Keynoting the Master’s Ceremony I on May 27, for graduates in the Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences, Natural and Behavioral Sciences, and Visual, Media, and Performing Arts, was noted composer David Amram, who was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts. Appointed by Leonard Bernstein as the first Composer in Residence for the New York Philharmonic, David Amram composed the scores for the films Pull My Daisy (1959), Splendor in the Grass (1960), and The Manchurian Candidate (1962). He was also the composer and music director for the Lincoln Center Theatre and for 29 years was the Brooklyn Philharmonic’s musical director.

Dr. Leon Glass ’63, one of the world’s leading theoretical biologists, keynoted the Master’s Ceremony II on May 27 for graduates in the Schools of Business and Education. Glass, a trained chemist and a trailblazer in using physics and mathematics to understand the complex physiological phenomena that occur with certain human ailments, has the distinction of having several of his scientific discoveries named in his honor, including “Glass Patterns,” which clarified understanding of how the human brain processes visual stimuli.

The May 28 baccalaureate ceremony was keynoted by Barry Salzberg ’74, the global chief executive officer of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (Deloitte Global), the world’s largest professional services network. “The friendships that you build here at ¿ÉÀÖÊÓƵ will help you to succeed both personally and professionally for decades to come,” Salzberg told graduates.

As Deloitte Global CEO, Salzberg leads its executive committee, which is responsible for establishing Deloitte Global’s vision and strategy. Salzberg is also a member of the Deloitte Global Board of Directors. After graduating from ¿ÉÀÖÊÓƵ cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in accounting, Salzberg enrolled in Brooklyn Law School, earning his Juris Doctor in 1977. He then joined Haskins & Sells (later merged with Touche Ross to become Deloitte), specializing in tax accounting. In 1981, he earned a Master of Laws in taxation at New York University, and by 1985 became partner at Deloitte LLP (United States).

The Class of 2015 valedictorian was Joshua V. Kurian. “Now we can use our acquired knowledge to serve our community,” he told fellow graduates. Kurian is the recipient of the Christoph M. Kimmich Award for Academic Excellence. He will attend SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in the fall.

Other distinguished speakers at the baccalaureate ceremony included McGill University Director of MSc in Public Health Dr. Rebecca Fuhrer ’67, who received the Distinguished Alumni Award, and Presidential Medal recipient Diana Rogovin Davidow ’66, ’73 M.S., a counselor, painter, leader in the field of speech pathology, and a philanthropist after whom the ¿ÉÀÖÊÓƵ Speech and Hearing Center is named.

Gisely Colón-López, Class of 2015 salutatorian, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Puerto Rican and Latino studies. She plans to obtain a Ph.D. and pursue a career in politics and education.

For more commencement highlights, visit the college’s and pages and use the hashtag #¿ÉÀÖÊÓƵGrad2015.

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Parkinson’s disease (PD) — made more widely-known to the public by actor Michael J. Fox, who revealed he had PD in 1998 — is a chronic and progressive movement disorder caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain that help control motor abilities. Although there is no cure, unchecked, PD’s symptoms — tremors of the hand, limbs, jaw and face; slowness of movement; stiffness of the limbs and trunk; impaired balance and coordination; and speech impairment — worsen more quickly over time. Nearly one million people are living with PD.

“Professor Gail Gurland, deputy chair and program director for graduate studies in our department introduced me to Diana, and we started talking about a program that caters to PD clients,” says Sharon Beaumont-Bowman, assistant professor in the Department of Speech Communications Arts and Sciences, who along with alumna Diana Rogovin Davidow ’66 ’71 M.S., worked to initiate LSVT at ¿ÉÀÖÊÓƵ in spring 2013.

Under the supervision of Beaumont-Bowman, the four-week therapy program is dually designed to support the communication skills of individuals with PD, while giving students majoring in speech-language pathology intensive one-on-one diagnostic and treatment training.

“The LSVT program gives those with PD a go-to place because we have created a solid foundation for them where they can feel comfortable and be themselves,” said Beaumont-Bowman. “We want them to have a vibrant attitude about life even though they’re living with this chronic disease.”

To this end, students also work with PD clients in social settings with specially designed singing, dancing, and other community-based classes offered through the  Brooklyn Parkinson Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of those with Parkinson’s through arts-based activities.

“We have formed a relationship with Brooklyn Parkinson Group and look forward to strengthening it so as to serve the community. This is very important,” says Beaumont-Bowman.

Of the LSVT program, graduate student Ashley Small ’13 M.S., has high praise. “Professor Beaumont-Bowman challenged me in appropriate ways and pushed me to learn more about myself and my clients,” said Small.

“I also enjoyed watching my fellow colleagues’ sessions. It was important to see how each colleague dealt with different issues, and to get their advice on those issues that arose in my sessions,” she said.

“I feel that I have a much better understanding of some of the unique challenges, both physical and emotional, that PD patients face on a daily basis, says Kevin Hodge ’13, another speech-language pathology graduate student in the program. “I know that I can apply that knowledge and understanding to all future clients.”

The benefits are not for the students alone. Those PD patients who participated in the program have reported that their self-esteem has increased tremendously and expressed satisfaction with the course of voice therapy.

One client revealed that his friends have made positive comments about his increased vocal volume and that acquaintances told him that they were unaware he was even able to speak until he began the LSVT program. With his increased feeling of confidence he is now interested in attending group therapy at ¿ÉÀÖÊÓƵ.

The Lee Silverman Voice Treatment program is named for a woman with PD whose family challenged speech-language pathologists and researchers to come up with a way to communicate with her. The challenge grew into a program that eventually became LSVT Global, a for-profit organization that trains speech-language pathologists world-wide in a research based, proprietary speech therapy approach.

Four speech-language pathology graduate students were certified in LSVT in Spring 2013, and with the continued financial support of Davidow — who in 2007 donated $1 million to what was formerly known as the ¿ÉÀÖÊÓƵ Speech and Hearing Center — and other contributors, Beaumont-Bowman hopes to offer the program to students this fall.

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