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The Central Connecticut State University alumni community grew by 350 members following the university’s Dec. 16 winter commencement ceremony in Welte Auditorium.
Ninety-five percent of the graduates are residents of Connecticut. The rest of the class represents 15 U.S. states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the countries of Albania, Argentina, El Salvador, India, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Richard Fichman, a 1974 graduate of Central, served as commencement speaker. Dr. Fichman is the director of the Fichman Eye Center in New Britain and Manchester and one of the country’s leading refractive surgeons. The university also presented Dr. Fichman with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. (Photo attached.)
In her remarks to the graduates, Central President Zulma R. Toro said, “Each one of you will walk out of this auditorium today with a degree that will open doors to countless opportunities. Before you take the first step on your journey, please remember there are values that Blue Devils hold dear, and I hope that they will stay with you as the years go by.
“One of those values is to be a compassionate, respectful human being. In a world where light and darkness and chaos and civility are often out of balance, I wish for you to choose the bright path,” she added.
Before the conferral of degrees, President Toro took a moment to recognize a special anniversary and dedicated faculty member, Dr. Gil Gigliotti of New Britain. Citing his “30 years of passionate work behind the microphone of Central’s radio station WFCS 1077,” Toro presented Gigliotti with a commemorative Blue Devil trident. (Photo attached.) Gigliotti is the host of “Frank, Gil & Friends,” a show dedicated to “alternative” Frank Sinatra tunes. The program marked its 30th anniversary on Dec. 12.
The names of the graduates were read aloud during the ceremony—many by Gigliotti who has served as a reader at Central’s commencement ceremonies for years.
To watch a recording of the festivities, go to https://www.ccsu.edu/commencement/live-stream/.
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President Toro addresses Dr. Richard Fichman '74 before presenting him with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. (Photo by Stan Godlewski)