A leader in producing transformative change in higher education and a world-recognized physicist will both be featured when the State University of New York at Old Westbury holds its 59th Commencement Ceremony in May.
University President Timothy Sams announced to campus on April 24, 2025, that Dr. Alberto J.F. Cardelle, president of the State University of New York at Oneonta, will serve as Commencement Speaker while Dr. Sylvester James Gates, Jr., Clark Leadership Chair in Science at the University of Maryland, will be presented with a Doctor of Science (Sc.D.), Honoris Causa.
“I am extremely honored that both of these leaders have agreed to join us and that our graduates, their guests, and our faculty and staff will have the opportunity to hear and learn from them,” said Sams in making the announcement. “I look forward to welcoming Dr. Cardelle and Dr. Gates to Commencement as we celebrate the successes of our graduates.”
Dr. Cardelle is the ninth president of SUNY Oneonta, a role he has held since September 2021. He is a devoted leader dedicated to building community and championing the needs of students, faculty, and staff for their success. At the heart of his work is a steadfast belief in the transformative role of public higher education, a commitment to equity, and a strong sense of optimism about the potential future generations hold to improve our world. Along with prior administrative posts at Fitchburg State University and East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, Dr. Cardelle's career includes work in public health with the World Health Organization, the American Medical Student Association, UNICEF, and Oxfam America. Due to his vision and experience, he has been asked and currently serves on the board of directors for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the New York State Health Equity Council, the NCAA Division III President’s Council.
Dr. Gates is a world-leading theoretical physicist known for his pioneering work in supersymmetry and supergravity, areas closely related to string theory. Established across a career spanning decades, his work connects the two major achievements of 20th century physics, namely Einstein's theory of General Relativity, a theory of gravity, and the Standard Model of
Particle Physics, a theory of electricity, magnetism, and nuclear forces. Currently, he serves as the Clark Leadership Chair in Science, Distinguished University Professor and Regents Professor within the University of Maryland. He is a past president of the National Society of Black Physicists and an NSBP Fellow, as well as a Fellow and past president of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Institute of Physics in the United Kingdom. He is also an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. In 2013, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, becoming the first African American theoretical physicist so recognized in its 150-year history. President Barack Obama awarded Dr. Gates the National Medal of Science at a White House ceremony in 2013.
SUNY Old Westbury’s 59th Commencement Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 12 p.m. at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.