Dr. Robert A. Scott

Adelphi University Holds its 113th Commencement on May 21, 2009

Garden City, NY
April 15, 2009

Adelphi University will hold its 113^th Commencement on Thursday May 21, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale, NY.  President Robert A. Scott will deliver the Commencement address, and the University will award honorary degrees to Suzy Dalton Sonenberg M.S.W. ’76, Audrey Ronning Topping, and Seymour Topping. A separate hooding ceremony for the doctoral candidates will be held on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, at 4:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of Adelphi’s Performing Arts Center (AU PAC), 1 South Avenue, Garden City, NY.

The Commencement ceremony will begin with the academic procession, which includes members of the Board of Trustees, President Scott, the honorees, and graduates. During the program, Board Chairman Thomas F. Motamed ’71 and Dr. Scott will bestow honorary degrees to this year’s recipients:

• Suzy Dalton Sonenberg M.S.W. ’76, executive director of the Long Island Community Foundation
• Audrey Ronning Topping, prize-winning photojournalist
• Seymour Topping, renowned journalist and former correspondent and managing editor of the New York Times
  

Following the presentation of the honorary degrees and awards, Dr. Scott will give the Commencement address. This will be his third time delivering the momentous speech.

Dr. Robert A. Scott was appointed by the Adelphi University Board of Trustees as the ninth president and professor of anthropology and sociology in July 2000. Under his leadership, Adelphi has embarked on historic efforts to add faculty, academic programs, student services, and ground-breaking facilities. The latest projects have added cutting-edge centers for recreation, sports, performing arts, and early childhood education to the Garden City campus. In his tenure, he brought a new residence hall and the Adele and Herbert J. Klapper Center for Fine Arts to the campus. He has built on Adelphi’s rich traditions in undergraduate and graduate education, and continues to link the liberal arts and sciences with professional programs. He has been the driving force behind the success Adelphi University has achieved in the past nine years.

In keeping with his vision of Adelphi as the “engaged” university, Dr. Scott has helped Adelphi deepen its ties with the Long Island community. Cultural events, ranging from provocative lectures to art exhibitions and music, dance, and theater performances, bring alumni and area residents to the campus. He also has involved Adelphi faculty, students, and the broader community in addressing pressing community issues. He initiated Adelphi’s Vital Signs social health indicators project, The Center for Social Innovation, and its Long Island Center for Nonprofit Leadership. Dr. Scott himself is a model of community involvement, serving on the boards of the Long Island Association, the Regional Plan Association, and Global Kids, Inc., among others. He is a member of The Century Association, the Cornell Club, the Council on Foreign Relations, and The Economic Club of New York, Inc.

Since joining Adelphi, he has repeatedly been named one of the 100 Most Influential Long Islanders by Long Island Business News and has received numerous accolades, including three prestigious Telly Awards for his cable television show, Exploring Critical Issues; The Association for Commerce Industry and Technology Award for Distinguished Service in the Field of Higher Education; the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Hispanic Counseling Center; the Garden City Chamber of Commerce Achievement Award; the David Award for community service and professional excellence from Networking Magazine; and the 2008 Chief Executive Leadership Award from the Council for  Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II.

Dr. Scott is one of the few people ever to hold three top posts in American higher education: head of an independent university (Adelphi University); a public institution (Ramapo College); and a state higher education coordinating agency (New Jersey and Indiana). He earned his B.A. degree at Bucknell University and his Ph.D. at Cornell University.

For more information and the full day’s program, please contact Adelphi’s Commencement office at 516.877.4695, or visit http://www.adelphi.edu/commencement/.

About Adelphi University: Adelphi University, chartered in 1896, was the first institution of higher education for the liberal arts and sciences on Long Island. Through its schools and programs—The College of Arts and Sciences, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Honors College, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, and the Schools of Business, Nursing, and Social Work—the co-educational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls nearly 8,500 students from 41 states and 63 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie, the University maintains a commitment to liberal studies in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.


Media Contact
For additional information, please contact:

Kali Chan Media Relations Director p - 516.877.4040 f - 516.877.3266 e - chan@adelphi.edu