St. Thomas Aquinas College to Host 61st Commencement

(SPARKILL, N.Y.— May 8, 2018) -- St. Thomas Aquinas College will host its 61st Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 11, 2018 at 2 p.m. on the College’s front lawn (weather permitting). About 325 students will be awarded Masters, Bachelor’s and Associate Degrees during the ceremony.

James P. O’Neill, New York City Police Commissioner, will give the Commencement Address to the graduates and will receive an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Commissioner O’Neill began his career with the Transit Police in 1983 and rose through the ranks, serving as lieutenant, captain and commanding officer of the Central Park, the 25th and the 44th Precincts. He was promoted to inspector and to deputy chief, and served as commanding officer of the Vice, Narcotics, and Fugitive Enforcement Divisions. In 2014, O’Neill was appointed commanding officer of Police Commissioner William Bratton’s office and in September 2016, was appointed the 43rd New York City police commissioner. He developed the NYPD’s neighborhood-based policing model, which is credited with producing greater police and community interaction and collaboration.

Donald J. Riley and Donna J. G. Riley will receive the Honorary Doctor of Commercial Science degree and Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, respectively. Donald Riley serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Thomas Aquinas College and is retired from IBM. He joined IBM’s Human Resources Department in Poughkeepsie, NY and over the span of 38 years became a member of the company’s Senior Leadership Team – one of the top 300 executives out of 320,000 employees worldwide. Donna, too, had a successful 31-year career in marketing and human resources at IBM, and was a member of the prestigious Senior Leadership Team. Both Don and Donna are actively involved in community service. In addition to his role as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at STAC, Don is a member of the board of the ARC Foundation of Rockland, serves as governor on the board of the Tuxedo Club and member of the Palm Beach Towers Condominium board. Donna serves as an elected Trustee of the Piermont (NY) Public Library and member of the boards of the Edward Hopper House Museum and Study Center in Nyack (NY) and the JCC Rockland. Having previously served on the board of the United Way of Rockland, she has received multiple awards recognizing her contributions as a volunteer. Don and Donna were recipients of the Spartan Award upon induction to the St. Thomas Aquinas College Hall of Fame in 2006, and received the prestigious Aquinas Medal at the College’s Annual Tribute Dinner in 2012.

Katherine Kuczwaj, President of the Student Government Association, and Bria Nicole Manning, Senator for the Class of 2018, will address the graduates.

Various student awards will include the Class Service Awards; the Terence Cardinal Cooke Award will be given to a student who has demonstrated outstanding and meritorious service; the Francis Cardinal Spellman Award will be given to a student(s) for the highest academic excellence in the undergraduate program; the Sr. Regina Rosaire Dolan Award will be given to the student with the highest academic excellence in the Teacher Education graduate program.

Faculty Emeritus status will be conferred upon Dr. Mary Ellen Ferraro (posthumously), professor of mathematics, Dr. Barbara Klein, professor of communications arts, and Dr. Helene Robbins, professor of education.

Over 2,000 family and friends typically attend this annual event. In the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place in the Aquinas Hall Gymnasium and the audience will be limited to ticket holders for the indoor event with live streaming available in other locations on campus.

For further details about the Commencement Ceremony, contact Danielle Kobryn at 845-398-4016 or dkobryn@stac.edu or visit www.stac.edu/commencement-2018.

St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located on 60 acres in Rockland County, NY which provides education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College’s 2,800 full and part time students can choose from more than 100 different majors, minors, specializations, and dual degree programs across three Schools: Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education. The College is recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, by Colleges of Distinction in both its New York and Catholic editions, by Affordable Colleges Online as a top College in New York for Return on Investment, and is included as a Military Friendly School®. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is accredited by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); and its School of Business is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). For more information, visit www.stac.edu.