MIIS Winter 2024 Commencement Program-alt-2-ISSUU

winter commencement

monterey, california

saturday, december 14, 2024

MIDDLEBURY INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AT MONTEREY

Commencement Exercises and Conferring of Degrees

PROCESSIONAL

Please rise for the processional

WELCOME

Jeff Dayton-Johnson

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Institute

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Nicholas Creary

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer

REMARKS

Laurie L. Patton

Middlebury President

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

Jason Martel

Professor and Program Chair, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and Teaching Foreign Language

STUDENT SPEAKER

Anthony Dai MANPTS ’24

CONFERRING OF DEGREES

President Laurie L. Patton

PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES

Patricia Szasz

Dean, Middlebury Institute Online

CLOSING REMARKS

Vice President Jeff Dayton-Johnson

RECESSIONAL

Please remain seated for the recessional

RECEPTION

Please join us for a celebration at the Samson Student Center

PLATFORM PARTY

Jeff Dayton-Johnson

Jason Martel

Anthony Dai

Nicholas Creary

Patricia Szasz

GRAND MARSHAL

Philip Murphy

Faculty Senate President-Elect and Professor, Policy Analytics

FACULTY MARSHAL

Mike Gillen

Faculty Senate President and Professor, Translation and Interpretation

MASTER OF ARTS IN CONFERENCE INTERPRETATION—CHINESE

Amy Zhou Los Angeles, California

MASTER OF ARTS IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION MANAGEMENT

Kevyn Anne L. Lacson Manila, Philippines

Alexandra Liffrig* Prior Lake, Minnesota

Holly Jean Meyer Winnemucca, Nevada

Andrea Regalbuto* Chicago, Illinois

Alison Lin Roden* Washington, D.C.

Kassity R. Veloz* Monterey, California

MASTER OF ARTS IN INTERNATIONAL POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT

Camaro Elliott Chicago, Illinois

Saki Hayashi Tokyo, Japan

Emma Moncrief Miller Morganton, North Carolina

Mariel Diana Montero Luykx El Paso, Texas

Sean S. Salley Los Angeles, California

Abbot L. Schneiderhan Toronto, Canada

MASTER OF ARTS IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Emery Blackburn Armentrout Woodinville, Washington

Madison Alexander Derendinger* Sacramento, California

Andrew Paul Gatland Western Springs, Illinois

MASTER OF ARTS IN NONPROLIFERATION AND TERRORISM STUDIES

Zachary M. Ackemann Felton, California

Dalia Alrubaye Baghdad, Iraq

Alfonso Camacho-Martinez Bogota, Colombia

Anthony Dai Oakdale, Connecticut

Elizabeth Castle Daviess* Oakland, California

Seth Hosford Franklin, Massachusetts

Iuliia Markova Republic of Tatarstan, Russia

David Diaz-Infante Santana San Jose, California

Shahneela Tariq Lahore, Pakistan

MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES

Jennifer Anne Daknis Wellington, Colorado

Ursula del Rocio Dominguez Contreras Redwood City, California

Tomas S. English* Bozeman, Montana

Kimberly Stephanie Novobilsky San Diego, California

Kelly Ann Schroer* Bloomington, Minnesota

Carly Tozian* Tampa, Florida

Vivian E. Williamson* Morganton, North Carolina

Yan Xu Shanghai, China

Jessa Marie Zerpoli Santa Clarita, California

MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Pablo Mejido San Antonio, Texas

MASTER OF ARTS IN TRANSLATION AND LOCALIZATION MANAGEMENT

Amy Zhou Los Angeles, California

MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Emery Blackburn Armentrout Woodinville, Washington

Madison Alexander Derendinger* Sacramento, California

Camaro Elliott Chicago, Illinois

Amanda Nicole Gamban Santa Cruz, California

Kevyn Anne L. Lacson Manila, Philippines

Holly Jean Meyer Winnemucca, Nevada

Andrea Regalbuto* Chicago, Illinois

Sean S. Salley Los Angeles, California

Pamela Velazquez Watsonville, California

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN INTERNATIONAL POLICY

Zachary M. Ackemann** Felton, California

David Diaz-Infante Santana** San Jose, California

CERTIFICATE IN FINANCIAL CRIME MANAGEMENT

Gracey W. Maxwell Tampa,

Florida

CERTIFICATE IN

TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES

Nadie Hessin Baghdad, Iraq

* With distinction

** Magna cum laude

FLAGS OF MANY HOMELANDS

Today’s color guard represents 39 students from 12 homelands.

Bolivia

Canada

China

Colombia

Ecuador

Iraq

Japan

Mexico

Pakistan

Philippines

Russia

United

States

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We pause to acknowledge that the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS) sits in the Village of Achasta on the ancestral and unceded land of the Ohlone (Costanoan) Rumsen/Rumsien people, a Rumsen-speaking group. Several contemporary tribes, including Esselen, call this land home today. The surrounding Monterey Bay region includes lands traditionally inhabited by the Esselen (to the south), Chalon (to the south), Mutsun (to the north), and Salinan (to the east) groups. We honor these groups’ experiences in the past, present, and future, as we work collaboratively with them to protect the land and its inhabitants. Let us take a moment of silence to honor these Indigenous communities, past and present. We give thanks for the opportunity to respectfully share in the bounty of this place and are working collaboratively to protect it. We are all one in the sacred web of life that connects people, animals, plants, air, water, and earth.

FACULTY COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

PROFESSOR JASON MARTEL

Jason Martel is professor of language education at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Prior to joining the Institute in 2013, he earned his MA in French from the Betty Ashbury Jones ’86 School of French in the Middlebury Language Schools, taught secondary-level French in Massachusetts, and earned his PhD in second languages and cultures education from the University of Minnesota. In addition to teaching courses in language pedagogy, French language, and English language, he has held several administrative positions at the Institute, most recently, online MATESOL program director.

Jason maintains an active scholarly agenda in the domains of language curriculum design, language assessment, and language teacher learning. His book, titled Moving Beyond the Grammatical Syllabus: Practical Strategies for Content-Based Curriculum Design, was published by Routledge in 2022. His articles can be found in well-regarded journals, including Modern Language Journal, Foreign Language, and Journal of Applied Language Learning.

An active voice in the field of language pedagogy, Jason participates in a range of professional activities. Recent accomplishments include serving as chair of the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages’ Teacher Development Special Interest Group and consulting with organizations such as the College of the Muscogee in Oklahoma, the Middlebury School in Jordan, and the College Board. Jason has received several awards for his work, including the Stephen A. Freeman Award for Best Published Article from the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, the Excellence in Teacher Development Award from the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages’ Teacher Development Special Interest Group, and, most recently, the Institute’s Faculty Excellence Award.

Above all, Jason is proud to be a “Triple Panther,” meaning he has studied and/or worked in three distinct Middlebury entities: the Middlebury Language Schools, the Middlebury School in Paris, and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

STUDENT SPEAKER

ANTHONY DAI MANPTS ’24

Anthony Dai graduates today with a Master of Arts in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies. Born in the United States and raised in China, Anthony brings a unique multicultural perspective to his dedication to nonproliferation studies. His passion for bridging technical expertise and policy has guided an impressive academic and professional journey.

Anthony holds a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where he graduated magna cum laude. He has also collaborated with global organizations, including in his roles as a CTBTO Research Fellow, a Freeman Foundation Awardee at Nagasaki University’s Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, and a Keepin Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In his research, he channels the understanding of the latest engineering technology and nuclear strategy into cutting-edge projects on treaty verification, seismic monitoring, and nuclear disarmament policy. At the Middlebury Institute, Anthony served as a graduate research assistant at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, where he advocated nonproliferation and disarmament education, collaborating on innovative projects such as the Seismically Cued Antineutrino Detector initiative and research on DPRK armament. Fluent in English and Chinese, he combines his technical acumen with cultural fluency to drive meaningful impact in international security.

A dedicated community member and advocate for cultural enrichment, Anthony founded culinary clubs at both MIIS and RPI to bring people together through food. He conceptualized and coordinated the international food fair, resulting in wide participation by the entire MIIS campus. As he moves into the next chapter of his career, Anthony reflects on the collaborative spirit of MIIS and looks forward to a career dedicated to making the world a safer and more secure place by infusing the pragmatic solutions inspired by his interdisciplinary background.

PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE 2024–2025

PRESIDENT

Laurie L. Patton

CHARTER TRUSTEES

Joseph W. Brown ’90

Leilani M. Brown ’93

Kirtley H. Cameron ’95

G. Parker Harris III ’89

Lucienne M. Ide ’97

Catherine G. Lee ’92

George C. Lee II ’88

Caroline Sneath McBride ’75

Dennis D. Parker ’77

Richard T. Scanlon ’93

Susan J. Scher ’86

Karen A. Stolley ’77

William F. Truscott ’83

TERM TRUSTEES

Belinda L. Badcock

Barbara G. Cole

Lansing A. Davis ’01.5

Denver G. Edwards ’88

Janine Feng ’92

Graham C. Goldsmith ’89

Carol L. Jones

Alice Jane (A.J.) Murphy ’98

Koby Altman ’04

Zachary A. Bourque ’01

Shawn P. Ryan ’88

Anne Davis Peterson ’85

Suzanne Reider ’87

Henry J. Simonds ’97

Elizabeth Cromwell Speers ’86

Mark D. Spence ’98

John E. Waldron ’91

O. Larry Yarbrough

Kashif Zafar ’92

ALUMNI TRUSTEES

Robert V. Sideli ’77

Danielle S. Virtue ’82

RECENT GRADUATE TRUSTEE

Kenshin Cho ’20

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Dort A. Cameron III ’67

James S. Davis ’66

Allan R. Dragone Jr. ’78

Churchill G. Franklin ’71

Frederick M. Fritz ’68

Nancy Coffrin Furlong ’75

Claire Waterhouse Gargalli ’64

Robert C. Graham Jr. ’63

Willard T. Jackson ’51

William H. Kieffer III ’64

Roxanne McCormick Leighton ’67

John M. McCardell Jr.

C. Irving Meeker ’50

Patricia Judah Palmer ’57

Kimberly Collins Parizeau ’79

Elisabeth Robert ’78

Frank W. Sesno ’77

Deborah G. Thomas ’75

John R. Tormondsen ’82

J. Edward Virtue ’82

Marna C. Whittington

Linda Foster Whitton ’80

Kendrick R. Wilson III

MIDDLEBURY INSTITUTE

BOARD OF ADVISORS 2024–2025

TRUSTEES

Catherine G. Lee ’92, Chair

Lucienne M. Ide ’97, Vice Chair

Kirtley H. Cameron ’95

G. Parker Harris III ’89

George C. Lee II ’88

Caroline Sneath McBride ’75

Shawn Ryan ’88

Henry J. Simonds ’97

Karen A. Stolley ’77

EMERITI

Allan R. Dragone Jr. ’78

Frederick M. Fritz ’68

William H. Kieffer III ’64

Kimberly Collins Parizeau ’79

Frank W. Sesno ’77

PARTNERS

Alison Geballe

Deborah Hicks

Michael C. Rawding ’86

Elaine White Gómez MAIPS ’93

Rich Wolfson

CONSTITUENTS

Sharad Joshi

Aleksandra Pozor

Jill Stoffers MACD ’00

A FEW NOTES

GRADUATION WITH HONORS

Undergraduate students completing all degree requirements with a record of high academic achievement are awarded traditional Latin honors: cum laude (3.50–3.74), magna cum laude (3.75–3.89), and summa cum laude (3.9–4.0). Master’s degree recipients completing with a cumulative GPA of 4.00 graduate with distinction. Recipients of summa cum laude and distinction honors are awarded honors cords.

COMMENCEMENT RECEPTION

The Middlebury Institute has a long tradition of sustainable practices and innovative initiatives. In 2015, we adopted a policy of featuring at least 50 percent plant-based food at all official Institute events where food is served. In that spirit, and in an effort to meet our sustainability policy goals, we are proud to serve 100 percent plant-based foods at today’s Commencement reception.

PHOTOS

For safety reasons, please remain in your seats during the ceremony. We have arranged for a photographer to take photos as each graduate crosses the stage.

The Office of Communications is pleased to offer complimentary Commencement ceremony photographs to our graduating students. Details will be provided via email once photos become available.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Special thanks to Professor Mike Gillen for playing the bagpipes leading the processional.

SUPPORTING THE MIDDLEBURY INSTITUTE ANNUAL FUND

We are grateful to the generous alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends who support the many facets of an Institute education by donating to the Annual Fund. Your contributions allow future students the opportunity to pursue their dreams and lead purposeful lives. Visit go.miis.edu/give to learn more about how to make a gift.

MIDDLEBURY INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

The Middlebury Institute of International Studies educates professionals to advance understanding, promote peace, and drive change in pursuit of a more just world. The Institute’s 500 students come from more than 35 countries, joining a faculty and global network of alumni who are actively addressing some of the most critical issues of our time—including climate change, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation. Through a range of both in-person and online degree programs, students build critical in-demand skills in public policy, intercultural communication, mixed-methods and open-source data analysis and research, leadership and administration, education, language teaching, and translation, interpretation, and localization.

The Institute is also home to a wide range of research centers and initiatives, including the renowned James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, the Center for the Blue Economy, and the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism, as well as the Monterey Initiative in Russian Studies. Founded in 1955, the Institute became affiliated with Middlebury College in 2005 and was fully integrated as a graduate school of Middlebury in 2010. Middlebury is anchored by the undergraduate college in Vermont, which was founded in 1800 and has long been recognized as one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the country. Today Middlebury is also a graduate school for international studies; a home for immersive language study; a graduate school for the study of literature, literacy, and pedagogy; a leader of schools abroad sites that span the globe; and a home for the oldest and most prestigious writers’ conference in the world. Middlebury is an institution that prepares students to address the world’s most challenging problems, and it does so by engaging them in the life of the mind and soul.