Doctoral
Hooding Ceremony
28 September 2012
Program
Processional
Welcome
John V. Caron
Senior Associate Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs
Remarks
John G. LaBrie
Dean of the College
Joan Fitzgerald
Interim Dean, School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs
Announcement of Graduates
Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy
Susan M. Lowe
Director
Doctor of Law and Policy
Daniel Urman
Director
Doctor of Education
Mya M. Mangawang
Senior Assistant Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs
Presentation of the Dean’s Medal for Outstanding Doctoral Work
John G. LaBrie
Dean of the College
Remarks of Award Recipient
Closing Remarks
John V. Caron
Senior Associate Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs
Recessional
Please join graduates and faculty at the reception following the ceremony.
University Marshals
Wesley Marple, Chief Marshal
Gerald H. Herman, Senior Associate Marshal
Stefano Basagni, Associate Marshal
Jeffery Born, Associate Marshal
Christopher Bosso, Associate Marshal
David Boyd, Associate Marshal
Luca Caracoglia, Associate Marshal
Dennis Cokely, Associate Marshal
Jean Egan, Associate Marshal
William J. Fowler, Associate Marshal
Robert Gilbert, Associate Marshal
Arvin Grabel, Associate Marshal
Dorett Hope, Associate Marshal
Leon Janikian, Associate Marshal
Mary Jo Ondrechen, Associate Marshal
Carmen Sceppa, Associate Marshal
Susan Ventura, Associate Marshal
Ronald Willey, Associate Marshal
This program is for ceremonial purposes only and is not to be considered an official confirmation of
degree information. It contains only those details available at the publication deadline.
The Office of the University Registrar maintains the official lists of all graduates.
Transitional Doctor of
Physical Therapy Theses
Christopher Michael Cesario
Thesis: Can Academic Factors Predict Success on Clinical Education Experiences?
Advisor: Mary Ann Wilmarth
Monica Digenio
Thesis: Implementation of an Expanded Consultative Approach to Coordinate Care for a
Student with Physical Disabilities in School and Work Environments: A Case Report
Advisor: Mary Ann Wilmarth
Judith Gawron
Thesis: Why Physical Therapy Clinicians Accept PTA Students for Clinical Rotations
Advisor: Mary Ann Wilmarth
Tammy Marie Gilbert
Thesis: Practicing as a Doctor of Physical Therapy is Paramount for Successful
Management of a Complex Shoulder Case
Advisor: Mary Ann Wilmarth
Roberta York Hawkins
Thesis: Resident Case Problem: Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis in a Post
Proximal Humerus Fracture: Importance of Medical Screening in the Outpatient Setting
Advisor: Mary Ann Wilmarth
Marcey Lee Keefer Hutchison
Thesis: Physical Therapy Clinical Guidelines and Utilization: A Retrospective Study
of Practice Patterns
Advisor: Mary Ann Wilmarth
Elizabeth Ann Kliss
Thesis: Use of a Lower Extremity Robotic Device on an Individual Long-Term Post
CVA with Moderate to Severe Tone: A Case Study
Advisor: Mary Ann Wilmarth
Stephanie Dawn Raymond
Thesis: Identification and Management of Acetabular Labral Tears: A Resident’s Case Study
Advisor: Mary Ann Wilmarth
This program is for ceremonial purposes only and is not to be considered an official confirmation of
degree information. It contains only those details available at the publication deadline.
The Office of the University Registrar maintains the official lists of all graduates.
Madhu Rishi
Thesis: Changing Role of Physical Therapist in Management of Osteoporosis in PostMenopausal Women: Special Emphasis on Populations with Urinary Incontinence
Advisor: Mary Ann Wilmarth
Sarah Pinneo Talley
Thesis: Help! My Patient Has Pelvic Pain: A Clinical Guide to Screening, Examination,
and Referral for the Orthopedic Therapist
Advisor: Mary Ann Wilmarth
Doctor of Law and Policy Theses
Walter Adam Berbrick
Thesis: Strengthening U.S. Arctic Policy Through U.S.-Russian Maritime Cooperation
Advisor: Robert D. Pritchard
Christopher Scott Davis
Thesis: The Cost Effectiveness of Baccalaureate Programs at Two-Year Public Colleges:
A Policy Option to Support the Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011
Advisor: Kelly J. Conn
Dwight Richard Dunk
Thesis: Natural Resource Damage Claims per the Oil Pollution Act of 1990:
Examining Twenty-One Years of Data to Predict Damage Claims
Advisor: Robert D. Pritchard
Earl Benedict Ettienne
Thesis: Latin American and Caribbean Nations in Washington, D.C.: Lobbying,
Foreign Direct Investment, and the Party in Power
Advisor: Robert D. Pritchard
Susan M. Fernandes
Thesis: Improving Adult Congenital Heart Disease Care: An Analysis of Referral
Patterns and Barriers Perceived by U.S. Pediatric Cardiologists and Policy
Recommendations for Action
Advisor: Kelly J. Conn
Timothy Sean Gramling
Thesis: How Student Characteristics Predict For-Profit University Graduation Odds
Advisor: Kelly J. Conn
This program is for ceremonial purposes only and is not to be considered an official confirmation of
degree information. It contains only those details available at the publication deadline.
The Office of the University Registrar maintains the official lists of all graduates.
Lonie Stanford Haynes
Thesis: The Clinician Placement Initiative (CPI): Reducing Health Inequities Through
Healthcare Workforce Diversity
Advisor: Robert D. Pritchard
Susan McDaniel Hohenhaus
Thesis: Increasing Emergency Nursing Education: Actions for Change
Advisor: Kelly J. Conn
Charles E. Killam
Thesis: The Future of Electronic Health Records: How to Sustain EHRS Beyond 2015
Advisor: James Alan Fox
Morteza Minaee
Thesis: In Search of a Coherent Framework: FDA Oversight of Microarray Based
Cytogenetic Tests
Advisor: Kelly J. Conn
Christopher Declercq Zambakari
Thesis: New Sudan, Colonialism, Politics, and the Making of a New State in
South Sudan
Advisor: Kelly J. Conn
Doctor of Education Theses
John J. Antonucci
Thesis: The Experience of School Superintendent Leadership in the 21st Century:
A Phenomenological Study
Advisor: Francis Connor
Daniel Adolf Augusto
Thesis: Ethics Studies in Graduate-Level Organizational Security Management
Programs: Development of a Grounded Theory
Advisor: Joseph McNabb
Christina Lynn Bebas*
Thesis: A Mixed Methods Study of the Impact of a Teacher Education Program
Using Professional Development Schools on Teacher Persistence
Advisor: Chris Unger
This program is for ceremonial purposes only and is not to be considered an official confirmation of
degree information. It contains only those details available at the publication deadline.
The Office of the University Registrar maintains the official lists of all graduates.
Elizabeth Ann Bettencourt
Thesis: Redefining Mentoring: An Evaluation of a Second-Year Teacher
Mentoring Program
Advisor: Chris Unger
Shawn Michael Brown
Thesis: Organizational Adaptation to the Rapidly Changing External Environment:
A Case Study of Strategic Marketing at Notre Dame College in Ohio
Advisor: Leslie Hitch
Vaughn Albert Calhoun
Thesis: Division I Student Athletes and the Experience of Academic Clustering
Advisor: David Szabla
Pauline Francoeur Camara
Thesis: The Effects of Community Service on the Academic Performance of Students
at a Massachusetts Middle School
Advisor: Lynda Beltz
Colin Mackenzie Everett
Thesis: Changing a High School’s Master Schedule to Foster Teacher Collaboration
with a Focus on Instruction: A Case Study
Advisor: Chris Unger
Jennifer Bissell Finley
Thesis: The Early Integration of First-Generation College Students
Advisor: Lynda Beltz
Sheila Brennan Fisher
Thesis: Changing Teacher Attitudes Through Data Analysis
Advisor: Claire Jackson
Sandra J. Forand
Thesis: Teachers’ Attitudes and Perceptions about Pay for Performance
Advisor: Chris Unger
Diana Marie Galluzzo
Thesis: The Academic and Social Impact of Divorce on Early Childhood Students
in School
Advisor: Sara Ewell
This program is for ceremonial purposes only and is not to be considered an official confirmation of
degree information. It contains only those details available at the publication deadline.
The Office of the University Registrar maintains the official lists of all graduates.
Mark Christopher Garceau
Thesis: Leadership for Instructional Improvement: An Examination of How
Principals Share Leadership
Advisor: Jane Lohmann
Shaton Monique Glover-Alves
Thesis: A Qualitative Assessment of the Meaning of Shared Governance at a
Parochial University
Advisor: Joseph McNabb
Mike Dennis Janicki
Thesis: Developing a College-Ready Culture: A Case Study in Leadership and
Change at a Small Urban School
Advisor: Claire Jackson
Mary Eileen Taylor Osborne
Thesis: Ninth-Grade Transition: A Case Study of Tewksbury Memorial High
School’s Program
Advisor: Kelly J. Conn
Andrea R. Pleau
Thesis: Adolescent Attitudes Towards Virtual Learning
Advisor: Francis Connor
Cara Procek
Thesis: Leading for Change: How Leadership Style Impacts Teachers’ Experiences
Advisor: Chris Unger
Valerie M. Smith
Thesis: Co-Teaching: A Case Study of Teachers’ Perceptions
Advisor: Margaret Dougherty
Barbara Starkie
Thesis: Data Sharing Through Parent Portals: An Exploration of Parental
Motivation, Data Use, and the Promise of Prolonged Parent Involvement
Advisor: Lynda Beltz
Amy E. Tarallo
Thesis: Understanding Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Higher Education
Advisor: Carol Young
This program is for ceremonial purposes only and is not to be considered an official confirmation of
degree information. It contains only those details available at the publication deadline.
The Office of the University Registrar maintains the official lists of all graduates.
William V. Whalen III
Thesis: The Single-Gender Classroom: Improving Middle School Students’
Achievement in Math
Advisor: Kimberly Nolan
Kerri Ann Whipple
Thesis: Differentiated Instruction: A Survey Study of Teacher Understanding and
Implementation in a Southeast Massachusetts School District
Advisor: Carol Young
Karen Abigail Williams
Thesis: Low-Income Students and Expensive, Highly Ranked Private Colleges:
An Investigation of the Role of Habitus on College Choice and Debt Tolerance
Advisor: Leslie Hitch
Mark L. Yorra
Thesis: The Development of Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem in Pharmacy Students
Based on Experimental Education
Advisor: Joseph McNabb
Anita M. Young
Thesis: A Prescription for Reframing Continuing Pharmacy Education in Massachusetts
Advisor: Joseph McNabb
*Dean’s Medal for Outstanding Doctoral Work Recipient
Dean’s Medal for Outstanding
Doctoral Work
The Dean’s Medal for Outstanding Doctoral Work is the highest honor awarded by the
College of Professional Studies to a doctoral graduate. It was established to acknowledge
exemplary academic achievement and to recognize demonstrated creativity.
The process for determining a recipient involves an evaluation of select candidates based
on the following criteria: the degree of comprehension, innovation, and creativity; the
scope and importance of the work to a field of study; and the caliber of writing. Faculty
advisors from all three doctoral degree programs are invited to nominate students whose
final doctoral work they deem exceptional. A review committee composed of faculty
from the College chooses three finalists, and the Dean of the College ultimately makes
the final decision.
Christina Bebas, Ed.D.
Christina Bebas, a 2012 graduate of the Doctor of Education program, is this year’s
recipient of the Dean’s Medal for Outstanding Doctoral Work. Dr. Bebas earned a
Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education and psychology at Stonehill College, in
North Easton, MA, and two master’s degrees, in elementary education and leadership
and administration, from Worcester State University in Worcester, MA.
An educator for 15 years, Dr. Bebas is an assistant professor of education at Worcester
State. Her early passion for education led her to become a sixth-grade teacher for the
Worcester Public Schools, where she discovered an interest in improving schools and
urban education. Her master’s-level work focused on the problem of global and national
teacher attrition and possible solutions. As a clinical professor at Worcester State, Dr.
Bebas managed a school-university partnership between Worcester State and six
Worcester elementary schools. This experience has focused her attention on the
potential of teacher education programs to help alleviate teacher attrition.
Her doctoral thesis, “A Mixed Methods Study of the Impact of a Teacher Education
Program Using Professional Development Schools on Teacher Persistence,” evaluates
the degree to which the elementary education program at Worcester State University
impacts new teachers’ persistence in the teaching profession. Her goal is for the results of
this study to help improve Worcester State University’s teacher education program and
inspire others to help alleviate the teacher attrition problem.
In addition to these research interests, Dr. Bebas enjoys learning about the education systems in countries around the world. She travelled to Japan as part of the Japan Fulbright
Memorial Fund Teacher Program in 2008, and has explored the schools and educational
systems in Great Britain and Sweden as well. Her plans include further exploration in
other countries.
Historical Notes on
Academic Dress
Academic dress appears to have originated at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge
more than 600 years ago. To this day, the most colorful gowns in the world are those
worn at Oxford functions. European institutions show great diversity in their academic
costume, since each adopted or initiated its own dress.
In contrast, American colleges and universities follow a single system of academic
apparel. In 1894, a group of leading American educators met to draft guidelines on
apparel, known as the Intercollegiate Code, which were adopted the following year and
slightly amended in 1932.
The distinctions set up by the Intercollegiate Code are simple. Gowns for the bachelor’s
degree are to be fashioned from “worsted stuff,” with a yoke, pleated front, and intricate
shirring across the shoulders and back. Worn closed, the bachelor’s gown is distinguished
primarily by its long pointed sleeves. The master’s gown has the same yoke effect and
long crescent-shaped sleeves; it may be worn open or closed.
The doctor’s gown, which also may be worn open or closed, has velvet panels draped
around the neck. Three horizontal velvet bars are stitched on full bell-shaped sleeves.
This velvet trimming may be black or in the color that indicates the field of study to
which the degree refers.
Northeastern University’s distinctive doctoral gown is crimson with black velvet panels
and sleeve bars. The crimson cap, or mortarboard, bears a gold metallic tassel. In
accordance with academic custom, recipients of the doctor’s degree, members of the
University’s governing boards, and government officials in the procession are entitled to
wear the official regalia.
The bachelor’s and master’s hoods have a similar shape, while the doctor’s hood has a
rounded base. The length of the hood indicates the level of academic achievement, with
the doctor’s hood being longest; the width of the border distinguishes the degree, with
the doctor’s being widest. The color of the border reflects the field of study, while the
color of the lining indicates the institution conferring the degree.
At Northeastern, where only the master’s and doctor’s hoods are worn, a black chevron
on a crimson background is used for the lining.
When colors were first assigned to signify a particular field of study, historical associations
were retained as much as possible. For example, white for the arts refers back to the white
fur edging of the Oxford hood; red for theology to the traditional color of the church;
and green for medicine to the color of herbs.
The tassel on the mortarboard may be black or a color that indicates the graduate’s
major field of study.