UMass Dartmouth School of Law
UMass Law Ceremony May 17, 2024
CXXIV
124th Commencement
UMass Dartmouth Mission
UMass Dartmouth distinguishes itself as a vibrant, public research university dedicated to engaged learning and innovative research resulting in personal and lifelong student success. The University serves as an intellectual catalyst for economic, social, and cultural transformation on a global, national, and regional scale.
UMass Dartmouth Vision
UMass Dartmouth will be a globally recognized premier research university committed to inclusion, access, advancement of knowledge, student success, and community enrichment.
School of Law Mission
UMass Law is the Commonwealth’s public law school. We are committed to providing an excellent, affordable, and accessible legal education. Our collegial community respects and promotes diversity in identity and ideas. Our program balances legal theory, doctrine, skills, experience, and professionalism. We strive to graduate competent, ethical, and creative professionals who exercise sound judgment. Our involvement in the legal community enables our students to thrive in a changing profession and to serve the needs of their future clients. We advance justice within and beyond the Commonwealth through our research, writing, teaching, learning, practice, and engagement with the profession.
Stephen R. Karam, Chairman
Mary L. Burns, Vice Chair ’84, Lowell
Fahad K. Alden ’24, Lowell
Christopher J. Brady ’24, Amherst
David M. Brunelle
Gerald G. Colella ’78, Lowell
Jose M. Delgado ’18, Amherst
Michael E. Dooley ’24, Boston
Robert Epstein ’67, Amherst
Robert Lewis, Jr.
Ann M. Maguire Keches ’73, Amherst
Michael V. O’Brien ’88, Amherst
Noreen C. Okwara, M.D. ’12, Boston; ’17, Chan Medical School
Imari K. Paris Jeffries, PhD ’97, ’99, ’03, Boston
Julie M. Ramos Gagliardi, MBA ’87, Dartmouth
Elizabeth D. Scheibel, JD
Joseph C. Sullivan ’81, Amherst
Steven A. Tolman ’99, Boston
Amelia S. Toye ’24, Chan Medical School
Patrick Tutwiler, PhD
Jehan S. Worthy ’24, Dartmouth
Charles F. Wu, MBA
The permanent record kept in the Office of the University Registrar for each student will certify the award of degree and carry their grades, averages, and honors (if any). At commencement, students graduating with distinction are noted only if that distinction has been earned at the end of the previous semester.
The names appearing in the Commencement Program represent an unofficial listing of candidates.
The University of Massachusetts is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to, and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University.
Board of Trustees
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History of the University
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth traces its roots to 1895 when the state Legislature chartered the New Bedford Textile School and the Bradford Durfee Textile School in Fall River.
As the region’s economic base shifted from textiles to more diverse manufacturing and service industries, the colleges adapted by diversifying their curricula to respond to the needs of new generations of students. By the middle of the 20th century, the colleges grew rapidly, spurred by the GI Bill and the emerging economic and social advantages of a well-educated citizenry. They evolved into multipurpose institutions that prepared engineers, healthcare workers, teachers, and business leaders.
In 1962, the Legislature created Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute (SMTI) by merging the New Bedford Textile School and the Bradford Durfee Textile School. The 710-acre campus in Dartmouth, located between the urban centers of New Bedford and Fall River, was created in 1964. The dramatic campus design was the work of renowned architect Paul Rudolph, then Dean of the Yale University School of Art and Architecture.
The public demand for a comprehensive university provided the momentum in 1969 to transform SMTI into Southeastern Massachusetts University. In 1988, the Swain School of Design merged with the University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, strengthening programs in art and artisanry. In 1991, Southeastern Massachusetts University and the University of Lowell joined the University of Massachusetts, which already had campuses in Amherst, Boston, and Worcester. Thus, Southeastern Massachusetts University became the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Then, in 1994, UMass Dartmouth received approval to offer its first Ph.D. In 2010, the University opened its School of Law, Massachusetts’s only public law school. The school has since earned national American Bar Association accreditation.
Throughout its history, the University has been a national leader in civic engagement. In 2013, it earned a national top 20 ranking among nearly 800 institutions ranked by the Corporation for National Community Service. In 2016, the University achieved formal doctoral institution status when the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education designated the University as a “Doctoral University–Higher Research Activity.” The University remains the only Massachusetts research university located south of Boston.
After achieving “Doctoral University–Higher Research Activity” in 2016, UMass Dartmouth’s research enterprise saw continued growth in high-growth areas like marine technology, cybersecurity, STEM education, offshore wind impacts, big data, and climate change. In recognition of the University’s mission fulfillment, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University #78 in the nation and the second highest-ranked University among public universities in New England on their 2024 Top Performers on Social Mobility list. The ranking analyzes institutions that are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of low-income students awarded Pell Grants.
Today, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is experiencing extraordinary momentum. Total enrollment has reached its highest point since 2015. Over half of UMass Dartmouth students are the first in their families to attend college, and 41% identify as people of color. More students are living on campus than ever before. The University’s sponsored research footprint reached nearly $97M in 2023, a 34% increase over 2022. This increase allows for more impactful research activities contributing to knowledge creation, student learning, and regional economic development.
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Land Acknowledgement Statement
UMass Dartmouth acknowledges the land that we occupy and on which we sit today as the traditional and ancestral home of the Wampanoag nation, including: the Mashpee, Nauset, Nantucket, Pennacook, Pokanoket, Pocasset, Seaconke, and other indigenous nations of Southeast Massachusetts. Without them, we would not have access to this gathering and to this dialogue. We take this opportunity to thank and honor the original caretakers of this land.
Academic Regalia
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and other institutions of higher learning evolved from the great medieval universities in Europe, such as those in Bologna, founded in 1088, Oxford in 1167, and Cambridge in 1209. At that time, everyone wore long gowns and full-flowing robes. After 1600, these apparel were rarely worn in common life, but the tradition continues during Commencement ceremonies.
Gowns are of three basic patterns: (a) the Bachelor’s gown, of unadorned black and with long pointed sleeves; (b) the Master’s gown, unadorned black but with an oblong sleeve, open at the wrist, square cut with an arc cut away; and (c) the Doctor’s gown, velvet-faced, with bell-shaped sleeves and bars of velvet on each sleeve.
In today’s academic procession, the regalia not only contribute pageantry and color but denote the academic status of their wearers. The cap, or mortarboard, is worn by all academics upon occasion. Only those with an academic degree wear the tassel to their left, and only those with a Doctor’s degree are permitted tassels of gold.
Commencement
The Commencement ceremony represents the culmination of years of hard work for students who are receiving degrees. During the Commencement, the name of each graduate is read. The degrees are conferred after all names have been read. Please do not detract from the dignity of the ceremony and the enjoyment of other participants and their guests by leaving before the ceremony is completed.
The Mace
The mace, once a terrible instrument of medieval close combat, has come to symbolize the power and authority of an appointed or anointed leader. Many universities, eager to engage in the medieval pageantry reflecting the origins of our earliest universities, have adapted the mace as a ceremonial staff borne at the head of processions traditionally marking the beginning of convocation and commencement.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Mace, created by Richard Creighton, Professor of Fine Arts, is the gift of the late Vice Chancellor for Student Services Emeritus, Celestino Macedo, and the late Special Assistant to the President, Norman Zalkind, LHD ’81.
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Order of Exercises
The Procession
The audience is requested to remain seated until after the processional has been completed.
National Anthem
Kianna Wilson ’24
Welcome
Ramprasad Balasubramanian, PhD
Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Greetings from the Law School
Sam Panarella, JD
Dean
Greetings from the Board of Trustees
Julie M. Ramos Gagliardi
Student Address
Natalia Del Coral Vargas ’24
Honorary Degree Presentation
Sam Panarella, JD
Commencement Address
Justice Geraldine Hines, JD, Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court (ret.)
Announcement of Awards
Sam Panarella, JD
Hooding of the Candidates and Conferring of Juris Doctor Degrees
Ramprasad Balasubramanian, PhD
Sam Panarella, JD
Recessional
Student Awards
Academic Achievement Awards
Full-time student:
Justin M. Taylor
Part-time student:
Megan L. Winkeler
Clinical Legal Education Award (CLEA)
Tom Heesung Shin
Connecticut Attorneys Title Insurance Company (CATIC) Foundation, Inc. Award
Charles A. Nutaitis
Dean’s Service Award
Grace Angeline St. Urbain
Daniel M. Martinez
Pro Bono Award
Christopher A. Amaral 543.50 hours of pro bono work
Public Interest Fellow Leadership Award
Jordan Isabella Edith Lambdin 554 hours of public service work
St. Thomas More Award
Justin J. Bennett
Student Bar Association
Hon. Francis L. Larkin Amicus Award
Natalia Del Coral Vargas
Thurgood Marshall Social Justice Award
Joslyn J. Sharpe
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Law Student Speaker
Natalia Del Coral Vargas
Natalia C. Vargas was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico. At UMass Law, she has served as the Executive Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for the Student Bar Association, the Chair of the SBA Events Committee Chair, and as a Student Ambassador for the 2023-2024 academic year. Natalia participated in the University’s Immigration Clinic and served as a Diversity and Inclusion Committee member. She was awarded the 2024 Unsung Hero Award by the student body for her work planning and facilitating events with the law school’s student organizations.
Raised in Southwest Florida, Natalia earned a B.A. in English Literature from Florida Gulf Coast University. Before arriving at UMass Law, she worked at a low-income tax clinic at a civil legal services agency in Fort Myers, Florida. Her parents, sisters, extended family, and treasured friends have encouraged and motivated her to give everything her most honest and full effort. She is immensely thankful for their support and love. She feels extremely grateful for her community within the law school. And of course, she would be remiss if she did not express appreciation for her dog, Benny, who brought her comfort and joy since her very first year of law school. Natalia dedicates today’s remarks to the Class of 2024 and all who helped them throughout their law school journey. After law school, Natalia plans to practice transactional law with a private law firm in Massachusetts.
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Commencement Speaker
Geraldine S. Hines
Born in the Mississippi Delta, Justice Geraldine S. Hines has dedicated her life to justice and equality, which is marked by her groundbreaking legal work and active engagement in various civic and community organizations. Geraldine graduated from Tougaloo College before pursuing a legal education at the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she graduated in 1971. She began as a Massachusetts Law Reform Institute staff attorney and engaged in prisoner’s rights litigation. From 1973 to 1977, she practiced criminal law with the Roxbury Defenders’ Committee, eventually ascending to Director of the Committee.
After a fellowship at MIT focusing on policy initiatives to combat police misconduct in communities of color, she served as co-counsel in Commonwealth v. Willie Sanders. She litigated several civil rights cases related to discrimination in education as a staff attorney at the Harvard University Center for Law and Education. In 1982, Justice Hines transitioned into private practice, appearing in state and federal courts on various legal matters, including criminal, administrative, labor, and family law. She continued her unwavering advocacy for civil rights, including litigating employment discrimination and police misconduct claims, as a founding partner in the New England region’s first law firm for women of color.
Her career culminated in a series of judicial appointments, starting with her designation as an Associate Justice of the Superior Court in 2001 by Governor Paul Cellucci. Governor Deval Patrick appointed her as an Associate Justice of the Appeals Court in 2013, and a year later, she was elevated to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Justice Hines’ impact extends beyond the courtroom, including involvement in civic and community organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Lawyers Guild, and the National Conference of Black Lawyers.
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2024 School of Law
Sam Panarella, JD
Dean
Juris Doctor Recipients
Jahshanti Allen
Benjamin M. Alpert*
Christopher A. Amaral*
Ethan J. Andrews
Sarah Rachael Barnes
Richard A. Barreiros*
Justin J. Bennett
Ellen M. Berrigan
Nicholas Borsari
Madison Therese Joy Boucher
Daniela A. Briceno
Haley E. Brown
Raul Calderon
Caylin Cannavino***
Kirsten Chambers*
Micah Joseph Charette
Samuel J. Cox
Miranda C. Crane
Whitney W. Crews
Kimberly Croce
Daniel J. Curran
Nicole A. Czarnowski
Samuel S. Daitsman
Maura E. Daltwas
Hermon Daniel
Stephen M. Dodd
Jenna S. Doran
Carolina Echavarria
Salah Dean ElAyoubi
Anna Rose Epstein
Alexander Fisher
Emile B. Freeman
Courtney R. Frye
Delaney Gagnon
Tara E. George
Armen Gharibian
Hadassah B. Gomez
Guadalupe Isabel Gonzalez
Victoria A. Graham
Austin J. Grainey
Alise Greco*
Dana R. Green
Matthew A. Gruneberg***
Melissa V. Hamilton**
Elizabeth A. Harris
Lauren M. Harvey
Tiffany Nneka Igwe
Rosalia Josephine Imperato
Oliver Jenkins
Joshua Christopher Kam
Katherine Theresa Kane*
Joseph F. Kelley
Kyle Mark Kelley
Jordan Isabella Edith Lambdin*
Niki Layton
Jason J. Lee
Kevin P. Lefrancois
Alanna G. Levy
HaauYan Li
Alessia Anna Limotta
Daniel Lopez
Alexander Philip Lustbader
Duncan Lawrence Martin (posthumously)
Daniel M. Martinez
Xavier Martinez-Krawiec
Jonathan W. Matsler**
Paul M. McAlarney***
Michael McMurtry
Cynthia M Miller
Jacob Miller
Laurie J. Miller
Kiran Mistry-Patel*
Chace Austin Montano
Douglas Wayne Murdock
Chen C. Nee
Jared Brian Nickerson*
Gevorg A. Novshadyan
Charles A. Nutaitis*
Patrick O’Neil**
Shivam S. Patel
Jose Juan Perez Rodriguez
Savannah G. Plaisted
Cameran Raven Pottinger
Alexandra L. Rampy
John B. Robitaille
Jeremie D. Rogers**
Victoria Ann Russo*
Hannah K. Sampson
Kareem M. Sayid
Margaret E. Scarlett
Madison R. Schlauder*
Katelyn Seetaram
Suwanta Shah
Joslyn J. Sharpe
Tom Heesung Shin***
Grace Angeline St. Urbain
Dominique Tannous
Justin M. Taylor***
Michael James Taylor
Christopher L. Tetreault*
Lauren E. Thomas***
Tyler K. Tyack
Natalia Del Coral Vargas
Matthew Vender*
John Walden
Andrew D. White
Eric Rollin Gilbert Whitner
Megan L. Winkeler***
Angela M. Woislaw***
Jehan Senai Worthy
Rachael Karr Wright***
Sara Zaman
Alexis R. Zangari
Honors designations - pending final grades
*** Summa Cum Laude ** Magna Cum Laude * Cum Laude
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2024 Recognition
Academic Fellows
Benjamin M. Alpert
Christopher A. Amaral
Sarah Rachael Barnes
Caylin Cannavino
Kimberly Croce
Matthew A. Gruneberg
Jordan Isabella Edith Lambdin
Alanna G. Levy
Kiran Mistry-Patel
Chace Austin Montano
Patrick O’Neil
Madison R. Schlauder
Tom Heesung Shin
Christopher L. Tetreault
Rachael Karr Wright
Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity Award
Charles A. Nutaitis
Public Interest Law Fellows
Richard A. Barreiros
Haley E. Brown
Whitney W Crews
Samuel S. Daitsman
Hermon Daniel
Delaney Gagnon
Elizabeth A. Harris
Jordan Isabella Edith Lambdin
Kevin P. Lefrancois
Alanna G. Levy
Jonathan W. Matsler
Michael McMurtry
Cynthia M. Miller
Gevorg A. Novshadyan
Savannah G. Plaisted
Cameran Raven Pottinger
Madison R. Schlauder
Joslyn J. Sharpe
Tom Heesung Shin
Grace Angeline St. Urbain
Angela M. Woislaw
Jehan Senai Worthy
Law Review Board
Editor-In-Chief
Megan L. Winkeler
Managing Editors
Paul M. McAlarney
Justin M. Taylor
Executive Articles Editor
Savannah G. Plaisted
Business Editor
Lauren E. Thomas
Notes Editor
Lauren M. Harvey
Technology Editor Caylin Cannavino
Conference Editor
Rachael Karr Wright
Lead Editors
Matthew A. Gruneberg
Tom Heesung Shin
Matthew Vender
Staff Editors
Christopher A. Amaral
Whitney W. Crews
Nicole A. Czarnowski
Melissa V. Hamilton
Jonathan W. Matsler
Christopher L. Tetreault
“Servant of Justice Award” for performing 100 hours of pro bono
Sarah Rachael Barnes
Madison Therese Joy Boucher
Kimberly Croce
Salah Dean ElAyoubi
Joshua Christopher Kam
Daniel M. Martinez
Xavier Martinez-Krawiec
Charles A. Nutaitis
Shivam S. Patel
Margaret E Scarlett
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2024 Recognition (continued)
“Leader for Justice Award” for performing 200 or more hours of pro bono or community service
Christopher A. Amaral
Richard A. Barreiros
Haley E. Brown
Raul Calderon
Miranda C. Crane
Whitney W. Crews
Nicole A. Czarnowski
Samuel S. Daitsman
Hermon Daniel
Carolina Echavarria
Delaney Gagnon
Tara E. George
Dana R. Green
Elizabeth A. Harris
Jordan Isabella Edith Lambdin
Kevin P. Lefrancois
Alanna G. Levy
Jonathan W. Matsler
Michael McMurtry
Cynthia M. Miller
Kiran Mistry-Patel
Chace Austin Montano
Gevorg A. Novshadyan
Savannah G. Plaisted
Cameran Raven Pottinger
Madison R. Schlauder
Suwanta Shah
Joslyn J. Sharpe
Tom Heesung Shin
Grace Angeline St. Urbain
Angela M. Woislaw
Jehan Senai Worthy
Sara Zaman
Alexis R. Zangari
Faculty and Staff Marshals
Chief Marshal
Professor Phillip E. Cleary, JD
Faculty Marshal
Professor Dwight G. Duncan, JD
Staff Marshals
Julie Cahill, JD
Sandra Leger Silva Nancy Moniz, MPP
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Congratulations from the UMass Law Alumni Association!
As you determine where the next steps lead you—whether you remain in the SouthCoast, relocate for your dream job, or take some time to decide—a network of supportive UMass Dartmouth Law alumni are here to support you. There are many ways for you to be an engaged UMass Dartmouth Law alum starting today!
Stay connected to UMass Law through the Corsair Network
Sign up for the Corsair Network, where you can maintain and build connections with UMass Dartmouth Law alumni eager to mentor you as you begin your careers. Tap into a powerful network and valuable resources exclusive to the UMass Dartmouth Law alumni community. Update your contact info here at corsairnetwork.com
You’re invited to join the entire UMass Dartmouth community back on campus for Blue & Gold Weekend, October 25-26!
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