SJC Announces Commencement Speakers

May 09, 2010

BROOKLYN AND LONG ISLAND, NY May 10, 2010 St. Josephs College is pleased to welcome two distinguished speakers to its 91st annual commencement ceremonies:

  • Peter Barnett, community activist and professor will serve as the keynote speaker for the Long Island Campus ceremonies on Tuesday, June 1 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum at 3 p.m. Peter Barnett is the Executive Director of the Wyandanch Homes and Property Development Corporation as well as adjunct professor in the Department of Religious Studies. Mr. Barnett will also be receiving an honorary degree for all of his tireless work with the homeless of Long Island.

  • Dr. John Sexton, Ph.D., J.D., president of New York University will serve as the keynote speaker for the Brooklyn Campus exercises on Wednesday, June 2 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 11 a.m.

Peter J. Barnett joined St. Josephs College in 1983 as an adjunct professor in the Department of Religious Studies, and for over 25 years he has been incorporating community service into the religious studies curriculum. Before coming to St. Josephs, Mr. Barnett served as the director of religious education at St. Patricks Church in Bay Shore, Holy Name of Mary in Valley Stream and St. Margaret of Scotland in Selden. Along with his work in the classroom, Mr. Barnett has done extensive work with humanitarian organizations, particularly in helping the homeless on Long Island. He is also co-founder of the Nassau-Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless and appointee to the Suffolk County Legislatures Welfare to Work Commission. His work has earned him significant accolades, including the Bank of Americas Local Hero Award, Newsdays Everyday Hero Award and the Long Island Volunteer Hall of Fame.

Dr. John Sexton, Ph.D., J.D., the fifteenth president of New York University, is also the Benjamin Butler Professor of Law and NYU Law School's dean emeritus. He joined the Law School's faculty in 1981, was named the School's dean in 1988, and was designated president in 2001. A highly respected legal scholar, President Sexton is author of the nation's leading casebook on Civil Procedure. He also is the author of Redefining the Supreme Court's Role: A Theory of Managing the Federal Court System (a treatment of the Supreme Court's case selection process) in addition to several other books, numerous chapters, articles and Supreme Court briefs. Dr. Sexton also serves as chair of the Independent Colleges and Universities of New York, chair of the New York Academy of Sciences, and vice chair of the American Council on Education.

SJC Announces Commencement Speakers

May 10, 2009

Commencement Ceremonies To Take Place May 26 and 29, 2009

BROOKLYN AND LONG ISLAND, N.Y – May 11, 2009 - St. Joseph’s College is pleased to welcome two distinguished speakers to its 93rd annual commencement ceremonies:

  • Congressman Tim Bishop, (D- Southampton) will be the keynote speaker at the Long Island Campus exercises on Tuesday, May 26 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum at 6 p.m.

  • Dr. James Comer, M.D., M.P.H., Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine's Child Study Center, will be the keynote speaker for the Brooklyn Campus exercises on Friday, May 29 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 11 a.m.

In addition, St. Joseph's will present former New York State Senator Caesar Trunzo with an honorary Doctorate of Laws for his years of friendship and support to St. Joseph's at the Long Island ceremony.

Dr. James Comer, M.D., M.P.H., Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine's Child Study Center, will address the graduates from the Brooklyn Campus. A Yale faculty member since 1968, Dr. Comer has concentrated his career on promoting a focus in child development as a way of improving schools. He is best known for founding the Comer School Development Program in 1968, which promotes the collaboration of parents, educators, and community to improve social, emotional, and academic outcomes. Since its inception, his concept of teamwork has served to improve learning environments in more than 500 schools across America. In 2006, he received the John Hope Franklin Award, given to those who have demonstrated the highest commitment to access and excellence in American education.

Congressman Tim Bishop represents New York’s First Congressional District, which spans the eastern end of Long Island from Smithtown to Montauk Point. A lifelong Long Islander, he was first elected to Congress in 2002. Since then, Bishop’s focus has been to protect Long Island’s middle-class families, and his priorities in Congress include improving the economy, fighting for veterans, safeguarding the environment, strengthening access to education, and reforming health care. Congressman Bishop has built a solid reputation for leadership on issues related to education. He has been among the strongest advocates in Congress for college affordability, helping millions of students and families pay for college – and doing so at no new cost to taxpayers. For these efforts, Congressman Bishop was named the Times-Beacon newspapers’ “Man of the Year in Government,” citing his excellence in constituent service.

During his thirty-four years in the New York State Senate, Senator Caesar Trunzo provided strong leadership to his constituents and New York State. From the very beginning of his legislative career, Senator Trunzo was always one of St. Joseph’s most dedicated and loyal friends. He played a crucial role in the growth of the Long Island Campus by providing generous quantities of time and support for every major project undertaken. In his tenure as State Senator for the 3rd District, he obtained over $600,000 in funding from New York State for a wide range of projects at St. Joseph’s College.