SUNY Brockport commencement ceremonies May 12

SUNY Brockport commencement ceremonies May 12

Undergraduate and graduate students at the State University of New York College at Brockport will receive their degrees in two separate Commencement ceremonies on campus Saturday, May 12.

The 57th Annual Graduate Commencement Ceremony will begin at 9:15 a.m. in the Tuttle North Ice Arena at SUNY Brockport. Alumnus Edward Doherty '81, vice president for community programs at the Rochester Area Community Foundation, will give the Commencement address.

Doherty, who received a master's in public administration from the college, leads the foundation's competitive grant-making activities and community leadership efforts to help bring about broad community betterment and to improve public policies. Prior to taking his current position, he was commissioner of environmental services and director of budget and efficiency for the City of Rochester.

The 140th Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony will begin at 12:45 p.m. in the Special Olympics Stadium at SUNY Brockport.

Vince Gonzales, '90, CBS News correspondent, will give the undergraduate address. Gonzales is an award-winning investigative journalist, who most recently worked for the CBS Evening News. His reports have included: uncovering the identity of a soldier classified as "unknown" and buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery; the Catholic Church's cover-up of abusive priests; police department selling used guns to local gun dealers; and problems with American smart bombs used in Afghanistan. During his career he has been recognized as Broadcast Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and he was named to the list of "Most Influential Hispanics" by Hispanic Business.

Garth Fagan to receive honorary degree

Garth Fagan, founder and artistic director of Garth Fagan Dance, SUNY Brockport Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Tony Award winner for his choreography of "The Lion King," will receive an honorary doctorate during the undergraduate ceremony.

Fagan was a member of the SUNY Brockport Department of Dance faculty from 1969 until his retirement in 2002. He was named Distinguished Professor of Dance in 1985, the first dance faculty member in all of SUNY to earn SUNY's highest faculty rank.

It was while teaching his modern dance technique to untrained students at the college's downtown Rochester Educational Opportunity Center that the beginnings of what would become Garth Fagan Dance took shape. Over the years, a significant number of SUNY Brockport-trained dance majors went on to become professionals with Garth Fagan Dance. Currently, there are four SUNY Brockport alumni in the company.

SUNY Chancellor John R. Ryan also will speak briefly during the undergraduate Commencement ceremony. He also will confer the honorary degree upon Garth Fagan. Following the undergraduate ceremony, Ryan, who is a retired Navy vice admiral, will speak at the SUNY Brockport Department of Military Science's Commissioning ceremony at 4 p.m. in Tower Fine Arts Auditorium.

At the end of May, Ryan will leave SUNY to become president and CEO of the Center for Creative Leadership, a research and education group in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Both Commencement events are open to the public. For information, contact Susan Hawkes, at (585) 395-2631, e-mail shawkes@brockport.edu.