Highlights from Commencement 2015

The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and all of its departments and programs congratulate members of the Class of 2015 on their remarkable accomplishments!

The University commencement ceremony was held in the XFINITY Center and featured an address by alumnus Domonique Foxworth, a former Ravens player who now serves as chief operating officer of the NBA Players Association. The student speaker was GVPT graduate Mackenzie Burnett (pictured at left). Watch the video.

"Find the edges of your fields—where new knowledge and ventures are created—and own that space. By doing this, you are in the unique position of being able to identify where you can create the new solutions that extend the boundaries of your fields,” Burnett said.

Each BSOS department celebrated its graduates with special ceremonies. Family and friends joined faculty, staff, students and alumni in congratulating these remarkable scholars.

At the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice ceremony in Cole Field House, Professor and Chair James Lynch said that the department’s #1 national ranking is thanks to the hard work and innovation of its students, faculty, staff, and alumni—including the most recent graduates.

Recognizing the themes of study shared by the Department of Sociology, the Joint Program in Survey Methodology, and the Environmental Science and Policy Program (ENSP)—which shared a ceremony in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center—SOCY alumnus Rob Chestnut (pictured at left) noted that, “As long as people are on Earth, we'll wonder why we do what we do." He urged graduates to make a difference in their future endeavors.

At a ceremony in Cole Field House, graduates of the Department of Economics listened to words of wisdom from alumnus Anirban Basu, chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group, an economic and policy consulting firm in Baltimore: “Economists are positioned to fix the world’s problems.”

Graduates of the Psychology were addressed by Dean Gregory Ball, a faculty member in PSYC. “Make it a point to be an ambassador to this field you've embraced, which is so important to our world,” he said to the audience in Record Armory.

Research Professor Barbara Sonies addressed graduates of the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences in Memorial Chapel, saying, “It’s a humbling task to speak to students so full of knowledge and ready to conquer the world.”

At Reckord Armory, alumnus Bill Fishlinger, CEO of Gramercy Risk Holdings, urged graduates of the Department of Government and Politics and ENSP to ignore the confusion and negativity of the 24-hour news cycle and to address global challenges with courage.

Dean Ball also addressed graduates of the Departments of African American Studies, Anthropology and Geographical Sciences, and ENSP, at a ceremony in Memorial Chapel.

“When you go somewhere new, you have a perspective on cultures and the world that helps you put the place in context and appreciate it but also for you to grow and learn from the experience. Yes, education gives us many tools—and among the most important are the ability to grow, to tolerate to appreciate and to enjoy other people cultures and places. The three departments represented at this ceremony embody these ideals, and I know have prepared their students well to use their education in this manner,” Dean Ball said.

BSOS congratulates all of our new alumni. We encourage you to continue working to Be the Solution! Share your memories and messages @bsosumd and via www.facebook.com/bsosumd.

Published on Fri, May 22, 2015 - 3:33PM