The Academic Procession

The Students

The Faculty

The Chancellor’s Cabinet and Deans

The Chancellor

Order of Exercises

Student Procession

The audience is requested to remain seated until after the processional has been completed.

National Anthem

Kianna Wilson ’24

Welcome

Mark A. Fuller, PhD Chancellor

Student Address

Marilyn Naeem ’23

Honorary Degree Presentation

Jessie Little Doe Baird

Loretta “Lee” Blake

Mark Dion

Conferring of Degrees in Course

Hanchen Huang, PhD

Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Recessional

Student Speaker

Marilyn Naeem

Marilyn Naeem will be receiving her Ph.D. in Chemistry. Originally from Pakistan, she received two bachelor’s degrees from Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore, and Punjab University, Lahore, and a Master’s Degree from Forman Christian College, Lahore, in Inorganic Chemistry before moving to New York City from Pakistan in 2015.

After arriving at UMass Dartmouth in 2018, Marilyn became a highly productive and valued member of Dr. David Manke’s research laboratory. Initially, her research focused on designing novel inorganic ligand sets. Marilyn then shifted her research to synthesizing biologically relevant organic molecules, which led to reporting the first crystal structure of freebase serotonin.

During her five years at UMass Dartmouth, she represented the graduate students as the Vice President, former Secretary, and a Senator of the College of Arts and Sciences in the Graduate Student Senate. She also served as the graduate representative on the Search Committees for Vice Chancellor and Associate Vice Chancellor of Students Affairs. In addition to being a recipient of multiple awards and serving as a panelist to promote graduate studies, she has also presented scientific talks and posters at national forums, including national meetings of the American Chemical Society (ACS), and was the proud first prize winner of the UMassD Three Minute Thesis Competition in 2022.

Currently a member of the Northeastern Section Younger Chemists Committee and ACS Women Chemists Committee, she is passionate about promoting science among under-represented communities throughout her professional career.