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| Don McPherson speaks at Alfred University’s Commencement Saturday morning |
ALFRED, NY – “To make a difference, you need to be outside of your comfort zone,” McPherson said during his keynote address at Alfred University’s 182nd Commencement Saturday morning in the Galanis Family Arena. “Anything is possible if you are compelled to do it.”
McPherson was speaking from experience. An Alfred University
alumnus who earned master’s and Ph.D. degrees in glass science in 1984 and
1988, respectively, he is co-founder and chief science officer at EnChroma
Labs, a Bay Area company that manufactures lenses that can effectively treat
the most common form of color blindness.
Nearly two decades ago, McPherson had developed special
eyeglasses use by ophthalmic surgeons to protect their eyes during laser
surgery and he himself enjoyed wearing them because they made colors look more
vivid. In 2001, he lent a pair of the glasses to a friend suffering from color
blindness, and the friend remarked that when he put them on, he could see
colors. The revelation led a curious McPherson out of his own comfort zone, and
over the ensuing years, he collected data and conducted research, ultimately
co-founding EnChoma in 2010.
More than 300 million people worldwide suffer from color
blindness; the EnChroma glasses developed by McPherson allow 80 percent of
color blind people who wear them to see in full color. The company has sold
tens of thousands of EnChroma eyeglasses and is on the verge of developing a
contact lens.
McPherson encouraged graduates to “step up,” using what
they’ve learned in their studies to make a difference. Paraphrasing political
activist Ralph Nader’s recent speech in California, McPherson said, “We all
expect to see a few people step up in the name of something bigger: to take on
Goliath; defend the defenseless, work for little pay; be selfless.”
He closed by remarking, “Being able to speak to you about my
Alfred experiences and to hopefully inspire you, the best and the brightest, to
go out and do something amazing in the world has been one the honors of my
life.”
McPherson and Michele Cohen, a member of the University’s
Board of Trustees, were awarded honorary degrees: McPherson the Doctor of
Science, honoris causa, and Cohen the Doctor of Arts, honoris causa. Cohen, who
has served as a trustee since 2001 and as chair of the Board’s Student Affairs
Committee since 2005, was honored for her passion for the arts at Alfred
University and her commitment to improving the lives of Alfred University
students.
Cohen and her husband, Marty, have been creative and
generous supporters of the arts at Alfred, creating the Cohen Art Center for
the first-year Foundations program and the Cohen Gallery to spotlight alumni
artists; sponsoring several senior shows in New York City for our students, and
most recently, establishing the endowed deanship for the School of Art and
Design. She reminded graduates of the importance of taking chances and making
the most of opportunities.
“You all took a chance when you came to Alfred. Many more
opportunities will come your way,” said Cohen, whose son, Adam, graduated from
Alfred University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. “I am so proud
to be part of a Board (of Trustees) that has given so generously, and I’m so
proud to be part of the Alfred University community.”
Addressing their classmates were 2018 Marlin Miller
Outstanding Senior Award recipients Logan Gee, an English and communication
studies major from Nunda, NY, and Beryl Torthe, a psychology major from
Pretoria, South Africa. The awards are given in honor of Marlin Miller, a
longtime member of the Alfred University Board of Trustees and a generous
supporter of the University.
Gee is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Tau Delta
honor societies, as well as the Alfred University Honors Program. She served
two years as editor-in-chief of the Fiat Lux student newspaper, and won the
Gifford Hopkins Writing Prize in 2017.
“Our contributions to the University have left an impact on
this place. We’ve given of ourselves and made it our own,” Gee said. “I want
each of you to continue working hard to give meaning to what you do. I am so
proud to be an Alfred University graduate. Keep learning and keep growing,
knowing this place will always be a home for you.”
Torthe graduated with designation as an Alfred University
Scholar. She is a member of several academic honor societies, including Phi
Beta Kappa and Chi Alpha Sigma. An accomplished writer, she won the Gertz Award
for Excellence in Academic Writing in 2015.
“You’ve had a door held open for you every day,” Torthe sold
her fellow graduates. “The question is, how do we bring the magic that is
Alfred out into the world? The answer is simple: we just do it. We take our
kindness and go forth into the world. We go forth and do good.”
Recognized as the top students for the Class of 2108 were:
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Torthe, who earned a
3.98 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale. She is the daughter of Catherine Bourely
and the late Jean-Yves Torthe.
School of Art and Design: Reed McLean, who earned a 3.98
grade-point average. The son of Don McLean and Suzanne Best of Norway, ME, he
is a graduate of Oxford Hills High School in Norway, ME.
Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering: Taylor Kelley, a
mechanical engineering major with a 3.98 grade-point average. She is a graduate
of Andover Central High School and is a daughter of Fred and Heather Kelley of Wellsville, NY.
College of Professional Studies: Amber Cramp, an accounting
major with a GPA of 3.90. She is the daughter of Ian and Lori Cramp of Hornell,
NY, and is a graduate of Hornell High School.
Alfred University Saturday conferred degrees on students who
completed their course work in August and December 2017, as well as this
semester. The University awarded six doctoral degrees, 66 master’s degrees and
351 baccalaureate degrees Saturday. A separate ceremony will be held June 2 in
Brooklyn, NY, for the 129 students who completed their master’s degree programs
in the University’s New York City program.
(In photo above, Don McPherson speaks at Alfred University’s
Commencement Saturday morning. Members of the stage party wear eyeglasses
manufactured by McPerson's company, EnChroma, that treat color blindness.)
