2,200 to Graduate from C.W. Post on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 8

April 8, 2005— More than 2,200 students will don their caps and gowns on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 8, 2005 when the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University holds its 47th annual commencement exercises. C.W. Post -- a private, co-educational institution of higher learning located in Brookville, N.Y. -- has awarded more than 90,000 degrees in its 50-year history.

This commencement marks the culmination of C.W. Post’s golden anniversary and will feature a performance of “Setting Sail: Freedom of the Spirit,” a musical composition commissioned exclusively for the Campus’s 50th anniversary. Former valedictorians and class speakers have been invited to partake in the celebration.

As part of the main ceremony, honorary doctorates will be awarded to four highly accomplished individuals: Donna Alvermann, an internationally known literacy advocate and author of “Content Reading and Literacy: Succeeding in Today’s Diverse Classrooms;” C.W. Post alumnus Alfred R. Kahn, Chairman, CEO and Director of 4Kids Entertainment and the marketing genius behind Cabbage Patch Kids, Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh!; real estate developer Roger Tilles, immediate past chair of the Long Island University Board of Trustees and recently appointed member of the New York State Board of Regents; and Edward Villella, internationally acclaimed dancer (former principle dancer of the New York City Ballet) and founding artistic director of the Miami City Ballet.

2005 Valedictorian Kerri A. Pearles

Distinguished Alumni Awards will be presented to three successful C.W. Post graduates: Charles J. Gradante (’67 engineering, ’70 management), co-founder of the Hennessee Hedge Fund Advisory Group;and Robert F. Arning (’84 accounting), managing partner of the New York office of KPMG LLP and the company’s Northeast Audit and Risk Advisory Services practice; and the Reverend Dr.W. Sherrill Babb (’63 history), president of Philadelphia Biblical University.

Kerri A. Pearles of Albertson is C.W. Post’s Valedictorian. The 22-year-old is a student in C.W. Post’s prestigious Honors Program, serves as a member of the Political Science Association and the Political Science Honors Society, and participates in local fundraising events to benefit children afflicted with cancer.

With a perfect 4.0 grade point average, she will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. She will give her valedictory speech at commencement ceremonies, which begin at 9:30 a.m. in front of Humanities Hall. After graduation, Pearles plans to earn a master’s degree in political science from C.W. Post with the goal of becoming a state senator.

2005 Salutatorian James Danaher

The C.W. Post Salutatorian is Seaford resident James Danaher, 22, an aspiring journalist who seeks to make an impact in the field of online magazine writing. A student in the Honors Program, Danaher has a 3.98 grade point average and will earn his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Print and Electronic Journalism. In addition to gaining experience as the art director and assistant editor of the Honors Program’s student newsletter, Athena, and as communications director for the new Web site, Universal Campus, Danaher also volunteered at South Nassau Communities Hospital’s pharmacy. He plans to attend graduate school to pursue an M.B.A. in management.

The Nassau County Secondary School Teacher of the Year Award, which recognizes exemplary teaching, will be awarded to Jo Ann Miltenberg of Hicksville, a mathematics teacher at Farmingdale High School.

The Class of 2005 includes 912 baccalaureate degree candidates, 1,301 master's degree candidates and 7 doctoral graduates receiving the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology and one receiving the Ph.D. in Information Studies.  

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C.W. Post is part of Long Island University, one of the largest and most comprehensive private universities in the United States. With more than 8,400 full- and part-time students, C.W. Post offers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs in accountancy, business (AACSB accredited), computer science, liberal arts and sciences, library and information science, education, health professions and nursing, public service, and visual and performing arts. C.W. Post also offers doctorates in information studies and clinical psychology as well as an extensive continuing education program.