Montclair State will graduate 2,655 students on Friday, making it the largest graduating class in the University's history.

The celebration will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 9, at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford. This year's honorary degree recipients are Irvin D. Reid and John J. McMullen. (Click here to read more about Reid and McMullen.)

Latasha Casterlow and Kelton Hutchinson will lead the audience in singing the National Anthem. Casterlow will receive a master's degree in counseling and human services. She earned a bachelor's degree in music education in 1996. Hutchinson, a teacher in the Newark public schools, will receive a bachelor of music in August.

Following the anthem, Student Government Association President Christopher Fitzpatrick will give opening reflections.

President Susan A. Cole will welcome the families and friends of the class of 2003 and introduce the day's special guests. This year's University Distinguished Scholar Award goes to Nancy Goldring of Fine Arts and the University Distinguished Teacher is Linda Levine of Spanish and Italian. Judy Shillcock of Biology and Molecular Biology, and Shahla Wunderlich of Human Ecology received the Alumni Association Outstanding Faculty Award.

Also expected to attend are several alumni who are celebrating their 50th class reunion. They include Edmund D. Berry '53 '56 M.A. of Lincoln Park, Donald J. Bunger '53 '54 M.A. of Connecticut, Mary Lou (Berardinelli) Ciavarra '53 '59 M.A. of Wyckoff and William T. McHugh '53 of California.

Also celebrating his 50th anniversary is Evan Maletsky of Mathematical Sciences, who, as the most senior member of the faculty, will be the commencement grand marshal for the ninth consecutive year. Maletsky, who earned a bachelor's degree from Montclair State in 1953 and a master's in 1954, has been a professor at Montclair State for 46 years. He holds a Ph.D. from New York University.

During the procession Maletsky carries the University mace, an ornamental staff symbolizing the president's authority. (Click here to read more about the mace.) He is followed by the gonfalons of each academic college and school borne by one of its senior faculty members. This year's gonfaloniers are Arlene King for the Graduate School, David Weischadle for the College of Education and Human Services, Joseph Moore for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Robert Dorner for the College of Science and Mathematics, Linda Roberts-Alexanderson for the School of the Arts and Ralph DiPietro for the School of Business.

State Senate Co-President Richard J. Cody (D-Dist. 27) will extend greetings from the New Jersey State Senate and Assemblyman Peter Eagler (D-Dist. 34) will offer greetings from the New Jersey State Assembly.

Board of Trustees Chair Susan Blount will preside over the conferment of the honorary degrees.

Tamara Beckford

Tamara Beckford will offer greetings from the graduate students, and Dua Elayan Obeidallah will offer greetings from the senior class. (Click on their names to read more about them.)

Dua Obeidallah

After the conferment of degrees, Alumni Association President Wayne DeFeo will offer greetings from the Alumni Association.

The University's alma mater, written by Evelyn Hock Walter '25, will be sung by Katherine Bolcar, who will graduate with a bachelor's degree in vocal performance.

Eighty members of the Montclair State University Symphonic Band will play the processional and recessional for one of the biggest days of the graduates' lives.

Congratulations, Class of 2003!

A look at two of this year's graduates

There'd better be nothing standing in Karen Shaw's way on Friday when she heads to the Arena to receive a bachelor's degree in business. The 42-year-old has been breaking through barriers her entire life. Click here to read more.

A senior airman in the National Guard, Joseph Coladarci III had to do double duty in order to graduate. Click here to read more.

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