UMass Dartmouth 2024 Doctoral Commencement Program

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Doctoral Ceremony

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Board of Trustees

Stephen R. Karam, Chairman

Mary L. Burns, Vice Chair ’84, Lowell

Fahad K. Alden ’24, Lowell

Christopher J. Brady ’24, Amherst

David M. Brunelle

Gerald G. Colella ’78, Lowell

Jose M. Delgado ’18, Amherst

Michael E. Dooley ’24, Boston

Robert Epstein ’67, Amherst

Richard M. Kelleher ’73, Amherst

Robert Lewis, Jr.

Ann M. Maguire Keches ’73, Amherst

Michael V. O’Brien ’88, Amherst

Noreen C. Okwara, M.D. ’12, Boston; ’17, Chan Medical School

Imari K. Paris Jeffries, BA, MEd, MA ’97, ’99, ’03, Boston

Julie M. Ramos Gagliardi, MBA ’87, Dartmouth

Elizabeth D. Scheibel, JD

Joseph C. Sullivan ’81, Amherst

Steven A. Tolman ’99, Boston

Amelia S. Toye ’24, Chan Medical School

Patrick Tutwiler, PhD

Jehan S. Worthy ’24, Dartmouth

Charles F. Wu, MBA

UMass Dartmouth Mission

UMass Dartmouth distinguishes itself as a vibrant, public research university dedicated to engaged learning and innovative research resulting in personal and lifelong student success. The University serves as an intellectual catalyst for economic, social, and cultural transformation on a global, national, and regional scale.

UMass Dartmouth Vision

UMass Dartmouth will be a globally recognized premier research university committed to inclusion, access, advancement of knowledge, student success, and community enrichment.

Land Acknowledgement Statement

UMass Dartmouth acknowledges the land that we occupy and on which we sit today as the traditional and ancestral home of the Wampanoag nation, including: the Mashpee, Nauset, Nantucket, Pennacook, Pokanoket, Pocasset, Seaconke, and other indigenous nations of Southeast Massachusetts. Without them, we would not have access to this gathering and to this dialogue. We take this opportunity to thank and honor the original caretakers of this land.

The permanent record kept in the Office of the University Registrar for each student will certify the award of degree and carry their grades, averages, and honors (if any). At commencement, students graduating with distinction are noted only if that distinction has been earned at the end of the previous semester.

The names appearing in the Commencement Program represent an unofficial listing of candidates.

The University of Massachusetts is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to, and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University.

History of the University

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth traces its roots to 1895 when the state Legislature chartered the New Bedford Textile School and the Bradford Durfee Textile School in Fall River.

As the region’s economic base shifted from textiles to more diverse manufacturing and service industries, the colleges adapted by diversifying their curricula to respond to the needs of new generations of students. By the middle of the 20th century, the colleges grew rapidly, spurred by the GI Bill and the emerging economic and social advantages of a well-educated citizenry. They evolved into multipurpose institutions that prepared engineers, healthcare workers, teachers, and business leaders.

In 1962, the Legislature created Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute (SMTI) by merging the New Bedford Textile School and the Bradford Durfee Textile School. The 710-acre campus in Dartmouth, located between the urban centers of New Bedford and Fall River, was created in 1964. The dramatic campus design was the work of renowned architect Paul Rudolph, then Dean of the Yale University School of Art and Architecture.

The public demand for a comprehensive university provided the momentum in 1969 to transform SMTI into Southeastern Massachusetts University. In 1988, the Swain School of Design merged with the University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, strengthening programs in art and artisanry. In 1991, Southeastern Massachusetts University and the University of Lowell joined the University of Massachusetts, which already had campuses in Amherst, Boston, and Worcester. Thus, Southeastern Massachusetts University became the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Then, in 1994, UMass Dartmouth received approval to offer its first Ph.D. In 2010, the University opened its School of Law, Massachusetts’s only public law school. The school has since earned national American Bar Association accreditation.

Throughout its history, the University has been a national leader in civic engagement. In 2013, it earned a national top 20 ranking among nearly 800 institutions ranked by the Corporation for National Community Service. In 2016, the University achieved formal doctoral institution status when the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education designated the University as a "Doctoral University–Higher Research Activity." The University remains the only Massachusetts research university located south of Boston.

After achieving “Doctoral University–Higher Research Activity” in 2016, UMass Dartmouth’s research enterprise saw continued growth in high-growth areas like marine technology, cybersecurity, STEM education, offshore wind impacts, big data, and climate change. In recognition of the University’s mission fulfillment, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University #78 in the nation and the second highest-ranked University among public universities in New England on their 2024 Top Performers on Social Mobility list. The ranking analyzes institutions that are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of low-income students awarded Pell Grants.

Today, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is experiencing extraordinary momentum. Total enrollment has reached its highest point since 2015. Over half of UMass Dartmouth students are the first in their families to attend college, and 41% identify as people of color. More students are living on campus than ever before. The University’s sponsored research footprint reached nearly $97M in 2023, a 34% increase over 2022. This increase allows for more impactful research activities contributing to knowledge creation, student learning, and regional economic development.

Academic Regalia

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and other institutions of higher learning evolved from the great medieval universities in Europe, such as those in Bologna, founded in 1088, Oxford in 1167, and Cambridge in 1209. At that time, everyone wore long gowns and full-flowing robes. After 1600, these apparel were rarely worn in common life, but the tradition continues during Commencement ceremonies.

Gowns are of three basic patterns: (a) the Bachelor’s gown, of unadorned black and with long pointed sleeves; (b) the Master’s gown, unadorned black but with an oblong sleeve, open at the wrist, square cut with an arc cut away; and (c) the Doctor’s gown, velvet-faced, with bell-shaped sleeves and bars of velvet on each sleeve.

In today’s academic procession, the regalia not only contribute pageantry and color but denote the academic status of their wearers. The cap, or mortarboard, is worn by all academics upon occasion. Only those with an academic degree wear the tassel to their left, and only those with a Doctor’s degree are permitted tassels of gold.

Hood Colors Fields

White ..............Humanities, Liberal Arts

Orange ............Engineering

Apricot ............Nursing

Gold ................Sciences

Peacock Blue ...Public Policy

Light Blue Education

Dark Blue PhD Degrees – all fields

Light Brown Business

Brown Art

Purple .............Law

Commencement

The Commencement ceremony represents the culmination of years of hard work for students who are receiving degrees.

During the Commencement, the name of each graduate is read. The degrees are conferred after all names have been read. Please do not detract from the dignity of the ceremony and the enjoyment of other participants and their guests by leaving before the ceremony is completed.

The Chancellor’s Chain of Office, designed and created by College of Visual and Performing Arts faculty, reflects the rich history of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth as well as the current array of its diverse Schools and Colleges. Visually inspired by campus architect Paul Rudolph’s original vision, the Chain of Office incorporates modern contemporary lines echoing the University’s commitment to the future.

The official University seal, the seals of the University’s predecessor institutions, and emblems of the eight existing Schools and Colleges are represented in the medals comprising the chain, which was created of cast bronze and plated in 24-karat gold.

Professors Alan Burton Thompson and Susan Hamlet of the Artisanry Department combined cutting edge computer technology and the oldest of technologies, the hand, to create the chain, which was constructed of more than 60 individual pieces. Full-time Lecturer Charlotte Hamlin of the Textile Design/Fiber Arts program fashioned the blue velvet backing. Full-time Lecturer Reuben Foat of Artisanry’s Furniture Design program assisted in the production process.

The 3-D design software and printer used to create the chain was recently purchased for the College and is now being used to teach digital fabrication classes to undergraduate and graduate students.

The Mace

The mace, once a terrible instrument of medieval close combat, has come to symbolize the power and authority of an appointed or anointed leader. Many universities, eager to engage in the medieval pageantry reflecting the origins of our earliest universities, have adapted the mace as a ceremonial staff borne at the head of processions traditionally marking the beginning of convocation and commencement.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Mace, created by Richard Creighton, Professor of Fine Arts, is the gift of the late Vice Chancellor for Student Services Emeritus, Celestino Macedo, and the late Special Assistant to the President, Norman Zalkind, LHD ’81.

Class of 2024 Doctoral Ceremony

Doctoral students from the:

School for Marine Science & Technology

College of Nursing & Health Sciences

College of Arts & Sciences

College of Engineering

Order of Exercises

The 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

Zemen Berhe ’24

Honorary Degree Presentation

Martin Kurzweil

Steve Pemberton

Conferring of Degrees in Course

Ramprasad Balasubramanian, PhD

Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Recessional

Zemen Berhe

Zemen Berhe will be receiving her Ph.D. in Chemistry & Biochemistry. She is poised to make history as the first Black Ph.D. graduate from the UMass Dartmouth Chemistry & Biochemistry Department. Originally from Tigray, she was raised in Germany and earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Stuttgart. Upon joining the graduate program in Dr. Emmanuel Ojadi’s research laboratory, Zemen quickly established herself as a highly productive and valued member. Her research aimed to explore how lightsensitive molecules called porphyrins can affect cancer cells when used in photodynamic therapy.

Zemen’s leadership extended beyond the laboratory. She represented graduate students as treasurer and senator of the College of Arts and Sciences in the Graduate Student Senate and was the graduate representative on the UMass Dartmouth Pandemic Emergency Response Team. In addition to receiving multiple awards and serving as a panelist to promote graduate studies and women in STEM, she has also presented scientific talks and posters at national and international conferences, including the American Chemical Society (ACS) Conference and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Conference in Paris, France.

Her contributions have been recognized with multiple awards, including the Younger Chemist Committee Leadership Development Award from the American Chemical Society and the Tier One Advancing Science Conference Grant from the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. Zemen’s dedication to teaching excellence was acknowledged with the Best Graduate Teaching Assistant Student Award from the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department. She also served as Chair and Career Chair for the ACS Northeastern Section Younger Chemists Committee, representing hundreds of chemists in the New England Area. She has been passionate about promoting STEM among underrepresented communities as a member of the ACS Education Committee and the ACS Women Chemists Committee.

Her advocacy efforts garnered recognition with Nature, Wired, and Advanced Science News features. Currently serving as a Graduate Teaching Fellow, Zemen remains committed to promoting science among underrepresented communities through her involvement in professional committees.

Honorary Degree Recipients

Martin Kurzweil

Martin Kurzweil is vice president, educational transformation, at Ithaka S+R. The Educational Transformation Program studies and supports the implementation of practices, policies, and innovations that improve equitable postsecondary access and success. Since launching the program in 2015, Martin and his team have conducted research, coordinated crossinstitutional initiatives, and advised education leaders and policymakers on topics such as student debt, transfer, state and federal policy, and the use of technology in teaching and advising. Among other signature projects, Martin helped launch and serves on the steering committee of the American Talent Initiative, a 128-member initiative to significantly increase the number of lower-income students enrolled and graduating from high-graduation-rate colleges and universities.

A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Martin has spent most of his career in education research and policy. He was previously an academic fellow at Columbia Law School, where his research and teaching focused on administrative law, federalism, and organizational governance in the context of K-12 and higher education. Prior to joining Columbia, Martin was senior executive director for research, accountability, and data at the New York City Department of Education, where he oversaw school evaluation and internal and external research for the 1.1-million-student district. As a researcher at the Mellon Foundation, Martin studied higher education equity, finance, and sports, among other topics. As a practicing lawyer, Martin clerked for Judge Pierre Leval of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and worked as a litigator at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen, and Katz.

Martin has published dozens of reports, articles, commentaries, and book chapters, on a wide range of education-related topics, in both academic and popular venues. He is the co-author of Equity and Excellence in American Higher Education, which received the 2006 American Educational Research Association Outstanding Book Award.

Honorary Degree Recipients

Steve Pemberton

ANew Bedford native, Steve Pemberton is a visionary senior human resources executive, human capital strategist, best-selling author, and ardent human rights champion. A passionate communicator and powerful presenter, Steve is a sought-after motivational speaker because of his relentless mission to provide a trusted compass for living, learning, and leading.

Before joining the corporate world, Steve spent time at UMass Dartmouth as an Upward Bound student and served as an admissions officer at the University. He has served in HR leadership positions, including at Monster.com and Walgreens, which have furthered his gift of seeking the greater good and creating engaged communities. Prior to that, he served as the Chief Human Resources Officer of Workhuman®, a technology company that delivers performance management and employee engagement solutions to corporations worldwide. He is the Founder and CEO of The Lighthouse Academy, a leadership, coaching, and HR consultancy.

Steve’s philosophy on human capital has been shaped by positions that delivered talent solutions to HR executives. As a result, he has observed how domestic and international organizations manage talent, particularly as the relationship between employer and employee has transformed in a world where a global pandemic changed how work is done.

Beyond his professional achievements in human resources, Steve is also widely known as the author of two critically acclaimed and best-selling books. His first effort, extraordinary story of how he defied seemingly impossible odds as an orphan navigating the perils of the foster care system – all while trying to solve the mystery of his own identity. Steve’s second book, The Lighthouse Effect: How Ordinary People Can Have an Extraordinary Impact in the World, offers practical encouragement for becoming a "human lighthouse" – turning personal pain into a purposeful mission to help others.

A former candidate for the United States Senate, Steve received the prestigious Horizon Award from the U.S. Congress, presented to private-sector individuals who have expanded opportunities for all Americans through their contributions and set exceptional examples for young people through their successes in life. Steve also received the Lifetime Achiever Award from the New England Opportunity Association and honorary doctorates from Winston-Salem State University, Providence College, and Boston College.

With a steadfast commitment to people and community well-being, Steve has a robust history of service, including membership on the boards of the University & College Accountability Network, Loyola Academy, Boston College, The Wily Network, the Academy for Urban School Leadership, Boys Hope Girls Hope, and Disability:IN, the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide.

College of Arts & Sciences

Robert T. Jones, PhD, BA ’96

Dean

Doctor of Philosophy

Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology

Mohammad Karimian Shamsabadi Advisor: Xiaofei Jia

Doctor of Philosophy Chemistry and Biochemistry

Michael Dave Pogoy Barquilla Advisor: Maricris Mayes

Zemen Berhe Advisor: Emmanuel Ojadi

Aakash Gupta Advisor: Maolin Guo

Jacob Alexander Kress Advisor: Xiaofei Jia

Doctor of Philosophy Engineering & Applied Science

Tousif Islam Co-advisors: Scott Field & Gaurav Khanna

Doctor of Philosophy Integrative Biology

Renee Montanaro Advisor: Nancy O’Connor

Doctor of Philosophy STEM Education

Hamza Malik Advisor: Stephen Witzig

Jinsook Park Advisor: Chandra Orrill

Kun Wang

Advisor: Stephen Witzig

College of Engineering

Jean VanderGheynst, PhD

Dean

Doctor of Philosophy

Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology

Ramina Behzad Advisor: Lamya Karim

Banafsheh Bigdelou Advisor: Qinguo Fan

Doctor of Philosophy

Electrical Engineering

Jeffrey Rodriguez Advisor: Yifei Li

Doctor of Philosophy

Electrical Engineering/Computer

Engineering Option

Christian Connor Ellis Advisor: Lance Fiondella

Todd Matthew Morehouse Advisor: Ruolin Zhou

Doctor of Philosophy Engineering & Applied Science

Ibrahim Mohamed Amin Abdalfattah Advisor: Walaa Mogawer

Dipshika Das Advisor: Sukalyan Sengupta

Yun Hao Co-advisors: Jong-Ping Hsu & Jianyi Jay Wang

Wen Jin Advisor: Mehdi Raessi

Chetan Kumar Advisor: Ming Shao

Deepak Kumar Advisor: Ming Shao

Mazharul Islam Lincon Advisor: Vijaya Chalivendra

Neela Rahimi Advisor: Ming Shao

Shayan Razi Advisor: Mazdak Tootkaboni

Riazat Ryan Advisor: Ming Shao

Iury Tercio Simoes De Sousa Advisor: Amit Tandon

Due to publication deadlines and the evolving status of many prospective graduates, errors and omissions may have occurred. Being listed here has no bearing on a student’s official graduation status. If a name has been misspelled, misplaced, or wrongly omitted, please email graduation@umassd.edu

Danilo Gianni Zeppilli Advisor: Ryan Beemer

College of Nursing & Health Sciences

Kimberly Christopher, PhD Dean

Doctor of Philosophy

Nursing

Ouida Parsons Dowd Advisor: Maryellen Brisbois

Jillian Shay Hatch Advisor: Jennifer Viveiros

Karen Lee Hunt Advisor: Monika Schuler

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Nursing - Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care

Dania Dadaille Advisor: Christine Saba Rezendes

Courtney Ferreira Advisor: Shannon Avery-Desmarais

Francisco Vaz Lira Advisor: Christine Bell

Edwin Joel Villarrubia Advisor: Shannon Avery-Desmarais

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Nursing - Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Jessica Ashley Leavitt Gomes Advisor: Christine Saba Rezendes

Lilian Djamila Silva Advisor: Natalie Rebelo-Correia

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Dorcas Adeyemi Adeyemo Advisor: Christine Bell

Tenesha Lisbon Advisor: Shannon Avery-Desmarais

Gloria Ugo Nwagbara Advisor: Christine Saba Rezendes

Anthonia Onyinye Oyerinde Advisor: Natalie Rebelo-Correia

Mobolaji Olubunmi Rosanwo Advisor: Natalie Rebelo-Correia

Kathryn Stiff

Advisor: Christine Bell

Laywell Tedoe Advisor: Christine Bell

School for Marine Science & Technology

Kevin Stokesbury, PhD Dean

Doctor of Philosophy

Marine Science - Coastal Systems Science

Abhishek Tejus Naik Advisor: Pia Moisander

Doctor of Philosophy

Marine Science & Technology – Living Marine Resources Science & Management

Megan Victoria Winton Advisor: Gavin Fay

Congratulations from the UMass Dartmouth Alumni Association!

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See you back on campus for Blue & Gold Weekend, October 25-26!