Photos: Queens College
Queens College marked its 97th commencement with a virtual presentation on Thursday, June 3 at 9 am. President Frank H. Wu (above) presided over the ceremony — his first since taking office in 2020—which honored alumnus and Congressman Adriano Espaillat and Distinguished Professor Miriam Rafailovich.
Alumnus and Congressman Adriano Espaillat delivered the commencement address and received the Queens College President’s Medal, the college’s highest administrative honor. Espaillat earned a BS in political science in 1979 from Queens College. In 2016, he became the first Dominican American and formerly undocumented immigrant elected to the U.S. Congress.
Distinguished Professor Miriam Rafailovich received an honorary doctorate of humane letters. Rafailovich is known as a pioneer in the integration of research with education. She has supervised more than 60 PhD and master’s students to graduation and mentored several hundred undergraduate and high school students from across the United States and abroad.
“Earning your degree is no easy feat,” said Wu. “It takes years of hard work, dedication, and resiliency to graduate from Queens College. That is especially true for the members of this year’s class. You had to endure challenges and obstacles that no other class in Queens College history has ever faced. You’ve thrived despite your struggles and with the help of family and friends, faculty and staff, came through on the other side stronger than ever. This makes your achievement even more admirable. Many of you are the first in your family to complete college. I commend all of you for persevering and graduating today.”
Read more about this year’s commencement exercises and our distinguished honorees here.
