SPHHS Celebrates Class of 2023
The SPHHS ceremony recognized its undergraduate Class of 2023, which this year welcomed nearly 600 graduating seniors.
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The School of Public Health and Health Sciences held its Senior Recognition Ceremony on Saturday, May 27, 2023 in the Mullins Center on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. The SPHHS ceremony recognized its undergraduate Class of 2023, which this year welcomed nearly 600 graduating seniors into its ranks.
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Dean Anna Maria Siega-Riz welcomed a large crowd of family, friends, and guests who were gathered to celebrate the new graduates. She encouraged students to keep working hard and make a difference in the world around you and to remember “what we have trained you to be: game-changers and innovators.” She also advocated for them to "cultivate elasticity to embrace all individuals regardless of their color, religion, sexual identity, or political stance" and to be "inclusive, humble, and engage in civil discourse with respect."
Siega-Riz also introduced the school's first-ever student speaker, Darya Iranmanesh, who graduated with a degree in public health sciences. Iranmanesh, who had been honored as a 21st Century Leader during the university's commencement ceremony the day before, recounted her journey as a visually-impaired child to a public health graduate with a near-perfect GPA and social activist. She encouraged her fellow graduates to “follow your dreams...and your fears," to "work hard, play hard" and "love unconditionally."
She parted with a message of gratitude: "As someone who is familiar with the work we do at SPHHS and has seen firsthand how healthcare professionals truly change lives, I want to thank all of the students, families, and faculty here for your investment in our education – whether it be financially, occupationally, or intellectually. Your hard work is the reason we are all here today."
In addition to the dean, the ceremony featured a presentation of outstanding teaching awards from Gloria DiFulvio, associate dean for undergraduate academic affairs, and talks from Lindiwe Sibeko, chair of the Department of Nutrition; Eliza Frechette, undergraduate program director for the Kinesiology major; Sarah Poissant, chair of the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences; and Megan Patton-Lopez, interim program director for the Public Health Sciences major. A full replay is available on the SPHHS livestream webpage.
The SPHHS Senior Recognition Ceremony followed the university's Undergraduate & Graduate Commencement ceremony at McGuirk Stadium on Friday, May 26. Olympic soccer gold medalist and alumna Briana Scurry delivered the keynote commencement address to an audience of approximately 20,000, celebrating the achievements of 7,500 undergraduates and 2,000 master’s and doctoral students. UMass President Marty Meehan conferred degrees to the graduates as UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy presided over his 11th, and final, UMass Amherst Commencement.
For further details on Commencement weekend, view the comprehensive UMass Commencement 2023 website.
