Mercy College to Celebrate 2022 Graduates at Commencement Ceremonies

Mercy College will celebrate 2,670 graduates from the Class of 2022 at commencement ceremonies to be held on the Dobbs Ferry Campus, May 17, 18 and 19. The return of commencement to the Dobbs Ferry Campus marks the first time in 35 years that graduation ceremonies will be held on-campus. In addition to the in-person ceremonies, all commencement addresses and awarding of diplomas will be live-streamed for families, friends and guests of the graduating students.

The individual ceremonies of each of Mercy’s five schools will celebrate keynote remarks from speakers who have demonstrated a commitment to giving back to their communities and exceptional leadership in the fields of health, media, business, education and social sciences. School graduation celebrations will also include addresses given by selected student speakers,  and the conferring of degrees by Mercy College President Tim Hall.

“Celebrating our students at graduation and conferring their degrees is something I look forward to all year,” said Mercy College President Tim Hall. “Mercy graduates have overcome many obstacles, including a pandemic, to earn their degrees and I am delighted that we can celebrate in person after two long years and once again host the ceremonies on the Dobbs Ferry Campus for the first time in 35 years.”

Honorary degrees will be bestowed on the five commencement speakers for their lifetime achievements and outstanding contributions to society. The Mercy College 2022 honorary degree recipients include:

School of Social and Behavioral Sciences: Ian Kerner, Ph.D., LMFT, M.S., is a licensed psychotherapist and nationally recognized sexuality counselor who specializes in sex therapy, couples therapy and working with individuals. He is regularly quoted as an expert in various media, most recently in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Economist, NPR and is a contributor to CNN Health. Kerner lectures on a wide range of relationship topics, most recently for the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium, Ackerman Institute, Tony Robbins, Goop, and TED 2021. He is a New York Times best-selling author, a Clinical Fellow of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and holds membership in the Society for Sex Therapy and Research and The American Family Therapy Academy. He is certified by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists and has sat on their Board of Directors. Kerner received his Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Mercy College. Kerner will be awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters by Mercy College.

School of Education: Paul Broadie II, Ph.D. took office as president of Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida., in February 2020. Within his first few months, he engaged key leaders in discussions of potential partnerships, took steps to bridge the digital divide by providing students in rural areas greater access to technology, and challenged college leaders to change the mentality, where it exists, that college is not for everyone. For nearly three decades, Broadie has expanded academic programs, student services, innovative technology, community partnerships and campus facilities, always with a focus on the student. Prior to his tenure at Santa Fe College, he simultaneously headed Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Gateway Community College in New Haven, Connecticut. Broadie was named among Connecticut’s 100 most influential by the NAACP and among the region’s 50 most influential by New Haven Biz magazine. He holds a doctorate from Colorado State University, a Master of Business Administration  from Long Island University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration  from Mercy College. Broadie will be awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters.

School of Business: Umran Beba, M.B.A., is a partner at August Leadership, an executive search firm based in New York City where she serves as a search, leadership, and diversity consultant. As an experienced senior business executive, she spent 25 years working with PepsiCo in Istanbul, Hong Kong, Dubai, and New York, and served as the Asia Pacific President of PepsiCo after performing in leadership roles in Southeast Europe, East Mediterranean/Middle East, and Turkey. She co-founded the Beba Innovation and Entrepreneurship Foundation and serves on boards of  Bakkavor Group plc, International Youth Foundation and Purchase College Foundation. Beba is a member of the Advisory Board of Mercy’s School of Business as well as the Board of Overseers for Columbia University School of Professional Studies. She co-authored the book “ Leaders with Purpose” in Turkish (Deger Yaratan Liderler), published this year. She has a Master of Business Administration , and a bachelor of science  degree in industrial engineering from Bogaziçi University in Istanbul. Beba will be awarded a Doctor of Commercial Science.

School of Liberal Arts: Sharon Epperson, CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent, is a journalist, author and sought-after speaker on a wide range of personal finance topics. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, USA Weekend, Self, Essence, Ebony and TIME. She is a lead contributor to a multi-platform financial wellness and education initiative at CNBC and contributes to NBC’s TODAY and NBC Nightly News. Since sustaining a ruptured brain aneurysm in 2016, Epperson has worked to raise awareness and research funding via The Sharon Epperson Chair of Research, which she and her family established through the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. Among her many industry and civic awards are a Special Achievement Award from the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and honors from both the National and New York chapters of the Association of Black Journalists. Epperson has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and government from Harvard University and a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, where she has taught in the School of International and Public Affairs and the Graduate School of Journalism. Epperson will be awarded a Doctor of Letters.

School of Health and Natural Sciences: Susan Fox, RN, M.B.A., president and chief executive officer of White Plains Hospital (WPH), has been at the forefront of the health care industry transformation for the last decade. She joined WPH in 2010 as senior vice president of administration, taking the helm as chief executive officer  in 2015. In prior positions,  Fox was a senior vice president at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System and a senior manager of health care consulting at Ernst & Young. She currently chairs the Westchester County Association and is former chair of the American Hospital Association (AHA) Regional Policy Board 2 and past member of AHA’s Board of Trustees. She serves on the Columbia University School of Nursing Board of Visitors and the Board of the Healthcare Association of New York State. Fox has been repeatedly named among the Westchester Power 100, honored with the 914 Inc. Women in Business Award, and repeatedly recognized as a leader in business by Westchester Magazine and Westfair. A Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, she has a bachelor’s degree  in nursing from Columbia University and an Master of Business Administration  from Baruch College, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Fox will be awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters.

For complete details about each of Mercy College’s five Commencement ceremonies, including date, time and location, please visit https://www.mercy.edu/campus-life/commencement.