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Thousands of graduates celebrated their achievements during a series of nine Commencement ceremonies held May 15 through 17 on the ������Ƶ campus.

Each of the University’s six schools and colleges held its own ceremony, during which it conferred baccalaureate and master’s degrees; Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest school, held three.

Doctoral candidates from programs throughout the University were honored during the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony on Thursday, May 15, in the Anderson Center’s Osterhout Concert Theater. The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences conferred PharmD degrees on its graduates earlier that morning at the Osterhout Theater.

All told, the University bestowed more than 3,000 bachelor’s degrees and more than 1,000 master’s, 189 doctorates and 50 certificates in spring 2025.

“We call this event Commencement, not because it’s the ending of a chapter; it’s a beginning. As you venture off into graduate school or a career, you’re commencing a new journey,” University President Harvey Stenger told undergraduates. “It can be intimidating. New people, new tasks, a new role — change can be a challenge when you’re not sure what to expect. Remember that you’ve done it before; you did it here, and now you’re equipped with so many more skills and so much more knowledge.”

Doctoral hooding ceremony

Commencement ceremonies are woven from vibrant threads of tradition. During the doctoral ceremony, the pivotal moment comes when the candidate receives a hood from their advisor announcing their accomplishment; the colors on the hood represent their discipline.

Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Terrence Deak reflected on the importance of institutions to restrain power and promote peace, from constitutions and international alliances to legal systems, news media, health systems, scientific organizations and more.

“From ancient to modern times, universities have played an especially important role: they have served as the bedrock of progress — creating, preserving and advancing new knowledge that has helped to eradicate the nasty, brutish tyranny that once prevailed,” he said. “Each day, we work to educate, inform and therefore build a better society, a process that we ratify through the awarding of diplomas.”

The title of “doctor” bestows upon the recipient a certain kind of authority — but also great responsibility, Deak stressed. He called upon graduates to steward civil discourse through the careful evaluation of evidence, thoughtful conversation and respect for our plural society, and to set high but achievable standards in their work.

“You will take all that you have experienced here and become change-makers,” said Provost Donald E. Hall, urging graduates to follow the career path that most nourishes their passions.

In her keynote speech, History Professor and Director of the Harriet Tubman Center for Freedom and Equity Anne C. Bailey discussed “history and belonging in the age of repair,” also the title of her next book. Originally from Jamaica, Bailey came to the United States at the age of 12. As a scholar, teacher and writer, her work centers on African American, African and Caribbean history in a global context, public history and memory.

This spring, the Tubman Center honored its namesake abolitionist with a statue outside the University’s Downtown Center as part of the Downtown Binghamton Freedom Trail, which denotes Underground Railroad stops and other anti-slavery and civil rights sites. The public history project was in part a response to the outcry regarding the death of George Floyd in 2020, when more than 100 Confederate statues were pulled down across the country, Bailey said.

In 1849, Tubman escaped her plantation and traveled the Underground Railroad to freedom. She would famously make that trip multiple times to secure the freedom of other slaves.

“She could have stayed there and made a living as a laundress or housekeeper, but instead she went back into the land of slavery. She could not enjoy her freedom while leaving anyone else behind,” Bailey recounted.

In 2019 — the 400th anniversary of the arrival of people of African descent in what is now the U.S. — The New York Times Magazine asked Bailey to join the 1619 Project, which focused on slavery’s legacy. After its publication, opponents fired back with the 1776 Commission, which promotes “patriotic education” that stresses the ideals of democracy rather than the realities of slavery.

Ultimately, the nation needs a dual vision that reconciles the messages behind the 1619 and 1776 projects, Bailey reflected.

“It’s not either/or; it’s both/and,” Bailey emphasized. “There’s got to be a way to penetrate the divisions amongst us and heal those divisions.”

She urged graduates to consider the vision of the future they want to build.

“It will lead you down some interesting paths — maybe even to the feet of a statue of Harriet Tubman, whose vision was to leave no one behind, whose vision was that all are welcome in the great American experiment,” she said.

Alumni engagement message

Throughout the Commencement ceremonies, Alumni Association President Cara Treidel ’16 encouraged Binghamton’s newest graduates to remain connected to their alma mater.

During her time as a student, Treidel had the opportunity to work with Stenger as a Road Map intern, helping guide the University’s strategic plan. During that time, she met a variety of campus and community leaders, which inspired her to consider the kind of leader that she wished to become, she said. She found that leadership space through the Alumni Association, which she has headed for the past two years.

Through the Alumni Association, graduates can tap into a worldwide network of more than 160,000 people in 10 countries. The Association isn’t limited to campus, either; it hosts live events in New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., and other locations, in addition to virtual events.

“Wherever you go, there is likely to be a Binghamton grad who can offer support, answer questions or just chat about shared Binghamton experiences,” she said. “And no matter where you go, there are opportunities for you to volunteer with the University and make a difference.”