Actor, Education Advocate and Entrepreneur Addresses Record Number of Graduates
05/16/2015
Contacts for media: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
LOWELL, Mass. – LeVar Burton – the actor, education advocate and entrepreneur – today addressed a record number of graduates at UMass Lowell Commencement, encouraging them to “be bold, be fearless in the pursuit of your dreams.”
“This is your opportunity to make your mark in the world. Be bold, be fearless in the pursuit of your dreams because your dreams matter. I stand before you as living proof that dreams do in fact come true. I could not have imagined the life I lead now when I was at the juncture where you now stand,” said Burton. “You have no idea where your dreams are going to take you. And the good news is this: Life, like walking, is a controlled fall. Human beings are preternaturally predisposed to walk one foot in front of the other and you will notice as you go out around the world that it is the exception as opposed to the rule that someone fails walking and falls flat on their face…It is not necessary, graduates, to know what comes next. Focus on the step that is in front of you. The rest will reveal itself.”
Burton is the recipient of 12 Emmy Awards, a Grammy and five NAACP Awards for his work as an actor, director, writer, producer and program host. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in the groundbreaking TV miniseries “Roots” and the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” TV series and films. But it is as the host and executive producer of “Reading Rainbow,” the third longest-running children’s series on PBS, that he has perhaps had the most impact. The series, which earned more than 200 honors including a Peabody Award and 26 Emmys, inspired countless children to read during the 26-year run that ended in 2009. In 2012, Burton and business partner Mark Wolfe launched RRKidz, an all-digital educational publishing company, through a Kickstarter campaign that raised $6.5 million. Now a digital reading service with offerings including more than 500 children’s books, “Reading Rainbow” is the No. 1 educational app on iTunes and plans for 2015 include introducing versions for the web and the classroom with a special emphasis on those in economically challenged schools.
Burton’s speech to graduates included a special reference to “Reading Rainbow.” “I know and have no doubt that you will all go out and make your mark in the world. I feel a special pride, as I kind of feel like I helped raise some of you. And so as a graduation gift to me, would you indulge me and sing along with me a little ditty that’s become near and dear to my heart,” he said, leading the crowd in the refrain from the “Reading Rainbow” theme song.
The Class of 2015 received their degrees – bachelor’s, master’s and doctorates – at two ceremonies at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell to accommodate the 3,714 graduates, nearly double number in 2008. This reflects the 48 percent increase in enrollment over the last eight years and climbing student success rates.
UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan presented Burton with an honorary doctorate of humane letters to the sounds of thunderous applause. Meehan presided over both ceremonies, his last as chancellor of his alma mater. Meehan was selected on May 1 as the next president of the University of Massachusetts system, effective July 1.
“This is a great day. Participating in Commencement has been one of the best parts of my job,” Meehan told graduates. “This year is particularly poignant for me. Today, I have something in common with each of you. For all of us, today is graduation day. This is my last Commencement as chancellor of this institution and I want to tell you something: Of all the jobs I’ve had in my life, I’ve never enjoyed any as much as this one. Every single day, I have been motivated by you, the men and women who come to this university looking to work hard and get the tools that you need to achieve whatever you want to achieve in your life. I know what a UMass Lowell education can do for you, not just today, but for the rest of your lives.”
In recognition of his eight years as chancellor, Meehan was presented with a Distinguished Service Medal by graduating senior Phillip Geoffroy of Chelmsford, who represented the campus as UMass student trustee.
“The achievements and milestones of Chancellor Meehan’s distinguished tenure have contributed immeasurably to the value of the degrees we are receiving today,” said Geoffroy, noting that during the Class of 2015’s college careers and under Meehan’s leadership, UMass Lowell has climbed 27 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings, has been named among the top universities in the country for graduates’ return on investment and has seen 10 new buildings open. “Chancellor Meehan established a legacy that will endure long after his departure from this campus and he inspired us to all believe that anything is possible.”
Commencement was marked by a number of other moving moments, including during the recognition of members of the university community – more than 1,500 students – who have served in the military. Executive Vice Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney surprised graduating senior Rachael Nall of Malden by asking her to stand and welcome her brother, Chris Nall, back from active duty with the Navy. The siblings embraced among the sea of graduates seated on the floor of the arena.
Qurat Ann of Lynn, who received her degree in criminal justice and will continue on at UMass Lowell this fall to earn her Ph.D., delivered one of two student Commencement addresses.
“Today marks the end of one chapter in our lives and the start of a new one. Some of us will be starting new careers while others will be continuing our education,” Ann said during the first ceremony. “But no matter which road we’re setting out on, today you and I take on an unparalleled responsibility to bring about positive change in this world. We owe it to ourselves and to the future to use the skills we’ve developed and the opportunities we’ve been given to make a significant impact.”
Marina Parker of Clinton, a mechanical engineering major who will also continue on for an advanced degree at UMass Lowell, delivered the student address during the second ceremony. “As we go forward and conquer our next chapter, remember that your fears do not define who you are, how you conquer them does,” she said, encouraging her fellow graduates to always believe in themselves.
A third of UMass Lowell’s Class of 2015 graduated today with honors, including 89 seniors with 4.0 grade-point averages. The class is comprised of residents of 42 states and 85 countries, and nearly a third of graduates identify themselves as being from a diverse background.
Participants in the ceremonies also included Provost Ahmed Abdelal; members of the UMass Board of Trustees, including chairman Victor Woolridge, and other UMass system representatives; state Sen. Eileen Donoghue; Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian; Lowell Mayor Rodney Elliott; the UMass Lowell Brass Choir; UMass Lowell Chamber Singers; and Kevin Barry Pipes and Drums.
In addition to Burton, UMass Lowell recognized the following distinguished individuals with honorary doctorates of humane letters:
- Carole Cowan, who was Middlesex Community College president for 25 years before her retirement this year, began her career with the college in 1976 as a faculty member in business. Under her leadership, the college established permanent campuses in Bedford and Lowell and she led to the development of several new buildings for the college as well as the successful renovation of the historic Nesmith House in Lowell and the Middlesex Meetinghouse in Billerica, and the acquisition of the federal building in Lowell’s Kearney Square. During her tenure, the college engaged in new international partnerships and training programs, initiatives with businesses and public schools on economic and workforce development, and education reform, including establishing one of Massachusetts’ first charter schools. Her civic commitment includes serving on several state and local boards. A native of Lynn who lives in Manchester-by-the-Sea, she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Salem State University and a doctorate in higher education administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
- Barry Perry ’68, who was chairman and CEO of Engelhard Inc., one of the world’s largest chemical and metals companies, prior to his retirement, and is a member of the board of directors of Arrow Electronics Inc. In recognition of his support for UMass Lowell, which includes the Barry W. Perry Plastics Engineering Endowment for student scholarships, the engineering building was renamed Perry Hall and the Perry Atrium in the Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center was established. A past recipient of the university’s Distinguished Alumni Award, Perry was an honorary member of the steering committee of the Department of Plastics Engineering 50th Anniversary Celebration, helping to raise more than $11 million and serving as keynote speaker at the event, attended by more than 500 alumni from across the U.S. Perry earned a degree in plastics engineering from Lowell Technological Institute, one of UMass Lowell’s predecessor institutions, and lives in Newtown, Pa.
- John Sampas, literary executor of beat generation icon Jack Kerouac’s estate, who has led several successful initiatives supporting the arts and celebrating the life and works of Kerouac, who was Sampas’ brother-in-law. Under Sampas’ management, publishing of Kerouac’s works has flourished and Sampas has played a key role in establishing monuments in Lowell that feature quotations from notable Kerouac books. Sampas is a contributor to “Lowell Celebrates Kerouac,” the annual celebration of the writer’s legacy, and his support of UMass Lowell’s College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences includes establishing the Jack and Stella Kerouac Center for American Studies Endowment Fund and the John Sampas Endowed Scholarship Fund. He has also granted publication and image rights for special projects that benefit student scholarships and academic activities of the university, including library resources, and allowed UMass Lowell, in partnership with Merrimack Repertory Theatre, to stage the world premiere of Kerouac’s only full-length play, “Beat Generation,” in 2012. Sampas, who lives in Lowell, attended Boston Conservatory and Marietta College, and studied at Washburn University while serving in the U.S. Air Force’s Strategic Air Command.
- Donato Tramuto, founder, CEO and chairman of Physicians Interactive, also founded Protocare Inc., provider of drug development and disease management services; worked with Caremark, where he championed the company’s national disease management program for HIV/AIDS; and launched Health eVillages following the devastating earthquake in Haiti to provide state-of-the-art mobile health technology and support for medical professionals in challenging clinical environments around the world. The founder and chairman of the Tramuto Foundation, a nonprofit created to help young people achieve their educational goals, he serves on boards including those of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Leadership Council and the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, Europe. A resident of Ogunquit, Maine, he has been named among the Top 100 Most Inspirational Health Care Leaders in the Life Sciences Industry and the Top 12 Innovators in Massachusetts. He is the recipient of the PharmaVOICE Red Jacket Award for furthering the life sciences industry through leadership, innovation and philanthropy and the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award for his commitment to global access to health care and social entrepreneurship.
The Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Lorenzo Cabrera ’94, founder and chairman of the board of Cabrera Services Inc., based in East Hartford, Conn., with offices around the nation. The company – the 2009 U.S. Small Business Administration’s Region I Subcontractor of the Year – specializes in radiological and environmental remediation, radioactive and mixed waste management, and depleted uranium munitions response. Cabrera, who earned a bachelor’s degree in radiological health physics at UMass Lowell, has received individual honors including the SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year for Connecticut and UMass Lowell’s Francis Cabot Lowell Young Alumni Award for Sciences. He established the Lorenzo J. Cabrera Endowed Scholarship Fund for students pursuing degrees in the College of Sciences and the Lorenzo J. Cabrera Hockey Endowment Fund. Cabrera, who resides in East Hampton, Conn., and Miami, has also supported the Edward Lawson Alexander Fund, which provides fellowships to radiological sciences students.
The honorary degree and alumni award recipients were recognized along with top student award winners at the Commencement Eve Celebration on Friday, May 15. The celebration, originated in 2008, has raised more than $3.2 million for student scholarships over eight years, the university announced yesterday.
The university’s co-valedictorians – both of whom were presented with the Trustees’ Key in recognition of the perfect 4.0 grade-point averages they have maintained for their entire college career at UMass Lowell – are Jeremy Poulin of Hudson, N.H., and Michael Stowell ofTewksbury, both computer science majors. They were also honored with the Chancellor’s Medal for Academic Achievement, which recognizes the top achievers in each of the university’s schools and colleges, as well as its Division of Online and Continuing Education.
Chancellor’s Medals for Academic Achievement were also awarded to Thaylon Barreto of Revere, a biology major (College of Sciences); Courtney Bean of Littleton, nutritional science (College of Health Sciences); Eric Johnson of Georgetown, psychology (College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences); Viet Le of Lawrence, civil engineering (Francis College of Engineering); AlisonLeBlanc of Ocala Fla., psychology (Division of Online and Continuing Education); Patrick Logan of Lowell, mechanical engineering (Francis College of Engineering); Timothy Lyman of Andover, business administration (Manning School of Business); Kristen Palmer of Pembroke, N.H., exercise physiology (College of Health Sciences); Richard Rollka of Tewksbury, business administration (Manning School of Business); Christopher Sanders of Cypress, Texas, information technology (College of Sciences); and Colleen Silva of Woburn, nursing (College of Health Sciences).
The University Scholar-Athlete Award was given to Aaron Martin of Nashua, N.H., a business administration major and member of the men’s cross-country and track teams.
The Chancellor’s Medal for Student Service was presented to Geoffroy, as well as Genesis Peralta of Lawrence, an English major; Idaresit Uko of Shrewsbury, a psychology major; and Keval Bhagat of Lowell, Kayla Coluci of Burlington, Allen Iem of Lowell, Ibrahim Lahlaf of Billerica, Christopher Tran of Needham, all business administration majors.
The University Medal for Community Service was presented to Lindsey Burgess of Lowell, a psychology major; Catherine Charles of Boston, nutritional science; Kevin Desjardins of Methuen, civil engineering; Hector Rivera of Methuen, psychology; Rachel Saunders of Methuen, political science; and Michelle Wojcik of Douglas, criminal justice and psychology.
UMass Lowell is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its more than 17,000 students bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be ready for work, for life and for all the world offers. www.uml.edu