("Land of Hope and Glory" by Edward Elgar) (music continues) - [Announcer] Introducing the president of Michigan State University, Samuel L. Stanley Jr. (audience applauds) - Good afternoon on behalf of Michigan State University and all of us here with me.

Welcome to the Fall Doctoral Degree Commencement Ceremony.

I want to thank everyone for observing our masking requirement and ask that you remain masked throughout the ceremony to allow all of us to safely celebrate together.

I think it's important that we be together to celebrate this milestone accomplishment.

And thank you all so much for joining us today.

Students have always been important partners in fulfilling Michigan State's commitment to supporting the excellence that gives us our impact.

This is especially so for our graduate students, we university leaders, faculty and staff members gain inspiration and energy from your drive and pride from your accomplishments.

Pursuing an advanced degree demands many special personal qualities, intelligence, certainly, but also originality and no small amount of hard work among them.

I offer you my congratulations on having developed and demonstrated such valuable attributes, which I know with your advanced degrees will serve you very well.

So let's celebrate this joyful occasion with our colleagues, family, and friends.

We ask our guests to join students and faculty in singing one stanza of The Star Spangled Banner, performed by the MSU Wind Symphony, under the direction of Professor Kevin Sedatole.

The singing will be led by Shannon Crowley, a senior in vocal performance.

Upon conclusion of the singing, please remain standing for a moment of silence.

(upbeat music) ♪ Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming ♪ ♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪ ♪ Through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming ♪ ♪ And the rocket's red glare ♪ ♪ The bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ Gave proof through the night ♪ ♪ That our flag was still there ♪ ♪ Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ O'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ And the home of the brave ♪ (audience applauds) - Thank you.

Let us now pause for a moment of silence to consider the purpose, which brings us here to give thanks each in our own way for the education and guidance you have received and the relationships you have formed, Please be seated.

Now I invite Dr. Douglas Gage, vice president for research and innovation to present this afternoon's candidate for the honorary degree.

- Dr. Clark, will you please come forward?

President Stanley, I have the honor to present Dr. Celeste Clark for awarding of the honorary degree, Doctor of Humanities.

(audience applauds) - As a food and health policy expert, you are dedicated to supporting families locally and around the world, integrating your education, including your PhD from Michigan State University, talent and experience.

You take an interdisciplinary approach to solving problems sustainably.

Your accomplished career includes serving as a senior executive at the Kellogg Company, where you led the development and implementation of global health, nutrition, and regulatory science initiatives.

In the context of corporate social responsibility, you served as president of the Kellogg Corporate Citizenship Fund, where you were responsible for providing grants to the community, served by Kellogg.

Additionally, you were the chief sustainability officer working closely with the company's supply chain towards the efficient use of environmental resources.

You leverage your board governance experience on the boards of several publicly and privately held companies and nonprofit organization, including Wells Fargo and Prestige Consumer Healthcare.

You are currently the principal of Abraham Clark Consulting LLC, where you advise on food and health policy, regulatory affairs and leadership development.

In this capacity, you are often invited to lecture at universities and conferences on nutrition, as well as leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion, your generosity in establishing the future leaders mentoring scholarship within the MSU Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition supports both passing knowledge to the next generation and lowering barriers for promising students from underprivileged backgrounds, for your contributions to the health and sustainability of our global society.

I am pleased to award you the honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities from Michigan State University.

(audience applauds) - Good afternoon, everyone.

To President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, Executive Vice President Beauchamp, Vice President Gage, Board of Trustees, distinguished faculty and staff, proud parents, family members, and friends, and especially to the doctoral class of 2021.

I am deeply humbled and filled with gratitude to accept this honor from my alma mater, one of the top 60 universities in the world.

(audience applauds) This honor bestowed on me today is not achieved by one person alone.

I humbly accept it on behalf of all of the people along the way who helped me to become who I am today, especially my family who join me for this occasion in person and virtually today.

My sincere gratitude to MSU for this honor and the difference that you've made in my life and the lives of my family.

Thank you.

So here we are, with the doctoral class of 2021, happy to celebrate your extraordinary accomplishments after 18 months of being in hundreds, literally hundreds of Zoom, Teams and WebEx meetings, making sure I could find a complete outfit beyond a nice blouse and one that actually fit was a bit of a challenge.

And that's when I gained faith for one size fits all gowns.

This day reminds me of my own doctoral graduation, where I sat where you are, eager to receive my PhD in food science, from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

As I reminisce on that day.

I no doubt felt then what you are feeling now.

And that is how long would this speech last.

So I am keenly aware that I am standing between you and your happy dance, but unlike my experience and that of the others who sat in your seats over the years, you had to navigate a pandemic.

There were no books written on how to adjust to a world turned upside down.

Conventional rules on work, family, society were cast aside and new rules were written and are still being written.

The fact that you completed this rigorous work under such trying and unprecedented circumstances, it's a testament to your character, who you are as individuals, your sheer determination and courage to persevere.

You know, diamonds are formed under extreme pressure.

And each of you have weathered this pandemic in your own way and have been molded and shaped to shine brightly as you sit here today.

And as you go forward, you will need to continue to draw on perseverance and persistence, two P's that are important for any successful career.

So for the next 10 minutes, I'm going to speak to you about three other P words that have shaped my life and career in corporate America.

And now as a consultant and a member of several boards, these three peers are people, passion and purpose.

People, passion and purpose.

I'll begin with people.

As working remotely during the pandemic has reminded us, our relationships are among the most essential elements of our personal and professional lives.

Some people inspire us, some encourage us and some challenge us in ways that may seem uncomfortable, however, all can play beneficial roles in our lives.

So it's important to have a circle of friends and colleagues that extend beyond those who think or act or look, or believe the way you do.

Amass a mix of people around you who will provide you with different perspectives, so that you don't just view life through your lens.

You will gain insights and knowledge from them that you might otherwise miss.

And there will be plenty of aha moments when you interact with others who may be on a different path than your own.

You know, we have a choice with whom and how we interact.

It could be the janitor you greet every morning, the neighbor just over the fence, or the clerk at the checkout line, regardless of the circumstances, choose to be more intentional, to build trusted relationships with others.

This may be challenging and hard work for some of you, but I can assure you it yields huge benefits.

My next P is passion.

If you want to see my eyes light up, ask me about nutrition and how it can prevent or mitigate disease.

It's been my passion since I was a child from my humble beginnings in rural Louisiana, I saw my own mother suffer from high blood pressure.

Medicine was expensive and she would sometimes not buy it for herself so that she could fulfill some other urgent family need.

Even then I felt that eating better and following a more nutritious diet could be beneficial.

And that interest turned into a passion, that's guided both my educational and my career choices.

When you wake up in the morning with a burning desire to get to work, it doesn't matter if something else pays you more, your work is so fulfilling that you view it as enjoyment and not a job.

When you're passionate about what you do, you remain curious, you keep learning, you keep trying to solve problems.

And even on the busiest of days, you come away feeling energized by the thought of what lies ahead.

Today, we are witnessing thousands of employees leaving the workplace.

The great resignation is real.

People are leaving jobs that they've been in for years to pursue opportunities, more consistent with their desired lifestyles.

They are rethinking their careers, how they are valued as individuals and how they spend their time.

Passion can serve as a great compass during this process and set you on a path of discovery.

My final P is purpose.

You may be familiar with the book I've been reading called "The Purpose-Driven Life".

What on earth am I here for?

In it, the author details what it means to live a life with purpose, one in which you find meaning in every moment.

It's a lofty goal, but think of the rewards, if you're truly fulfilling your purpose in life.

When I think of purpose, I look at it both professionally and personally.

One is to have a purposeful career.

And the other one is to pursue an even higher calling to society at large.

Professionally, we all want to be part of something bigger than ourselves.

It's like asking ourselves, what is my why, each of you should ask yourselves what is my why.

With a strong sense of purpose and overarching why, we are more likely to understand our role within an organization and our alignment with its mission and values.

When there isn't that alignment and disconnection occurs, that purpose is lacking.

Purpose is not static.

It extends beyond our commitment to an organization and bottom line.

It embraces how we seek to improve the lives of others and see growth for generations to come.

As I advanced in my career while being a wife and mother, my purpose ought to be clear, purposes evolved as well.

I focused on encouraging others who are navigating their own journey through work and life.

Being a woman of color entering the business world during the late seventies, I was sometimes referred to as a trailblazer often I was the only female in the room and definitely the only black female in the room, but as time passed and those rooms became more diverse.

I took great pride in supporting others, people of all races, ethnicities, genders, backgrounds.

And over the years, I learned to transform the noun ally into a verb.

I allied as a sponsor, a mentor, a coach, and indeed a friend.

It is important to go beyond wanting someone else to be successful.

It is purposefully doing what you can do to ensure their success.

That's what Dr. Del Ronsis, professor emeritus right here at Michigan State, did for me and so many other students, he invested in us to help ensure we cross the finish line.

We were all beneficiaries of his purpose.

Looking back now and reflecting on the experience.

I count it as a gift of grace, unearned and unmerited.

There is no greater gift that you can give someone than the grace of good will of humanity, predisposed to helping another.

That's the real difference between achieving near success and having significant impact on the lives of others.

In closing, these three P's, people, passion and purpose, served me so well during my career.

And it's my hope that they will be useful to you on the next phase of your journey.

Beginning today, you embark on a new chapter in your lives.

So seize the day, carpe diem.

This is your time, your moment, make it count for you and the people you touch, whatever you do, and wherever you go, be bold, take the reins and lead in a manner where you can make an impact, not only on your profession, but for the greater good.

Continue to grow beyond who you are today and transform to the person you wish to become, make sure what you do and how you do it are consistent with your values and what you stand for.

Commit to go forward with the same passion and purpose that inspired you to achieve your doctorate degree.

Congratulations, graduates, and best wishes on the next phase of your journey.

Thank you.

(audience applauds) - Thank you so much, Dr. Clark, for those inspiring words, let's hear it again for Dr. Clark, please.

Thank you.

(audience applauds) The honorable Melanie Foster from East Lansing and the MSU Board of Trustees will now greet graduates and guests.

After Trustee Foster, Provost and Executive Vice President, Teresa Woodruff, will present the members of the platform party.

- Thank you, President Stanley.

And thank you, Dr. Clark, for your inspiring words.

On behalf of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees, I extend welcome to graduates and your family and friends.

Under the Michigan Constitution, The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the university whose authority the degrees are awarded.

I would like to take a moment to recognize my colleague on the Board of Trustees with me today, the honorable Brianna Scott from Muskegon.

(audience applauds) As trustees, we see each commencement ceremony as a very memorable occasion, and we appreciate the opportunity to share this special time with all of you.

The advanced degree affirms your academic and professional achievements.

You have engaged in important research to investigate vital issues and generate new knowledge.

With the granting of your degrees, you are joining a select group of people who possess the potential to become the world's leaders.

We welcome you to the Spartan family, with its tradition of excellence and commitment to making the world a better place.

Please accept our deepest congratulations.

And as we say, go green.

(audience applauds) - Thank you, Trustee Foster.

And thank you, Dr. Clark, for those moving words, I join you, Trustee Foster, and President Stanley in congratulating our newest advanced degree recipients.

Each graduate embodies a unique confluence of new knowledge.

The new discoveries that you have made and delivered to the world and your new capabilities are a result of your curiosity and your drive to innovate, express, discover, or perform.

Your scholarly achievements culminate today in the conferral of a doctoral degree, along with the conferral of our great faith, hope and pride in what you will now do with your achievement.

Indeed, as we send you forth, we are counting on you to become the thought leaders and doers of the 21st century.

I would like to now take a moment to acknowledge the outstanding faculty and academic staff who are here to celebrate with our graduates, our faculty are guides, mentors, and celebrate your accomplishments today.

We are honored to welcome a number of the university's leaders who are seated on the platform, but who will not be speaking today, each plays an important university role and joins us to celebrate in your accomplishments.

In their are many and varied roles, they provide support across our academic mission and are deeply invested in ensuring academic excellence and student success at Michigan State University.

Their presence marks the solemnity of this important moment.

To our platform party, please remain standing as your name is read.

And I ask the audience to hold your applause until all are introduced.

Interim Dean Kelly Millenbah from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Dean Christopher Long from the College of Arts and Letters and Dean of the Honors College.

Dean Sanjay Gupta from the Eli Brode College of Business.

Interim Dean Anne Austin from the college of Education.

Dean Leo Kempel from the College of Engineering.

Interim Dean Aaron Sousa from the College of Human Medicine.

Dean James Forger from the College of Music.

Dean Phillip Duxbury from the College of Natural Science.

Interim Dean Lee Small from the College of Nursing.

Dean Mary Finn from the College of Social Science.

Norman Beauchamp, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences.

Bill Beekman, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives.

Lisa Fraisse, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

Emily Gherkin Guerrant, Vice President for Media and Public Information and university spokesperson.

Vinny Gore, Senior Vice President for Student Life and Engagement.

Mark Largent, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Dean of Undergraduate Studies.

Laurie van Egeren, Interim Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement.

Dave Weatherspoon, Associate Provost of Enrollment and Academic Strategic Planning.

Melissa Wu, Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Information Officer.

And Karen Kelly Blake, Associate Professor, Chairperson of the Faculty Senate, MSU Academic Governance and the university mace bearer.

(audience applauds) Next I would like to invite all past and present members of the Council of Graduate Students to stand.

We honor executive board members, department representatives, and all CoGS members.

Thank you for your contributions to the university and your fellow graduate students.

Please accept our appreciation for your service.

(audience applauds) I now invite Thomas Jeitschko, Senior Associate Provost and Associate Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and Dean of the Graduate School to join me for the announcement of the degree candidates and to direct doctoral hooding.

- Thank you, Provost Woodruff.

Will the candidates for the doctoral degrees please stand.

(audience applauds) Thank you, President Stanley and Provost Woodruff, on behalf of the faculty and their respective colleges I present these candidates to you for the conferral of their degrees.

- By authority of the state of Michigan, vested in the board of trustees had delegated to me, I confer upon you the degrees for which you have been recommended with all the rights and distinctions to which they entitle you.

Congratulations graduates.

(audience applauds) Please be seated.

- The associate deans of the colleges will now lead their graduates to the platform.

Graduates will be individually hooded by their faculty member, this solemn ceremony, and the moment of hooding represents a transition to the company of the learned society, to membership in a community of individuals who have given much to learn more, and in so doing, have created a new set of circumstances for the world to understand, use, see, heal and know.

The moment of the hooding by one's academic mentor is the culmination of years of study.

And it is the welcome by your mentor into a new role, that of intellectual colleague, as such, this tradition in our academic rituals are imbued with great reverence and solemnity.

And I invite everyone who witnesses the hooding to think deeply about the individual candidate as they approach the dius, are hooded and turn to walk forward.

Think on the individual and think on the ways in which great universities like MSU continually create the circumstances for human advancement.

We thank each doctoral student for your contributions and congratulate you on the occasion of the conferral of your doctoral hood.

All members of the graduating class are part of the Spartan family.

We ask the audience to respect the desire of all families and friends to be able to hear their graduates name.

Graduates, please return to your seats after your name is read.

The token diplomas presented and the photos are taken.

Jody Knoll and Scott Poole will read the names of the graduates as they receive their diplomas.

- From the College of Human Medicine, Erieste Carmella, hooded by Dr. Lee Shen Jang.

(audience applauds) From the College of Music, Brittany Giles Horton hooded by Michael Croft.

(audience applauds) Kendra Wheeler.

The hooder is Joseph Lulof.

(audience applauds) Victoria Deutsche hooded by Dr. Min Xe Wang.

(audience applauds) Do Kune Sung, hooded by Dr. Min Xe Wang.

(audience applauds) Valerie Nuzolo, the hooder is Guy Yehuda.

(audience applauds) Beong Sui Park hooded by Yvonne Lamb.

(audience applauds) Jeewan Han hooded by Deborah Moriarty.

(audience applauds) You Gin No hooded by Deborah Moriarty.

(audience applauds) Jamal Tavatsa, hooded by Debra Moriarty.

(audience applauds) From the College of Natural Science, Brianna Capistran hooded by Gary Blanchard.

(audience applauds) Corbin Livingston.

The hooder is Gary Blanchard.

(audience applauds) Amanda Burkhart, hooded by Ruth Smith.

(audience applauds) Austin Reidel, the hooder is Thomas Hamon.

(audience applauds) Timothy Wagner, hooded by Bryn Keller.

(audience applauds) Shelby Deco, hooded by Dr. Robert Abramovich.

(audience applauds) Jose Rodriguez, hooded by Dr. Shannon Manning.

(audience applauds) Sibyl Cavaliere, the hooder is Dr. Barb.

Lundrigan.

(audience applauds) Alison Piscer, hooded by Kirsten Tollefson.

(audience applauds) Jake Resky, hooded br Dr. Cathy Ernst.

(audience applauds) Quan Yu Lin hooded by Reinhart Schweanhearst.

(audience applauds) From the College of Nursing, Patricia West, the hooder is Dr. Gwen Wyatt.

(audience applauds) From the College of Social Science, Alexandra Connell, hooded by Dr. Mindy Morgan.

(audience applauds) Katherine Lankford, hooded by Nalco Wake.

(audience applauds) Debra Miller, the hooder is Dr. Adrian Blow.

(audience applauds) Courtney Bryant, hooded by Dr. Ann Marie Ryan.

(audience applauds) Michael Morrison, the hooder is Dr. Daisy Chang.

(audience applauds) Jasmine Howard, hooded by the Dean of the Graduate School.

(audience applauds) Dan Wanyama, hooded by Dr. Nathan J. Moore.

(audience applauds) Ida Jaynanton, hooded by Dr. Leo Zulu, (audience applauds) Amanda Cruz.

The hooder is Dr. Sue Grady.

(audience applauds) From the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Michelle Plasmin, hooded by Dr. David Hickling.

(audience applauds) From the College of Veterinary Medicine, DeMarcus Bun, the hooder is Dr. Dana Spence.

(audience applauds) Jihan Muhammad, hooded by Clifford Broman.

(audience applauds) Syeda Anam Hattie, hooded by the Dean of the Graduate School.

(audience applauds) Peter Shawl, the hooder is Dr. Keith Latham.

(audience applauds) From the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Christopher Henderson.

The hooder is Sean Riley.

(audience applauds) Malini Jaya Wardanna.

The hooder is Dr. Linda Henson.

(audience applauds) Elizabeth Alger.

The hooder is Patrick Edger.

(audience applauds) Rex Enbewe.

The hooder is Edward Walker.

(audience applauds) Katelyn Kasule, hooded by Kirk Dolan.

(audience applauds) Ryan Julian, the hooder is Jade Mitchell.

(audience applauds) Georgios Arcineo, the hooder is David McFarlane.

(audience applauds) Mona Alaina Todd, hooded by Modshan Nijad.

(audience applauds) Song Wen Jan, hooded by Steve van Ocker.

(audience applauds) From the College of Education.

Aaron Sonnenfeldt is hooded by Dr. Leslie Gonzalez.

(audience applauds) From the College of Engineering, Wei Wan, hooded by John Verbancourt.

(audience applauds) Zane Crawford, hooded by Dr. Shanker Bala Subramanian.

(audience applauds) Li Wei, hooded by Vibav Sivastaf.

(audience applauds) Ramone Diaz, the hooder is Dr. Bahari Kumarsi.

(audience applauds) Zara Marvi, also hooded by Dr. Bahari Kumarsi.

(audience applauds) Keith King, hooded by Jory Petrash.

(audience applauds) Fatima Avzali, and the hooder, Professor Brian Feeney.

(audience applauds) George Suzuki, hooded by Professor Brian Feeney.

(audience applauds) Xavier Bromwell, hooded by Ed Brown Formatern.

(audience applauds) Atef Abu Agil, hooded by Dr. Katie Colbury.

(audience applauds) Mekuwanint Mesfin, the hooder again, Dr. Katie Colbury.

(audience applauds) Maria Castano, hooded by Dr. Shelby Baez.

(audience applauds) Amal Agorwal, hooded by Dr. Elias Stringas.

(audience applauds) Tair Riggins, the hooder is Aaron Purcell.

(audience applauds) Ray Quin Suen, the hooder Shewang Cheng.

(audience applauds) Alex Mirabelle hooded by Dr. Scott Callabriz Barton.

(audience applauds) Talal Selem, the hooder Nazar Lagnef.

(audience applauds) Prateek Bhat, the hooder Dr. Nazar Lagnef.

(audience applauds) Mohammed Afeboozaman.

The hooder Dr. Hassan Mateen Artulga.

(audience applauds) Yeo Ma, hooded by Dr. Ji Lian Tung.

(audience applauds) Hammed Karimi, also hooded by Dr. Ji Lian Tung.

(audience applauds) Zhi Wei Wong, hooded by Dr. Ji Lian Tung.

(audience applauds) Wedia Rumlingam, hooded by Dr. Eamon Gutai.

(audience applauds) And Angela Farina also hooded by Dr. Eamon Gutai.

(audience applauds) - We're just waiting for the photos to be completed.

Will all the doctoral recipients please rise?

I welcome you to the community of scholars, the newest of our MSU alumni.

(audience applauds) Now you may be seated.

May your MSU degree lead to a future filled with outstanding personal and professional achievements, a great university and a world-class education are the result of the efforts of many dedicated people.

The contributions of the faculty of Michigan State University were absolutely essential to the achievements of our graduates and are a source of great pride to us.

I ask the faculty to rise and accept our congratulations and gratitude.

Faculty, please rise.

(audience applauds) Thank you.

And now, would the families and friends of our graduates who have contributed their love and support, please rise if you can, and accept our appreciation.

(audience applauds) You too are a very important part of team MSU, and I thank you.

I now invite everyone to join in singing the first stanza of the alma mater, "MSU Shadows".

Miss Crowley will lead us in the singing.

Following the singing, we ask guests to remain seated until the recessional of the platform party, faculty and students has passed.

We will now sing the alma mater.

(upbeat music) ♪ MSU we love thy shadows ♪ ♪ When twilight silence falls ♪ ♪ Flushing deep and softly paling ♪ ♪ O'er ivy covered halls ♪ ♪ Beneath the pines we'll gather ♪ ♪ To give our faith so true ♪ ♪ Sing our love for Alma Mater ♪ ♪ And thy praises MSU ♪ ("Land of Hope and Glory" by Edward Elgar) (upbeat music)