Cheers to the Class of 2025!

On May 18, nearly 6,000 graduates, family members, and friends joined faculty, staff, and administration at New York Institute of Technology’s Long Island campus to celebrate its 64th annual commencement.

The event celebrated 2,619 candidates for graduation from 61 countries and throughout the United States, 27 percent of whom are earning undergraduate degrees and the remainder earning graduate, medical, professional, post-graduate, and doctoral degrees.  

Forty members of the Class of 2025 are veterans. The youngest undergraduate student is 20 years old; the oldest is 69. Among those students earning graduate, medical, professional, post-graduate, or doctoral degrees, the youngest is 21 years old and the oldest is 66.

“New York Tech’s reputation will be measured in large part by what you will do with what you have learned here and how well you do it,” said President Henry C. Foley, Ph.D., in his address to the graduates.

Jerry Balentine, D.O., provost and executive vice president, and Peter J. Romano (B.Arch. ’76), chair of the Board of Trustees, recognized President Foley, who is stepping down on June 30, with an honorary Doctor of Science.

President Foley conferred honorary degrees upon two leaders in medicine: Barbara Ross-Lee, D.O., FACOFP, and Jill Wruble (D.O. ’87). Ross-Lee has served as vice president for health sciences and medical affairs at New York Institute of Technology and as the inaugural dean of New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University (NYITCOM at A-State). She was also the first African American woman to serve as dean of a United States medical school (Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. Wruble is a diagnostic radiologist and assistant professor at the University of Connecticut (UConn) John Dempsey Hospital and chief of ultrasound services and associate director of UConn’s radiology residency program. Both were honored with a Doctor of Science. Ross-Lee then delivered the keynote address to the Class of 2025; Wruble is the keynote speaker for the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) Commencement and Hooding, held later in the day.

“I will now tell you something that I know you have heard before. You, graduates, are the future of our nation. But, let me modify that oft-repeated forecast. You are the future of our nation in a time of rapid changes and unpredictable challenges,” Ross-Lee said. “Meeting the future creates new opportunities and expectations to manage and navigate the changes that are occurring. Management of change may require new definitions of success and leadership. It is not yet clear whether the changes that are occurring will include addressing longstanding sociocultural and socioeconomic issues while continuing to advance human society.” Ross-Lee described her personal expectations for the new graduates as: “Be Good. Be Wise. Be Proud. Be Visionary.”

Our Job Is to Push Forward

Two members of the Class of 2025 assisted in hooding the honorary degree recipients: Ryan Ahmed, an interdisciplinary studies major and entrepreneur from Kew Gardens, N.Y., served as the student orator. Raquel Ibarra, an architectural technology major from Lindenhurst, N.Y., sang the national anthem.

In his address, Ahmed spoke of a family health emergency that spurred him to try and make a difference for others. But how? “Well, I could come here, to New York Tech, where brilliant, diverse minds build real things for real people,” he shared. “These past few years, we got to learn from people who didn’t just teach … they built,” he told his classmates.“We are going to build that thing everyone says is impossible. We are going to make something that moves the needle for humanity. We are going to build it because it is rocket science. If there’s one thing we learned in the past four years, our job is not to fit in … it’s to push forward.”

Following the main ceremony, students are recognized individually at in-person graduations for the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, School of Architecture and Design, School of Health Professions, and School of Management.

In addition, NYITCOM is holding a hooding ceremony for the Class of 2025 from the Long Island campus later in the afternoon; the Class of 2025 in the Jonesboro, Ark., location will be hooded on May 23. Graduation for New York Tech’s Vancouver campus is scheduled for the fall.