Lambert, who led Elon to national prominence during his 18-year tenure as president from 1999-2018, delivered the keynote address for Alfred University’s 189th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 17, in the Galanis Family Arena.
In his remarks Saturday, Lambert said he recognized extraordinary qualities in Alfred University as well. “I admire and respect Alfred University and its people for many reasons, but the reason I admire Alfred the most is the deep commitment the faculty and staff hold to great teaching and mentoring.”
During Lambert’s tenure as president at Elon, a private school in Elon, NC, the university experienced significant growth and reputation, including a nearly two-thirds increase in enrollment and a doubling of the faculty. The academic climate of the campus was strengthened through investments in faculty development, teaching innovation and instructional excellence, and investments in library resources. A chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was sheltered in 2010 and both a School of Law (2006) and a School of Health Sciences (2011) were founded.
With a focus on developing students as global citizens, ethical leaders, and creative problem-solvers, Lambert led two decade-long strategic plans as Elon built a national reputation for excellence in undergraduate education. Under his guidance, the university created innovative programs in global education, undergraduate research, leadership, interfaith dialogue, civic engagement, and preparation for post-graduate success in careers or advanced study.
As Elon’s president, Lambert prioritized deep partnerships with K-12 public education and was instrumental in the creation of the Elon Academy in 2007, an enrichment program for academically talented high school students who have financial need or no family history of college attendance. He also created the Center for Access and Success at Elon, which houses the Odyssey Scholars program, providing outstanding undergraduate students with significant financial and mentoring support.
Elon’s physical plant grew significantly during Lambert’s presidency, with more than 100 new buildings added to the campus. Under his leadership, the university invested heavily in shaping its residential character, building four major neighborhoods, integrating academic and residence life programs, and nurturing a flourishing intellectual climate.
In closing, Lambert told Alfred University graduates to extend to their future friends and colleagues the same spirit of friendship and mentoring they experienced at Alfred University.
“Please be mindful of the enormous power you hold as an encourager and supporter of others,” Lambert said in his address. “As you begin busy new lives with full schedules, the most impactful thing you may do on any given day is to extend an act of kindness to another human being.”
Lambert graduated from SUNY Geneseo in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in English, and from Syracuse University in 1984 with a doctoral degree in education. In 2002, SUNY Geneseo awarded him an honorary doctorate of humane letters. He is a member of The Washington Center and the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. He is a former member of the board of directors of the Association of Governing Boards and previously served on the board of directors of Association of American Colleges and Universities, the American Council on Education, Campus Compact, Project Pericles, and the NCAA Division I President’s Forum.
Lambert and Alfred University alumnus Nick Ferreri ’64 were awarded honorary degrees Saturday. Lambert received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, honoris causa, in recognition of his career in higher education, his dedication to leading Elon University to national prominence, and his commitment to strengthening student-mentor relationships.
Ferreri received the Doctor of Commercial Science degree, honoris causa. A 1964 graduate of Alfred University with a bachelor’s degree in business, Ferreri is a successful serial entrepreneur. Among his ventures, he is past president and CEO of Tanglewood Group, which comprises five senior living communities in western New York. He currently owns Field of Dreams, an innovative assisted living and memory care facility in Allegany, NY.
His development of the Tanglewood Group facilities was inspired by the experience of his parents, Louis and Josephine Ferreri, both of whom received a diagnosis of dementia and required assisted living and memory care. Through this experience, Ferreri became passionate about transforming the field to deliver top of the line senior care. After diligent research and by studying the best practices for memory care, personal care, and the architectural design of senior living communities, Ferreri developed a leading-edge community designed specifically to provide the most supportive and active environment for seniors to grow older with grace and dignity.
Through Ferreri’s vision, the Tanglewood Group communities became nationally renowned for innovation in senior living and memory care. Scientists and researchers at the University of Florida sought Ferreri out to learn from his model and invited him to be involved in their research to cure, and ultimately prevent, Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Ferreri has advocated tirelessly for this cause and has secured millions of dollars in funding from the State of Florida and others to support the advanced, groundbreaking research being conducted at the university. These efforts have attracted several other universities and top researchers from around the world as collaborators in the project.
Ferreri has been a generous benefactor of Alfred University. His philanthropy has supported Saxon Nation and the Strategic Investment Fund, and he has given in support of the Ferreri Athletics Fund and the Ferreri Internship Award. As an undergraduate at Alfred University, Ferreri played on the men’s basketball team, and he maintains an affinity for the Saxon athletics program. In addition to his support of Saxon Nation, he is a generous supporter of the Saxon Hill Sports Complex, Alfred University’s sports and recreation facility atop Jericho Hill in the town of Alfred. The project, which will be ready to host athletic competitions in spring 2026, is predicted to increase student enrollment and will enhance the overall student experience through opportunities for team, intramural, and club sports, as well as spectator engagement.
In accepting his honorary degree, Ferreri expressed his appreciation for his education at Alfred University, as well as the broader experience of attending the University and living in Alfred. “This is not just a college. It’s family,” and he said, and added, “You’ve got to believe in yourself. Remember what you’ve learned, and care about others.”
Addressing their classmates were 2025 Marlin Miller Outstanding Senior Award recipients Marcella Peccorini, a biomaterials engineering major (chemistry minor) from San Salvador, El Salvador, and Elijah Hamarlund, a biomaterials engineering and chemistry major from Florence, MA.
Winners of the Marlin Miller Outstanding Senior Award are chosen based on scholarship, extracurricular achievement, personal character and conduct, and nominations by faculty, students, staff, or alumni. The award was established to honor Alfred University alumnus Marlin Miller ’54, H ’89, H ’19 one of Alfred University’s most generous supporters. Miller has been a member of Alfred University’s Board of Trustees since 1972.
The recipient of a Dean’s Scholarship, the Treddenick Scholarship, and Keeling Scholarship as well as support from the New York State College of Ceramics Endowed Performance Fund, Peccorini is a member of several honor societies, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Tau Beta Pi, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Material Advantage.
Peccorini recalled traveling to Alfred from her home in El Salvador and saluted her family in Spanish for making the 24-hour journey to watch her graduation. “This is a celebration of the risks we took,” she told her graduating class. “Real life isn’t about following a plan; it’s about stepping into the unknown.”
Hammarlund graduated with a 4.00 grade-point average and was on the Dean’s List each semester at Alfred. The recipient of a Presidential Scholarship, Hammarlund is winner of the 2024 Outstanding Ceramic Engineering and Materials Science (CEMS) Senior Award, given to an outstanding senior and based on scholarship and service to the university and community, and the 2023 Scholes Scholar Award, presented to the sophomore engineering student with the highest GPA, and is a member of Tau Beta Pi honor society.
Students, faculty and staff at Alfred University are “part of a community that remembers and cares,” Hammarlund said in his own speech to the graduating class. “Alfred University gave me the chance to explore who I am.”
Alfred University awarded 219 baccalaureate degrees, 62 master’s degrees, and five doctoral degrees to graduates who completed their degree requirements in May 2025. The University had already conferred 67 baccalaureate degrees, 23 master’s degrees, and three doctoral degrees to August 2024, December 2024, and 2025 Allen Term (January) graduates.
The University recognized as the following top students (highest GPAs in each school and college) for the Class of 2025:
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Caleb Michael Jennings, physics major from Little Valley, NY, who earned a 3.97 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.
School of Art and Design: Alex Greco, fine arts major from Huntington Station, NY, who earned a 3.96 grade-point average
Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering: : Roque Santiago, materials science and engineering/physics major from Canisteo, NY, who earned a 4.00 grade-point average; and Elijah Hammarlund, biomaterials engineering/chemistry major from Florence, MA, who earned a 4.00 grade-point average.
College of Business: Connor James Scriven, business administration major from Peoria, AZ, who earned a 4.00 grade-point average.
Division of Performing Arts: Luke Samuel Piazza, music major from Big Flats, NY, who earned a 3.80 grade-point average.
In closing the ceremony, Alfred University President Mark Zupan praised the leadership of King Alfred the Great, known as Britain’s Education King, and said Alfred University has sought to extend King Alfred’s commitment to inclusive education into the modern age.
“King Alfred was devoted to learning not just as a privilege for elites, but for all,” Zupan said. “Believe in the power of education and how it motivated you. We believe in you and the purposeful lives you create.
