Monmouth University graduates asked to 'think like scientists' (photos)

HOLMDEL - Monmouth University celebrated a commencement ceremony for more than 1,000 graduates at the PNC Bank Arts Center on Wednesday.

The university awarded 1,138 degrees, including 817 bachelor's degrees, 313 master's degrees and eight Doctor of Nursing degrees.

"You, our graduates, are the reason we do what we do," said Robert Sculthorpe, president of the Monmouth University Board of Trustees. "You all have much to be proud of today. You have enriched us by your presence and each of you is now a link in a long unbroken chain of alumni who have gone before you. We wish you success and fulfillment as you set out to realize your full potential and utilize the talents you have developed at Monmouth."

Joseph Dellera, president of the Monmouth University Class of 2014, encouraged the graduates not to let their diplomas become just another decoration that hangs on their walls.

"Use it to benefit others, use it to ease the pain and suffering in the world. Use it as a tool to show that it's always better to give than receive. And use it as a new light of hope in the world that truly does hunger more for love than for bread," Dellera said. "If we follow a path that puts compassion and love for our neighbors as our primary goal, we will be able to live a life that resonates beyond just ourselves."

Monmouth University President Paul Brown, who was presiding over his first spring commencement as the university's president, asked the graduates to do three things in the years ahead.

"Remember your professors... reflect on your classmates gathered here today... and third, be extremely competitive," Brown said. "Do your best, succeed in whatever path you choose."

In his commencement address, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12) – who has a Ph.D. in physics, a patent for a solar energy devise and is a five-time "Jeopardy" champion – encouraged the graduates to "think like scientists" and follow "evidence-based thinking" in their lives.

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"Wouldn't be great if as you go through your life you had the ability to sift sense from nonsense. If you knew how to make the best decisions for your personal life, or for public policy, or for the economy.  There is no foolproof method. But to my mind, scientific thinking is the best approach that humans have yet devised and it is not reserved for scientists alone," said Holt, who gave examples of the war in Iraq, racial profiling and arguments against environmental issues like global warming as examples of people failing to follow evidence-based thinking.

"To think like a scientist is to follow the evidence, even when it leads in uncomfortable directions. Evidence is more important than your preconceptions. Evidence can overcome even the most respected authority," Holt said. "Thinking like a scientist is the best protection against fooling one's self. It is the antidote to self-deception and self-delusion. ... If you follow evidence based thinking, you can move toward better and better answers."

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