Direct from the Dean

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for your contributions to the 2024 Commencement of the College of Law, in our 133^rd year of continuous operation. The importance of the day cannot be overstated and was reflected in the beaming faces of our graduates. I know that I speak for all of us when I say that few things are more gratifying than seeing our students pass this important milestone on the way to their professional careers.

It took a village to plan and execute an event of this scale. More people than I could possibly thank individually. evertheless, I want to call out Margie Aimery, who took the lead overseeing our planning and execution, and the incredible members of the Commencement Planning Committee: Frank Aiello, Marina Amaran, Kristina Bilowus, Teresa Eldred, Mary Ann Ferguson, Audra Foster, Sonya Hernandez, Zachary Hunter, Ashley James, Rosa Jarquin, Steven Klukowski, Kelly Melle, Michell Mitchell, Katie Pike, Goldie Pritchard, Sally Rice, Brenda Sanborn, Abijah Taylor, and Kim Wilkes. I am particularly grateful for how Margie, Kim, Kelly, Rosa, and Sonya helped me prepare for my new role. Anne Marie Gattari also played a key role coordinating communications, both for me personally and for the event generally.

I’m also incredibly grateful for our excellent readers, Catherine Grosso and Glen Staszewski—whose name reading skills are unmatched—and our hooders: Jenny Carter-Johnson, Nancy Costello, Deanne Lawrence, Barb O’Brien, Justin Simard, David and Veronica Thronson, and Stephen Wilks. Next year we’re going to try to put the hooders on stage and photograph the hooding! It’s such a special moment for the graduates. Finally, thank you to all the faculty and academic staff who participated in the processional and sat on stage. It means so much to our graduates to see you all there congratulating them and sending them off to the next chapter of their lives!

All my best,

Michael