Friday, May 13, 2022
Twelve o’clock in the afternoon
MassMutual Center
Dr. Linda Thompson, President
Juline E. Mills, Ph.D., Interim Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs
Robert A. Martin, Ph.D., Chair, Board of Trustees
Lynn Shelley, Ph.D., Professor, Psychology, Grand Marshal
PROCESSIONAL
CALL TO ORDER
Lynn Shelley, Ph.D., Professor, Psychology, Grand Marshal
WELCOME
Juline E. Mills, Ph.D., Interim Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs
COLOR GUARD
Westfield State University Police Officers
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
Derrick Harnish, Class of 2023
Accompanied by the Westfield State University Wind Symphony under the direction of Dr. Karen Lavoie, Professor, Music
INVOCATION
Reverend Kathleen O’Goley, Pastor
Interfaith Chaplains Council, Albert and Amelia Ferst Interfaith Center
GREETINGS
Dr. Linda Thompson, President
Robert A. Martin, Ph.D., Chair, Board of Trustees
H. Zahra Caldwell, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Ethnic and Gender Studies, on behalf of the faculty and librarians
Katherine R. Pinney, President, Class of 2022, on behalf of the students
THE COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
John P. Ockerbloom, Esq. ’89
CONFERRING OF HONORARY DEGREES
Robert A. Martin, Ph.D., Chair, Board of Trustees
John P. Ockerbloom, Esq. ’89, Doctor of Humane Letters
Dr. Mark Keroack, Doctor of Science
CONFERRING OF DEGREES
Robert A. Martin, Ph.D., Chair, Board of Trustees
VALEDICTORIAN
SALUTATORIAN
DEAN’S AWARD FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN CONTINUING EDUCATION
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, MATHEMATICS, COMPUTERS, AND SUSTAINABILITY
SCHOOL OF CRIMINOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND PUBLIC POLICY
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, ARTS, COMMUNICATION, AND HUMANITIES
SCHOOL OF HEALTH, NATURAL SCIENCES, AND HUMAN SERVICES
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION REMARKS
Megan Bishop ’13, President-Elect, Westfield State Alumni Association Executive Council
ALMA MATER
Aaliyah Brown, Class of 2023
Accompanied by the Westfield State University Wind Symphony under the direction of Dr. Karen Lavoie, Professor, Music
BENEDICTION
Reverend Kathleen O’Goley, Pastor
Interfaith Chaplains Council, Albert and Amelia Ferst Interfaith Center
CLOSING REMARKS
Juline E. Mills, Ph.D., Interim Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs
RECESSIONAL
WESTFIELD STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dr. Robert A. Martin, Chair
Mr. Ali R. Salehi, Vice Chair
Ms. Lydia E. Martinez-Alvarez ’86, ‘04, Secretary
Ms. Melissa A. Alvarado ’99
Mr. Paul D. Boudreau
Ms. Theresa A. Jasmin
Ms. Madeline Landrau
Mr. Chris Montemayor ’90,’11, Alumni Trustee
Hon. William C. Reichelt ’09
Ms. Chloe M. Sanfacon, Student Trustee
Dr. Gloria B. Williams ’77
2022 CLASS COUNCIL
Katherine Pinney, President
Hannah Swanick, Vice President/Representative to SGA
Josselyn Donahue, Publicity Coordinator
Alec Masiello, Representative to SGA
Fallyn Roberts, Secretary
Ricardo Fonseca, Treasurer
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
CLASS OF 2022
Cameron Kelleher, President
Kelson Burke, Vice President of Finance
Lyric Lamagdelaine, Vice President of Academic Life
Lindsay McNulty, Vice President of Publicity
ADVISOR TO THE CLASS OF 2022
Thomas Convery, Institutional Advancement
SENIOR ADMINISTRATORS
Dr. Linda Thompson, President
Dr. Juline Mills, Interim Provost, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ms. Maggie Balch, Dean of Students
Dr. Michael Freeman, Special Assistant to the President on University Strategies and Chief of Staff
Mr. Daniel Forster, Vice President for Enrollment Management
Mr. Richard Lenfest, Athletics Director
Ms. Lisa McMahon, Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Mr. Timothy Rooke, Special Assistant to the President on Community and Governmental Affairs
Mr. Stephen Taksar, Vice President for Administration and Finance
ASSISTANT PROVOST AND DEANS
Enrique Morales-Diaz, Ph.D., Assistant Provost
Ziblim Abukari, Ph.D., Associate Dean, School of Health, Natural Sciences, and Human Services
Gabriel Aquino, Ph.D., Associate Dean, School of Criminology, Psychology, Social Justice, and Public Policy
Brian Jennings, Ph.D., Dean, Assessment and Accreditation
Sabine Klein, Ph.D., Associate Dean, School of Education, Arts, Communication, and Humanities
Rebecca Morris, Ph.D., Associate Dean, School of Business, Mathematics, Computers, and Sustainability
PLATFORM PARTY GUESTS
Hon. Michael McCabe ’84, Mayor, City of Westfield
The Commencement Speaker
John P. Ockerbloom, Esq. ’89
John P. Ockerbloom is currently the Managing Director and co-head of U.S. Real Estate overseeing the real estate debt and equity platform at Barings in Charlotte, N.C. Barings is a subsidiary of MassMutual. Mr. Ockerbloom’s role is leading the development of the U.S. real estate business strategy and is responsible for building and growing the business across a variety of investment vehicles, asset classes, and geographies. Mr. Ockerbloom also serves as co-chair of the Barings Real Estate U.S. Private Investment Committee and Affordable Housing Committee. Before his duties at Barings, Mr. Ockerbloom served as managing director and global head of real estate, gaming, and lodging at financial firm Jefferies, where he founded the firm’s real estate banking business. He also has maintained leadership positions at Morgan Keegan & Co., Wachovia, and Bank of America. At Westfield State, Mr. Ockerbloom was a political science major and an active member of the Music Theatre Guild. He was a two- term student trustee from 1987-88 and 1988-89. He also served his class as president from 1985-86. After his studies at Westfield State, Mr. Ockerbloom studied law at Northeastern University and received a Juris Doctor of Law degree in 1992.
