from SUNY Oswego in May 2019, joining an alumni network that is more than 87,000 strong.

Justin Carmona ’19, who was scheduled to graduate in May, was represented by his mother, brother and other relatives and close friends in the front row of the School of Communication, Media and the Arts ceremony, and awarded a degree posthumously. The senior, known for his poetry and creative writing, died unexpectedly in December 2018 following a short illness.

The three ceremonies may be viewed in full on the SUNY Oswego YouTube Page (youtube.com/user/sunyoswegovideo).

Commencement weekend began with one of Oswego’s longest-standing traditions, the annual Commencement Eve Torchlight Ceremony. This event is the seniors’ welcome into the Oswego Alumni Association and featured a dinner followed by a keynote address by John McLoughlin ’75, a retired Port Authority Police Department lieutenant who overcame being trapped beneath the rubble of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. His daughter Erin ’19, one of four siblings who are Oswego alumni, graduated with the Class of 2019.

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