Transcript of the Virtual Celebration

- I'm Kevin Clayton, chair of Lehigh University's Board of Trustees. Under ordinary circumstances, I would be speaking to you from a podium on the stage at Goodman Stadium, looking out at your smiling faces, and those of your proud families. I very much look forward to sharing that moment with you when we can have our in-person commencement ceremony. But still, we have so much to celebrate together today, as we gather virtually to honor our new graduates at this extraordinary time, it is my privilege and honor as chair of the Board of Trustees of Lehigh University to say I, Kevin Clayton, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, declare the conferring of degrees for the Class of 2020, Lehigh University to be open. It is now my great pleasure to introduce the President of Lehigh University, John Simon.

- Thank you, Kevin, and thanks to everyone for joining us today under these most unusual of circumstances. John Lennon sang to his young son, before you cross the street, take my hand. Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. Now those words speak to all of us. The semester we just completed was like nothing any of us could have imagined. Our plans were disrupted. Our normal routines were upended, but we rose to the challenge in a true Lehigh fashion, and today we are here to confer therein degrees. It is disappointing that we are not together to celebrate. Graduates, family members and friends, and the Lehigh community, all of us, should be sitting in Goodman Stadium. While it feels strange to not be there, I hope this virtual event will serve as a symbolic recognition of everything our graduates have accomplished. Graduates, the unceremonious way you ended your Lehigh careers does not diminish in the least what it means to have earned your degree. You came to Lehigh with high aspirations. You should be tremendously proud of all you have accomplished. Your time with us may have ended in the midst of disruption and uncertainty, but it was not defined by it. You received one of the best educational experiences in the United States. You take wonderful memories with you of your time at Lehigh. You forged friendships that will last a lifetime. I have every confidence that you will go from Lehigh and make the world a better place. I hope that wherever you are today, you can sense the excitement and pride that all of us feel for you. Congratulations! Now it is my pleasure to introduce Patrick Farrell, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

- Thank you, President Simon. I will be introducing the deans of the four colleges of Lehigh University who will be conferring degrees today. We look forward to a ceremony in the near future when Dean Whitney Witt will join us to welcome the first graduates of our fifth college, the College of Health. I now recognize Robert Flowers, the Herbert J. And Ann L. Siegel Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

- On behalf of everyone in the College of Arts and Sciences, congratulations on the completion of your degree. As a proud alumnus, I recognize the perseverance that has gotten you through many of the challenges and successes that happen during your time at Lehigh. I know I join my colleagues in recognizing the tremendous effort you put in to generating new knowledge that has the potential not only to change the world, but also to help us think differently about the world around us. I have no doubt you will be exemplary envoys for the college and university, and I urge you to embrace that role, and dedicate yourselves to a lifetime of informed citizenship. You've made important contributions to our community that will endure long after you've advanced to the next phase of your career, and I wish you much happiness and fulfillment as you move on the next chapter of your life. I will now present the candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the field of specialization and upon the recommendation of the faculty and by the vote of the Board of Trustees, is presented to you to receive that degree.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- I now present the candidates for the Masters degree in the College of Arts and Sciences. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts or Master of Science, and upon the recommendation of the faculty, and by vote of the Board of Trustees, it is presented to you to receive that degree.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Master of Arts or Master of Science with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- I now present candidates for the Bachelor's degree in the College of Arts and Sciences. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed the requirements for graduation and upon the recommendation of the faculty, and by vote of the Board of Trustees, is presented to you to receive the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- Congratulations to the new graduates of Lehigh University's College of Arts and Sciences.

- I now recognize Georgette Chapman Phillips, the Kevin L. And Lisa A. Clayton Dean of the College of Business.

- Hello, everyone, and congratulations on this momentous day. On behalf of the faculty and staff at the College of Business, I want to say it's been a great journey with you while you were with us. Take a minute and thank all of those who are also supporting you. Your family, your friends, your loved ones. I will now present the candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Business. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in a field of specialization, and upon recommendation of the faculty, and by the vote of the Board of Trustees, I present them to you to receive that degree.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- I now present the candidates for the Master's degree in the College of Business. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration or Master of Science, and upon the recommendation of the faculty, and by vote of the Board of Trustees, I present them to you to receive that degree.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Master of Business Administration or Master of Science with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- I now present the candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science in the College of Business. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed the requirements for graduation, and upon recommendation of the faculty, and by vote of the Board of Trustees, I present them to you to receive the degree of Bachelor of Science.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Bachelor of Science with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- Congratulations to the new graduates of Lehigh University's College of Business.

- I now recognize William Gaudelli, the Dean of the College of Education.

- Good afternoon and welcome to the online commencement for Lehigh University. My name is Bill Gaudelli, Dean of the College of Education, and I wanted to offer my sincerest congratulations to all of you, as well as looking ahead to the future, and what lies ahead in this COVID era. There are many challenges, and this has demonstrated for us, this global pandemic, the extent to which inequalities plague our society, and the challenges with respect to health care, education, mental wellness, counseling, and those types of activities are quite disparate. And we look to you, to the future, to address these challenges with us, and to seek a better world once we're able to come outside again. Again, my congratulations to you. My thanks to you for sticking with us in this difficult time, and I'd now like to begin the commencement process for the College of Education. I now present the candidates for the degree of Doctor of Education or Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Education. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education or Doctor of Philosophy, and upon the recommendation of the faculty, and by vote of the Board of Trustees, is presented to you to receive that degree.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Doctor of Education or Doctor of Philosophy with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- I now present the candidates for the degree of Educational Specialist and the Master's degree in the College of Education. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed the requirements for the degree of Educational Specialist, Master of Arts, Master of Education, or Master of Science in the College of Education, and upon the recommendation of the faculty, and by vote of the Board of Trustees, is presented to you to receive that degree.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Educational Specialist, Master of Arts, Master of Education, or Master of Science with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- Congratulations. And congratulations to all the new graduates at Lehigh University's College of Education. I wish you well. I wish you health and wellness, and all the best in the future. Congratulations!

- I now recognize Stephen DeWeerth, the Dean of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science.

- Greetings, Rossin College graduates. I remember almost four years ago when you graduating seniors were first year students. It was my first day on the job as dean, and you were the incoming class of 2020. I met with your entire class in Packard Laboratory. I told you that Lehigh's goal is to educate students who, when they graduate, are prepared to go out and have a profound impact on the world around them. We talked about the opportunities that you would have at Lehigh to learn from our amazing faculty, to find your passions, and to prepare for your future. You have taken those opportunities and are now prepared to move forward. Master's graduates, you've gone a step further by pursuing that advanced degree that allowed you to focus your education with either, with even greater depth and clarity. Doctoral graduates, you have achieved the ultimate academic decree, becoming the true scholars and experts in your field. I'm confident that you are all ready to go forth from Lehigh. As I told your incoming class four years ago, I now challenge each and every one of you to go out and make an impact on the world. In engineering we talk a lot about finding solutions to society's grand challenges. We are all living through one of those grand challenges presently. I firmly believe that through this experience, you will emerge as better engineers, even more equipped to address the challenges and opportunities ahead of you. You will thrive by channeling your passion and your energy into making a difference, and to changing the world around you as only Lehigh engineers can. On behalf of the faculty and staff of the Rossin College, I offer our best wishes and our heartfelt congratulations to you all, the class of 2020. I now present the candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, and upon the recommendation of the faculty, and by vote of the Board of Trustees, is presented to you to receive that degree.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- I now present the candidates for the Master's degree in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering or Master of Science in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, and upon recommendation of the faculty, and by vote of the Board of Trustees, is presented to you to receive that degree.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Master of Engineering or Master of Science with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- I now present the candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed the requirements for graduation, and upon the recommendation of the faculty, and by vote of the Board of Trustees, is presented to you to receive the degree of Bachelor of Science.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Bachelor of Science with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- Congratulations to the new graduates of Lehigh University's P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science.

- I once again recognize Georgette Chapman Phillips, the Kevin L. And Lisa A. Clayton Dean of the College of Business.

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- I now present the candidates for the Master's degree in the interdisciplinary programs from the College of Business, the College of Education, and the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed the requirements for the degree of Master's of Business Administration and Educational Leadership, Master's of Business Administration and Engineering, or Master of Science in Financial Engineering upon recommendation of the faculty, and by vote of the Board of Trustees, I present these candidates to you to receive that degree.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Master of Business Administration and Educational Leadership, Master of Business Administration and Engineering, or Master of Science and Financial Engineering with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- I again recognize Stephen DeWeerth, Dean of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science.

- I now present the candidates for the Bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary programs from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, and the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. President Simon, each of these candidates has completed all the requirements for graduation, and upon the recommendation of the faculty, and by vote of the Board of Trustees, is presented to you to receive the degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Business, Bachelor of Science in Integrated Business and Engineering, or Bachelor of Science Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts, and Sciences for which the candidate has qualified.

- Candidates, I confer upon each of you the degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Business, Bachelor of Science in Integrated Business and Engineering, or Bachelor of Science Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts, and Sciences for which you have qualified with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining there to.

- Congratulations to the new graduates of Lehigh University's interdisciplinary programs, from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, and the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science.

- Congratulations to all the graduates who I've had in my classes these last four years. I'm sorry we won't be able to say hi one last time in person, but I do hope you'll stay in touch, and let me know about all of your post-Lehigh adventures.

- To the Lehigh class of 2020, the next chapter of your life is here. As you move on from Lehigh University, please keep asking questions and seeking out new knowledge. Most importantly, strive to be force of good in the world. Congratulations to you all! You are what make Lehigh University a wonderful place to be.

- Congratulations to the class of 2020. Wishing you happiness and many blessings.

- Just want to congratulate the Lehigh class of 2020 on all you've accomplished, and your graduation in particular. It's been great having a chance to work with you. I just really want to emphasize that I've learned so much from you, and wish you the best moving forward.

- Congratulations class of 2020. It's been so exciting to watch each of you grow throughout your years here. Over the past few months, it's definitely been a difficult time, but you are a true example of what dedication and relentlessness looks like. I'm sure you will go out and do amazing things, and we can't wait to see what they look like. Congrats and best of luck to each one of you!

- Congratulations to Lehigh class of 2020. Best of luck in all that you do, and stay in touch with your professors back at Lehigh. We always love hearing from you.

- Congratulations Lehigh graduates, especially those in material science and engineering, my home department. I'm so proud of you all. You've done so much to help get through this difficult semester. I wish you great success, health, and happiness for all of your future endeavors.

- Congratulations Lehigh class of 2020. I'm so proud of you. I wish I could be there cheering you on from the stage as you get your diploma. I can't wait to hear all the amazing things that you do, so I wish you the best of luck and, again, congratulations from me and Rosa. Yay Rosa! Yay!

- Congratulations to all the journalism majors, and to the students from all three colleges who worked on the Brown and White during this extraordinary semester. Great job!

- Congratulations newly minted Lehigh graduates. We're sorry that we can't be there with you right now to celebrate, but please come back and visit us any time. Our doors are always open. We're happy to welcome you back as alumni. Congratulations!

- Congratulations to all the graduates in the class of 2020, especially those in the College of Education. We wish you the best of luck, and we're very proud of your efforts during this period of time.

- I just want to say to all of you I know, and those of you I didn't have the pleasure to get to know, congratulations Lehigh University graduating class of 2020! Y'all did that. Can't wait to celebrate with you in person. Until then, know that you have nothing but our praise and celebration. We are Lehigh strong together, and you did it.

- Good luck to the class of 2020. My advise for journalism majors applies to everybody, I think. Stand up for your rights, do what's ethical, and always put the comma inside the quotation mark.

- Congratulations to our graduates in 2020. We're really proud of you, your perseverance, your creativity, dealing with a difficult time, but also enjoying your Lehigh experience, and everything that you've put into it. Enjoy the rewards of all your hard work, and we wish you all the best as you move forward into your future careers.

- To marketing graduates, to College of Business graduates, to Lehigh class of 2020, congratulations! This has not been an easy year, but you made it. I feel so proud of you. I wish you a great start of your new life. Please remember wherever you go, we will always be here for you. Come visit us. Stay positive, stay smart, and stay together.

- To the class of 2020, I wish you a continued path of curiosity, discovery, and illumination. Congratulations!

- Class of 2020, I just wanted to wish you a huge congratulations on graduation. There is not the teeniest sliver of the public or private sector that doesn't just desperately need your expertise, and your creativity, so I for one cannot wait to see all the things that you do, and know that we desperately need you to do them.

- Thank you so much for all of your hard work over the last four years. Special thanks to our Brown and White editors that are seniors that are graduating and going out into the world. Best of luck!

- We're sending you out at a time when the world desperately needs the kinds of graduates that Lehigh produces. It's going to be very, very hard, but whatever the future holds for us, I know you'll make us proud. Remember that you're now a part of the Lehigh family, and we share a special bond. Please come back to campus when it's finally safe again. Until then, I offer you my congratulations, and heartfelt best wishes.

- Class of 2020, my hearty congratulations. You are now part of the 85,000 plus Lehigh University alumni network, and we are proud to welcome you. We look forward to hearing about all of your accomplishment in the years to come. I encourage you to continue sharing your graduation photos, and I encourage the Lehigh community to continue sharing congratulatory messages to the class of 2020, and I look forward to when we can all be together in person, and you can watch each other move your tassels to the left, as so many Lehigh alumni before you have done. Until we meet again, be well.

♪ Where the Lehigh's rocky rapids ♪ ♪ Rush from out the west ♪ ♪ Mid a grove of spreading chestnuts ♪ ♪ Walls in ivy dressed ♪ ♪ On the breast of Old South Mountain ♪ ♪ Reared against the sky ♪ ♪ Stands our noble alma mater ♪ ♪ Stands our dear Lehigh ♪ ♪ Like a watchman on the mountain ♪ ♪ Stands she grandly bold ♪ ♪ Earth's and Heaven's secret seeking ♪ ♪ Hoarding them like gold ♪ ♪ All she wrests from nature's storehouse ♪ ♪ Naught escapes her eye ♪ ♪ Gives she gladly to her dear ones ♪ ♪ While we bless Lehigh ♪ ♪ We will ever live to love her ♪ ♪ Live to praise her name ♪ ♪ Live to make our lives add luster ♪ ♪ To her glorious fame ♪ ♪ Let the glad notes wake the echo ♪ ♪ Joyfully we cry ♪ ♪ Hail the thee, our alma mater ♪ ♪ Hail, all hail, Lehigh ♪