BSOS Congratulates the Class of 2016

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and its 10 departments and programs warmly congratulate the Class of 2016! Graduates and their friends and families celebrated at the University ceremony and at BSOS department ceremonies.

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"2356","attributes":{"alt":"cooker","class":"media-image","height":"270","style":"font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.6; width: 300px; height: 169px; float: left; margin: 5px;","width":"480"}}]]Alumnus and BSOS Board of Visitors Member Steve Cooker, executive vice president of Monster Government Solutions (pictured at left with Dean Greg Ball), addressed graduates in the Department of Government and Politics and the Environmental Science and Policy Program.

"Know your X-factor. What makes you unique,” Cooker advised.

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"2353","attributes":{"alt":"mortarboard","class":"media-image","height":"320","style":"font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.6; width: 300px; height: 200px; margin: 5px; float: right;","width":"480"}}]]James Lynch, chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, celebrated the department’s #1 ranking from US News & World Report, but noted, "What you can't see in rankings is the level of energy and commitment to our department by students and faculty."

Alumna Maria-Leticia Gomez, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and evening anchor for Univision affiliate KDTV in San Francisco, paid tribute to graduates in the Department of Sociology, the Joint Program in Survey Methodology and the Environmental Science and Policy Program. “I invite you to lay the groundwork for a new social model to make the world a better place,” she said.

Graduates of the Department of Psychology heard from alumna Barbara Van Dahlen, president of the national nonprofit Give an Hour. “My challenge to you all is what story you will now create. Own your story. Choose your story. Claim you story,” Van Dahlen said.

Dean Gregory Ball addressed graduates of the Departments of African American Studies, Anthropology and Geographical Sciences, and the Environmental Science and Policy Program. "You have been educated to take on parochialism directly,” Dean Ball said, encouraging the graduates to travel and to broaden their social horizons every day.

They keynote address for the Department of Economics was delivered by alumnus Al McGartland, director of the National Center for Environmental Economics and lead economist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Graduates of the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences were addressed by Margaret McCabe, clinical professor and director of clinical education in audiology. Both Professor McCabe and Rochelle Newman, chair of the department, highlighted the ways in which HESP alumni, faculty and students serve clients in the state of Maryland through clinical outreach and other services.

The College recognizes the achievements of the Class of 2016, and encourages all alumni to work to Be the Solution to the world’s great challenges. To see a selection of photographs from the ceremonies, visit our Facebook page!

Published on Fri, May 20, 2016 - 2:35PM