Graduate and College of Continuing Studies Class of 2015 earn diplomas at Commencement

On Thursday, May 14, under a cloudless blue sky on a perfectly temperate spring evening, College of Continuing Studies and graduate students of Rider University's Class of 2015 gathered on the Campus Green for their Commencement ceremony. Five hundred and ten students received diplomas this year. Friends, families, faculty and staff congregated to witness them touch the Rider Rock — a tradition — and join a network of more than 60,000 Rider alumni.

In his opening remarks, President Mordechai Rozanski noted that Commencement is a day to be cherished by graduates, their friends and families, and the entire University. Addressing the graduates, he said, “In awarding you your degree, we share with you that sense of mastery, pride and joy that comes with reaching a hard-earned goal. So here we are, joyfully celebrating your success.”

During the ceremony, Rider University President Emeritus J. Barton Luedeke received the honorary Doctor of Laws. Luedeke served as Rider’s fifth president from 1990 until his retirement in 2003. He led the successful merger with Westminster Choir College and was instrumental in Rider’s achievement of university status in 1994.

In a speech, Luedeke called on the graduating class to impact the lives of those they interact with daily. “I hope each of you will seek ways to help others through simple acts of kindness, through direct volunteerism, through service to non-profit community agencies, through various youth programs, and by other means limited only by your own creativity,” he said.

Luedeke also recognized the accomplishments of President Rozanski, who was participating in his final Commencement ceremonies before retiring in July.

Michael Kennedy ’72, chair of the Board of Trustees, echoed Luedeke’s sentiments. “President Rozanski, 12 years ago, our Board and the Rider community placed in you a sacred trust,” he said. “We asked you to lead our university. You have met and dramatically exceeded our highest expectations, serving with honor, gravitas and humor, guided by a profound understanding of the value of higher education and how to motivate others to achieve their very best in the service of Rider’s students.”

Cristin J. Eckhardt '09, '15, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biology as well as a graduate level teacher certificate in 2010 from Rider, was the graduating class speaker. A science teacher at JP Case Middle School in Flemington, N.J., Eckhardt received her master’s in teaching at the ceremony.

“At Rider, we received so much more than just an education,” she said. “We gained a second home and an extended family. Rider is a place we can always return to. Even if it is five, 10, 15 or even 20 years down the road, Rider will always welcome us, and our professors will never forget us. Here, we have built friendships, we have become confident, we have become inspired, we have become dedicated, and we have become us.”

As a female, Eckhardt represented the overwhelming majority of her class: 69% of students earning graduate degrees were women. CCS graduates were more evenly split among gender (53% female, 47% male). About 15% of this class of graduate and CCS students were born outside the United States. Most were from China, though graduates hailed from countries throughout the world, including Ireland and India, Malaysia and Guatemala, and Spain and France.

Dr. Tan Miller, assistant professor and director of Rider’s global supply chain management program, and Dr. Nikki Shepardson, associate professor in Rider’s history department, both received the Distinguished Teaching Award in recognition of their outstanding service to students.

Miller joined Rider’s faculty in September 2008 as a visiting professor. He was instrumental in developing Rider’s global supply chain management program, which launched in September 2009 and is now ranked among the nation’s top 25 programs by the global research firm Gartner. Miller has influenced countless students to major in global supply chain management. In nominating him for the award, one student wrote, “Dr. Miller is one of the main reasons I chose Rider University. He is a great teacher and a superb advisor.”

A member of Rider’s faculty since 2000, Shepardson teaches early modern and modern European history. Students praise her passion for the subject and engaging teaching style. In nominating her, one student wrote, “Her passion for the material is contagious. Not being a history major myself, she makes her classes fun and exciting.”

The 2015 Dominick H. Iorio Research Prize went to Dr. Wendy Heath, a professor in Rider’s psychology department. She has been a member of Rider’s faculty since 1993. Over her career, Heath’s research has applied the tools of experimental psychology to examine how memory and judgment affect juror decision making. Her work, which has found an eager audience of legal scholars and psychologists, has led to a greater understanding of how jurors perceive defendant behavior — knowledge with important implications for justice in society.

Eric Elgin ’14, ’15, who was graduating with a Master of Accountancy degree, presented the class gift. Graduates of the Class of 2015 had the opportunity to contribute to a campaign to invest in the future of Rider by making their first gift to the University. The funds support scholarships in honor of the class to be awarded during the 2015-16 academic year to select upper-class students whose financial situations may hinder their ability to complete their studies. Elgin announced that the Class of 2015 raised enough money to award six scholarships to members of next year’s graduating class (gifts are still being accepted through June 30 at alumni.rider.edu/classgift).

“As we go forward as Rider University alumni,” Elgin said, “I am hopeful that we will all continue to help future students obtain their dream of a Rider degree just as previous generations of alumni have helped us.”

Speaking after Elgin, Vice President for University Advancement Jonathan Meer urged graduates to become active members of the Rider’s Alumni Association. A notable portion of the class already has strong ties to Rider. About 40% of students who received graduate degrees already held a bachelor’s from Rider.

For the sixth year in a row, Rider and Westminster Choir College used GreenWeaver caps and gowns, made from 100 percent, post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, to robe all students for Commencement 2014 exercises. Eco-friendly GreenWeaver gowns are made of fabric spun from molten plastic pellets, producing a comfortably soft fabric that literally turns trash into keepsakes. Each gown represents about 23 bottles. The Princeton Review named Rider one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the United States and Canada.

Llundon Lawson ’16, a junior musical theatre major, closed the ceremony by singing Rider’s new alma mater, “Cranberry and White,” written by Robert D. Helvering, Westminster Choir College adjunct assistant professor. The song ends with the lyrics, “We sing our love and loyalty, sing our hopes so bright, to Rider University: Cranberry and White!”