May 17 - RCC Commencement and Chancellor Awardees

May 17 Commencement and Chancellor’s Awards
free and open to the public
Ramapo, NY—Rockland Community College celebrates our new graduates at the Commencement Ceremony, Sunday, May 17, 2015 in the RCC Fieldhouse.

Graduates include the classes of May ‘15 (730), December ‘14 (306) and August ‘14 (181). Local dignitaries and officials will join the RCC faculty and administration to celebrate this significant milestone and honor the proud graduates along with their families and friends. SUNY Chancellor’s Award winners will also be acknowledged during the ceremony.

The keynote speaker is Charles L. Stuppard, PhD, Captain, US Navy, RCC Class of ’80, and currently serving as a Military Professor in National Security Affairs at the United States Naval War College. The student speaker is Debra Stewart, an adult student who enrolled at RCC in 2011 after being away from college for more than 20 years. She earned her AAS in Criminal Justice in 2013 and continued her studies, now earning an AAS degree in Emergency Management.

Sunday, May 17, 2015
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Rockland Community College Fieldhouse
145 College Road, Suffern, NY. 10901
Live online streaming of this event will be available at vazzt.com/jhpinc/rcc2015

SPEAKERS’ BIOGRAPHIES
Charles L. Stuppard, PhD, Captain, US Navy, RCC Class of ’80, was born in Haiti and immigrated to the United States when he was 19. RCC was his first experience with public education. After earning an associate’s degree in Engineering Science from RCC, he transferred to Cornell, where he earned his degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He joined the Navy in 1985 as an aviation officer candidate after designing airplanes for the Air Force. He later earned a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies at the Naval War College and a PhD from Salve Regina University, both in Newport, RI. Dr. Stuppard currently serves as a Military Professor in National Security Affairs at the United States Naval War College.

From 2013-14, he served as Chief of the US Naval Forces Division in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where he trained, mentored, and advised the Saudi leadership. Stuppard made US military history from 2010-2013 as the only Naval Officer in command of both a Navy and an Army base, the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story - home of the renowned Navy SEALS. In 2001, Stuppard was serving at the Pentagon on 9/11 as an Action Officer in the Joint Staff. Other assignments included a one-year tour caring for a force of 10,000 sailors fighting the Global War on Terrorism in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. Military awards include two Legion of Merits, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy Commendation Medals, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and numerous unit citations and ribbons.

Debra Stewart
Married and with two children, Stewart takes pride in her family and credits their support and encouragement for her accomplishments. She is proud and honored to be the first graduate to earn the AAS degree in Emergency Management at RCC through the Hudson Valley Educational Consortium. Stewart’s academic achievements include awards for Academic Excellence in both Criminal Justice and Emergency Management, and she gained membership in Phi Theta Kappa, Dean’s List, President’s Award, National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She was also recognized at RCC for her volunteer work.

Currently the Chief for the W.P. Faist Volunteer Ambulance Corps and an EMT, Stewart’s future plans include pursuit of bachelor’s and master’s degrees (Emergency Management and Public Administration), with an eye towards teaching. She wants to make a difference in the future of first responders and public safety and says, “It is never too late to follow your dreams. You need support, desire, and faith.”

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