On behalf of the RCNJ Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff, I am honored to extend our sincere congratulations to you on your achievement as a member of the Ramapo College Class of 2025.
Today marks the culmination of your doctoral or graduate journey and the launch of your next chapter. The past few years have been challenging. You persevered. You were victorious. You made a difference. Take a deep breath, look around, and enjoy this memorable moment.
As you move into the next chapter of your life, I encourage you to continue to be bold, be kind, and be good teammates. Boldly step outside of your comfort zone and commit to engaging with the histories, communities, and inquiries that surround you. Be kind and humble and commit to acknowledging that you do not know all the answers — the world is far more interesting this way. Be good teammates, and commit to cultivating relationships and fostering community by modeling empathy and respect.
Each one of you will make a unique impact, and I look forward to learning of and boasting about your service and success.
Congratulations, Roadrunner!
Sincerely,
Cindy R. Jebb, Ph.D. President
RAMAPO COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Susan A. Vallario, Chair
Albert C. Nieves, Vice Chair, EOF Liaison
Marize Helmy, Treasurer
William F. Dator, Immediate Past Chair
Michael Ben-David
Sarah Glisson ’27, Alternate Student Trustee
Chris Lopez
Kyree Robinson-Banks ’27, Student Trustee
George C. Ruotolo, Jr., CFRE, Board of Governors Liaison
A.J. Sabath ’93, Alumni Association & NJASCU Liaison
David G. Schlussel
Dr. Cindy R. Jebb, President, Ex Officio
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE RAMAPO COLLEGE FOUNDATION
Keith Dawkins ’94, Chair
Eileen Comerford ’80, Vice Chair
Lisa Ryan ’84, Secretary
Roy Putrino, Immediate Past Chair
Dr. Christopher Romano, Executive Director, Ex Officio
Alison Banks-Moore ’77
Tom Palmer
Russell Sommers ’05
Tom Srednicki
Dr. Cindy R. Jebb, President, Ex Officio
VICE PRESIDENTS
Virginia Galdieri, Vice President for People Operations & Employee Resources
Dr. Michael J. Middleton, Provost | Vice President for Teaching, Learning, & Growth
Nicole Morgan Agard, Chief Diversity Officer | Vice President for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, & Compliance
Patrick O’Connor, Vice President for Government Relations & Business Development
Colleen O’Keefe, Chief Financial Officer | Vice President for Fiscal Health
Dr. Christopher Romano, Vice President for Strategic Enrollment, Outreach, & Engagement | Executive Director for the RCNJ Foundation
Michael Tripodi, Vice President & General Counsel
Melissa Van Der Wall, Dean for Students | Vice President for Student Well-being
Dr. Brittany A. Williams-Goldstein, Chief of Staff & Board Liaison | Vice President for Policy, Research & Governance | College Spokesperson
Dr. Michael Yankovich, Vice President for Operational & Administrative Integration
ACADEMIC HERALDRY
The wearing of caps, gowns, and hoods at college and university functions dates back to the earliest days of the oldest universities, when they were first worn by monks and students to keep warm in the 12th century castles and halls of learning. Their color and style signify the following:
GOWN. The bachelor’s gown has pointed sleeves. The master’s gown has oblong sleeves, open at the wrist. The doctor’s gown has bell-shaped sleeves.
HOODS. Hoods are lined in silk in the color or colors of the institution granting the degree. If the institution has more than one color, the second color is shown through the use of chevrons. The binding or edge of the hood is usually made of velvet in a color designating the field in which the degree was granted.
MORTARBOARD. The traditional mortarboard (cap) is made from the same material as the gown. Doctor’s caps may be made of velvet and may have tassels of gold or in the color of the wearer’s degree. Graduates of some institutions wear soft caps.
MACE. The mace symbolizes the Office of the President and is carried by a faculty member who generally leads the Processional for the three major academic ceremonies: Opening Convocation, Undergraduate Commencement, and Graduate Programs Commencement. The Ramapo College Mace, created in 2002, features Ramapo College’s seal on a silver medallion. Ramapo College’s mace is hexagonally shaped, hand-crafted from solid natural cherry, and custom turned by hand.
During the ceremony, the name of each graduate will be announced while on stage. The School Dean and Program Director will place the hood (included with the graduate’s academic regalia) over the head of the graduate. This signifies the graduate’s success in completing their respective program.
Ramapo College is proud to share that this year’s masters’ regalia is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. An average of 25 plastic bottles was used to manufacture each cap, gown and hood.
RAMAPO COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY
Mission: Ramapo College is New Jersey’s Public Liberal Arts College, dedicated to providing students a strong foundation for a lifetime of achievement. The College is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. Ramapo College emphasizes teaching and individual attention to all students. We promote diversity, inclusiveness, sustainability, student engagement, and community involvement.
Vision: Ramapo College delivers a transformative education in a diverse community dedicated to welcoming and mentoring students who bring with them a range of lived experiences. We will achieve national distinction for developing empathetic problem solvers, ethical change agents, and responsible leaders who make a positive impact and thrive in a changing world.
Values Statement: Ramapo College is the Public Liberal Arts College of the state of New Jersey. The work of the College and its members is conducted with integrity. Our values are:
• Teaching, learning, and mentoring: We are actively engaged in and out of the classroom.
• Developing the whole person: We are scholars, we are creators, we are local and global citizens, and we are individuals.
• Respecting each other and our environment: We are an open, inclusive, supportive, and sustainable community.
Land Acknowledgment: We acknowledge Ramapo College’s presence on the traditional and ancestral land of the Ramapo Munsee Lenape peoples. In addition, we honor and pay respect to the contributions, courage, and sacrifices of the Ramapo Munsee Lenape people and their Ancestors. Consistent with our values of an open, inclusive and supportive community, it is our responsibility to acknowledge and honor Ramapo College’s relationship with the Ramapo Munsee Lenape peoples.
CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES
Dayna S. Gallucci
Sarah Gabrielle Galyas ’24
Amanda Nicole Gasparino ’24
Stephanie Emma Gervasi
Kari Graham
Ryan Michael Gresik
Kelly Marie Griffin ’24
Alessia Guerriero ’24
Olivia Ursula Heath
Emma Nicole Hinds ’24
Taylor Marie Holeczko
Noelle Johnstone ’24
Jasmine Nicole Jones ’24
Talia Marielle Kates ’24
Faith Nicole Keener ’24
Shayna M. Kenduck ’24
Simone E. Kizel ’24
Stephanie Alexis Kravitz
Shannon McFadden Lyons ’24
Madalena MacArthur
Melissa Ann Marszalek
Brenna Mary McCormack ’24
Jaime Nicole Mckenna
Blythe Scottalee Miller ’24
Nicole M. Mortola
Peyton Finn Mulligan
Daryl F. Ocot ’24
Gabrielle Josephine Paradiso ’24
Athena Pascual ’24
Andrea Helen Petrow
Kira Podlipski ’24
Alexa Marie Regan
Jamie Marie Rehus
Lia Mary Romano
Nadia Marina Seltzer ’24
Jarred Semelmacher ’24
Savanna Lena Serra ’24
Julianna Emily Sibilski ’24
Kristen Anne Staub
Joshua A. Steinhardt ’24
Makenna Michele Tahbaz ’24
Grace Ellen Terpstra ’24
Anitra M. Thompson
Robert Vasquez Jr. ’23
Abriana L. Zampese
Carl S. Zipper
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Mostafa M. Ayoub
Izabella J. Bachmann ’24
Christina Elizabeth Baez ’22
Robert Bednarczyk ’24
Justin J. Bladen ’24
Chanel A. Carter ’20
Anna Ceka ’23
Brian C. Colucci ’23
CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES
Daniel Figueiras ’24
Yussof Kazmi ’23
Kamila Palys ’24
Maya Aileen Peacock ’24
Arifur M. Rahman ’22
Sapir Sarah Sharoni
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NURSING
Anupama Arun
Stephanie Marie Belcastro
Yoonju Cho
Anna Delany Cooke
Alanna L. Cooper ’13
Alexandra Nicole DeLuca
John Geremy Sillano Estrella
Kaitlyn R. Gearst
Danielle Marie Harkin
Leslie A. Huhn
Elena E. Ivanov ’16
Anna Kasm ’19
Samantha Marie Kopf
Nicole Kwilecki
Erica Lui
Jessica Anne Magaldi
Meghan Elizabeth Mahoney
Kelly J. Moeller ’14
Chelsea M. Norz ’14
Azra Pjetrovic
Ariana Spierenburg ’18
Esra Tan
MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK
Arielle E. Aigotti ’24
Maria Barbaro ’24
Conor T. Brennan
Karen Annmarie Brown ’24
Jillian Moore Buckley
Dahiana A. Cabral ’24
Jillian V. Carbine ’24
Christina Marie Cargulia
Justin Daniel Chernick ’24
Rebecca Anne Coakley ’24
Nahomie J. Cyprien
Abigail Elizabeth Dell’Aglio
Michael Joseph Denaro
Anthony Dominguez ’24
John Lawlor Doyle ’24
Joshua Grant Dyl ’24
Evelyn Estevez Roeun ’24
Gerald Joseph Ferra Jr. ’20
Destiny Rose Garcia ’24
Miranda Garcia
Parand Ghobadi
Nathalia Gonzalez ’18
Hagan Patricia Gorman
Jessica Catherine Greene
GRADUATION RECOGNITION
HONOR GUARD
Graduates are selected for the Honor Guard in recognition of their scholarship and contributions to Ramapo College.
Chevelle T. Brown ’25 was selected to carry the Graduate Programs gonfalon at Arching and leads her cohort during this evening’s Processional. Chevelle currently serves as a Staff Accountant within the Business Services unit at Ramapo. She is a distinguished graduate of the Masters of Science in Accounting program, earning honors and becoming a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. Her goal is to become a CPA. Dedicated to leading by example, Chevelle takes great pride in being a role model, particularly for her son.
Elizabeth Pangert ’22, ’25 was selected to carry the Doctoral Programs gonfalon during the Arching ceremony and lead their program in the Processional. Drawn back to Ramapo College after a positive experience in the Master of Science in Nursing Administration program, Elizabeth sought to further her education and achieve her a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). With a passion for continuous learning and growth within the nursing profession, she aspires to transition into academia to mentor and educate future generations of nurses.
