As the student speaker at the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) commencement May 18, Joanna Zhao Ye noted the transformation she and her fellow graduates were making — from student to professional.
“We are not just students anymore,” Ye, who earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, told the audience at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “We’re here today because we have proven that we have the skills, knowledge, and experience to excel in our disciplines. And now we have the responsibility to pursue the truth and speak it as loudly as we can so that we can push our disciplines — and society — forward.”
Student Speaker Joanna Zhao Ye
And at the second consecutive in-person UMB commencement after virtual celebrations in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ye talked about the trying circumstances the Class of 2023 had to endure.
“Although we’re graduating from different programs on different timelines, we’ve shared some of the unique challenges of being students during a global health crisis,” said Ye, who was the 2022-2023 president of the University Student Government Association. “For many of us, life as we knew it changed completely while we were students at UMB. We have overcome challenges in the classroom and out in the world under unprecedented circumstances.
“On top of that, many of us have started families, grieved for loved ones, or persevered through seemingly impossible obstacles,” she added. “Every graduate here today has a remarkable story to tell, which deserves recognition.”
(Read about School of Social Work graduating student Emma Earnest, who sang the national anthem, at this link.)
UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, presided over the ceremony, which included a video message from Gov. Wes Moore; remarks from University System of Maryland (USM) Regent William T. Wood, JD; the conferring of two honorary degrees; recognition of two retiring deans; and the awarding of the inaugural President’s Distinguished Gold Medal. Jarrell was joined onstage by deans, vice presidents, and four honorary marshals: M.J. Tooey, MLS, AHIP, FMLA; Raymond C. Love, PharmD, BCPP, FASHP; Erika Friedmann, PhD; and Susan McKechnie, CPA.
“Today, our students take their place in a long line of distinguished graduates of the founding campus of the University of Maryland,” Jarrell said. “All of our students have worked very hard to get to this point, especially through the upheaval of a pandemic, and you deserve a round of applause for having endured it. Look around the arena today and remember all of those who have supported you in this journey. There’s a lot of love, a lot of devotion, and a lot of support from your family, your friends, and your faculty mentors.”
‘Answer the Door’
Jarrell unveiled a new honor, the President’s Distinguished Gold Medal, which was awarded to Norman R. Augustine, MSE, the former chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corp. who has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in business and government. Augustine also was UMB’s inaugural President’s Distinguished Scholar in 2019-2020, advising the President’s Fellows on their white paper on how to institutionalize UMB’s core values so that they remain durable even as the University and its people change. The gold medal is awarded to an individual who has provided outstanding service and leadership to UMB and beyond.
“As I reflect on the award that I’ve just received and on what lies ahead for those of you receiving your degrees today,” Augustine said, “I recall a simple but powerful lesson: When opportunity knocks, which it will, try to answer the door. If you do that, you’ll discover that there are many things that you can’t even imagine today that will be possible for you to accomplish in your careers.”
UMB awarded honorary degrees to Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, MAS, BSN ’80, RN, FAAN, and Martha Somerman, DDS, PhD, who were presented by, respectively, Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), and Mark A. Reynolds, DDS, PhD, MA, dean of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD).
Nathan-Pulliam, a UMSON alumna and former Maryland state senator and delegate, received an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree. During her 20 years in the House of Delegates and five-year tenure in the state Senate, Nathan-Pulliam advanced numerous health policy initiatives, worked to reduce health care disparities and inequalities, and strived to strengthen the health care delivery system.
Somerman, a former associate professor at UMSOD and former director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), was recognized as an Honorary Doctor of Science. Somerman was a UMSOD faculty member from 1984 to 1991 and went on to become dean of the University of Washington School of Dentistry before being named director of NIDCR at the National Institutes of Health.
Graduates and Gratitude
The ceremony also included a 6-minute video featuring graduating students from each of UMB’s seven schools. The students spoke fondly of their time at the University with a recurring theme of gratitude for their schools’ community service opportunities and appreciation for UMB’s commitment to Baltimore and focus on interprofessional education.
“I came to UMB because of the unique environment that it’s situated in,” said Daniel Syrianos-Robertson, a UMSOD graduate. “It’s given me an opportunity to give back to the underserved or those in need. I’ve really come to love the environment on this campus — especially at the School of Dentistry, there’s this family aspect that allows us to grow as students while at the same time grow as part of the community.”
Courtney Bergan, a graduating student from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, said, “One of the things I have really valued is working across schools, being able to work with physical therapy students and social work students and medical students and come up with solutions with people who are coming at things from a very different perspective than maybe a law student would have. That has been one of the most invaluable things for me being at UMB.”
In his remarks, Wood offered congratulations from the USM Board of Regents and praise for the graduates’ persistence and dedication.
“Your hard work and sacrifice have paid off,” Wood said. “I also know your family and friends take pride in what you have accomplished. They have shared in your sacrifice, and they certainly should share in your success. Today, you become an enduring part of UMB’s proud and impressive legacy. The knowledge and experience you have received here — that you have earned here — are yours forever.”
Jarrell closed the ceremony by recognizing two retiring deans, Kirschling and Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, FAAPS, FCP, of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, before wishing the Class of 2023 good health and good fortune.
“I ask that you remember UMB and your school as your alma mater,” Jarrell told the graduates. “We certainly will need your help in the future. And for the family and friends who are here, you have remarkable graduates now in your circle. Embrace them. They’re wonderful. To the Class of 2023, we are so proud of you, and we look forward to your great accomplishments.”
Visit UMB’s commencement website for photos, video, and more information.