Fairfield University Commencement Advisory | Press Releases

What : Fairfield University's 62nd Commencement

When : Sunday, May 20, 2012

Undergraduate Ceremony : 9:30 a.m.

Graduate Ceremony : 3 p.m.

Where : Bellarmine Lawn, in back of Bellarmine Hall, on the Fairfield campus.

*In case of severe weather, the ceremonies will be held in Alumni Hall. Please visit www.fairfield.edu for any notice of change of venue on day of events. For a map of the University and directions, visit http://www.fairfield.edu/about/about_directions.html .

Media Credentials are required : Please call (203) 254-4000, ext. 2726. Parking for media is accessible via the "Jogues Hall" gate, off Round Hill Road.

Video : For press, highlights and B-roll of Fairfield University's undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies will be available for downloading within two hours after each of the ceremonies ends - by 2:00 p.m. for the undergraduate footage and by 6:15 p.m. for the graduate footage.

To download the footage from the undergraduate commencement, please go to the following site:

http://data.fairfield.edu/commencement/Ffld2012undergrad.zip

To download the footage from the graduate commencement, please go to:

http://data.fairfield.edu/commencement/Ffld2012grad.zip

It's best to use Firefox to link to this site, but regardless of which browser you use, the files will end up in your "Downloads" folder on a Mac, while PC users will get a choice to "Open" or "Save" the files.

We will have both .mov and .mp4 files.

Commencement Speakers :

Undergraduate Ceremony: Joseph P. Russoniello '63, a Fairfield alumnus who went on to become one of the most prominent prosecutors in the United States, successfully arguing public corruption, espionage and murder cases. While serving as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, he acquired an impressive record of prosecutions.

Graduate Ceremony: Longtime Fairfield residents Bob and Suzanne Wright, co-founders of Autism Speaks. After their grandson was diagnosed on the autism spectrum, Bob Wright, the former vice chairman of General Electric and chief executive officer of NBC and NBC Universal, and Suzanne Wright committed their lives to making the public aware of the devastating impacts the disorder has on children.

Honorary Degree Recipients: In addition to the speakers, honorary degrees will be bestowed on community advocate Jane E. Ferreira, president and chief executive officer of Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut; prolific author and Jesuit Fr. Richard J. Clifford, S.J., founding dean of the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry; Fairfield alumnus Dr. Joseph Timpone '80, M.D., a key medical researcher who is a leading infectious diseases specialist at Georgetown University Medical Center; and Sister Clare Fitzgerald, S.S.N.D., Ph.D., founding director of Fairfield University's American Studies Program who has been a passionate, beloved teacher for 64 years and a 'doyen of Catholic education.'

Among the many outstanding graduates: The undergraduate valedictory speaker is Kekoa Taparra, of Mililani, Oahu, Hawaii, a biology and psychology major from the College of Arts & Sciences. In the fall, Taparra will be attending the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Cellular and Molecular Medicine Ph.D. Program with a goal of pursuing a career in cancer medicine. The graduate student valedictory speaker is Jenna Allegretto, of Ansonia, Conn., who earned a bachelor's degree in accounting (in three years) and a master's degree in accounting (in one year) from the Dolan School of Business. Her father and brother are both Fairfield graduates and accountants. The St. Ignatius Loyola Medal Award recipient is Gregory Burke, of Walpole, Mass., an accounting and economics double major who will be working for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Boston while completing his CPA certification. The William J. Kramer '60 Humanitarian Award recipient is Julianne Whittaker, of Acton, Mass., an economics and international studies major, who will soon go to Jordan to begin an English Teaching Assistantship, to which she will bring her diplomacy and social media savvy, and proficiency in Arabic and her abiding commitment to connect Arab and Americans. Other notable graduates include Sridevi Valluri and Nirmal Kumar Vadivelu Amarender who are among a growing number of graduate students (23) at Fairfield who are from India. Valluri will receive an M.S. in software engineering from the School of Engineering and is a former college professor. Amarender, who will receive an M.S. in Management of Technology, will be soon working at Rhode Island Hospital as part of a highly selective biomedical master's program. Other highlights include the University's first group of students to earn doctorates; this Doctor of Nursing Practice class is from the School of Nursing.

Viewing Options: For a live stream of the ceremonies, visit http://www.fairfield.edu/commencement . Also, see wvof.org and listen on the radio at WVOF-FM 88.5. There are closed-circuit viewing locations offered - Guests are welcome to view undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies indoors from any one of the locations on campus that will provide closed-circuit viewing (on large screens): Quick Center - Kelley Theatre; Barone Campus Center - Oak Room, The Stag, The Mezzanine, Lower Level Lobby, Conference Room 200; and Gonzaga Hall Auditorium.