2026 Graduate Commencement
Friday, May 15, 2026
Four o’clock in the evening
Westfield State University
Mass Mutual Center
President Linda Thompson, Dr.P.H., MPH, DNP (hc), RN, FAAN
William Salka, Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs
Ali Salehi, Chair, Board of Trustees
Program Overview
Graduates may order up to one copy of the 2026 Commencement commemorative print program through the form provided in their Westfield State University email. Orders must be received by Friday, May 30th. All programs will be mailed as they are available.
Schedule of Events
WELCOME
William Salka, Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs
COLOR GUARD
Westfield State University Police Officers
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
Savannah Sweeney, Class of 2026
GREETINGS
President Linda Thompson, Dr.P.H., MPH, DNP (hc), RN, FAAN
Ali Salehi, Chair, Board of Trustees
THE COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Dr. Joseph Camilleri, Professor, Psychology Department and 2025 John F. Nevins Award Recipient
PRESENTATION OF
THE JOHN F. NEVINS OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR AWARD
William Salka, Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs
CONFERRING OF DEGREES
President Linda Thompson, Dr.P.H., MPH, DNP (hc), RN, FAAN
Ali Salehi, Chair, Board of Trustees
PRESENTATION OF DEGREES AND ACADEMIC HOODS
Nora Padykula, Ph.D., LICSW, Dean, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION REMARKS
Colleen Murphy Clifton ’11, President, Westfield State Alumni Association
University Leadership
WESTFIELD STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Ali R. Salehi, Chair
Melissa A. Alvarado ’99, Vice Chair
Gloria B. Williams, Ed.D. ’77, Secretary
Barney Garcia, Class of 2026, Student Trustee
George Gilmer ’92
Theresa A. Jasmin
Tessa Lucey ’89
Chris Montemayor ’90, ’09, Alumni Trustee
Michael O’Rourke ’73
Jay Queenin
Hon. William C. Reichelt ’09
SENIOR ADMINISTRATORS
President Linda Thompson, Dr.P.H., MPH, DNP (hc), RN, FAAN
William Salka, Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs
Michael Freeman, Ph.D., Special Assistant to the President on University Strategies and Chief of Staff
Kevin Hearn, Ed.D., Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs
Richard Lenfest, Jr., Director of Athletics
Lisa McMahon Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement
(Through December 2025)
Robert P. Ziomek Vice President for Institutional Advancement (2026 — present)
Melinda Phelps, General Counsel and Vice President for Government and Community Relation
Stephen Taksar, Vice President for Administration and Finance
ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP
Brian Jennings, Ph.D., Associate Provost
Nora Padykula, Ph.D., LICSW, Dean, Division of Graduate and Continuing Education
M.K. Balasubramanya, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Kimberly Sherman, Ph.D., Interim Dean of the College of Professional Studies
Our Proud Graduates
* indicates an Anticipated Graduate
Candidates for the Degree of Master of Arts
Applied Behavior Analysis
Krysa Boyce
Lindsay E. Dion
Zebo Guseynova
Glenda Masin Serrano
Brittany Marie Smith
Katherine Steele
Bailey Claire Thomas
Counseling
Juliana Rosa Batista Oleksak
Sara Chang
Charles David Clark
Shauna Lyndsey Condon
Erin Ann Devaney
Michael J. Dunn
Lucias Garcia Snow
Kaitlyn Hyde
Karina Grace Little
Austin Daniel Lozada
Keishla Ann Marie Mangual
Mary Kathleen McAleavey
Hayden Menard
Sarah Lauren Passer
Karli Jean Rigali
Kage Jonus Sagan
Melissa Sehnaz Sayici
Heena Shafique
Kamber Marie Sorel
Lauren Danielle Mason Thompson
Diana Christine Vershon
Jennifer Yelin
English
David Joseph Cook
Yasaman Khoshbakht
Tyler Morrissette
Elizabeth Ann Sears
Stephen Howard Symiakakis
Candidates for the Degree of Master of Education
Biology
Joseph Timothy Boulia
Early Childhood Education
Bryonna Denise Lockett-Mark
Lauren Olivia Rinaldi
Ashley Rocketfield
Amanda Tesini
Elementary Education
Bethany Haller
Ashley Brooke Piantek
History
Nathaniel Leonardo Bresaz
Mark Dargie
Thorstein Ryuta Murray
Mathematics
William E. Soto Jr.
Movement Science
Brandon Michael Castor
Sydney Cloutier
Kathy Ann DiMaggio
Kristin Elizabeth Furtado
Joel Nathaniel Kibbe
Evan D. Woodworth
Reading Specialist
Grace Barnes
Danielle Lee Lutenegger
Haley McCormick
Heather Elizabeth Louise Potter
Special Education
Audrey Console
Madison Angelo
Matthew S. Erbentraut
Bethany Jayne Fornal
Nelli Maldonado
Chelsey Arlene Mathews
Madeline Pelak
Erika Christine Wildman
Candidates for the Degree of Master of Public Administration
Public Administration
Kelson Burke
Emily Jean Ciccolo
Rosa M. Colon
Pamela Helen Couchon
Victor Fu
Rachel L. Gelina
Daniel Christopher Hamel
Brittney L. Kraus
Lawrence Li
Naima Masesa
Christopher Nolan-Zeller
Kristen Nicole Owens
Anthony Rivera
Harry Santiago
Laura Jean Waskiewicz
Candidates for the Degree of Master of Science
Accounting
Alexandria Coleman
Joseph Dintzner
Ahmed Jebur
Criminal Justice
Angela Boucher
Rachel Bunce
Hannah Cahill*
Nicholas Kenneth Mayo
Kenneth Borges-Vega
Emma Branson
Robert John Wolfgang Dragone
Anatol Fox
Adam R. Howe
Jordan Liszka*
Kaitlyn Rankins
Janessa Santana
Peter Anthony Spinale
Brian C Strong
Tammy Jean Thompson
Physician Assistant
Victoria Rose Altamira
Hannah Lee Ammirato
Anna Elizabeth Avakian
Isabelle Grace Bongiorno
Kaoutar Bouaitah
Devan Chen
Sara Marie Clark
Yasmina Darwish-Houssami
Jessica Mary Debs
Gina Rose DiGiacomo
Madison Emma Dover
Maya Pederneira Ferris
Dereck N. Hall
Christopher Kenneth Hokanson
Lily Kent
Megan MacVicar
Morgan Emily McBurney
Olivia McGrail
Aya Miller
Hailee Elizabeth Monies
Jonathan Moore
Melanie Moreno
Felicia Creswell Phelps
J. Mauricio Quizhpi
Jamie Staples
Brandon Michael Sullivan
Jehan Tiana Tavares-Mathurin
Candidates for the Degree of Master of Social Work
Social Work
Cameron D. Abdalla
Neïssa Ross Junie Ambroise
Allison Renee Sullivan Arbib
Michelle Therese Bedard
Abigail Bliss
Dominique Brooks
Hayley L. Brown
Jennifer Marie Brown
Alison Bui
Walter A. Cabreja
Brianna Cassidy
Christian Castro
Cassandra Jean Cooper
Ian P. Coyne
Timothy Croteau
Katelynn Cruz
Ryan J. Daly
Justin Derek DeBarge
Colleen Marie DeGowin
Madeleine DelVicario
Kendris Milagros De Leon Ceballos
Madeline Charlotte Tess Desautels
Victoria Rose Dolan
Nayshali Marie Dupuis Nuñez
Francis Dzanka
Felicha Erazo
Eric J. Friedland-Kays
Paige Matthews
Aleicia R. Gillum
Jocelyn Ivette Gomez
Victoria D. Gonzalez Rodriguez
Shayan Lydia Grayson
Jessica L. Green
Laura L. Greer
Casey Mia Hathaway-Piccole
Meredith DiNatale Henry
Joanna Heretick
Jennifer Lynne Hossenlopp
Nicolle Tiffany Hou
Leigh Anna Hyre
Sarah Jackson
Oomiya Catherine Kawas
Derrick Killebrew
Gabriela Leon
Frank Lunetta
Samantha Garcia
Ivana V. McGlinchey
Krina Mccoy
Hannah Susan Mitchell
Isabella Margaret Moniz
Belma Moreira
Cameron Mortimer-Berg
Tanairy Gabrielle Mulero
Sarah Mohamed Nabulsi
Jeffrey H. Nelson
Francheska Nunez-Jimenez
Elissa Pietrass
Lori J. Schneider
Brittany Kayla Szadis
Henry Joseph Smith
Cody Spencer
May Sullivan-Low
Hayley J. Tobin
Sokrany Top
Alissa Marie Torres Santiago
Sydney Turner
Liana S. Varosky
Khiara Lucylle Velez-Rivera
Rosely Vila
Leah Webb-Halpern
Elizabeth Ann Williamson
Aleyshka Crystal Zayas Caez
Lorelei Mann
Isabella Marie Alexander
Yeraly Aquino de la Cruz
Olivia Antoinette Brighenti
Robert E. L. Carroll
Lauren Marie Champiny
Brianne Angela Crowley
Erin Elizabeth Crowley
Javier Enrique Cruz
Tyler Gellert
Riana Grace Gittens
Elijah James Giugno
Siobhan Marie Hoffman
Justin Leis
Steven James Lindsay
Jacob Liverman
Zachary Marks
Elizabeth Minahan
Dorian Uchenna Nnaji
Monica Paulina Ovalles Franjul
Brittany Nicole Patrick
Jessenia Marie Perez
Ashley Pope
Alejandro Luis Rios
Natalie J. Roll
José Antonio Rosario López
Payton Salvaggio
Malia Sands
Jade Czerw Schapiro
Andrea Rae Schrader
Vicky Sheerin
Rachel Snow
Sean Stanton
Ashely Thom
Jordyn Vandergrift
Karin Walz
Alexander Wenger
Appearance of a name in the Commencement program is presumptive evidence of graduation and/or participation but is not conclusive. The official transcript, sealed and signed by the Registrar, exclusively and definitively confirms the student’s academic record and possession of degree(s) awarded by Westfield State University.
