Celebrating Utica University’s Class of 2024 at 75th Commencement Ceremonies
“Whatever life may bring, you can rely upon the strong foundation you built during your time here."
A sea of blue flooded the Adirondack Bank Center at Utica Memorial Auditorium May 9 and 10 as Utica University honored more than 700 undergraduate and graduate students at the 75th Commencement exercises.
440 undergraduates were honored at the Thursday, May 9 ceremony, opening with a rendition of the National Anthem sung by Rijah Judah ‘24.
Held just days before Mother’s Day, President Todd Pfannestiel took a moment to thank mothers and other family members in attendance for the remarkable job in raising the Utica graduates before them.
“It is your love and nurturing that helped to make this day a reality. I know our students appreciate the important role you played in their success,” he said. “And I can tell you that every member of our faculty and staff greatly values the confidence that you placed in us as we prepared your loved ones to realize their full potential as professionals, as leaders in their communities, and as life-long learners.”
President Pfannestiel’s advice to the Class of 2024? Make your bed.
“Make your bed every morning. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter... And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will at least come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will have to be better.”
Dr. Amanda Saravia-Butler, a 2009 graduate of Utica University and now the GeneLab Project Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, addressed the graduating Class of 2024 as Keynote Speaker at Utica’s Undergraduate Commencement. After graduating from Utica, Amanda went on to earn her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a concentration in Cancer Biology from the Mayo Clinic, where she identified and characterized novel molecular targets to treat pancreatic cancer, and served as the Florida representative of the Mayo Graduate School Graduate Student Association.
“I urge you to view today not as an end but as a milestone in the perpetual journey of learning. In a world that is evolving at an unprecedented pace, the knowledge you've acquired here is just the foundation, Dr. Saravia-Butler told the crowd. “The real education begins now, outside the walls of Utica University, in the vast, unpredictable classroom of life.”
After completing graduate school, Amanda worked as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Miami studying early germ line development. In September 2017, she made the jump to NASA Ames Research Center as a Mission Scientist on the Rodent Research project. Amanda began transitioning to GeneLab in May 2018 and has been working on the project full time since. In 2020, Amanda helped initiate, and currently leads, GeneLab for Colleges and Universities (GL4U), which provides space biology-relevant training in bioinformatics to both students and educators using computer platforms including SMCE and NSF ACCESS.
“Adapting in this ever-changing landscape doesn't mean losing sight of who you are or compromising your values. It means being open to new technologies, experiences, perspectives, and ways of thinking. It's about being agile, flexible, and resilient in the face of change. Remember, it's not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” - Keynote Speaker Dr. Amanda Saravia-Butler ‘09, Project Scientist for NASA GeneLab.
It was at the undergraduate ceremony that Utica honored Valedictorian Shayla Pominville, who graduated with a 4.0 cumulative average in Psychology and Childhood Education with a minor in theater. Shayla plans on teaching at a local elementary school, where she hopes to introduce young learners to theater. She is currently working at Benton Hall Academy in the Little Falls School District as a long-term 5th grade substitute teacher.
Salutatorian Sara Rachon has earned an impressive 3.99 GPA.and graduated with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in chemistry. Following graduation, Sara will attend dental school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Distinguished Professor of Biology Dr. Adam Pack was honored at the undergraduate ceremony as the 2024 recipient of the Dr. Virgil Crisafulli Teaching Award. The Virgil Crisafulli Distinguished Teaching Award is bestowed annually at Utica University. Instituted in 1974 through a gift from a friend of the college, the Crisafulli Award is considered Utica University’s finest tribute to a faculty member. The recipient is chosen through nominations made by faculty colleagues and through a rigorous review by past recipients of the honor along with this year’s valedictorians.
The following morning on Friday, May 10, 277 Pioneers earned certificates, masters and doctoral degrees at the Graduate Commencement Ceremony, also held in the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
“The hooding ceremony originated in European universities in the 11th century and, as a historian myself—to be perfectly honest--hooded robes were required for warmth in unheated medieval libraries. But today we present you with hoods to distinguish graduating students as you begin their professional and academic careers,” President Pfannestiel explained to the graduates. “It is also our way of celebrating your remarkable accomplishments, and recognizing your contributions to our community of scholars and to the disciplines you now represent as graduate-level professionals.”
The graduate keynote address was given by Dr. Tenille Haynes, a 2009 alumna of Utica’s graduate program and now the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at Princeton University, where she is a leader in student affairs, advising, educating, practicing, and consulting on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and community matters.
“Your distinct talents, skills, and perspectives, shaped by your diverse experiences, are not just the pillars of change but the architects of the future of education,” Dr. Haynes told the Graduate Class of 2024. “You have the power to be transformative not only in the realms of knowledge but also in the lives of the learners you will inspire. Your unique perspectives are valuable and essential in shaping a more inclusive and diverse future in education.
A proud New Yorker from the Bronx, Dr. Haynes pursued her passion for education by earning her Bachelor's degree in History from Stony Brook University, her Master's degree in Education from Utica University in 2009, and her doctorate from Rutgers University's Graduate School of Education. Her work involves examining systems, structures, and policies that have historically excluded communities, and creating spaces of solidarity and culture to empower historically and presently marginalized identities.
“Whatever life may bring, you can rely upon the strong foundation you built during your time here, giving you the confidence to meet every challenge and, more importantly, to succeed at them. I know that you will do just that,” said President Pfannestiel to those walking across the stage and on to their future. “Continue to work hard, and let your future be a reflection of the knowledge, experience, and skills you gained here at Utica University.”
