UPDATED: See Plans For 2021 Commencement At Caldwell University

CALDWELL, NJ — NOTE: This article has been updated with a statement released by Caldwell University on Friday, regarding the face mask requirement.

Caldwell University will hold its 79th annual commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 23. Coronavirus safety precautions will include social distancing, administrators said.

According to Caldwell University, there will be three separate ceremonies on the athletics fields. The graduate ceremony for master’s and doctoral graduates will be held at 10 a.m., and undergraduate ceremonies will be held at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The commencement ceremonies will be livestreamed.

The university previously said face masks would be required at the ceremonies. However, as of Friday, people on the Caldwell University campus will no longer be required to wear masks outdoors, a spokesperson said.

According to the university:

“Keith Kyewalabye ’21 will be the speaker for the two undergraduate ceremonies. Kyewalabye is receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology with a minor in music. A native of Kampala, Uganda, he has accepted a position as a junior specialist at the University of California San Francisco Brain Tumor Research Center.”

In addition:

“Lesley Elaine Chung, West Orange High School assistant principal and dean of students, will deliver the graduate ceremony remarks to students receiving their master’s or doctoral degrees. The West Orange resident has completed her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership with a concentration in K-12 Education from Caldwell University. She previously worked as a kindergarten teacher in Newark and a school counselor at West Orange High School. She holds a B.A. in psychology from Rutgers University, a teaching certificate in early childhood in pre K-3 from Caldwell University, an M.A. in educational psychology with a minor in child/adolescent clinical psychology from Montclair State University, an expedited M.A. in school administration from the NJEXCEL program, and several other education certificates. Chung, who started her doctoral program while she was four months pregnant with her daughter, says she is incredibly grateful to the three readers for her dissertation and to the Caldwell faculty, especially Dr. Kevin Barnes, dean of the School of Education, ‘an awesome mentor.’”

During the ceremony, the university will present an honorary degree to Ujwala Mulgaonkar, M.D., and posthumously to her husband, Shamkant Mulgaonkar, for their support of the School of Nursing and Public Health.

According to university spokespeople:

“Ujwala is a retired pediatrician with over 30 years of experience in the medical field. She graduated from Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai, India, and completed her residency at Saint Barnabas Medical Center, an affiliate of RWJBarnabas Health, in Livingston, New Jersey. While working as a pediatrician, Ujwala remained an affiliated physician with Saint Barnabas Medical Center. She has carried on her late husband’s legacy by providing philanthropic support to Caldwell University’s nursing program, establishing the Shamkant Mulgaonkar Endowed Scholarship Fund and continuing to support the Mulgaonkar Family Scholarship Fund. Dr. Shamkant Mulgaonkar was one of the preeminent professionals in transplantation in the United States. He was instrumental in the rapid growth of transplantation and championed the development of the Living Donor Transplant Institute at RWJBarnabas Health. Shamkant was a dynamic leader who cared for more than 1,500 kidney transplant recipients. He and his team were largely responsible for the success of the Barnabas Health Renal and Pancreas Transplant Division. Shamkant was a member of the Caldwell University Nursing Advisory Board and served as a guest lecturer on campus for nursing and public health students.”

A Commencement Liturgy will be held on the Newman Center Plaza at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 22. It is open to all graduating students, their families and friends, faculty and staff of Caldwell University.

Face coverings and social distancing are required at the graduation ceremonies and Liturgy.

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