Spring Commencement at Farmingdale State is Saturday

More than 1,500 Farmingdale State College students eligible to receive degrees will assemble at the 95th annual spring commencement on Saturday.

Nearly 1,300 students have earned BS or BTech degrees, as well as 217 earning associate degrees and 12 earning certificates.

Among the event's highlights H. Carl McCall, chairman of the SUNY Board of Trustees, is the distinguished guest. 

Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO of Island Harvest, has agreed to be this year’s keynote speaker. In addition to her well-known leadership in addressing hunger on Long Island, Dresner is a member of the FSC College Council.

An honorary Doctor of Humane Letters will be awarded posthumously to Dr. Pearl Kamer, the noted Long Island economist and former chair of the College Council who passed away in January. Her husband, Ron Bloomfield, will receive the degree on her behalf.

Lauren Bellissimo, an applied psychology student from Miller Place, has been named valedictorian, the first to be named from the department of psychology.

Twin brothers from Ridge are graduating from Farmingdale College together even though one completed his requirements 40 years ago. Robert Ruggerio didn’t attend commencement because his brother Ronnie did not complete his.  Now Ronnie Ruggerio has earned his Associate Degree in criminal justice, and both are walking in Saturday’s commencement ceremony.

Five Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence winners will be recognized at Commencement.

• Joy Grynko of Port Jefferson, Applied Psychology
• John Scuteri of Farmingdale, Computer Programming/Information Systems
• Sarina Turbendian of Farmingdale, Professional Communications
• Kristine Meyer of Dix Hills, Nursing
• Jade Truong of Beacon, Biosciences

• Michael Dolce of St. James, Baseball, Criminal Justice
• Mike Jang of Lynbrook, Men's Track & Field
• Camille Romero of Queens, Women's Basketball, Sport Management
• Christy Thoden of Bayport, Women's Lacrosse, Medical Technology

Six members of the campus community have received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence:

• Faculty Service –Joanne Lapidus-Graham of Woodbury, Nursing
• Professional Service – Kenneth Tax of Coram, School of Engineering Technology
• Teaching – Donna Proper of Wantagh, Visual Communications
• Adjunct Teaching – Howard Gold of Massapequa Park, Professional Communications and Robert Seyler of West Babylon, Mechanical Engineering Technology
• Classified Service – Barbara Sarringer of Central Islip, Psychology

In case of inclement weather on Saturday that causes a postponement, the ceremony will be held, rain or shine, on Sunday, May 18 at noon.