("Pomp and Circumstance") - [Announcer] Introducing the president of Michigan State University, Samuel L. Stanley, Jr. (audience applauding) - You may be seated.

Good morning.

On behalf of Michigan State University and all of us here with me, welcome to the Fall Master's Degree Commencement Ceremony.

I wanna thank anyone 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 for joining us today.

Students have always been critical 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, families, 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 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.

("Star-Spangled Banner") ♪ O, 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 rockets' red glare ♪ ♪ The bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ Gave proof through the night ♪ ♪ That our flag was still there ♪ ♪ O, say, does that ♪ ♪ Star-spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ O'er the land of the free ♪ ♪ And the home of the brave ♪ (audience applauding) - 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.

You may be seated.

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

- Senator Peters, will you please come forward?

President Stanley, I have the honor to present Senator Gary Peters for awarding of the honorary degree Doctor of Laws.

(audience applauding) - Senator Peters, you are a leader who has devoted your life to public service.

You are focused on uniting communities and helping solve problems for the people you represent.

Born and raised in Michigan, you have devoted your life to the betterment of Michigan at the local, state, and federal levels.

Your educational achievements include earning a bachelor's degree, three master's degrees from three different universities, including Michigan State University, a law degree, and a diploma from the College of Naval Command and Staff within the University Naval War College, United States Naval War College.

Your service to this country is admirable.

You volunteered for the US Navy Reserve, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander.

Following the September 11th attacks, you volunteered again and served overseas as part of your reserve duty.

As a member of the US House of Representatives, you served on the conference committee that finalized the Consumer Protection Act in the wake of the Great Recession.

Since 2015, you have represented the state of Michigan in the United States Senate, working diligently to increase protections for the Great Lakes, including securing funding for the restoration efforts and addressing shoreline erosion.

You've helped expand apprenticeships for veterans and improved the Veterans Affairs Caregivers Program.

You have been a champion for Michigan State University throughout your public service and have been vital to the ongoing support for the Facility of Rare Isotope Beams and the scientific discovery, educational, and economic opportunities it will create.

For your dedication to public service and to the role of government to address problems and improve lives, I am pleased to award you the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Michigan State University.

(audience applauding) - Well, thank you, President Stanley.

I'm truly humbled to receive this honorary degree and (indistinct) by your very warm and generous introduction.

Under your leadership, the MSU community continues to grow as a world-class educational institution.

President Stanley, we especially appreciate your expertise in infectious diseases as a distinguished biomedical researcher.

Your expertise has certainly helped guide the MSU community through a very challenging time, and we are so grateful for your leadership.

I'd also like to thank Provost Woodruff, the Board of Trustees, and the faculty and the staff for your hard work and dedication to the MSU community and all of our graduates here today!

Congratulations!

(audience applauding) You did it!

Your hard work, your drive, and your resilience have led you through an unprecedented challenging time, and you will soon officially receive your MSU degree.

Well done!

(audience applauding) I certainly know how much effort that every one of you has put into achieving your degree.

It's a tremendous success, and that's why we're all here to celebrate with you.

But your success isn't just yours alone.

So many of you have family and friends that are here with you and faculty that were there through you every step of the journey.

And I know firsthand how important that support is and how important professors are in that success.

When I was working on my master's degree here at Michigan State, I not only had the love and the support of my wife, Colleen, and our children, but I also had a very special professor and advisor, Dr. Stephen Esquith.

Dr. Esquith was a founding dean of the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities and he led a study abroad program that I had the opportunity to be a part of to the West African nation of Mali.

I not only had a unique learning experience but I also made a friend, and a friend who I've stayed in touch with over the years.

But Dr. Esquith is just one example, just one example of the talented and dedicated faculty that you've had a chance to work with during your time here at MSU, and I know that each of you, each and every one of you, will unquestionably have a professor that will continue to guide you in the years ahead.

And I think we can all agree as we sit here and celebrate that it took a special kind of spirit to navigate the turbulence of the last couple of years.

But through your hard work, your tenacity, and your courage, you triumphed.

And for that, each and every one of you are true Spartans.

You know, in ancient Greece, the Spartans were well-known for their grit, for their strength, for their sense of camaraderie.

They taught young Spartans to train hard and to never give up.

As an MSU Spartan, you share that same spirit.

After years of dedication and scholarship at one of the best universities in our nation and during one of the most challenging periods of our lifetime, you are more than prepared to take on whatever comes your way.

As Michigan State advanced degree graduates, you are among the best and the brightest, and I can't help thinking about what an exciting time it is to be graduating today.

In fact, I believe that we are living in one of the most exciting periods of human history.

And although, without question, we'll face significant challenges, we'll also face unbridled opportunity to change our world in powerful ways, and you will be the ones that lead us.

You will not just witness incredible technological breakthroughs, you will discover, you will create, and you will implement them.

From improving access to clean water and addressing climate change, from extending our reach into space and expanding our digital future through Web 3.0, from lifesaving vaccines to curing cancer, you are the generation that will lead us through some of the most exciting advancements that will improve our lives.

But what makes your class, in my mind, what makes your class just so exceptional is that you are better equipped to take on these problems because you didn't just learn what you studied, you've actually lived through one of our toughest, toughest problems.

As business students, you witnessed the effects of significant supply chain disruptions, unemployment, economic inflation, and you will use that knowledge to set tomorrow's businesses and entrepreneurs up for success.

As public health graduates, you studied in real time the effects of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, and now you are gonna help us navigate this ongoing public health crisis by finding creative ways to deliver patient care and treatment in a world confronted by ever-mutating virus.

As education graduates, you will shape the discourse and the policies in our classrooms and online platforms as we return to a new normal.

As we navigated this pandemic, all your work, regardless of the field of study that you were in here at MSU, you all emphasized something that I think can never be diminished, and that's the value of human connection.

So, we're all counting on you.

Because of what you have been through, you know how to focus, you know how to adapt, and you know how to succeed.

This experience will help you find innovative solutions, whether in science or healthcare or education or business, to overcome not just the challenges that we face here today but challenges in the future.

You know, there's no doubt that we're gonna eventually face another global crisis in the future.

But after your experience over the last couple of years, you know that no matter what uncertainty lies ahead, there is a solution to be found and a path forward to follow.

Because of your tenacity, because of your resilience, you have a bright and exciting opportunity awaiting you in the years ahead, and I have no doubt that the skill and the education that you have acquired over these past few years will help each of you launch an outstanding professional career.

But as you walk out these doors today with your degree in hand, I hope you look for something more than just a job that pays well.

I hope that you will use your knowledge and your experience to anticipate what the future may bring, to identify challenges that we will need to address, to find compassionate answers to go beyond improving efficiencies or making a profit.

I hope that you will look back at all the difficulties that we have faced over the last couple of years and remember that the things that make us truly human and the connections that bring us together, those are worth fighting for and placing at the heart of what you choose to pursue in the years ahead.

As members of the Class of 2021, you will be the ones, you will be the ones who build the future for our state, for our nation, and for the entire world.

And I can't imagine a group of future leaders better able to do that.

So, once again, congratulations to all of you on a job well done.

Today brings a new chapter in your life.

And I can speak for all of us here, we cannot wait to see what lies ahead for all of you.

May God bless you every step of the way.

And let's now all say together, "Go Green!"

- [Audience] Go White!

- Thank you.

(audience applauding) - Thank you so much, Senator Peters.

Thank you so much for honoring us today with your so very inspiring address.

Senator Peters is needed in DC.

He has votes that he has to attend.

I hope you'll give him another round of applause.

Thank you again so much, Senator Peters.

(audience applauding) Next, Provost and Executive Vice President Teresa Woodruff will present members of the platform party.

- Thank you, President Stanley.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge our colleagues who will not be coming to the microphone this afternoon.

Each fulfill important university roles and join us today to celebrate our graduates' accomplishments.

Please remain standing as your name is read, and I ask the audience to hold your applause until all are introduced.

Bill Beekman, vice president for strategic initiatives.

Emily Gerkin Guerrant, vice president for media and public information and university spokesperson.

Thomas Jeitschko, senior associate provost and associate provost for graduate and postdoctoral studies and dean of the Graduate School.

Mark Largent, associate provost for undergraduate education and dean of undergraduate studies.

Laurie Van Egeren, interim associate provost for university outreach and engagement.

Melissa Woo, executive vice president for administration and chief information officer.

And Karen Kelly-Blake, chairperson of the Faculty Senate, MSU Academic Governance, and the university mace bearer.

(audience applauding) 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.

(audience applauding) Deans will now present candidates for the master's degree.

Interim Dean Kelly Millenbah, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

- Will the candidates from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources please stand?

President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, EVP Beauchamp, on behalf of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the founding college of Michigan State University, I am pleased to present these candidates who have fulfilled the requirements for conferral of their degrees.

(audience applauding) - Dean Christopher Long of the College of Arts and Letters and dean of the Honors College.

- Will the brilliant and resilient candidates for the Master's of Fine Arts and Master's of Arts degree from the College of Arts and Letters please rise and remain standing?

(audience applauding) President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, EVP Beauchamp, on behalf of the faculty and staff of the College of Arts and Letters, I am pleased to present the candidates for the conferral of their degrees.

(audience applauding) - Dean Sanjay Gupta, Eli Broad College of Business.

(audience applauding) - Will the outstanding candidates from the one and only Eli Broad College of Business please rise and remain standing?

(students cheering) President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, Executive Vice President Beauchamp, on behalf of my faculty and staff, I am delighted to present these candidates for the conferral of their degrees.

(audience applauding) - Dean Prabu David, College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

- College of Communication, are you ready?

(soft cheering) Hey, a small group.

(audience laughing) Would you please stand?

President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, (audience applauding) and EVP Beauchamp, on behalf of the faculty and staff of our college, I'm proud to present these ready students for the conferral of their degrees.

(audience applauding) - Interim Dean Ann Austin, College of Education.

- Will the candidates from the College of Education please rise and remain standing?

(audience applauding) President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, Executive Vice President Beauchamp, on behalf of the faculty and staff of the very highly-regarded College of Education, I'm delighted to present these candidates for the degrees they've earned.

They are well prepared to address significant issues in education.

(audience applauding) - Dean Leo Kempel, College of Engineering.

(audience applauding) Would the world-changing candidates from the College of Engineering please rise?

(audience applauding) President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, Executive Vice President Beauchamp, and Vice President Gage, it's my great pleasure to present these innovators of the future for the conferral of their degrees.

(audience applauding) - Dean James Forger, College of Music.

- Will the candidates from the College of Music please rise?

(audience applauding) It looks like that's one candidate.

Thank you for rising.

(audience laughing) President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, Executive Vice President Beauchamp, and Dr. Doug Gage, on behalf of my faculty colleagues, I am delighted to present this wonderful musical candidate who will bring harmony to the world and... (audience laughing) I can attest that this person has met all the requirements for her degree.

(audience applauding) - Dean Phillip Duxbury, College of Natural Science.

- Would the candidates from the College of Natural Science please rise and remain standing?

(audience applauding) Provost Woodruff, President Stanley, Executive Vice President Beauchamp, Executive Vice President Woo, and Vice President Gage, I present this candidate for the conferral of the degree.

(audience applauding) - Dean Mary Finn, College of Social Science.

- May I ask the candidates from the College of Social Science to please stand and remain standing?

(audience applauding) President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, I present to you the candidates from the College of Social Science, where our science transforms the human experience, for the conferral of their degrees.

(audience applauding) - Colleen Hegg, the Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology director from the College of Veterinary Medicine.

- Will the candidates from the College of Veterinary Medicine's Master's in Food Safety program please stand and remain standing?

(audience applauding) President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, and Executive Vice President Beauchamp, I have the honor to present and recommend the graduates of the online Master's in Food Safety program who have fulfilled the requirements for the conferral of degrees.

- Thank you.

(audience applauding) It is now my pleasure to introduce Norman Beauchamp, executive vice president of Health Sciences, to present the Health Science deans.

- Thank you, Provost Woodruff.

It's my joy to ask the Health Sciences deans or their representative to present the candidates for conferral of their degree.

Interim Dean Aron Sousa, College of Human Medicine.

(audience applauding) - Will the candidates for the Master's in Public Health degree please stand?

(Aron laughing) (audience applauding) President Stanley, EVP Beauchamp, Provost Woodruff, on behalf of the faculty of the College of Human Medicine, I certify these candidates have completed their degree and are ready to go save lives in a world that's never needed them more.

(audience applauding) - Interim Dean Leigh Small, College of Nursing.

(audience applauding) - President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, EVP Beauchamp, it is my great honor to present to you the College of Nursing students, please stand, (audience applauding) who during this pandemic completed their academic program while caring for their patients in their communities.

Thank you.

(audience applauding) - Anne Dorrance, the chairperson of the Pharmacology and Toxicology program, College of Osteopathic Medicine.

- Would the candidates for the Master's in Pharmacology and Toxicology and the Master's in Integrative Pharmacology please stand?

(audience applauding) President Stanley, Provost Woodruff, EVP Beauchamp, on behalf of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, these candidates have fulfilled their degree requirements for the conferral of their degrees.

(audience applauding) - Will all the candidates for degrees please rise?

(audience applauding) By authority of the state of Michigan vested in the Board of Trustees and delegated to me, I confer upon you the degrees for which you have qualified, with all the rights and distinctions to which they entitle you.

As a symbol of your achievement, it is traditional to move the tassel from the right side of your cap to the left.

You may do so at this time.

Congratulations!

(audience applauding) You may be seated.

- And now we will mark this auspicious occasion with the presentation of diplomas.

Jody Knol and Scott Poole will announce the names of our graduates as the president presents them with their diplomas.

The associate deans will now escort you to the platform to be recognized individually.

We ask all master's degree recipients to please return to your seat following the presentation of your diploma.

And we ask the audience to be considerate in applauding so that each graduate's name may be heard.

- [Jody] From the College of Social Science, Joseph Gardner.

Alexis Avitia.

Lisa Kristoff.

Lisa Moore.

Courtney Coscarelli.

Krystal Green.

Lesrie Joy Hammang.

Allison Mercer.

Jessica Saucedo.

Kristina Beethem.

Dennis Calaj.

Ashleigh Apel.

Halli Rennaker.

Emily Schoneman.

Jacob Stark.

Marvenious Sharp.

Adam Shuff.

Mackenzie Hajdu.

Hailey Latouf.

Sophia Maicki.

Sarah Prechesky.

David Figueroa Martin.

Lauren Meisinger.

Danielle Auger.

John Steudle.

From the College of Communication Arts and Science, Kelsey Ulfig.

Jackie Silverstone.

Praveena Ramaswami.

Katherine Nicpon.

Michael Williams.

Halley Gorajec.

Sarah Wiltse.

Tongxin Li.

Valentina Orem.

Melissa Emerson.

Melissa Fruge.

Amy Fowler.

Aimee Klevorn.

Taylor Guarnaccia.

Jason Ritter.

Joel Hill.

Yash Gangal.

From the Eli Broad College of Business, Christina Adduci.

Olivia Bishop.

Ryan Bachelor.

Timothy M. Bergstrom.

David Sokol.

William Conley.

Jennifer Gentner.

Kary Moyer.

Curtis Blunt, Jr. Amanda Tuckey.

Ryan Ryden.

Alaa Homsi.

Ashley Hollandsworth.

Yao Xa.

Louis De La Fuente.

Madison Borowski.

Hayden Schultz.

Noah Duren.

Kelsey Melnick.

Reha Avci.

Sumit Arora.

Himanshu Gulati.

Tausif Shaik.

Stefanie Bailey.

Matthew Coglin.

Blake Hankins.

Shawn Davis.

Hemanth Musunur.

Shubhnit Gupta.

Peter Ereg.

Lynise Banks.

Olivia Malardo.

Constance James.

Spencer Morse.

Madison Ruppert.

Maritza Saavedra.

Rana Safaya.

Mallory Perlin.

Thomas Hayward.

Brianna Robinson.

Brett Jacksim.

George Philoubos.

Ramiro Wong.

Christopher Joseph Brown.

Weiwen Wang.

Jay Liu.

Alexander Tyburski.

Michael Rotondo.

Mark Ciano.

Jalen Burks.

David Wagner.

Peter Cullen.

Haley Koss.

Lauren Mirecki.

Coby Moscowitz.

Lauren Phillips.

Serhii Hrynenkiv.

Kavya Reddy Kambham.

Ana de la Cajiga.

Palumi da Costa.

Ashley Skop.

Rosheen Tahir.

Julie Wilhelmi.

Savior Williams Honorora.

Prajumna Medara Metla.

Thomas McVicar.

Jiawei Wang.

Dana Malburg.

Emilie Pilibosian.

Megan Steele.

Tiffany Taylor.

Kelsey Terwilliger.

Claire Zenas.

Alison Osborn.

Rahul Kumar Bhatt.

Shruti Chugh.

Srishti Piplani.

Ngoc Lo-an Nguyen.

Zachary Lilla.

Madeleine Junkunc.

Emily Shamalesky.

Caroline Perry.

Hannah Starr.

Kelsie Schutz.

Anna Waack.

Grace Rochelle.

Savanna Floyd.

Alaina Agnello.

Dana Kyra Velasco.

Lindsay Cameron.

Payton Beard.

Lauren Trombly.

Olivia Moliassa.

Sarah White.

Cassandra Berlin.

Isabella Jacks.

Courtney Kahl.

Lucas Good.

Nitin Shukla.

Aneesh Ghai.

Rithwick Gundaverapo.

Raghu Koilakonda.

Xiyun Hong.

Sai Vamshi Atukuri.

Peien Chen.

Zhenni Zhao.

Tianwei Xu.

Erin Kaye.

Celia McFarland.

Lindsey Fantin.

Steven Conyers.

Daniel Wang.

Alex Karras.

Brendan Gillhooley.

Harrison DeHaven.

Hunsung Park.

Eunseok Choi.

Kaitlin Yaldo.

Rutvi Jariwala.

Jieli Wang.

Zhuoran Liu.

Qi Ren.

- [Scott] From the College of Music, Kayla Green.

(audience applauding) From the College of Arts and Letters, Keylin O'Brien.

Katherine Jaede.

Zane Kemper.

From the College of Veterinary Medicine, Andrew Roenig.

Erin Hinojosa.

Maria White.

Tarah Falsetta.

Adrian Nososi Ogola.

Elsuleik Baher.

Danielle Prince.

Quinn Nee Li.

From the College of Nursing, Stephanie Wente.

Megan Anderson.

Sarah Spore.

Lindsey Parks.

Suzanne Ball.

Natalie Burdis.

From the College of Human Medicine, Lauren Kerrick.

Luke Beauchamp.

Carly Craeger.

Carly Craeger.

Fatima Yunus.

From the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ashten Omstead.

Laura Choquette.

Maryjane Markham.

Kari Fiala.

From the College of Engineering, Brady West.

Alexander Pomaville.

Christopher Fadanelli.

Kevin McMahon.

Mace Gatzek.

Logan Maser.

Brendan Luecker.

Kevin Smith.

Emily Ren.

Cy Priya Vedeneni.

Saloni Pandya.

Michelle St. Onge.

Fahmi Dwilaksono.

Banister Mwaanga.

From the College of Natural Science, Joseph Sigler.

From the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Jacob Bahlau.

Dangkamol Wongthanaroj.

Courtney Harrison.

Jessica Anne Rollins.

Jenna Beeker.

Rebekah Ray.

Hannah Duehring.

Dana Ives.

Hayley Walker.

Brice Stine.

Anna Raschke.

Hannah Ferriby.

Hunter Weis.

Jacob Wright.

Sarah Anker.

Tahmim Siddiquee.

Ahamed Abdul Azeez.

From the College of Education, Branden Pompey.

Lindsay Sheppard.

Xueying Shi.

Shelby Spear.

Ersi Anastasi Gentis.

Shelby Brennan.

Krysta Fenton.

Alexandra Udell.

Laurin Gierman.

Ashley Horton.

Emily Ehren.

Ellis Bernard.

Niya Chen.

Amanda Nettles.

Mariah Timmons.

Sarah Kramer.

Anjana Nair.

Brooke Pelachyk.

Erica Schuch.

Amanda Bennick.

Brandy Kline.

Alayna Washington.

Shannon Williams.

Rebecca Worsham.

Dominic Biolchini.

And Stephen Weaver.

- Will the master's graduates please rise?

(audience applauding) I welcome all of you to the community of scholars and welcome you as the newest Michigan State University alumni!

(audience applauding) So, you may be seated.

May your Michigan State University degree lead to a future filled with outstanding personal and professional achievements.

A great university and a world-class education are the results of the efforts of many dedicated people.

The contributions of the faculty of Michigan State University are 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 applauding) Thank you.

Thank you.

And now, would the families and friends of our graduates who have contributed their love and support please rise if you're able and accept our appreciation?

(audience applauding) You too are an important part of Team Michigan State University and I thank you.

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

The words are in your program.

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.

We will now sing the alma mater.

Please rise if you're able.

(soft orchestral 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 ♪ (audience applauding) - Thank you so much again.

If everyone doesn't mind remaining seated until the recessional of the platform party, faculty, and students, we'd appreciate it.

Thank you so much again, and congratulations to our graduates.

(audience applauding) ("Pomp and Circumstance") - [Announcer] Parents and families, meet your graduates outside Gilbert Pavilion gate near the parking lots.