ABWA University Chapter

The newest members of the University of Delaware’s Class of 2011and their achievements were celebrated during Winter Commencementceremonies held Sunday, Jan. 8, in the Bob Carpenter Center.

University President Patrick Harker welcomed an audience of morethan 4,000, which included more than 400 new Blue Hens, as well asUD faculty, administrators and members of the UD Board ofTrustees.

“I can’t imagine a better way to begin 2012 than bycongratulating the Class of 2011,” Harker said. “Today, we honor aswell all the families and friends whose encouragement, love andsupport have gotten you to this milestone day.”

Following a hearty round of applause from the audience, Harkernoted that for the first time in several years, job prospects wereimproved for college graduates preparing to enter America’sworkforce.

“We found out on Friday, that U.S. employment has dropped to 8.5percent, the lowest rate in nearly three years,” Harker said. “Thecountry added 1.6 million jobs this past year, and for thosefilling them, 2012 looks a lot brighter than 2011 did.”

Harker stressed that graduates entering the job market must beflexible in adapting to challenges that await them in an economicclimate that seems to change more often than the weather.

“I’m not suggesting you abandon your plans,” Harker said. “WhatI am suggesting is that you acknowledge that plans change, by yourown doing or by circumstances beyond your control.”

Harker also challenged the graduates to continue to enjoy thethrill of discovering new things during an educational experiencethat should last a lifetime.

“There is no rush, there is no finish line, only infiniteknowledge to explore, and many years left for exploring,” Harkersaid. “I hope you do. Thanks and congratulations.”

Continuing the tradition of having a UD alumnus deliver theWinter Commencement address, Robert McCracken Peck advised membersof the Class of 2011 to accept career challenges that may take themfar beyond the futures they envisioned based on their classroomtraining and experiences.

A writer, naturalist, historian and photographer, Peck, whoearned his master’s degree in the University’s Winterthur Programin American Cultural History in 1976, is curator of art andartifacts and senior fellow at the Academy of Natural Sciences ofPhiladelphia.

“Each of you has a unique combination of talents and experiencesto offer the world. Don’t be afraid to let them show,” Peck said.”They are what will make you stand out and will ultimately allowyou to make your greatest contributions.”

Peck also encouraged the graduates to do something that theylove, because “life is too short to pretend to be something you’renot and too precious to let it pass in boredom or misery.”

While his academic interests were in art history, archaeologyand American cultural history, Peck found that his passion was fornatural history and wildlife conservation, subjects he pursuedoutside the classroom.

“I wanted to travel the world and save endangered places and thewildlife that lived there,” Peck said. “The question was how tobridge this seeming gap between my formal education and a strongmotivation to do something helpful for the natural world.”

What he discovered, Peck said, was that the seeming disparitybetween achieving personal satisfaction and the need to pursue acareer based on academic qualifications is not as significant asmight be imagined.

“I want to reassure those of you who are feeling that tensionright now, that the distance between the two may not be as great asyou think,” Peck said. “You need not necessarily abandon one forthe other.”

When he took a job at the Academy of Natural Sciences inPhiladelphia, Peck wondered what he could bring to a table that wasalready set with such an august history and populated with 200scientists involved in worldwide research projects.

“The answers, I discovered, were the very things I thought wereirrelevant to the scientific process, my training in history, artand literature,” Peck said. “By breaking down the perceivedbarriers between disciplines and communicating the relevance of theacademy’s science to the day-to-day lives of the average citizen, Ifound that I was able to remove the tension I had felt betweenheart and mind when I left the university.”

In noting that trade-offs between one’s life and career dooccur, Peck said perhaps the best answer is working to achieve aprofessional and personal life that also has room for helpingothers and improving the world.

“Your individuality and your idealism and your education arethree of your greatest assets,” Peck said. “If you stay true tothese, you cannot help but succeed.”

Earlier in the ceremony, A. Gilchrist Sparks III, chairman ofthe UD Board of Trustees, presented Peck with a Doctor of HumaneLetters honorary degree, noting that he has “made significantcontributions to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia,not only through your historical and scientific work, but alsothrough your unique interests and approaches.”

Jeffrey Jordan, professor of philosophy and president of the UDFaculty Senate, said that faculty members are especially aware ofwhat students have accomplished during their academic careers.

“We have taught and advised and interacted with you through theyears and have seen how you have matured and mastered difficultsubjects,” Jordan said. “And, as your professors, advisers andmentors, we are proud to certify you as graduates of our respectivedepartments, and more importantly, as graduates of the Universityof Delaware.”

Darelle Lake Riabov, a member of the Class of 1973 and presidentof the University of Delaware Alumni Association, welcomed theClass of 2011 into the association.

“Whatever your future holds, you are linked to every othergraduate here, through your common bond as Blue Hens,” Riabov said.”It is a matter of great pride that we can say that we’re Blue Hensforever — something not everyone can say.”

At the ceremony, the national anthem and the UD alma mater weresung by Keith Schwartz, a senior in the College of Arts andSciences from Kensington, Md.

A reception was held on the concourse after the conferral ofdegrees.

Timothy Banaszak, from New Castle, Del., who received a master’sdegree in accounting, said he enjoyed meeting a lot of new peopleand is ready to begin his career. “I also received my undergraduatedegree in accounting at UD, I met a lot of new people here, and itwas a great experience.”

Jillian Frederick, a double major in English and art history,from Dewey Beach, Del., said, “I was a transfer student, and I likethe whole atmosphere here at UD. I got to know my professors reallywell, and I like the feel of a small town like Newark.”

Rodney Vodery, a resident of Bear, Del., who received hismaster’s degree in urban affairs and public policy, said, “It is agreat feeling to be graduating. I felt that the curriculum at UDwas very strong and has prepared me to go out into the world and beof service to the community.”

H. Hannon, a criminal justice major from Baltimore, said. “Thecamaraderie here was very important. I’m also glad that theUniversity stresses making friendships with international students,because it is always important to have contacts with other studentsin order to expand your horizons.”

Jooha Jeong, from Daegu, South Korea, who earned an MBA with aconcentration in marketing, said, “I have loved being at UD. Theprofessors have helped me whenever I asked, and I have been veryhappy here. I would like to work in the biotechnology orpharmaceutical fields.”

Su-Wei Lee, a finance and economics major from Taipei, Taiwan,who would like to work in the financial and banking industry, said,”The faculty and students at UD are great, and it’s a greatenvironment in which to learn and have fun.”

Travis Gassner, an international relations major from Manasquan,N.J., said, “I’m glad I reached this point, and I’m ready for thenext challenge. I’m glad my whole family could be here. I wouldlike to work in the U.S. Foreign Service and get a job ingovernment in Washington, D.C.”

Nicole Suto, an energy and environmental policy major fromDover, Del., said “I really enjoyed the UD community. It is a greatatmosphere for learning. I plan on getting a master’s degree inmarine policy in the UD College of Earth, Ocean, andEnvironment.”