Local Students Earn Academic Honors

Russo of Winthrop Makes Dean’s List at RIT

Jonathan Russo of Winthrop was named to the Dean’s List at Rochester Institute of Technology for the spring semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. Russo is in the computer engineering program.

Full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students are eligible for Dean’s List if their term GPA is greater than or equal to 3.400; they do not have any grades of “Incomplete”, “D” or “F”; and they have registered for, and completed, at least 12 credit hours.

Rochester Institute of Technology is home to leading creators, entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers. Founded in 1829, RIT enrolls about 19,700 students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, making it among the largest private universities in the U.S.

The university is internationally recognized and ranked for academic leadership in business, computing, engineering, imaging science, liberal arts, sustainability, and fine and applied arts. RIT also offers unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation. Global partnerships include campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo.

More Than 6,500 University of Rhode Island Students Named to Spring 2023 Dean’s List

The University of Rhode Island is pleased to announce the Spring 2023 Dean’s List. Students named to the Dean’s List represent nearly all of Rhode Island’s cities and towns, all six New England states, New York and New Jersey, and many other states and countries.

To be included on the Dean’s List, full-time students must have completed 12 or more credits for letter grades which are GPA applicable during a semester and achieved at least a 3.30 quality point average. Part-time students qualify with the accumulation of 12 or more credits for letter grades which are GPA applicable earning at least a 3.30 quality point average.

Blinere Bytyqi of Winthrop

Gabby Ford of Winthrop

Julian Osorio of Winthrop

Summer Tallent of Winthrop

Daniella Zanelli of Winthrop

Founded in 1892, the University of Rhode Island is the principal public flagship research and graduate institution in Rhode Island. Competitive and highly regarded, its 14,300 undergraduate students and more than 2,700 graduate students represent 48 states and 76 countries across the globe. With 203 academic programs, URI offers its undergraduate, graduate, and professional students distinctive educational opportunities designed to meet the global challenges of today’s world and the rapidly evolving needs of tomorrow. At URI, you will find some of today’s leading innovators, discoverers, and creative problem solvers. To learn more, visit: uri.edu.

Griffin Earns Honors at St. John’s Prep

St. John’s Prep recently announced the names of students who earned academic honors for the fourth quarter of the 2022–2023 school year, which ended on June 2, 2023. Students who qualified for the Head of School’s List earned grades of A- or above in all courses; students who qualified for the Principal’s List earned grades of B+ or above in all courses; and students who qualified for the Honor Roll earned grades of B or above in all courses. 

The following student was named to the academic honors list for the Fourth Quarter 2022–2023.

Head of School List

Luke Griffin ‘28

Regis College Celebrates 93rd Commencement Exercises

Empowered and inspired by their Regis education to serve as leaders and advocates for a more just and compassionate global society, members of the Class of 2023 celebrated their accomplishments with an inspirational commencement ceremony at the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston featuring WHDH’s Amaka Ubaka who delivered the commencement address and received an honorary degree, along with philanthropists Bill and Joyce Cummings. More than 1,300 students graduated with degrees ranging from associate to doctoral levels.

“It is now up to you to take what you have learned and leave this ceremony committed to bettering the world around us with your knowledge and compassion. As the journey continues for each of you, I am confident in the future because you are in it,” Regis College President Antoinette M. Hays, PhD, RN said to the graduates.

Thousands of friends and family members attended the ceremony, bringing their support and enthusiasm in celebration of the graduates’ achievements.

The following local students earned degrees:

Melissa Sanchez of Winthrop graduated with a AS in Nursing

Ashley Mulkerrin of Winthrop ( graduated cum laude with a BS in Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Camille Diruzza of Winthrop graduated with a BS in Nursing

Brittany Hetnik of Winthrop graduated with a MS in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner

Oliver Named To Honor Roll at Oregon State University

John V. Oliver of Winthrop, majoring in Post Baccalaureate, Computer Science has been named to the Scholastic Honor Roll for Spring 2023 at Oregon State University.

A total of 11,660 students earned a B-plus (3.5) or better to make the listing. To be on the Honor Roll, students must carry at least 6 graded hours of course work.

Zuffante Graduates from Hamilton College

Caroline Zuffante, of Winthrop (02152), received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamilton College on Sunday, May 21, in a Commencement ceremony concluding the college’s 211th year.

A psychology major, Zuffante graduated cum laude and completed a thesis titled “Who’s to Blame? The Issue of Antipsychotic Medication Noncompliance in Mentally Ill Defendants.”

Retired Navy Adm. Michelle J. Howard, the first female four-star admiral and chair of the 2020-22 Congressional Naming Commission, was awarded an honorary degree and delivered the Commencement address.

In her remarks, Howard shared anecdotes from her time before and after active duty, all tied to this life lesson: the call to the common good is for all of us. “As your namesake [Alexander Hamilton] would say, the first duty is justice,” she told the Class of 2023.

Hamilton’s 500 graduates now join an alumni body of more than 23,000, many of whom have made important contributions to business, the professions, government and the arts.

Hamilton College, a leading liberal arts institution located in Clinton, New York, is where exceptional students explore passions through an open curriculum and robust research, internship, and off-campus study opportunities. Students graduate ready to lead purposeful lives thanks to highly regarded faculty mentors, generous resources that support each student’s interests, and a loyal alumni network. The College’s need-blind admission policy ensures access for talented students with limited financial means.

WPI Students Complete Intensive Research Projects

 All students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute are required to complete a senior thesis as part of the university’s distinctive project-based educational experience called the Major Qualifying Project (MQP), one that is usually team-based and often focuses on very specific issues or needs of an organization that has partnered with the university to sponsor the student’s work.

“It’s inspiring to see the creativity and skills that our students bring to these projects, as well as the professionalism with which they present their research,” says Arne Gericke, interim dean of undergraduate studies and director of the Office of Undergraduate Research. “Their experience managing a major project like this-including identifying a problem and researching all of the implications and possible solutions while also managing team dynamics over an extended period of several months-sets them up well for success not only in their first jobs after graduation but throughout their careers.”

A signature element of the innovative undergraduate experience at WPI, project-based learning offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to real problems that affect the quality of people’s lives-an experience that changes the student and their world.

In addition to providing tangible work experience that proves valuable to employers, MQPs often lead to publications in peer-reviewed journals, presentations at regional and national conferences, patents, and entrepreneurial ventures. Others become useful innovations and products for their corporate sponsors.

Prior to their MQP, students complete an Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP), usually in their junior year, with a team of other students across disciplines; the projects may or may not relate to the students’ fields of study and are sponsored by organizations across the globe to give students real-world experience addressing problems that lie at the intersection of science and society. Approximately 85% of WPI students complete a project at one of the university’s 50+ off-campus project centers located in more than 30 countries around the world.

The following students completed their MQP:

Emily Donovan of Winthrop, Massachusetts, majoring in Chemical Engineering, class of 2023 completed the project titled Substrate Analysis for Continuous Fermentation of Mead Emelia Carleton of Winthrop, Massachusetts, majoring in Biomedical Engineering, class of 2023 completed the project titled Injectable Glycosaminoglycan-Based Drug Delivery System