Utica University Announces 2024 Commencement Speakers for Undergraduate and Graduate Ceremonies
Utica University has a long tradition of inviting prominent alumni who have excelled in their respective professions to serve as our commencement speakers, which is exactly why both women have been selected.
As the Class of 2024 prepares to walk across the stage next month, Utica University is excited to announce the commencement speakers for both the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies.
Dr. Amanda Saravia-Butler, a 2009 graduate of Utica University and now the GeneLab Project Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, has been selected as this year’s undergraduate commencement speaker on Thursday, May 9, 2024.
Dr. Tennille Haynes, a 2009 alumna of Utica’s graduate program and now the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at Princeton University, will be this year’s graduate ceremony commencement speaker on Friday, May 10, 2024.
Utica University has a long tradition of inviting prominent alumni who have excelled in their respective professions to serve as our commencement speakers, which is exactly why both women have been selected.
“Dr. Amanda Saravia-Butler and Dr. Tennille Haynes are perfect examples of two highly-accomplished Pioneers,” said Amy Lindner, Utica University Vice President for Advancement & Chief Grants Officer. “Dr. Saravia-Butler is a Utica-native who holds three degrees from Utica University. She is now an award-winning lead scientist for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Dr. Haynes is a highly-regarded expert on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and community; her scholarship focuses on experiences and development of students of color at predominantly white institutions.”
Biographies for Dr. Saravia-Butler and Dr. Haynes are below:
Dr. Amanda Saravia-Butler '09; Project Scientist for NASA GeneLab
Dr. Amanda Saravia-Butler is a molecular biologist turned bioinformatician currently working on the GeneLab project at NASA Ames Research Center as the Science and Data Processing Lead.
Raised in Upstate New York, Amanda received not one but three Bachelor’s degrees from Utica University in Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics. As an undergraduate student, she performed microbiology research to help discover a new species of bacteria, was captain of both the Utica University Cross Country and Softball teams, and served as the president of the Mathematics Club and Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS) Organization on campus.
Amanda went on to earn her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a concentration in Cancer Biology from the Mayo Clinic, where she identified and characterized novel molecular targets to treat pancreatic cancer, and served as the Florida representative of the Mayo Graduate School Graduate Student Association.
After completing graduate school, Amanda worked as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Miami studying early germ line development. In September 2017, she made the jump to NASA Ames Research Center as a Mission Scientist on the Rodent Research project. Amanda began transitioning to GeneLab in May 2018 and has been working on the project full time since. In 2020, Amanda helped initiate, and currently leads, GeneLab for Colleges and Universities (GL4U), which provides space biology-relevant training in bioinformatics to both students and educators using compute platforms including SMCE and NSF ACCESS.
Dr. Tennille T. Haynes G'09; Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Princeton University
With over 18 years of experience in higher education, Tennille T. Haynes, Ph.D., has centered her career on creating inclusive spaces and prioritizing the well-being and sense of belonging of individuals with marginalized identities.
As the Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at Princeton University, she is a leader in student affairs, advising, educating, practicing, and consulting on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and community matters.
Dr. Haynes' work involves examining systems, structures, and policies that have historically excluded communities, and creating spaces of solidarity and culture to empower historically and presently marginalized identities.
Her passion for expanding scholarship and praxis focuses on the experiences and development of individuals with historical and contemporary marginalized identities through experiential learning is truly inspiring.
Tennille is a proud New Yorker from the Bronx who pursued her passion for education by earning her Bachelor's degree in History from Stony Brook University, her Master's degree in Education from Utica University in 2009, and her doctorate from Rutgers University's Graduate School of Education.
2024 Commencement Ceremony Details:
- DATE: Thursday, May 9, 2024
- TIME: 5:00 p.m.
- LOCATION: The Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium
- ADDRESS: 400 Oriskany Street West, Utica NY 13502
- DATE: Friday, May 10, 2024
- TIME: 10:00 a.m.
- LOCATION: The Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium
- ADDRESS: 400 Oriskany Street West, Utica NY 13502
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