Niagara University Commencement Honorees and Guest Speakers
2008 - Undergraduate Exercises
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The Rev. David M. O’Connell, C.M.,
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President, The Catholic University of America, Doctor of Laws
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Recipients of Anniversary Honors
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- D’Youville College, Sister Denise Roche, GNSH, Ph.D., president
- St. Bonaventure University, Sister Margaret Carney, OSF, S.T.D., president (Sesquicentennial Anniversary)
- Christ the King Seminary, The Rev. W. Siepka, M.A., S.T.L., president/rector (Sesquicentennial Anniversary)
2007 - Graduate Exercises
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The Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M. (Speaker)
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President, DePaul University, Doctor of Pedagogy
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William T. Gacioch
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President, Chief Executive Officer, National Property Management Associates Inc., Doctor of Commercial Science
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Charles Rand Penney
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Art Collector, Doctor of Fine Arts
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Caritas Medals Awarded
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- Jeanne C. Finn, ‘71
- Lawrence Jacobs, M.D.,’61 (posthumous)
- John B. Stranges, Ph.D., ’59,
- Niagara University professor and former academic vice president
2007 - Undergraduate Exercises
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The Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M. (Speaker)
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President, Niagara University
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Sister Carol Keehan, D.C.,
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President and Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Health Association, Doctor of Laws
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Caritas Medals Awarded
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- Concetta A. Dwyer, ‘65
- Barbara A. Malinowski, ‘59
- Cathy Falcone Ray, ‘76
- Magistrate Judge Hugh B. Scott,’71
- James M. Schermerhorn, J.D., MPP, PA-C, ‘64
2006 - Undergraduate Exercises
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Dr. Michael Ignatieff (Speaker)
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Liberal Member of Parliament, Canadian House of Commons, Doctor of Humane Letters
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Sr. Kateri Mitchell, SSA
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Executive Director of the National Tekakwitha Conference, Great Fall, Mont., Doctor of Pedagogy
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Robert B. Engle, ‘75
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President, Chief Operating Officer, CoBank, Doctor of Commercial Science
2005 - Graduate Exercises
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John Roberts (Speaker)
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CBS News Chief White House Correspondent, Doctor of Humane Letters
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The Most Reverend Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, D.D., S.T.L.
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Diocese of Buffalo, N.Y., Doctor of Sacred Theology
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Brian P.Crosby
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Gibson, McAskill & Crosby LLP, Buffalo, N.Y., Doctor of Laws
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Ralph A. Boniello, Sr.
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Trustee Emeritus, President's Medal
2005 - Undergraduate Exercises
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Donna de Varona (Speaker)
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Olympic Gold Medalist, Doctor of Humane Letters
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Nerses H. Krikorian
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Lab fellow, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, N.M., Doctor of Science
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Rev. Jacob C. Ledwon
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Pastor, St. Joseph University Church, Buffalo, N.Y., Doctor of Fine Arts
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Moira Reddy Smith
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New York City Police Officer, Caritas Medal (posthumous)
2004 - Graduate Exercises
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Jack L. Granatstein, OC, FRSC (Speaker)
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Canadian Author, Educator and Media Consultant, Toronto, Ontario, Doctor of Humane Letters
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Sharon K. Darling
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Founder and President, National Center for Family
Literacy, Louisville, KY, Doctor of Pedagogy
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Weldon Rougeau
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President, Congressional Black Caucus, Washington,
DC, Doctor of Humane Letters
2004 - Undergraduate Exercises
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Jack Ford (Speaker)
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Award-Winning Journalist, Co-host of “Living
it Up with Ali and Jack,” Spring Lake, NJ, Doctor of Laws
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Jane Bryant Quinn
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Financial Columnist and Author, North Salem,
NY, Doctor of Humane Letters
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Daniel J. “Rusty” Staub
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Founder, The New York Police
and Fire Widows’ and Children’s
Benefit Fund, President, Rusty Staub Foundation, New York, NY, Doctor of Humane
Letters
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Rev. John T. Maher, C.M.
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Provincial Vocation Director, Eastern
Province of the Congregation of the Mission, Princeton, NJ, Doctor
of Pedagogy
2003 - Undergraduate Exercises
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Benjamin S. Carson Sr., M.D. (Speaker)
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Professor and Director
of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University, School of
Medicine, Baltimore, MD, Doctor of Humane Letters
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Rev. Betsee Parker
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Head Chaplain, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
of the City of New York, New York, NY, Doctor of Humane Letters
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Rev. Thomas P. McGourty, C.M.
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Associate Professor of Religious
Studies, Niagara University, NY, Medal of Honor
2002 - Undergraduate Exercises
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Brother Rick Curry, S.J., Ph.D. (Speaker)
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President, National
Theatre, Workshop of the Handicapped, New York, NY, Doctor of
Humane Letters
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Curtis C. Nelson
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President and CEO, Carlson Hospitality Worldwide,
Minneapolis, MN, Doctor of Commercial Science
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Laura Duhan Kaplan, Ph.D.
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Associate Professor of Philosophy, University
of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, Doctor of Pedagogy
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Rev. Louis P. Trotta, C.M.
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Assistant to the President for Alumni
Relations, Niagara University, NY, President’s Medal
2001 - Graduate Exercises
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Roger Wilkins (Speaker)
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Professor of History and American
Culture, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, Doctor of Humane
Letters
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Maestra JoAnn Falletta
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Music Director, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra,
Buffalo, NY, Doctor of Fine Arts
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Rev. John H. McKenna, C.M.
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Professor of Theology, St. John’s
University, Jamaica, NY, Doctor of Pedagogy
2001 - Undergraduate Exercises
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Christopher Matthews (Speaker)
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Television Journalist and
Newspaper Columnist, CNBC and San Francisco Chronicle, Washington,
D.C., Doctor of Humane Letters
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Paul Beeston
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President, Major League Baseball, New York, NY, Doctor of Commercial
Science
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Rev. Francis X. Prior, C.M.
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Vice President Emeritus, Niagara University,
NY, President’s Medal
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Children of Armand and Eleanor Castellani
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Founders Award
2000 - Graduate Exercises
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Bobbie Gaunt (Speaker)
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President and CEO, Ford Motor Company
of Canada, Oakville, Ontario, Doctor of Commercial Science
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Bishop Edward M. Grosz, D.D.
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Auxiliary Bishop, Diocese of Buffalo,
Buffalo, NY, Doctor of Sacred Theology
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Linda Yellow
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Volunteer Administrator for the Native American/St.
Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, Caritas Medal
2000 - Undergraduate Exercises
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Tim Russert (Speaker)
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Senior Vice President and Washington
Bureau Chief, NBC News, Doctor of Humane Letters
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Jeffrey R. Holzschuh
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Managing Director, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter,
Member, Board of Trustees, Doctor of Commercial Science
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Rose Bonaro
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Retired Employee, Niagara University, NY, Medal of Honor
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Brian McLane
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Assistant Commissioner,Office of Vocational and Educational
Services for Individuals with Disabilities, New York State Department
of Education, Caritas Medal
1999 - Graduate Exercises
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Hon. Lloyd Axworthy, P.C., M.P. (Speaker)
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Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Ottawa, Ontario, Doctor of Laws
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Sister Margaret Ahl, D.C.
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Dean, School of Nursing, Sisters of Charity
Hospital, Buffalo, NY, Doctor of Pedagogy
1999 - Undergraduate Exercises
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Garry Wills, Ph.D. (Speaker)
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Department of History, Northwestern
University, Evanston, IL, Author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize,
National Book Critics Award and the Peabody Award, Doctor of Humane Letters
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Wei Jingsheng
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Visiting Scholar, Center for the Study of Human Rights,
Columbia University, New York, NY, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Doctor of Humane Letters
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Very Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M.
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Provincial Eastern Province,
Vincentian Fathers and Brothers, Philadelphia, PA, President’s
Medal
1997 - Graduate Exercises
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Michael D. Duffy (Speaker)
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Host and Editor-In-Chief “Sunday
Edition” BBS and
CTV Canadian Television, Doctor of Letters
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Roberta L. Bondar, O.C., O.Ont., M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P. (C)
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Canadian
Astronaut “Discovery”, 1992, Distinguished Professor – University
of Western Ontario, Doctor of Science
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Rev. Msgr. Henry J. Gugino, M.S.W.
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Director, Catholic Charities,
Diocese of Buffalo, Doctor of Humane Letters
1997 - Undergraduate Exercises
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William Julius Wilson, Ph.D. (Speaker)
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Director,
Joblessness and Urban Poverty Research Center, Malcolm Wiener Center
for Social Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University, Doctor of Letters
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John R. MacMaster
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Founding member of Niagara Hospice and the Niagara
Oncology Association, President, Health Association of Niagara County,
Inc., Member, Board of Directors, Niagara County Unit, American
Cancer Society, Caritas Medal
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Daniel P. Weadock
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Senior Vice President, ITT Corporation, President and Chief Executive
Office, ITT Sheraton Corporation, Doctor of Commercial Science
1996 - Graduate Exercises
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J. Roger Hirl (Speaker)
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President/CEO,
Occidental Chemical Corporation, Doctor of Commercial Science
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Sr. Alice Gallin, O.S.U.
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Research Scholar, The Catholic University
of America, Doctor of Pedagogy
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Oscar Peterson
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Jazz Pianist, Composer, Doctor of Fine Arts
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Herbert Hauptman, Ph.D.
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President, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research
Institute, Doctor of Science
1996 - Undergraduate Exercises
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Arthur E. Levine, Ph.D. (Speaker)
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President, Teachers College,
Columbia University, Doctor of Pedagogy
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Most. Rev. Henry J. Mansell, D.D.
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Bishop of Buffalo, Doctor of Humane Letters
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Melvin B. Dyster, M.D.
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Physician, Doctor of Humane Letters
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Howard S. Goldberg, Ph.D.
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Professor of Physics, University of Illinois
at Chicago, Doctor of Pedagogy
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The Hon. M. Dolores Denman
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Presiding Justice, Appellate Division,
Supreme Court, Fourth Judicial Department, Doctor of Laws
1995 - Undergraduate Exercises
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The Honorable Hugh L. Carey (Speaker)
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Former Governor of
New York State, Executive Vice President and Director, Government Relations Division
of W. R. Grace & Co., Doctor of Laws
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Thomas A. Constantine
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Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration, Doctor of Laws
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Dr. Judith A. Willard
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Assistant to the President for Planning,
Niagara University, NY, Medal of Honor
1993 - Graduate Exercises
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Paul Gibson Jr., Esq. (Speaker)
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Counsel,
Davidoff & Malito, President’s Medal
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William J. Crerend
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Chairman and Founder, Evaluation Associates
Capital Markets, Inc., Doctor of Commercial Science
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Sister Mary Jane Raeihle, C.S.J.
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Principal, St. John the Baptist
School, Brooklyn, NY, Doctor of Humane Letters
1993 - Undergraduate Exercises
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Frances Moore Lappe’
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Author and Co-Founder,
Institute for the Arts of Democracy, Doctor of Humane Letters
-
Rev. Keith P. Lawlor, C.M.
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Coordinator, Hispanic Evangelization
Project, Eastern Province, Congregation of the Mission, Founders Award
-
John B. Stranges, Ph.D.
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Academic Vice President, Niagara University,
NY, Medal of Honor
1992 - Graduate Exercises
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James P. Comer, M.D. (Speaker)
-
Maurice
Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry, Yale University Child Study
Center, Doctor of Pedagogy
-
Aubrey Blackwell
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Vice President-Western New York
Operations, Occidental Chemical Corporation, Doctor of Commercial
Science
-
John W. Vanderhoff, Ph.D.
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Co-Director of the Emulsion Polymers
Institute, Lehigh University, Doctor of Science
1992 - Undergraduate Exercises
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The Honorable Elaine L. Chao (Speaker)
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Director, Peace Corps of
the United States, Doctor of Humane Letters
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Dr. James S. C. Chao
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Chairman and President, Foremost Group, Doctor of Laws
-
Mary A. Dineen, Ed.D.
-
Dean Emeritus, Boston College School of Nursing, Doctor of Pedagogy
-
Very Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., S.T.D.
-
Provincial/Visitor of
the Eastern Province, Congregation of the Mission, Doctor of
Humane Letters