PARSIPPANY — Berta Carmo earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy with a major in physical therapy from the University of Scranton.

Carmo was among more than 625 master’s and doctoral degree recipients at its graduate commencement ceremony on May 25 in the Byron Recreation Complex. Graduates recognized at the ceremony include those who completed their degree requirements in August and December of 2018, as well as January and May of 2019.

The University conferred three doctor of nursing practice degrees, 38 doctor of physical therapy degrees and more than 585 master’s degrees in various disciplines. Graduates represented several foreign countries and 39 states, including Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington, among others. The programs with the most graduates at Scranton were the master of business administration, master of accountancy, master of health administration, occupational therapy and educational administration.

University of Scranton President Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., addressed the graduates and their guests. Degrees were conferred by Father Pilarz upon candidates presented by Debra A. Pellegrino, Ed.D., dean of the Panuska College of Professional Studies; Murli Rajan, Ph.D., interim dean of the Kania School of Management; and Brian P. Conniff, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Also speaking at the ceremony were Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs; Julie Ann Nastasi, Sc.D., assistant professor of occupational therapy; Michael K. Short ’99, Alumni Society president; and Rev. John Sivalon, Ph.D., director of international learning programs.

Graduate students were honored for academic achievement in their specific academic area. Outstanding Academic Awards were presented to Lindsey H. Hayde, Center Valley, Doctor of Nursing Practice; and Lauren Elizabeth Bonitz, Endicott, New York, Doctor of Physical Therapy. Outstanding Academic Awards for master’s level programs were presented to the following graduates in the programs as listed: Christine Emily Ahrens, Reading, health informatics; Jacqueline Rose Bailey, Waverly Township, school counseling; Courtney L. Boag, Basking Ridge, New Jersey, special education; Hannah Bobrowski, Drums, general business administration; Amy Lynn Coppola, Lambertville, New Jersey, human resources; Malak Daas, Scranton, marketing; Matthew A. Fava, New Carrollton, Maryland, chemistry; Louis J. Finnerty, Old Forge, health administration; Emily E. Gardner, Huguenot, New York, occupational therapy; Lauren Michelle Jurbala, Avoca, family nurse practitioner; Kari S. Koval, Leola, clinical chemistry; Amanda C. Lara, Hazleton, clinical mental health counseling; Erika V. Maxson, Greentown, secondary education; Ethan Chad Moser, Boyertown, finance; Daniel R. Muthersbaugh, Boyertown, operations management; Kayleen Elizabeth Notchick, Bellefonte, curriculum and instruction; Viren J. Patel, Scranton, biochemistry; Lindsay M. Pine, Vestal, New York, nurse anesthesia; Bobbi Lou Pino-y-Torres, Marquette, Michigan, healthcare management; Kyle James Potter, Mahopac, New York, finance; Sara T. Rizzo, Danbury, Connecticut, accounting; Pierre Richard Seche, Sunrise, Florida, human resources; Stephen Michael Skierski, Scott Township, theology; Jennifer Ann Whigham, Owego, New York, enterprise resource planning; Mara Catherine Wolfe, Ringtown, rehabilitation counseling; Donna Ann Yoder, Eagle, Colorado, accountancy; and Kurt Eric Zimmermann, Rockaway, New Jersey, educational administration.

The University of Scranton is a Jesuit university located in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

MORRIS COUNTY — The following local residents were recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.

Angela Barberio of Lake Hiawatha, was initiated at Kean University.

Brian Suscavage of Parsippany, was initiated at Kean University.

Patricia Kou of Parsippany, was initiated at The College of New Jersey.

These residents are among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and the Philippines. Its mission is “To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others.”

Since its founding, more than 1.5 million members have been initiated into Phi Kappa Phi. Some of the organization’s notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, novelist John Grisham and YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley. Each year, Phi Kappa Phi awards nearly $1 million to outstanding students and members through graduate and dissertation fellowships, undergraduate study abroad grants, funding for post-baccalaureate development, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives. For more information about Phi Kappa Phi, click here.

PARSIPPANY — Hannah Shoshan, Class of 2021, has been named to the dean’s list for the spring 2019 semester at the University of Vermont. Shoshan from Parsippany, is majoring in Community & International Development in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

She is a graduate of Parsippany High School, Class of 2017.

To be named to the dean’s list, students must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or better and rank in the top 20 percent of their class in their respective college or school.

Since 1791, the University of Vermont has worked to move humankind forward. Committed to both research and teaching, UVM professors — world-class researchers, scholars, and artists — bring their discoveries into the classroom and their students into the field.

Located in Burlington, Vermont, one of the nation’s most vibrant small cities and top college towns, UVM is a Public Ivy and top 100 national research university educating 10,513 undergraduate students, 1,542 graduate students, 826 certificate and non-degree students, and 459 M.D. students in the Larner College of Medicine.