Lackawanna College Graduation to Feature Speech by Scranton Police Detective The Lackawanna College Police Academy is proud to announce the graduation of its full-time Class 262. This distinguished class comprises 26 dedicated cadets who are set to embark on their careers in law enforcement. The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in Lackawanna College’s Peoples Security Bank Theater, Angeli Hall, 501 Vine St., Scranton, PA. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Kevin Mahoney, Director of Police Academy Operations, will welcome attendees and present certifications to the cadets. We are honored to have Scranton Police Detective Kyle Gilmartin as our guest speaker. Detective Gilmartin will share his insights and experiences to inspire the new graduates. Space is limited, and media representatives are requested to RSVP prior to attending the event. Please contact Eric Eiden, Media Relations Coordinator, at eidene@lackawanna.edu or (570) 961-7807.
Celebrating the Future Leaders of Tomorrow! The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce professional development and community leadership division, Leadership Lackawanna, celebrated 44 high school juniors who graduated from the organization Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (TLT) program. Tomorrow’s Leaders Today is sponsored by NBT Bank. Tomorrow’s Leaders Today is a seven-month program that develops the leadership, interpersonal, and managerial skills of high school juniors and provides real-world experiences in financial literacy, health care, STEAM, philanthropy, crime and corrections, nonprofit organizations, and community service. Class of 2024 participants: Dhruv Amin Jacob Antolick Ashley Bossick Giada Costa Joseph DiStasi Chloe Dong Gabriella Estadt Nicholas Giumento Abigail Harshbarger Joseph Healey Matthew Hill Cole Johnston Zachary Kovaleski Kylie Krzak Caroline Luyster Jordan Malar Jack Maloney Mandie Martin Isabelle Maurer Sarah McCullon Roland McLaine Isabella Moher Declan Moran Reese Morgan Clinton Muir Ivy Neureuter Sarah O’Brien Justin Osman Ava Page Dante Pallazari Margaret Pegula Anthony John Piestrak Abygale Plevyak Hope Polishan Gabriella Potis Lily Rozzi Elizabeth Schneider Gia Serge Akhilesh Velaga Ava Wallace Makayla Walton Nico Warhola Elizabeth Washine Faith Wormuth Throughout the program, students were engaged in various sessions facilitated by local organizations serving the greater Scranton area. In addition to invaluable lessons in the program focus areas, students were given the unique opportunity to engage with business leaders and network with students from 16 local schools. Their program culminated with the allocation of $15,000 in grant money from the Scranton Area Community Foundation to five deserving local nonprofits selected by the students. The nonprofits that received the 2024 grants are the Catherine McAuley Center, Indraloka Animal Sanctuary, Keystone Mission, Lackawanna County Area Agency of Aging, and the Women’s Resource Center. In addition, each student completed five service hours for a total of 220 hours, dedicated to helping 8 local nonprofit organizations. Leadership Lackawanna’s TLT Program accepts applications from sophomores who attend high school in Lackawanna County and its surrounding areas, as well as all charter and technical schools and homeschool students. Learn more online at www.LeadershipLackawanna.org.
Lackawanna College Announces Police Academy Cadet Graduation The Lackawanna College Police Academy will graduate the full-time Class 261 of Hazleton during the ceremony. The graduating classes includes 29 total cadets, who will begin their careers in law enforcement. Director of Police Academy Operations Kevin Mahoney will welcome those attending and present certifications to the cadets during the ceremony. Guest speaker Jenny Roberts, Esq. Assistant U.S. Attorney, will attend the ceremony to speak to the cadets. Tuesday, May 14 at 6:00 p.m. Doors open 5:30 p.m. Lackawanna College Peoples Security Bank Theater, Angeli Hall, 501 Vine St., Scranton, Pa. Media are requested to RSVP prior to attending the event. Contact Eric Eiden, media relations coordinator eidene@lackawanna.edu or 570-961-7807.
Dime Bank Employees Graduate from School of Banking Several Dime Bank employees recently completed coursework offered by the Pennsylvania Bankers Association (PA Bankers), the state’s leading banking trade association offering extensive continuing education programs. Viktoria L. Beiter, Lake Region branch universal banker III, and Riley P. Terysen, Indian Orchard branch manager, graduated from PA Bankers Advanced School of Banking on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at the Penn Stater Conference Center, State College. PA Bankers’ Advanced School of Banking is a three-year program that teaches financial services knowledge and skills and paves the road for participants to become leaders at any level within their organization. The curriculum provides a greater understanding of the multiple banking disciplines and how those disciplines work together within the bank. It is analogous to 200-, 300- and 400-level college course study. Beiter received the prestigious Dr. Philip O. Benham, Jr. Achievement Award. Only one or two students each year qualify to receive the Dr. Philip O. Benham, Jr. Achievement Award, as they must achieve the highest academic achievements throughout the three-year school. The award honors the late Dr. Philip O. Benham, Jr., a longtime PA Bankers’ Advanced School of Banking faculty member and curriculum coordinator from Hollidaysburg, PA. Benham, Jr. taught leadership skills and management development, authored several novels, and was nationally recognized as an expert judge on publication of leadership articles in leading educational journals. Nicholas Pomroy, assistant vice president network administrator, Elisabeth McConnell, commercial lending administration specialist, and Brandon Stanton, Accountant II, graduated from PA Bankers School of Banking. The PA Bankers School of Banking provides students with a broad base of knowledge of the financial services industry, which can be applied in a practical manner. Topics taught at this 100-level school cover the banking system, understanding bank financial statements, marketing to customers, compliance, lending, motivation, and supervision. President and Chief Executive Officer Pete Bochnovich stated, “As a community bank, we are driven to provide opportunities for our employees to enhance their education and we are proud of this year’s graduates who made a big commitment to expand their knowledge of the banking industry and thus enrich their abilities to service our customers and grow with The Dime Bank.”
Lackawanna College Police Academy Cadets Graduate The Lackawanna College Police Academy graduated the part-time Class 258 of Scranton and full-time Class 259 of Hazleton during the ceremony. The graduating classes includes 36 total cadets, who will begin their careers in law enforcement. Director of Police Academy Operations Kevin Mahoney welcomed those attending and presented certifications to the cadets during the ceremony. This graduation comes after Governor Shapiro’s visit to the Lackawanna College Police Academy in March to discuss a police recruitment proposal via a $2,500 tax credit yearly for the next three years.
Johnson College to Celebrate Largest Graduating Class Johnson College will celebrate its largest graduating class at its commencement ceremony on May 13, 2023, at 10 a.m. on its Scranton campus. Graduating students will report to the Moffat Student Center gym by 9 a.m. Graduates will complete programs for Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science degrees, academic certificates, and Readiness in Skilled Employment (RISE). John W. Cosgrove, Chief Executive Officer of AllOne Foundation & Charities, will give the commencement address. Degrees will be presented by Katie Leonard, Ed.D., President & CEO of Johnson College, and Heather Bonker, General Education Director of Johnson College. Recipients of Johnson College’s Award for Academic Excellence A.A.S., Jacob Banta, an Automotive Technology program graduate, and Richard Christianson, a Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Technology program graduate, will serve as student speakers. Matthew Michalek ’85, Vice President of Operations of L.R. Costanzo Company, and Co-Owner of B & M Property Development, will give the alumni address to the newly graduated Johnson College class of 2023. The event will be live-streamed on the College’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnsonCollegePA. Alpha Beta Kappa (ABK) is the premier national collegiate honor society for trades and essential occupations. The society honors excellence not only in the classroom, but also in shop, studio, and laboratory study. Additionally, students must be a member of a student organization or club to become Alpha Beta Kappa members. The National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) is an educational non-profit that exists to honor, recognize, and empower students and teachers in Career & Technical Education The appearance of the degree candidate’s name does not verify satisfactory completion of degree requirements.
The Wright Center Graduation Ceremony The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education celebrated the accomplishments of 69 residents and fellows who completed their specialized education and training during the 44th annual graduation ceremony on Saturday, June 25, at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple. The Class of 2022, known for its resiliency and dedication in the face of a worldwide pandemic, features graduates from Internal Medicine (28), Regional Family Medicine (11), National Family Medicine (16) and Psychiatry (4) residents, and Cardiovascular Disease (3), Gastroenterology (2) and Geriatrics (3) fellowships, many of whom will continue their education or practice of medicine in Northeast Pennsylvania. The graduating class also includes the first two dental graduates who are members of The Wright Center’s affiliation with the New York University Langone Dental Medicine Postdoctoral Residency Program. The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s cohort of highly skilled and compassionate caregivers will help to address the nation’s physician workforce shortage and improve access to care after working in The Wright Center for Community Health’s network of primary care practices in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties and regional hospitals and other health care facilities. “Through it all, though, The Wright Center has remained true by following our guiding mission and core values, which remain our bedrock,” said Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., president and CEO, in her welcoming remarks. “We have addressed the far-ranging effects of world events on the people we aim to lift up and provide opportunity to every single day. “There is no doubt that COVID-19 has reshaped health care and how we train and educate our residents and fellows, who offer hope for the future of our national health care delivery and educational systems,” she said. “I know the experience has been challenging – fraught with uncertainty, anxiety and unconscionable loss. The Wright Center is extremely proud of the innovation, teamwork and togetherness exhibited by each of you.” Graduates of this year’s class who plan to stay in the region to practice medicine or continue their studies include Dr. Gurminder Singh, who will begin an internal medicine residency at The Wright Center; Dr. Roger Elliott, who will join Adfinitas Health, Scranton, as a hospitalist; Dr. Pranav Karambelkar and Dr. Purveshkumar Patel who will remain with The Wright Center for a Cardiovascular Disease fellowship; Dr. Jacob Miller, who will join the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre as a teaching hospitalist, and Dr. Saba Safdar who will join the recently opened Lehigh Valley Hospital in Dickson City as a hospitalist. Other members of the graduating class will continue their education or begin practicing medicine across the United States in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. Following the welcome address, Pranav Karambelkar, M.D., an internal medicine chief resident and president of house staff council, congratulated his fellow graduates on their successful completion of their residencies and fellowships. “The onset of the pandemic threw a mixed bag of emotions at us, including a sense of fear, uncertainty, fatigue, isolation, anger and grief. It tested our knowledge, our patience and our confidence,” he said during his graduate remarks. “We call them ‘challenges,’ but at times that felt like a major understatement. We knew little about how to tackle this virus and how to comfort our patients, friends, families and ourselves. But we as residents never backed down. We wore those fearless faces under our masks everyday with pride as we cared for our patients. “We looked to each other for emotional support and a sense of normalcy in a life that was otherwise stressful,” added Karambelkar. “The sense of camaraderie was like no other and it’s a feeling I’ll never forget.” Jumee Barooah, M.D., The Wright Center’s designated institutional official, acknowledged the graduates’ “dedication and determination and patient and community service” that played an oversized role in their success. “As practicing physicians, you are also lifelong learners and you are not finished growing as individuals and clinicians,” she said. “You will continue to be problem-solvers as you adapt, study and research symptoms and issues in order to shape and improve your chose profession.” Keynote speaker Harold Baillie, Ph.D., chairperson of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors, provided sage advice to each member of the class as they embark on a lifelong career of care and service to their patients. “That magic, the world of science and skill and experience that you bring to the patient, and the world of needs, and fears, and hope, and most of all trust that the patient brings to you, are the source of what I consider to be the two greatest and most challenging virtues you will need: humility and responsibility,” he said. “You don’t know everything, you can’t control nature, and at best you are a learning partner with your patient, as your patient, not you, suffers their biology. That humility leads directly to your responsibility: They have come to you in trust, for whatever help and hope you can give them. By welcoming them, you take on the utmost responsibility to see them through their journey. The dignity and resources of that human being now in your charge demands of you no less.” In his closing remarks, Lawrence LeBeau, D.O., program director of the National Family Medicine Residency, reminded graduates that their experiences during their time with The Wright Center do not define their futures as medical professionals. “You have all shown remarkable resilience and a resolve to learn your craft while providing compassionate, high-quality, community-oriented care despite all the additional challenges thrown at you by the pandemic,” said LeBeau. “Hopefully, the experience and some of the lessons learned from it will help to guide your career by motivating you to be strong advocates for your patients, strong advocates and supporters of a more just and equitable health care system and, more broadly, as leaders in your communities to support the changes needed to build a more just and equitable society as a whole.” Established in 1976, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education is the nation’s largest Health Resources and Services Administration-funded Teaching Health Center for Graduate Medical Education program, a critical component of the country’s physician workforce pipeline that fills an urgent need for primary care physicians. For more information about The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
Johnson College’s 103rd Commencement Ceremony to be Held May 20 at the Circle Drive-In Johnson College will confer degrees to over 180 graduates at commencement exercises to be held at the Circle Drive-In on the Scranton Carbondale Highway in Scranton on Saturday, May 20, 2022 (Rain date: Thursday, May 19, 2022). The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and will be live streamed on the College’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnsonCollegePA. Graduates will be awarded Associate in Science degrees (A.S.), Associate of Applied Science degrees (A.A.S.), and academic certificates. Nicholas J. Scarnato, CCO at Producto, graduate of Johnson College, class of 1980, and Old Forge, PA native, will give the commencement address. Degrees will be presented by Katie Leonard, Ed.D., president and CEO of Johnson College, and Marianne Gilmartin, Esq., chairperson of the board of directors. Evan Wilcox, a graduate of the Radiologic Technology program and recipient of the Johnson College Award for Academic Excellence in the Associate in Applied Science programs will serve as the student speaker. Matt Cirba, Johnson College Computer Information Technology program instructor and alum of the Class of 2009 will give the alumni address to the newly graduated Johnson College class of 2022. Following is a list of the 2022 Class of Johnson College: ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE PROGRAMS Computer Information Technology Jacob Brodowsky Lake Ariel Pennsylvania Casey Deaton Pittston Pennsylvania Michael Frazier South Abington Pennsylvania Brandon Graham Clifford Twp Pennsylvania Justin Greenberg (ABK) Scranton Pennsylvania Mason Hoeffner Exeter Pennsylvania Justin Kemble Scranton Pennsylvania Brian Langieri Clarks Green Pennsylvania John Lee (S) Old Forge Pennsylvania Ryan Mascaro Olyphant Pennsylvania Aidan Mullen (ABK) Clarks Summit Pennsylvania Max Rubart Greentown Pennsylvania Jamar Rymer Scranton Pennsylvania Michael Salansky (H) (S) Susquehanna Pennsylvania Emily Williams (ABK) Scott Township Pennsylvania Physical Therapist Assistant Alexander Calabro Exeter Pennsylvania Ian Farr Mehoopany Pennsylvania Danny Fuentes (C) Edwardsville Pennsylvania Brittany Gilley (H) (M) (ABK) Pittston Pennsylvania Brianna Ketcho Dupont Pennsylvania Helga Linhares (C) Clarks Green Pennsylvania Lauren Miskell (C) Archbald Pennsylvania Darius Powell Jefferson Township Pennsylvania Ireland Reilly Thornhurst Pennsylvania Hailey Taylor Kingsley Pennsylvania Radiologic Technology Jessica Cann Larksville Pennsylvania Hailey Cruser Dunmore Pennsylvania Tamar Elba-Kops (H) (C) Easton Pennsylvania Brittany Doran Avoca Pennsylvania Alexis Drab Friendsville Pennsylvania Michelle Gibbons Trucksville Pennsylvania Justin Hall Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania Kristen Kasa Mocanaqua Pennsylvania Christine Margavitch Scranton Pennsylvania Hope Miller Catawissa Pennsylvania Alexander Mros (C) Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania Tanya Patterson Monroe Township Pennsylvania Allana Warner Montrose Pennsylvania Veterinary Nursing Brittany Bethel (S) Dallas Pennsylvania Lauren Cann (C) Larksville Pennsylvania Jasmine Deitrick Aberdeen Maryland Kayla Dishong Browndale Pennsylvania Kyler Kephart Woodland Pennsylvania Megan Krakosky Shavertown Pennsylvania Kaitlyn Littzi Dallas Pennsylvania Moriah Lovell Scranton Pennsylvania Jaime Martinek Greeley Pennsylvania Alexander Nallin* (H) (S) Scranton Pennsylvania Cassidy Payton Williamsport Pennsylvania Victoria Pettinato (ABK) Carbondale Pennsylvania Tresa Savidge (ABK) Danville Pennsylvania Kiran Singh Lords Valley Pennsylvania Robert Thompson Courtdale Pennsylvania ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE PROGRAMS Advanced Manufacturing Technology Brendan Chandler Honesdale Pennsylvania Samuel Hopkins Honesdale Pennsylvania Aden Cardone Clarks Summit Pennsylvania Brian Marianelli Taylor Pennsylvania John Wesnesky (H) Clarks Summit Pennsylvania Architectural Drafting & Design Technology Corey Desanto Jermyn Pennsylvania Rocco LaCapra Dunmore Pennsylvania Cody Mackin (S) Taylor Pennsylvania Evan Wilcox** (H) (S) (ABK) Milanville Pennsylvania Automotive Technology Jason Chilko (H) (S) Bartonsville Pennsylvania Justin Fay Dunmore Pennsylvania Michael Fordham Greentown Pennsylvania Keith Jacob Gouldsboro Pennsylvania Zachary Kearney Greenfield Township Pennsylvania Colby Kogan Tobyhanna Pennsylvania Allison Petty Scranton Pennsylvania Jacob Price Throop Pennsylvania Michael Santarsiero Moscow Pennsylvania Michael Sklareski Archbald Pennsylvania Riley Teel Montrose Pennsylvania Nicholas Wilson Stillwater Pennsylvania Biomedical Equipment Technology Hannah Acevedo Old Forge Pennsylvania Kelly Barron (ABK) Dickson City Pennsylvania Vincent Bonello Scranton Pennsylvania Nico Colachino Olyphant Pennsylvania James Goetz Scranton Pennsylvania Tyler Nolan Olyphant Pennsylvania Blake Sphabmixay Scranton Pennsylvania Benjamin Terry (H) (S) (ABK) Richmondale Pennsylvania Carpentry & Cabinetmaking Technology Joshua Bilinski (C) (ABK) Covington Township Pennsylvania Jonathon Dutter Greenfield Township Pennsylvania Carl Galavitz Carbondale Pennsylvania Tyler Gries (H) (C) (ABK) Honesdale Pennsylvania Timothy Gromelski Scranton Pennsylvania Spencer Jones Clarks Summit Pennsylvania Fantajah LaRoche Carbondale Pennsylvania Andres Ledee Pittston Pennsylvania Nathan McKane Archbald Pennsylvania Diesel Truck Technology Nicholas Dutter Hudson Pennsylvania Michael Frey Barryville New York Austin Fromert Moscow Pennsylvania Antonio Gay Carbondale Pennsylvania Joseph Ingraham (H) (M) Binghamton New York Vincent Kearney Taylor Pennsylvania Nicholas Neiger Narrowsburg New York Dylan Rinker Canadensis Pennsylvania Robert Rodriguez Scranton Pennsylvania Electrical and Construction Technology Jalen Alston Saylorsburg Pennsylvania James Ambrosia Scranton Pennsylvania Kyle Barrett Jessup Pennsylvania Matthew Calvey Clarks Summit Pennsylvania Ethan Campbell (C) Shavertown Pennsylvania Tyler Chesla Dalton Pennsylvania Devin Coombs Taylor Pennsylvania Philip Davitt (H) (S) (ABK) Dickson City Pennsylvania Brandon Doherty Archbald Pennsylvania Sean Eidenberg (ABK) Scranton Pennsylvania Jason Enger Lakeville Pennsylvania Luke Falcone (C) Dalton Pennsylvania Nicholas Ferraro Dunmore Pennsylvania Tyler Ford Jermyn Pennsylvania Matthew Foytack (ABK) Madison Township Pennsylvania Liam Galloway Equinunk Pennsylvania Michael Hannah Dunmore Pennsylvania Jack Islas Peckville Pennsylvania Peter Jakubiak Bartonsville Pennsylvania Jonathon Kaville (M) Old Forge Pennsylvania Ryan Lesh (ABK) Scranton Pennsylvania Anthony Marsico Old Forge Pennsylvania Jack McCabe (D) Old Forge Pennsylvania Dondy Normil Scranton Pennsylvania Nichole Nye (C) Archbald Pennsylvania Tyler Purdy Dalton Pennsylvania Patrick Redman Peckville Pennsylvania Alexander Reese Dunmore Pennsylvania Matthew Romanowski Harding Pennsylvania Matthew Rosengrant (S) Lake Ariel Pennsylvania Derrell Sapp Honesdale Pennsylvania Shawn Smith Scranton Pennsylvania Jakob Snopkowski Scranton Pennsylvania Calvin Sutcliffe Moosic Pennsylvania Anthony Tarantini Springbrook Pennsylvania Matthew Urda Carbondale Pennsylvania Shawn Van Fossen (C) Plymouth Pennsylvania Zachary Walter (C) Clarks Summit Pennsylvania Matthew Warden Dunmore Pennsylvania Gavin Williams Taylor Pennsylvania John Wilson Olyphant Pennsylvania Electronic Engineering Technology Dominic Allan Dickson City Pennsylvania Carla Bustamante Tobyhanna Pennsylvania Alec Ciaglia Roaring Brook Pennsylvania Cody Emrey Tobyhanna Pennsylvania Jacob Hansen (H) Clarks Summit Pennsylvania Matthew Parry Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Dante Clark Olyphant Pennsylvania Andrew Demming Scott Township Pennsylvania Ken Francis Moosic Pennsylvania Joseph Healey (C) (ABK) Throop Pennsylvania Ethan Hosier West Pittston Pennsylvania Al-Mauriece Ingram Dunmore Pennsylvania Jordan Kazmierski Clifford Township Pennsylvania Nicholas Klapatch South Abington Township Pennsylvania Omar Maldonado Scranton Pennsylvania Damon Martin South Abington Township Pennsylvania John McDonald (H) (M) Pittston Pennsylvania Michael Mondlak West Pittston Pennsylvania Francis Moran Moosic Pennsylvania Jonathan Nicholoff Old Forge Pennsylvania Jake Norris Thornhurst Pennsylvania Gage Nudo Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania Jamie Spindler Scranton Pennsylvania Caleb Tratthen Scott Township Pennsylvania Arthur Vitagliano Prompton Pennsylvania Daniel Walsh (ABK) Spring Brook Township Pennsylvania Alec Yanisko (ABK) Dunmore Pennsylvania Heavy Equipment Technology Leonard Nardozzo Nanticoke Pennsylvania Julia Price (H) Scranton Pennsylvania CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS Building & Property Maintenance Joseph Church Hawley Pennsylvania Derek Segear Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania Welding Technology Charles Atherton-Ely Old Forge Pennsylvania Ethan Coffay Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania Xander Davis Honesdale Pennsylvania Isabella DeFlice (D) Scranton Pennsylvania Bilal Floyd Scranton Pennsylvania Naim Kendricks Scranton Pennsylvania Kadin King Tunkhannock Pennsylvania Jason Kutch Honesdale Pennsylvania Conor Leone Milford Pennsylvania Cole Maciak Clarks Summit Pennsylvania Luke Noble (D) (H) Milanville Pennsylvania Kenneth Rought Carbondale Pennsylvania Joseph Siggins Thompson Pennsylvania Philip Sprong Honesdale Pennsylvania Wesley Stetler Nicholson Pennsylvania Abigail Tirva Clarks Summit Pennsylvania (D) Dual Enrollment (H) Departmental Honors (S) Summa Cum Laude: GPA of 3.90 or HIGHER (M) Magna Cum Laude: GPA 3.89 – 3.80 (C) Cum Laude: GPA 3.79 – 3.70 Based on GPA to December 2020 (ABK) Alpha Beta Kappa Member * Recipient of Johnson College Award for Academic Excellence, Associate in Science ** Recipient of Johnson College Award for Academic Excellence, Associate in Applied Science Alpha Beta Kappa (ABK) is the premier national collegiate honor society for trades and essential occupations. The society honors excellence not only in the classroom, but also in shop, studio, and laboratory study. Additionally, students must be a member of a student organization or club to become an Alpha Beta Kappa member. The appearance of the degree candidate’s name does not verify satisfactory completion of degree requirements. Johnson College provides real-world, hands-on learning in a supportive environment and prepares graduates to enter into or advance their careers. Johnson College degrees become essential careers. Johnson College was founded in 1912 and is the region’s only technical college, offering 17 associate degree and 4 academic certificate programs. A low student-to-instructor ratio supports an emphasis on hands-on learning. Located in Scranton on a 44-acre campus, the College is an accredited, private, non-profit, co-educational institution with a strong tradition of working with regional businesses and industries to ensure a skilled and qualified workforce. For additional information on Johnson College, please call 1-800-2-WE-WORK, email enroll@johnson.edu, or visit Johnson.edu.
The Wright Center Celebrates 81 Graduates, Addressing Regional and National Need for Physicians Eighty-one medical residents and fellows are completing their training this year at The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, with many members of the Class of 2021 choosing to remain in Northeast Pennsylvania for further studies or to enter practice here and care for patients. The Wright Center’s newest cohort of highly skilled, compassionate caregivers – whose training overlapped with the outbreak of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic – will help to address the nation’s physician workforce shortages and improve access to care. Sixteen graduates plan to continue their careers in Pennsylvania, 10 of them in this region. The Wright Center celebrated its graduates’ accomplishments with a virtual commencement on Friday, June 18. The event can be viewed online at TheWrightGraduation.org. Established locally in 1976, The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education has since blossomed into the nation’s largest Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program, a critical part of the country’s workforce pipeline needed to fill an urgent need for more primary care physicians. Unlike traditional residency programs based out of hospitals, the THCGME program provides training sites in community-based settings and serves to inspire physicians to work in rural and other medically underserved communities For graduates of The Wright Center’s pioneering regional and national programs, this week’s commencement marked the completion of a three-year, or longer, graduate medication education training period during which they treated patients under the guidance of faculty physicians and simultaneously honed their skills to become highly competent, licensed caregivers. Notably, the Class of 2021 includes the first physicians to have successfully finished The Wright Center’s three newest programs: its psychiatry residency and its gastroenterology and geriatrics fellowship programs. The graduation ceremony also recognized physicians who completed The Wright Center’s longer-established residencies – internal medicine, regional family medicine and national family medicine – and its cardiovascular disease fellowship program. The graduating class includes Clarks Summit native Daniel Kazmierski, M.D., chief resident of the internal medicine program. Internal medicine residency graduates who plan to stay in Northeast Pennsylvania to practice medicine or continue their studies include: Anjalika Gupta, M.D., who will begin an addiction medicine fellowship at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Wilkes-Barre; Abdul Haseeb, M.D., Husnain Shaukat, M.D., and Mousa Thalji, M.D., all of whom will join Geisinger Wyoming Valley as hospitalists; and Rahool, M.D., and Umesh Singla, M.D., both of whom will stay with The Wright Center to join the geriatric fellowship program. Family medicine graduates who plan to stay in NEPA include chief resident Ebi Rowshanshad, D.O., who will join Wayne Memorial Hospital in Honesdale; and Steven Archambault, D.O., who will remain with The Wright Center as faculty. Geriatric fellowship graduates Nirali Patel, M.D., and Naeem Ijaz, M.D., will also stay on as faculty physicians with The Wright Center. The commencement was held virtually for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The online event featured remarks and congratulations from Gerard Geoffroy, Chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors; Harold Baillie, Ph.D., Chair of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education Board of Directors; and William Waters, Ph.D., Vice Chair of The Wright Center for Community Health Board of Directors and Co-Chair of The Wright Center for Patient and Community Engagement; graduates and program directors as well as executive leadership, including President/CEO Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak; Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jignesh Y. Sheth; and Designated Institutional Official Dr. Jumee Barooah. “I’ve been awed to observe firsthand as each of our residents and fellows faced hardship with humility, calmed concerns with compassion, and grounded the practice of medicine in grace,” Dr. Barooah said during her remarks. “Resilience has been the defining trait of our graduates, and it is a characteristic that will continue to serve them well throughout their lives and careers. They have served as brothers and sisters in arms on the front lines of healthcare, and have all solidified their place in The Wright Center’s history and family.” “The pandemic brought an unexpected final act to these years of residency: a wake-up call to the profession and indeed to the world, that the object of your practice is not limited to your individual patients, but to them, their families, their communities, and ultimately, the world,” Dr. Baillie said to graduates. “You rose to that challenge in extraordinary ways, going beyond your training to care for the community: providing vaccinations, being alert to the ailments of your patients, and assisting the community in holding back the tsunami of the virus.”
