Providence, RI – Providence College will hold its Eighty-Sixth Commencement Exercises at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence on Sunday, May 16, 2004. More than 1,230 students from the College’s undergraduate day school, Graduate Studies program and School of Continuing Education will receive degrees.

 

The College also will award five honorary degrees to leaders of the religious, academic, and business communities. Heading the list of recipients is the commencement speaker, the Most Rev. Sean Patrick O’Malley, O.F.M., Cap., archbishop of Boston, Mass.

Also receiving honorary degrees:

 

 

Bishop O’Malley was installed last July 30 as Boston’s sixth archbishop. In his short period as archbishop, he has won praise for his warmth, compassion, and strength, particularly in reaching out to victims of clergy sexual abuse. At the time of his appointment in Boston, Bishop O’Malley was less than a year into his appointment as bishop of Palm Beach, Fla.

 

Known as “Bishop Sean,” he served as bishop of Fall River, Mass., for a decade beginning in the summer of 1992. From 1985-92, he was the bishop of St. Thomas in the American Virgin Islands.      

 

Ordained a priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin in 1970, Bishop O’Malley went on to earn a master’s degree in religious education and a doctorate in Spanish and Portuguese literature, both at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

 

In 1998, Bishop O'Malley was appointed by Pope John Paul II to the Synod of Bishops for Oceania, which was held at the Vatican from for three weeks in the late fall. He has also served as apostolic visitor for several seminaries in Central America and the Caribbean. He is a member of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States Catholic Conference. In November 2000, he was elected by his fellow bishops to serve as chairman of their Committee on Consecrated Life. Currently, he is also a member of two other committees that oversee aspects of the bishops’ work: the Committee on Shrines and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

 

 

 

Dr. Canavan has served Providence College with distinction since 1996 as its vice president for academic administration. He plans to step down for personal reasons in June.

He previously served Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA for 17 years, first as dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences from 1979-89, then as interim vice president for academic affairs in 1989-90, and finally as dean of arts and sciences from 1990-96. He also served as vice president for planning and implementation from 1993-95.

 

Dr. Canavan’s academic resume includes a doctorate with distinction and a master’s degree with honors in English and comparative literature—both from Columbia University; a bachelor’s degree cum laude from Fordham University; membership in Phi Beta Kappa; and honorary memberships in Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Sigma Lambda.

 

Dr. Canavan has taught courses at PC, Drexel, Temple, and Hunter College; has been involved in several national and regional symposia and conference panels; and has been published in Journal of the History of Ideas, Criticism, The Scriblerian, and the Philadelphia Business Journal.

 

Dr. Hayes retired in 2003 after eight years as president of the University of San Diego, a milestone that is only one part of a long career that took her from teaching into college administration. She previously served Saint Louis University for six years as executive vice president, provost, and professor of biology. That followed a 27-year career at Loyola University of Chicago, where she was a researcher and professor, Department of Natural Science chair, dean for the natural sciences, associate academic vice president, and finally, vice president for academic affairs.

 

A National Science Foundation fellow at Northwestern University, Dr. Hayes earned her doctorate in biology there after receiving a master’s degree in the same field at the University of Illinois. She has received honorary doctorates from Saint Louis University, Loyola University, Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles, and Fontbonne College in St. Louis, MO. She also has garnered leadership and service awards from organizations including the San Diego Women Who Mean Business, the International Woman’s Council, and the San Diego Press Club.   

 

Hayes, who has published extensively on science and Catholic higher education, is a member of the National Review Board, which is assisting the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops implement standards to protect children from sexual abuse.

 

 

Bernard G. “Ben” Mondor

 

Mondor acquired the Pawtucket Red Sox in 1977, following his retirement from corporate business. At the time, the PawSox were bankrupt and pulling in a mere 70,000 fans over an entire season. By 2003, attendance for the Triple-A International League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox was more than 600,000 per season with a total of over 10 million fans having attended games during Mondor’s tenure.

 

He also oversaw and helped fund a $16 million renovation and expansion of McCoy Stadium that kept the team in Pawtucket. In all those years, Mondor raised ticket prices by a grand total of $3. The International League recognized Mondor’s success with his ball club by naming him its 1999 Executive of the Year.

 

Mondor’s record of community service is extensive, having worked with numerous organizations including the Special Olympics, Jimmy Fund, Muscular Dystrophy Association, American Heart Association, Community College of Rhode Island Foundation, and the U.S. Army’s Patriotic Civilian Services. He also has received awards from a diverse group of organizations including Big Brother of RI, the Knights of Columbus, the Baseball Writers of America, the Association of Fund Raising Professionals, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

 

 

As executive vice president and director of human resources and diversity for FleetBoston Financial, Szostak has overseen $3.9 billion in salary and benefits for 50,000 employees. In her 31 years of service to the company, she has held various leadership positions within FleetBoston Financial, which recently merged with Bank of America. From 2001 to 2003 she served as chairman and CEO of Fleet Bank–Rhode Island, where she oversaw $12 billion in assets and 4,000 employees. Szostak held that same post at Fleet–Maine from 1991 to 1994, taking the bank’s northern affiliate from a $13 million loss to a $44 million profit.

 

Szostak received a bachelor’s degree and an honorary master’s degree from Colby College, where she is a trustee-emeritus. She also has received honorary doctorates from Bryant College, Roger Williams University, and Husson College.

 

Szostak is a governor and chair-elect of The Boys & Girls Club of America. Her other professional affiliations include work as a trustee of the Institute for Contemporary Art and of Women & Infants’ Hospital, a member of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, a participant in the Massachusetts Women’s Forum, and recently co-chair of the RI Community Food Bank’s Capital Campaign.

 

 

 

For more on Commencement, visit the Office of College Events.