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Winter Commencement Set for Dec. 18


        commencement cap

More than 300 master’s and undergraduate students are eligible to cross the E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium stage during SUNY Plattsburgh’s winter commencement Saturday, Dec. 18.

suddabyIn addition to conferral of bachelor’s and master’s degrees and certificates of advanced study, the State University of New York will confer an honorary doctoral degree of laws upon the Hon. Glenn Suddaby, chief U.S. judge for the Northern District of New York and member of the SUNY Plattsburgh Class of 1980.

Renovations and improvements at the Field House gymnasium shifted the events to Hawkins Hall. There will be two ceremonies — 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. — where seating for graduates, guests and faculty will be limited.

A livestream of each event will be made available on the college website at the time of the ceremony. A recording of each will be archived for later viewing as well.

Student Speakers

Seniors Lily Alvarado, an English and gender and women’s studies major from the Bronx, and Harrison Gereau, a TV/video production major from Schroon Lake, will deliver the morning and afternoon student address, respectively.

alvaradoAlvarado, who graduates magna cum laude with a 3.79 gpa, is the recipient of the spring 2021 Academic Excellence Award in Gender and Women’s Studies, and the Englehart Prize for Arts and Letters, spring 2020, among other honors. Alvarado spent the fall 2021 semester interning at “At the Inkwell,” an organization that profiles published authors, where she wrote professional reviews.

She contributed a blog post, “Reading as a Revolutionary Act,” for WORDYbyNature, conducted research on “The History of Puerto Rican Women,” and wrote the award-winning “Coloniality: The Historical, Erotic and Political Dimensions Situated in Puerto Rican Women’s Lives,” among other works. She was a community advocate with Campus Housing and Community Living and an associate at Feinberg Library.

gereauGereau, who will graduate summa cum laude with a gpa of 3.9, served as sports director for Plattsburgh State Television, an on-air sports anchor, produced the short film, “Attack of the Saranac Creature,” and worked in social media with K. Shaw Media in Albany. In addition, he worked with Adirondack Watershed Institute in Schroon Lake as a steward educating the public on the dangers of spreading aquatic invasive species, inspecting boats coming in and out of the lake and communicating with local officials.

Honorary Degree

Suddaby earned his law degree at Syracuse University in 1985. After passing the bar, he served as assistant district attorney for Onondaga Country from 1985 to 1989. A brief time in private practice was followed by appointment to chief of homicide for the Onondaga County DA’s office where he successfully handled nearly 100 murder cases.

Then-President Bush appointed Suddaby to the federal judgeship in 2002 and was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He has returned to his alma mater on numerous occasions to oversee the swearing in of dozens of new U.S. citizens during naturalization ceremonies held on campus.

Health and Safety

COVID vaccination and negative testing protocols will be followed prior to commencement for graduates, guests, faculty and volunteers.

Details are online at plattsburgh.edu/commencement.

Commencement ceremony plans are contingent on the public health situation and state guidance. For more information, contact the Office of the President at [email protected].

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