NYIT Class of 2007 to Graduate Sunday, May 20 at Old Westbury Campus
Old Westbury, N.Y., May 8, 2007: New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) celebrates its 46th annual commencement on Sunday, May 20, 2007 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Before an audience of more than 10,000, NYIT President Edward Guiliano, Ph.D., will confer associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as professional diplomas and certificates, to more than 4,000 graduates representing all 50 states and 96 countries. The ceremony will take place, rain or shine, at NYIT’s Old Westbury, N.Y., campus.
NYIT will award honorary doctorate degrees to: John A. Catsimatidis, chairman and CEO, Red Apple Group (Doctor of Laws); Michael S. Puntillo, founder, Jobco Incorporated (Doctor of Humane Letters); and Joan Y. Reede, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., dean for diversity and community partnership and associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School (Doctor of Science).
Karen Gibson, of Uniondale, N.Y., who is receiving her Bachelor of Science in electrical and computer engineering, will open the program by singing of the Star-Spangled Banner. Student speakers Alvaro Corral, a native of Ecuador, and Komal Crasto, a native of India, have each been selected to address the Class of 2007.
Corral came to the United States in 1999 to study English as a second language at NYIT. He continued his studies, earning a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 2005, and at commencement will receive a Master of Science in energy management. During his tenure at NYIT, Corral has been a member of Alpha Chi Rho, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the Society of Automotive Engineers. He now serves as energy analysis coordinator for NYIT’s 2007 Solar Decathlon team. He is pursuing a career in the field of renewable energy sources.
Crasto came to the United States in 2004 to study fine arts and transferred to NYIT in 2005 to concentrate on computer graphics, and at commencement will receive a Master of Arts in communication arts. While at NYIT, she worked at Guerilla FX in New York City, served as a graduate assistant in NYIT’s Office of Communications and Marketing, and serves as creative director on NYIT’s 2007 Solar Decathlon team. She is pursuing a career in the field of computer animation.
The main commencement ceremony will be webcast live on NYIT’s Web site, www.nyit.edu, beginning at 9:30 a.m. (click on the “Commencement Ceremony” link). For additional information or questions about NYIT’s commencement ceremony, please call 516.686.1177 or e-mail events@nyit.edu.
About NYIT’s Honorary Degree Recipients
John A. Catsimatidis, Doctor of Laws
John A. Catsimatidis is the chairman and chief executive officer of the Red Apple Group, a diversified, privately held corporation with holdings in supermarkets, convenience stores, oil refining, retail petroleum products, real estate, and aviation. His companies employ more than 10,000 in the New York metropolitan area and upstate New York. Catsimatidis is also the co-publisher of the Hellenic Times, the largest Greek-American newspaper printed in the United States. He is a major supporter of various charitable, educational, and cultural philanthropies.
Michael S. Puntillo, Doctor of Humane Letters
Michael S. Puntillo founded Jobco Incorporated in 1950. Based in Great Neck, N.Y., Jobco has since grown to become a leading national firm, specializing in community development, urban renewal, construction and building management, and consulting. Jobco’s credits include educational and religious institutions, hospitals, commercial complexes, senior citizen housing, luxury-moderate-affordable housing, and historic/landmark rehabilitation. The firm has completed projects for the U.S. Corps of Engineers, Department of Agriculture, U.S. Housing and Urban Development, New York City Housing Partnership, U.S.S.R. Merchant Marine Academy, and historic preservation societies.
Joan Y. Reede, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., Doctor of Science
Joan Y. Reede was appointed Harvard Medical School’s (HMS) first dean for diversity and community partnership in January 2002. In addition, she holds the positions of associate professor of medicine at HMS, associate professor of society, human development, and health at the Harvard School of Public Health, and assistant in health policy at Massachusetts General Hospital. Reede also serves on the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Service’s Advisory Committee to the director of the National Institutes of Health and on the board of directors of the Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation.
About NYIT
NYIT is the college of choice for more than 14,000 students enrolled in more than 100 specialized courses of study leading to undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in academic areas such as architecture and design; arts and sciences; education and professional services; engineering and computing sciences; health professions, behavioral, and life sciences; management; and osteopathic medicine. As a private, nonprofit, independent institution of higher learning, NYIT embraces an educational philosophy of career-oriented professional education for all qualified students and supports applications-oriented research to benefit the greater global community. Students attend classes at NYIT’s campuses in Manhattan and Long Island, as well as online and in a number of programs throughout the world. To date, more than 69,000 alumni have earned degrees at NYIT. For more information, visit www.nyit.edu.
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