SUNY New Paltz will hold its 2022 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies on Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22 on the Old Main Quadrangle on campus. Both undergraduate ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m.
The Saturday ceremony honors graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Sunday Ceremony honors graduates of the School of Business, School of Education, School of Fine & Performing Arts and School of Science & Engineering. The Graduate Commencement Ceremony for all academic majors will take place on Friday, May 20 at 6 p.m., also on the Old Main Quad.
This year, approximately 2,400 undergraduate and 600 graduate degrees will be conferred, as the College recognizes May and August 2022 candidates and students who completed their degrees in January 2022, August 2021 and December 2021. SUNY New Paltz P\president Donald P. Christian will preside over Commencement exercises for the final time, ahead of his retirement in July.
SUNY New Paltz will recognize the lives and careers of three members of the campus community – Lily D. McNair, Ed Carroll and Everton H. Henriques – with Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degrees at the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies on Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22.
McNair became the first woman in Tuskegee University history to serve as president when she was appointed to that role in 2018. Her first higher ed teaching position was in the SUNY New Paltz Department of Psychology, and she has enjoyed 30-plus years of professional success and recognition at institutions across the US since that initial role. McNair will speak at the Saturday, May 21 Commencement Ceremony.
Carroll served for more than 30 years with AMC Networks, playing a central role in introducing original shows including Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Mad Men, Killing Eve and The Walking Dead. A longtime friend and supporter of his alma mater, Carroll and his wife Gina together created the Edward A. Carroll and Gina O’Brien-Carroll Experiential Scholarship. Carroll will speak at the Saturday, May 21 Commencement Ceremony.
Everton H. Henriques is an engineer, entrepreneur, chemist, inventor, manufacturing consultant, business executive and innovator in the field of plasma display technology. He is also a widely recognized philanthropist who has maintained a strong connection with the College, helping to establish ten endowments benefiting students across academic programs and serving as a Foundation Board director for more than 15 years, among many other contributions. Henriques will speak at the Sunday, May 22 Commencement Ceremony.
Two members of the Class of 2022 will also provide Commencement addresses to their peers at the Undergraduate ceremonies.
Mackenzy McMorris (Black Studies; Finance), of Clintondale, is a 2022 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence winner, Scholars Mentorship Program member and student leader affiliated with multiple campus groups. He has volunteered his time regionally as a math buddy and youth sports coach in the Wallkill Central School District. McMorris will speak at the Saturday, May 21 Commencement Ceremony.
Martin Benesh (Theater Arts), of Mount Vernon, Iowa, is the Valedictorian of the Class of 2022 and has excelled in the Department of Theatre Arts’ design program, honing his craft as a stage lighting professional and bolstering his résumé with a minor in Digital Design & Fabrication. Benesh will speak at the Sunday, May 22 Commencement Ceremony.
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