ABC’s Quiñones, Two-time Cancer Survivor Znaimer Celebrated During Niagara University Commencement
Niagara University graduated 1,157 new alumni during a trio of commencement exercises held May 10-12, 2018.
The celebration got underway Thursday, May 10, at Artpark with the awarding of advanced degrees to 329 students, in addition to 13 who received doctoral degrees in leadership and policy. Attendees heard remarks from Libby Znaimer, a prominent Canadian journalist and two-time cancer survivor who now serves as the national spokesperson for Pancreatic Cancer Canada. Znaimer, host of the popular “Zoomer Report” on Toronto’s New Classical 96.3 FM and The New AM 740, was presented with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
Two days later, 815 undergraduate students received their degrees during a pair of ceremonies held at Artpark’s Mainstage Theater.
John Quiñones, the Emmy-winning anchor of ABC’s What Would You Do? hidden camera TV series, delivered the morning commencement address to Niagara’s College of Business Administration, College of Education and College of Hospitality and Tourism Management. During his 35-year tenure at ABC News, the graduate of St. Mary’s University and the Columbia School of Journalism has received numerous awards for his journalistic work on Primetime Live, Burning Questions and 20/20. He received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Niagara.
That afternoon, Dr. Tim Ireland, Niagara’s provost, stepped in to address College of Arts and Sciences after the scheduled speaker fell ill. Dr. Ireland told the students to use this occasion as an example to expect the unexpected. He also reiterated that the new graduates enter the “real world” with the benefit of having learned from some of the most outstanding, committed faculty members in the world.
New York Sen. Chuck Schumer also offered remarks to the newest NU alumni on Saturday afternoon, noting that despite the challenges facing the graduates “at a time of enormous change,” they have many reasons to be optimistic.