ORDER OF THE CEREMONY
PRESIDING
Dr. Kimberly Griffin M.A. ’01 DEAN
PROCESSIONAL
“Pomp and Circumstance” by Sir Edward Elgar
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Dr. Ebony Terrell Shockley Ph.D. ’12
CLINICAL PROFESSOR AND ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES AND EDUCATOR PREPARATION
WELCOME
Dr. Kimberly Griffin DEAN
ALUMNI RECOGNITION/
ALUMNI NETWORK REMARKS
Dr. Elizabeth Stuart ’98, Ed.D. ’24 PRESIDENT, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION ALUMNI NETWORK BOARD
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Dr. Sue Bredekamp ’72, M.A. ’76, Ph.D. ’85
STUDENT ADDRESS
LaTanya Sherone Sothern
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION, SCHOOL SYSTEM LEADERSHIP
PRESENTATION OF DOCTORAL CANDIDATES
Dr. Doug Lombardi
PROFESSOR AND ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR FACULTY AFFAIRS
STUDENT ADDRESS
Brandon Eduardo Rodriguez Torrento
MASTER OF ARTS, HIGHER EDUCATION
PRESENTATION MASTER’S CANDIDATES
Dr. Doug Lombardi
PROFESSOR AND ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR FACULTY AFFAIRS
CLOSING REMARKS
Dr. Kimberly Griffin DEAN
RECESSIONAL
“Pomp and Circumstance” by Sir Edward Elgar
CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES!
COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER
Dr. Sue Bredekamp ’72, M.A. ’76, Ph.D. ’85, is an early childhood specialist who serves as a consultant on curriculum, teaching and professional development for state and national organizations and institutions of higher education. As director of professional development at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), she developed and directed their accreditation system for early learning programs and led their work on early literacy and teacher education. Dr. Bredekamp is the primary editor of NAEYC’s highly influential publications on developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. She is also the author of an introductory textbook, “Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education: Building a Foundation” (5th ed.).
She has co-chaired the National Academies of Sciences Committee on a New Vision for HighQuality Preschool Curriculum; served on the National Research Council’s Committee on Early Childhood Mathematics, which produced a landmark report, “Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood: Paths toward Excellence and Equity”; and is the past board chair of the HighScope Educational Research Foundation. She received the Visionary Leadership Award from the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership and was named one of 11 pioneers in early childhood education by the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes. Dr. Bredekamp has been a visiting lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia; Monash College in Melbourne, New Zealand; the University of Alaska; and the University of Hawaii.
STUDENT SPEAKERS
LaTanya Sherone Sothern is a dedicated educator with nearly 30 years of experience passionately advocating for educational equity for students of all backgrounds and abilities. She holds degrees from American University and Howard University and administrative certification from Bowie State University. A two-time National Board Certified teacher-educator and proud principal in Prince George’s County Public Schools for the past six years, she has led a school through challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and has received state recognition for supporting her students’ growth. She has also been recognized for operational excellence and promoting a positive school culture through creative branding. Her doctoral capstone identifies instructional strategies and approaches that would ensure students are proficient readers by third grade.
Brandon Eduardo Rodriguez
Torrento is a proud first-generation college graduate who has served the campus community as the higher education program representative in the Graduate Student Government; a reading mentor in the Maryland Mentor Corps; the public relations chair of the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education’s Graduate Student Association; and a representative on the Provost’s Graduate Student Advisory Council. He was also a National Association of Student Personnel Administrators graduate associate, an intern with the National Association for College Admission Counseling, a resident director in the Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and a graduate assistant for the First-Year Experience at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Brandon is committed to breaking down barriers in higher education and helping underrepresented communities access the college admissions process.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
GRAND MARSHAL Ms. Adrienne Mayo-Brown
CHAIR, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION SENATE; DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, POLICY AND LEADERSHIP
NARRATOR Dr. Ebony Terrell Shockley
CLINICAL PROFESSOR AND ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES AND EDUCATOR PREPARATION
ANNOUNCER Ms. Kayla Kellner
GRADUATE ASSISTANT, OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES
This ceremony would not be possible without the dedication and hard work of many members of our community. We would like to thank the Dean’s Office, Office of Student Services, Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations and Office of Marketing and Communications, as well as our many volunteers for making this ceremony memorable for our graduates, their families, friends and guests.
COLLEGE LEADERSHIP
Kimberly Griffin, Ph.D. DEAN
William Ming Liu M.A. ’95, Ph.D. ’00
CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF COUNSELING, HIGHER EDUCATION, AND SPECIAL EDUCATION
Nihat Polat, Ph.D.
CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, POLICY AND LEADERSHIP
Laura Stapleton, Ph.D. ’01
CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND QUANTITATIVE METHODOLOGY
Doug Lombardi, Ph.D.
ASSOCIATE DEAN, FACULTY AFFAIRS
Ebony Terrell Shockley, Ph.D.
ASSOCIATE DEAN, UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES AND EDUCATOR PREPARATION
Kelly Mix, Ph.D.
ASSOCIATE DEAN, RESEARCH, INNOVATION, AND PARTNERSHIPS
D. Hakim Scott, MBA, PMP
ASSISTANT DEAN, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Kurt S. Sudbrink, Ed.D.
ASSISTANT DEAN, DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS
Mary K. Taylor-Lewis DIVERSITY OFFICER
Natifia Mullings, M.A. DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
Lena Morreale Scott, M.Ed. DIRECTOR, CIVIC EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE
Andrea D. Norris, M.A.
CHIEF OF STAFF
WELCOME FROM THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION ALUMNI NETWORK BOARD
Dear Graduates,
On behalf of the College of Education Alumni Network, we welcome you to our EdTerp alumni community. As you set out on your next adventure, take note that you are not alone because you are now a part of a growing alumni network. This network is run by alumni for alumni and aims to host engagement opportunities that provide space for professional development, community building and fun. We look forward to connecting with you at our upcoming events and encourage you to stay engaged!
PHOTOGRAPHS
WE INVITE YOU TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ALUMNI NETWORK BOARD.
GIVE THE GIFT OF AN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP!
Professional photographers will take a picture of each student as they walk across the stage. Graduates will receive information by email on how to order copies of the photograph.
ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
The University of Maryland College of Education provides research- and practiceoriented programs through its three departments: Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership; Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education; and Human Development and Quantitative Methodology.
Our educational programs are accredited and approved by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation, the Maryland State Department of Education, and the American Psychological Association. The college is ranked among the top schools of education in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. It is a premier center for interdisciplinary research and innovation engaged with vital education issues. Its graduates enter the classroom and the community ready to transform lives through inspired learning, teaching, leadership and research.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
The University of Maryland (UMD) is the state’s flagship university and a leading public research institution, propelled by a $1.3 billion joint research enterprise. Located four miles from Washington, D.C., the university is dedicated to addressing the grand challenges of our time and is the nation’s first Do Good campus. It is driven by a diverse and proudly inclusive community of more than 50,000 fearless Terrapins. UMD is a top producer of Fulbright scholars and offers an unparalleled student experience with more than 300 academic programs, 25 living-learning programs and 400 study abroad programs. Spurred by a culture of innovation and creativity, UMD faculty are global leaders in their field and include Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and members of the national academies.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Every community owes its existence and strength to the generations before them, around the world, who contributed their hopes, dreams and energy into making the history that led to this moment.
Truth and acknowledgement are critical in building mutual respect and connections across all barriers of heritage and difference.
So, we acknowledge the truth that is often buried: We are on the ancestral lands of the Piscataway People, who are the ancestral stewards of this sacred land. It is their historical responsibility to advocate for the four-legged, the winged, those that crawl and those that swim. They remind us that clean air and pristine waterways are essential to all life.
This Land Acknowledgement is a reminder for each of us as two-leggeds to ensure our physical environment is in better condition than what we inherited, for the health and prosperity of future generations.
