A milestone moment: Commencement 2025
On Friday, May 16, 2025, GSE celebrated its 94th commencement ceremony in UB’s Alumni Arena. Faculty, staff, family and friends cheered as graduates crossed the stage. Blue and white balloons rained down in celebration. The Class of 2025 officially joined the GSE alumni community.
The celebration began the night before, with a special reception honoring graduating PhD students and distinguished members of the GSE community. Several prestigious awards were presented during the two-day celebration.
Awards
President’s Medal
X. Christine Wang
Professor of Learning and Instruction; Senior Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Research
Dean’s Service Award
Angela Cullen
Principal, Research Laboratory High School
Distinguished Alumni Award
Heather Jenkins
President and CEO, The Literacy Lab
Dr. Edwin D. Duryea, Jr. Higher Education Memorial Award
Kavitha Muralidhar
Higher Education, PhD ’25
Excellence in Community Outreach and Engagement Award
Yun Liang
Educational Culture, Policy and Society, PhD ’25
Excellence in Inclusion and Belonging Award
Dabralis Garmon
Spanish Education: Adolescence, EdM ’25
Excellence in Research Award
Cara Monaco
Curriculum, Instruction and the Science of Learning, PhD ’25
PhD Excellence Award
Julianna Casella
Counseling Psychology and School Psychology, PhD ’25
PhD Mentorship Award
Seong Won Han
Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy
In her address to the graduates, Dean Suzanne Rosenblith reflected on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s educators, counselors and researchers:
“The Graduate School of Education has prepared you not just to be professionals, but to be catalysts for change—resilient, empathetic and unwavering in your commitment to justice and equity. The knowledge and skills you have honed at UB will guide you as you navigate complex realities and seek meaningful solutions.”
Courtney Copeland
This year’s faculty-selected student speaker, Courtney Copeland (Counseling Psychology and School Psychology, PhD ’25), shared a heartfelt message about purpose and responsibility in the field of education:
“As we move forward into our careers, whether in clinical practice, research, teaching or service, we carry with us a deep responsibility: to uphold the highest standards of ethics, integrity and cultural humility. We must continue to examine our own biases and privileges and recognize the impact our identities and experiences have on our work. We must approach those we serve not as problems to fix, but as individuals with unique stories, strengths and boundless potential.”
Congratulations to the Class of 2025! Your journey with UB may have reached a milestone, but your impact on the world is only beginning.