“You have earned your place as an active scholar.”
Candidates for the Doctor of Law and Policy degree were awarded the most visible symbol of their accomplishment in the Northeastern University College of Professional Studies Doctoral Hooding ceremony on September 30th at the Fenway Center on the Northeastern Boston campus.
With family members, friends, alumni, faculty, and staff in attendance, 14 doctoral candidates were recognized, called forward to have their academic hoods placed over their shoulders by their thesis advisors, and heard their thesis title announced.
Thesis topics covered a broad spectrum of policy matters, ranging from the thesis by Paula A. Amato entitled, “The Affordable Care Act: Impact on Business” to the thesis by Junis J. Warren entitled, “An Evaluation of Integration Programs for Deportees in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
John LaBrie, dean of the College of Professional Studies, offered his praise, saying, “Candidates: by completing your doctoral studies, you strengthen and continue the legacy of Northeastern University. Here at Northeastern, we say that we are a university built on a tradition of engagement with the world. I can think of no greater example of the power of that engagement than the candidates assembled here.”
LaBrie and the faculty were joined on stage by special guest, Joseph L. Chillo, president of Newbury College in Brookline, MA, a 2014 graduate of the Doctor of Law and Policy, who also addressed the candidates.
Faculty Speaker
The interim director of the Doctor of Law and Policy program, Mary Thompson-Jones, Professor of the Practice, reflected on the sacrifice that the doctoral students made to pursue studies at the highest level while working full-time in demanding careers, and the commitment of students’ families, as well, to support them.
And, Thompson-Jones looked forward into the professional lives of the newest doctorates, noting, “You’ve gained lifelong cohort-mates. Your relationships will not end once you leave this room. You’ll continue to stay in touch sharing life’s milestones, seeking advice, and getting together just for fun. Cherish your cohort!
“You’ve also gained new windows of insight. For all of you, I hope your journey will not end with your hooding. Do not succumb to the temptation to put the thesis on the shelf, watching it gradually go dusty as the years fly by. Instead, use it to engage with your professional world. Use it as a springboard, building on what you have begun, researching, publishing, and being an intellectual presence in your field. You have earned your place as an active scholar.”
Developed jointly by the College of Professional Studies and Northeastern’s Law and Public Policy program, the Doctor of Law and Policy program is designed for experienced professionals who are interested in the origins, development, implementation, and analysis of legal and public policy decisions in government and related institutions. The program prepares students to advance their careers within a variety of fields while focusing their thesis research on a precise law and policy topic.