Commencement Information
Degrees are conferred three times each year: September 1, February 1, and June 1. Students must complete and submit an Application for Conferral ("Degree Card") to the Student Response Center, 232 Capen Hall. For September conferral, application must be submitted by July 1; for February, October 1; for June, February 1. To march in the General Commencement ceremony in May, and to reserve guest tickets, the student should go to specialevents.buffalo.edu, "commencement." Information is posted by the previous November. Space is limited, so students should reserve early.
Commencement Honors and Awards
Anthropology majors are eligible for any of a number of SUNY, UB, and Departmental awards made toward the end of the year, and announced and presented at Commencement ceremonies.
SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence, the highest student award. Candidates are selected by a UB committee based on overall GPA and activities, then forwarded to Albany where final SUNY-wide candidates are selected.
College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Seniors/Dean's Commencement Award. The DUS and Undergraduate Committee select the best Senior candidate based on GPA and University service, and give the dossier to the CAS Dean.
Lucia Maria Houpt Award the outstanding graduating senior in the Department of Anthropology, based on GPA., Departmental service, and University-wide service, selected by the DUS and Undergraduate Committee.
Marion Dickson Award for outstanding Junior based on overall and Departmental GPA and Departmental service, selected by the DUS and Undergraduate Committee.
In the Spring semester faculty and students will be invited to nominate graduating seniors for the following awards (self-nominations are encouraged!); final selections are made by the DUS and Undergraduate Committee:
Justin Van Ness Award, to a graduating senior with documented active interest in the environment.
Klein Family Award for a graduating senior with documented plans to attend medical or dental school.
Nathaniel Cantor Award, to a graduating senior with documented plans to pursue work in Social Work or Vocational Rehabilitation.
Election to Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious honors society (established on Dec. 5, 1776, at the College of William & Mary), is offered to outstanding juniors and seniors by a Committee of the UB Chapter. Criteria are GPA over a minimum number of UB credit hours, and service.
Latin Honors: cum laude ("with praise;" cumulative GPA of 3.2), magna cum laude ("with great praise;" cum.GPA of 3.5), or summa cum laude ("with highest praise;" cum. GPA of 3.75) are bestowed by UB upon conferral of degree.
Undergraduate Student Honors & Awards 2009-2010
The following SUNY, University and Department honors were earned by our students:
SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence
This is the highest student academic honor in the SUNY system. Dossiers of the most outstanding UB seniors are compiled by the Office of Student Affairs and sent to Albany, where final selections are made. In 2010 a total of 15 were awarded to UB students, and FOUR of them are Anthropology students!
Julie M. Ficarra
Jennifer Rahman
Julie M. Sawnor
Sarah J. Ventre
College of Arts & Sciences Dean's Commencement Award
[for Outstanding Seniors in CAS Departments]
Sarah J. Ventre
Honors in Anthropology
Students can graduate with Honors by maintaining a minimum 3.5 g.p.a. in anthropology and writing a substantial Thesis based upon their own original research. With anthropology g.p.a of 3.75 and a superior thesis, a student can graduate with Honors in Anthropology, With Distinction. Each thesis is evaluated by three faculty readers.
Three students graduated with Honors in Anthropology:
Julie Ficarra, whose research focused on attitudes toward formal education among two groups of refugees resettling in Buffalo: Karen, from Burma, and Somali Bantu, from E. Africa.
Egle Sirvaityte, whose research focused on attitudes toward obesity among outpatients at a Buffalo clinic.
Patrick Willett, whose research focused on social implications of pottery styles, Neolithic to Chalcolithic, at the archaeological site of Catal Huyuk, Turkey.
Department of Anthropology, Commencement Awards
Lucia Maria Houpt Prize to the Outstanding Graduating Senior - Sarah J. Ventre
Nathaniel Cantor prize for a student going on in Social Work - Megan A. Janish
Justin Van Ness Prize for a student with active interest in the environment - Nathan Lafrance
Klein Family Award in Honor of Viola Odenheimer, to a student going on in medicine - Jennifer Rahman
Sarah A. Ventre Phyllis Hartrich Leadership Award - Angela Giuseppetti
Marion Dickson Prize to outstanding Junior - Aleksander I. Ogadzhanov
Latin Honors
Twenty-six of our seniors graduated summa cum laude (g.p.a of 3.75 based on minimum of 60 UB credit hours, with no more than 6% graded S/U), magna cum laude (3.5), or cum laude (3.2).
Summa cum laude: Leeshi Feldman, Julie Ficarra, Elisha Hinman, Nathan Lafrance, Jennifer Rahman, Julie Marie Sawnor, Egle Sirvaityte, Sarah Jean Ventre, Rachel Marie Wickins
Magna cum laude: Andrew D. Burke, Kimberly Boulden, Frank Eric Etzler, Keeley Sheehan, Alyssia Marie Tucker, Laura Ann Wicklund
Cum laude: Joshua Newman, Kelly Jean Fournier, Dandrea Alexander, Susan Carroll, Claudia DeJesus, Christopher Dimatteo, Megan Alma Janish, Amarpal Kaur Kanwal, Caitlin Ann Custes, Samantha Jayne Smith.
We extend our heartiest congratulations to all our honorees. They have made us proud!