WORCESTER, Mass. — During the 115th Commencement exercises, Clark University awarded degrees to 1,078 graduates (550 bachelor’s, 503 master’s, and 25 doctorates) in a ceremony on the Jefferson Academic Center Green in Worcester.
Clark alumnus Jeffrey Lurie, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, winners of the 2018 Super Bowl, delivered the commencement address and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at the ceremony.
Lurie talked about the values that define a person and their place in the world.
“I can’t emphasize enough how the qualities that make us uniquely human are more essential than ever. That means emotional intelligence, empathy, and appreciation for the people not only in your own family, but those you choose to be with in every facet of your life and work,” he said.
Lurie spoke about the importance of unconditional love and resilience and told the graduates that the most effective problem-solving groups are composed of people who have mutual empathy, trust, and respect. He also talked about what Buddhism refers to as the “beginner’s mind.”
“Great scholars experience it as the capacity to approach every question as new and unsettled – and every answer as only raising new questions to explore. That’s a mindset I learned at Clark that has continued to serve me well throughout my life,” he said.
The following local students received a degree from Clark University on Sunday, May 19:
• Chloe E. Kellum, of Arundel, who graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry and molecular biology.
• Kyle T. Broughton, of Kennebunk, who graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and history.
• Hannah Dane Ingham, of Kennebunk, who graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology.
• Shayna Jean Davis, of Lyman, who graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in international development and social change and political science. Davis is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.
• Alexis Nicole Richards, of Old Orchard Beach, who graduated with a Master of Arts in Community Development and Planning.
The University also conferred honorary degrees upon Martha C. Nussbaum, Ph.D., Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago, whose scholarship ranges from the study of ancient Greek and Roman philosophy and literature to modern political theory and policy; and Robert Stevenish, a longtime member of the Clark Board of Trustees who’s been an impactful leader in the corporate retail world at companies including Modell’s Sporting Goods, Trilegiant Corporation, Netmarket, and Fedco.
In her address to the Graduate School, Nussbaum noted Clark’s history of celebrating unconventional thought, dating as far back as 1909 when the University hosted Sigmund Freud for his only public lectures in the United States, and she urged the graduates to adopt a reasoned Socratic approach as they form their opinions and enter into public discourse.
Nussbaum said when people devote themselves to analyzing issues from pro and con stances “they attain a new degree of clarity about what they themselves favor. And they also attain a new respect for opponents.” She said it’s important “to remember and even to enjoy the fact that there may be better arguments and conclusions than your own.”
Founded in 1887 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Clark University is a liberal arts-based research university addressing natural, social and human imperatives from local to global scales.
Nationally renowned as a college that changes lives, Clark is a transformative force in higher education today. LEEP (Liberal Education and Effective Practice) is Clark’s pioneering model of education that combines a robust liberal arts curriculum with life-changing world and workplace experiences.
Clark’s faculty and students work across boundaries to develop solutions to complex challenges in the natural sciences, psychology, geography, management, urban education, Holocaust and genocide studies, environmental studies, and international development and social change. The Clark educational experience embodies the University’s motto: Challenge Convention. Change Our World.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
