On Wed., Oct. 10, Monmouth University will celebrate Founders’ Day with a formal convocation ceremony in Pollak Theatre at 3 p.m. No classes will be scheduled from 2:45 to 4:20 p.m. so that faculty and students may join administrators, staff and guests in celebrating this special event in the life of the University.
At the ceremony, Zakiya Smith Ellis, secretary of higher education in New Jersey, will be awarded an honorary doctorate of public service and will deliver the convocation address. Secretary Smith Ellis is responsible for policy development and coordination of higher education activities for the state. She has previously led work at the Lumina Foundation that focused on affordability of higher education, and has also served in the Obama administration, where she developed solutions to pressing challenges in college access, affordability, and completion.
The ceremony will also honor H. William Mullaney (Class of 1960) with an honorary doctorate of humane letters to recognize his dedication to Monmouth University. Mullaney is a member of the Society of Trustees and former member of the Board of Trustees, and, along with his wife, Sandy, the namesake of Mullaney Hall. Mullaney founded Mullaney Insurance Associates as an independent organization in 1961, which later became a division of Commerce Bancorp, Inc. in July of 1999. Mullaney served as a vice president of the Monmouth County insurance operation until his retirement in 2001.
Additionally, Barry H. Ostrowski, president and CEO of RWJBarnabas Health, will receive the Maurice Pollak Award for Distinguished Community Service for enriching the quality and scope of health care throughout our region during his career. With RWJBarnabas, Ostrowsky is spearheading a system-wide endeavor to promote healthier living and address the social needs of our diverse communities by partnering with Rutgers University to form New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive academic health system.
Founders’ Day is a campus-wide event that celebrates Monmouth University’s founding in 1933. The first Founders’ Day was held in 1983 as a part of the University’s 50th anniversary celebration and has since become a University tradition.