View the Highest Ranking Degree Recipients and Honors
Schedule of Events
August 24, 2026
Processional
“Pomp and Circumstance”, Sir Edward Elgar
National Anthem
Provost’s Welcome
Susan Forquer Gupta, Ph.D.
Associate Provost
Greetings From the Board of Trustees
Stephen E. Gerard ’89M, Chair
Greetings From Faculty
John Comiskey, Ed.D.
Professor, Dept. of Criminal Justice & Chair, Faculty Council
Greetings to the Graduating Class
Matthew Collier, MBA
Conferral of Degrees in Course
Patrick F. Leahy, Ed.D.
President
Presentation of Degrees in Course
- Doctoral Degrees
- School of Education
- Leon Hess Business School
- Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies
- School of Science
- School of Social Work
President’s Remarks
Patrick F. Leahy, Ed.D.
President
Alma Mater
Recessional
“Trumpet Voluntary”, Henry Purcell
A Letter From the President
Dear Members of the Class of 2026:
To the Class of 2026: congratulations. No matter what your path was to this moment—and every journey is different—you made it. On this day, in this place, you hold a Monmouth University degree. You earned it, and we couldn’t be prouder.
And to the families, friends, and loved ones who share in this day: you helped make it possible. Whether you supported these graduates from across the country or from the next seat over, your presence here means everything. This accomplishment belongs to you as well. Congratulations!
You graduate from a university that is stronger than the one you entered. During your four years, Monmouth earned its highest-ever national ranking, achieved Carnegie Research University status, and this spring, was designated a National University by U.S. News & World Report—a milestone that has been years in the making. You were here for all of it. That progress is part of your story, and you are part of ours.
Now the question belongs to you. You leave here with more than a credential—you leave with new abilities: to think, to analyze, to engage a complicated world with integrity and purpose. The world needs exactly that. Our challenges are real and urgent, and we need educated, motivated people ready to meet them. I hope you will.
But I also hope you will not feel the weight of that responsibility as a burden. My deepest wish for each of you is that you find fulfillment—the kind that is yours alone. And when you do, I hope you look back on this place as somewhere that helped you find it.
On behalf of everyone at Monmouth University: congratulations, Class of 2026. You will always be welcome here.
Sincerely,
Dr. Patrick F. Leahy
President
Distinguished Teacher Award 2026 Recipient
Melissa A. Brzycki, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, History and Anthropology
Dear Graduating Class of 2026,
Congratulations on finishing your degree, Class of 2026! You should be proud of yourself. Take the time to celebrate this accomplishment with your loved ones.
I hope that you have learned many things while at Monmouth: the content and skills taught in your classes; the applications of knowledge in your research projects, service learning, or internships; and the brain-fortifying pleasure of wrangling difficult and complex knowledge and making it your own.
I also hope that you learned other, more abstract lessons. I hope that you have learned that you are capable of hard things. You have done hard things while you have been here, and you have succeeded, and you can do that again.
I hope that your time here has taught you to understand the world and recognize its difficult truths. I hope that you can recognize the inequalities and cruelties of this world, take action to make them better in your own way, and integrate that work into a joyful and satisfying life.
I hope you have gained appreciation for the importance of community and relationships of care. I hope that you have created meaningful and lasting bonds that you will carry forward after graduation, and that you will also continue to create strong relationships and build community for the rest of your life.
I also hope you will come back and visit your old professors once in a while. We would love to see you.
Congratulations!
About Melissa A. Brzycki
Melissa A. Brzycki, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at UNC Chapel Hill and her Ph.D. in modern Chinese history at UC Santa Cruz. She researches the thinking, institution-building, and daily practices by which childhood was reformulated and shaped in the context of socialist nation-building in China from 1949-1966 and how families and children responded to those initiatives. Her work has been funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
Brzycki regularly uses role-playing in the classroom, including games from the Reacting Consortium. She is currently creating a game on the August 1966 meeting of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party to determine the direction of the Cultural Revolution.
Undergraduate and Graduate Candidates
School of Education
Doctoral Degrees
- Erin M. Embon Ed.D. Educational Leadership
- Katherine Carmen Granja Ed.D. Educational Leadership
- Mallory Jordan Krakovsky Ed.D. Educational Leadership
- Efstratios Monafis Ed.D. Educational Leadership
Master’s Degrees
- Lorena N. Adelhoch M.Ed. Education
- Vanessa Rose Altner M.Ed. Education
- Francine A. Aquino M.Ed. Education
- Emily Elizabeth Aschenbach M.Ed. Education
- Michelle Lynn Ballin M.S.Ed. Education – Special Education
- Tenisha L. Beckom M.Ed. Education
- Heather Lynn Cascone M.Ed. Education
- Carmela Angela Dasti M.S.Ed. Education – Special Education
- Robert C. Drobish M.S.Ed. Education – Special Education
- Christopher Alberto Duffett M.Ed. Education
- Anthony Gaudiello M.Ed. Education
- Heather Anne Gorney M.Ed. Education
- Sarah Amelia Gwiazda M.Ed. Education
- Estefania McKay M.S.Ed. Education – Principal
- Megan Mellaci M.S.Ed. Education – Principal
- Gwendolyn Adeena Mickens M.Ed. Education
- Kalee R. Mora M.Ed. Education
- John J. Piccinino M.Ed. Education
- Leah C. Pilgrim M.Ed. Education
- Flavia Michelle Reynosa M.Ed. Education
- Susana Severino M.Ed. Education
- Sarah Katherine Velazquez M.Ed. Education
- Kayla Lynn Williams-Straub M.Ed. Education
Leon Hess Business School
Master’s Degrees
- Matthew John Collier MBA Business Administration
- Isabella R. Condurso MBA Business Administration
- Samara Cruz MBA Business Administration
- Sean Patrick Donegan MBA Business Administration
- Kevin Michael Fedoruk MBA Business Administration
- Leo Nolan Fricker MBA Business Administration
- Jeffrey Todd Giaquinto MBA Business Administration
- Julia Karen Gordon MBA Business Administration
- Jack Stanley Madden MBA Business Administration
- Christian Joseph Milone MBA Business Administration
- Matthew Charles Przywara MBA Business Administration
- Tiyana Rishika Randeniya MBA Business Administration
- Andrew Joseph Schmid MBA Business Administration
- Ethan D. Tansey MBA Business Administration
- Nicholas Jeffrey Teets MBA Business Administration
- Julianna Jolie Tornabene MBA Business Administration
- Victoria K. Tritto MBA Business Administration
- Aidan Charles Watson MBA Business Administration
Baccalaureate Degrees
- Emily Alyse Atheras B.S. Business Administration
- Dana Michelle Bagala B.S. Business Administration Summa Cum Laude
- Rose Elizabeth Cardinuto B.S. Business Administration
- Emre Cetintas B.S. Business Administration
- Dayana Garcia-Hernandez B.S. Business Administration
- Herbert Andrew Hernandez B.S. Business Administration
- Julia Rose Hunt B.S. Business Administration
- Cailynn Nicole Jacquez B.S. Business Administration
- Candide Rosaline Kwedjeu Tsayo B.S. Business Administration
- Brooke Lacey B.S. Business Administration
- Jack Grant Lavere B.S. Business Administration
- Gianna Maria Maresca B.S. Business Administration Cum Laude
- Pierre Anel Michel Jr. B.S. Business Administration
- Liam Thomas Mulvey B.S. Business Administration
- Juliette Victoria Paradise B.S. Business Administration Summa Cum Laude
- Joshua Dylan Ripp B.S. Business Administration
- Bryce Barksdale Rooks B.S. Business Administration
- Mason Usher Rowe B.S. Business Administration Summa Cum Laude
- Arseniy Shafran B.S. Business Administration Magna Cum Laude
- Jordan Taylor B.S. Business Administration
- Michael Liam Terry B.S. Business Administration
- Jason Christopher Wallack B.S. Business Administration
- Miranda Rose Walsh B.S. Business Administration
- Isabella Rose Yager B.S. Business Administration
- Brayden Allen Yordy B.S. Business Administration Cum Laude
Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Master’s Degrees
- Daniel Ryan Bensch M.A. Criminal Justice
- Sarah Rose Bilotta M.A. Criminal Justice
- Yonzay T. Chambers M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Grace Madelyn Curtin M.A. Communication
- Matthew Nicol Del Guercio M.A. Anthropology
- Matthew R. Fisch M.A. Anthropology
- Amanda Rose Hayes M.A. Communication
- Caroline E. Hurtt M.A. Communication
- Cameron G. Kinsella M.A. Communication
- Alyssa Ann McCall M.A. Criminal Justice
- Ronnie Meador M.A. Anthropology
- Alexandra Paris Mytnick M.A. Anthropology
- Samuel I. Schwartz M.A. Anthropology
- Binna Marie Scipilliti M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Colleen Ritter Vermeulen M.S. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Baccalaureate Degrees
- Carley Morgan Belli B.A. Criminal Justice
- La’Jean Antonio Amaud Berry B.S. Homeland Security
- Aidan Thomas Bretschneider B.A. Communication
- Drew Thomas Burnett B.A. English Summa Cum Laude
- Delainey Grace Frank B.A. Political Science
- Makhi T. Green B.F.A. Fine Arts
- Jenna Rachel Grieco B.S. Homeland Security Summa Cum Laude
- Patrick Francis Healy B.A. Music
- Thomas Joseph Kent B.A. Communication
- Russel John Mancino B.F.A. Fine Arts
- Connor James Mohr B.A. History
- Charlie Matthew Pallitto B.A. Communication
- William James Peterpaul B.S. Homeland Security
- Tiago M. Ribeiro B.A. Political Science
- Emmett Romilio B.F.A. Fine Arts
- Agata Sandra Rychter B.A. Criminal Justice
- Mairead Ann Spellacy B.A. Communication
- Payton Christie Sugar B.A. Criminal Justice
- Amy Lynn Tremer B.F.A. Fine Arts Cum Laude
- Aidan Forbes Tucker B.A. History Cum Laude
- Michael Wade B.A. Communication
- Oliwia Zajkowska B.A. Psychology
Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies
Master’s Degree
- Denise Ann-Marie Wilder MSN Nursing
Baccalaureate Degrees
- Katie Akkari B.S. Health Studies
- Nayreen Khalid Amir B.S. Health Studies
- Gabriella Amelia Collins B.S. Health Studies
- Sage Marin Collins B.S. Health Studies
- Anna Carolina Dos Santos B.S. Health Studies
- Emily Nicole Hamilton B.S. Health Studies
- Taye Isaiah Kennedy B.S. Health Studies
- Justina LaCorte B.S. Health Promotion
- Isabella Mary Murray B.S. Health Studies Magna Cum Laude
- Emma Grace Negron B.S. Health Studies Cum Laude
- Patrick John Osiecki B.S. Health Promotion
- Jean Carlo Rosas B.S. Health Studies
- Lauren Elizabeth Soutar B.S. Health Studies Magna Cum Laude
- Cristopher Vasquez B.S. Health Studies
School of Science
- Jullie-Allisan de Faria B.S. Biology
- Faith Randi-Lee Fletcher B.S. Biology Summa Cum Laude
- Angelina Theresa Garcia B.S. Biology
- Tyshaunine L. Harmon B.S. Medical Laboratory Science Magna Cum Laude
- Christopher Matthew Salerno B.S. Medical Laboratory Science
- Ava Marie Santaniello B.S. Biology Cum Laude
- Jessica Nicole Sundberg B.S. Biology
- Jessica Erin Tremel B.S. Biology
School of Social Work
Master’s Degree
- Morgan Lynne Kephart MSW Social Work
Academic Regalia
The colors you will see in the hoods of our faculty represent the various fields in which the degrees were taken:
- Apricot – Nursing
- Brown – Fine Arts
- Citron – Social Work
- Crimson – Journalism
- Dark Blue – Philosophy
- Golden Yellow – Science
- Green – Medicine
- Lemon-Yellow – Library Science
- Light Blue – Education
- Orange – Engineering
- Pink – Music
- Purple – Law
- Sage Green – Physical Education
- Salmon Pink – Public Health
- Scarlet – Theology
- Yellow-Brown: Commerce, Business, Accounting
- White – Arts, Letters, Humanities
History of the Types of Academic Regalia
The history of academic dress reaches far back into the earliest days of the oldest universities. A statute of 1321 required that all “Doctors, Licentiates, and Bachelors” of the University of Coimbra wear gowns. In England, in the second half of the 14th century, the statutes of certain colleges prescribed the wearing of a long gown. In the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe, the wearing of a robe often signified a degree candidate’s political or religious affiliation; in the northern universities and those of the British Isles, the robes signified that tuition and boarding fees of the wearer had been paid and also entitled them to special immunities in civil law, as well as providing them warmth at lectures and chapel.
When American colleges and universities desired to adopt some suitable system of academic apparel, a conference held at Columbia University in 1895, made up of representatives from various institutions, drew up a “By-Law, Regulation, or Statute” for the establishment of a suitable code of academic dress for colleges and universities in the United States. This code, with modifications made in 1959 by the Committee on Academic Costumes and Ceremonies of the American Council on Education, is still in force; the costumes and colors, trimmings, and patterns you will see are traditional, and interpret both the degree and field of learning. The bachelor’s gown, designed to be worn closed, has pointed sleeves; the master’s gown, which may be worn open or closed, has an oblong sleeve open at the wrist that hangs down in the traditional manner. The rear part of its oblong shape is square cut, and the front part has the arc cut away. The doctoral gown has bell-shaped sleeves. It may be worn open or closed.
Black is the recommended color for all academic gowns. Bachelor’s and master’s gowns are untrimmed. Doctoral gowns are faced with black velvet, with three bars across the sleeves; the color of the velvet may also be that which is distinctive to the degree, agreeing with that of the edging of the hood. In the 1960s, many American land-grant universities adopted the British and the Scottish tradition of using the official school color(s) for the robes of their doctoral recipients—for instance, Yale: sky blue; Harvard: crimson; University of Pennsylvania: scarlet and blue; Columbia: slate gray; Rutgers: scarlet and black.
The hoods, differing in length for the three degrees—bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral—are lined with the official colors of the university or college conferring the degree, usually with one color forming a chevron pattern over the other. Hoods are edged and bound with velvet or the color appropriate for the degree. You will see in our procession many hoods edged with dark blue, representing doctor of philosophy.
Mortarboards are the approved headgear. The tassel, worn on the left side of the cap, may be gold if the holder has a doctoral degree.
Congratulations on becoming the newest members of our alumni family—a vibrant network that boasts over 60,000 Hawks in 50
states. Wherever your journey takes you next, we hope you will stay connected with your campus community. Update your alumni contact to receive the monthly alumni e-newsletter, invitations to alumni events and networking gatherings, and alumni discounts, and save the date for your first Homecoming Alumni Tailgate on Oct. 3!
We can’t wait to welcome you back home!
Ways to Stay Connected
Homecoming: Saturday, October 3, 2026
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