Three hundred and thirty five candidates for graduation participated in the commencement ceremony and received bachelor of science, bachelor of arts, and associate of science degrees.

Judge Mathis addressed the enthusiastic Class of 2013, exhorting them to “make your lives matter.” He shared his story of challenges: after finishing law school and passing the bar, he was made to wait for three years before he was allowed to receive his license to practice law because of his past criminal record. He encouraged the graduates to persevere, even when the door to opportunity may seem closed.

Becker College bestowed upon Judge Mathis an honorary doctorate degree of humane letters. Mathis was honored for his commitment to advocating for equal justice and for his career of public service.

“Judge Mathis’s journey from his troubled youth on the streets of Detroit to his distinguished career as a judge, television host, and philanthropist is an inspiring tale of individual achievement and social responsibility,” said Becker College President Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D.  “At Becker, we believe there is no limit to the heights that can be reached by individuals who refuse to accept limits and insist on the pursuit of opportunity. Judge Mathis is the personification of that vision.”

In addition to hosting his eponymous award-winning television court show, Mathis is dedicated to offering youth second chances and spreads his message of empowerment and equal justice as he speaks to audiences all across the country. His national education and youth crusades have attracted tens of thousands of parents and students throughout America.

In his efforts to reach out to youth both in and outside of the courtroom, Judge Mathis and his wife, Linda, have assisted thousands of youth with their non-profit agency Young Adults Asserting Themselves (Y.A.A.T.), an outreach initiative that provides youth ages 17-25 with career and job opportunities as well as job training and college enrollment assistance.

They have also opened five non-profit preschools in the inner city of Detroit, while continuing to raise funds for a variety of equal justice political and youth causes.

The College also awarded an honorary doctoral degree to Worcester, Mass. City Manager Michael V. O’Brien. O’Brien was recognized for his career of service to the city and the citizens of Worcester.

“We are proud to honor City Manager O’Brien with one of two honorary degrees we will award this year,” said Becker College President Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. “Mr. O’Brien has worked with leaders throughout the Commonwealth and capitalized on Worcester’s strengths to begin a lasting transformation. His contributions and commitment to this city are a source of inspiration and resonate with the Becker College mission.”

Becker College awards honorary doctoral degrees to individuals who merit its highest recognition by attaining achievements of extraordinary and lasting distinction and demonstrating personal and professional qualities that are consistent with the mission and values of Becker College.

Appointed city manager in 2004, the overarching theme of O’Brien’s administration has been to preserve, protect, and enhance the quality of life for all residents and resident businesses in Worcester. Worcester, New England’s second largest city, is now rated one of the safest communities of its size in the country and is experiencing more than $2.4 billion in economic development activity.

Under O’Brien’s leadership, Worcester is in the midst of one of the most aggressive economic development agendas in the Commonwealth today.  Major public and private investments underway include: the first phases of the City Square project in Downtown, valued at nearly $200 million; a $23 million dollar expansion for the very successful DCU Arena ; and hundreds of other new projects, both large and small, building off the foundation of the assets of the City and better positioning the community for the 21^st century.  This includes the enhancements to mass-transit, such as the new $11 million Worcester Regional Transit Authority headquarters in Washington Square – complementing the area as the region’s inter-modal transportation center with daily MBTA commuter rail service to Boston and Amtrak service to several major cities.  Most recently, O’Brien was instrumental in bringing JetBlue Airways to the Worcester Regional Airport.

Additional awards of distinction were presented to graduating seniors. The President’s Award, which recognizes a graduate who has shown outstanding school spirit, leadership, and community service, was presented to Brooke Cote (veterinary science, pre-vet). Theresa Boulier (honors psychology) received the Samuel May Award, which recognizes a graduate who has shown scholastic achievement, excellence in character, and leadership.

Dean’s Awards, given to the graduates with the highest grade point averages in the bachelor’s and associate’s degree programs, were presented to Jennifer Wallace (criminal justice) for the bachelor’s program, and Rachel Carter (veterinary technology)for the associate’s program.

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Communications Design offers students a diverse set of creative and technologic skills that provide entrée into a broad range of employment opportunities, which are expected to experience an average of more than 17% growth in the near future.

Graduates of the program will be prepared for entry-level positions in advertising, motion and broadcast graphics, web design, book and magazine design, package design, corporate branding, information visualization, interactive design, exhibition and retail design, architectural and environmental graphics, apparel design, and instructional technology.

Among the many advantages of using a communications design strategy in a range of professions and industries is that it forms the foundation for the practice: organization of information is the first step in designing any communication, especially if it has visual and auditory components.

Communications design provides the ability to identify, research, evaluate, and solve problems; create prototypes; apply relevant tools and technologies; understand basic business organizational practices; and apply an understanding of design history.

This program prepares students for the broad field of communications design while allowing them to expand their knowledge in one or more areas through course groupings that provide the opportunity for depth.  Students who choose the bachelor of arts in communications design may elect to focus on instructional design, or add courses in video production, or multimedia journalism. Portfolio, senior project, professional practice, and an optional internship assure that students receive hands-on experience in their chosen area of communications design and enter the workforce with marketable skills and an interview-ready portfolio.

Computer Information Systems provides a degree in an industry that includes the top-eight growth jobs over the next eight years (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Students majoring in the bachelor of science in business administration’s computer information systems (CIS) concentration will have leading-edge tools and techniques in their grasp (MSDNAA, Rational Suite Enterprise, IBM products, and Oracle), as well as a solid foundation of business skills.

CIS students establish a robust foundation that prepares them to pursue either a business career with a strong understanding of how technology facilitates achieving business objectives, or a technology career with a strong understanding of how business objectives drive information systems toward achieving business goals.

Information systems (IS) is the use of computers and information to enable people and organizations to be more creative and productive.

Students learn to:

• identify the needs of an individual or organization
• design and develop systems to meet those requirements
• deploy these systems to solve real-world problems

These solutions can involve applying the latest technology to improve the delivery of products and services, while insuring that the systems are secure.

Students will take four additional courses in an area of specialization.  Current courses in the areas of project management and information security are available.  Students have the option of taking other approved program electives.

For more information on these, or any Becker College academic programs, contact 508.373.9400 or admissions@becker.edu, or visit http://www.becker.edu/admissions/.

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The bond between human owners and their pets may be affecting the health of both, especially when it comes to diabetes, high blood pressure, and other illnesses associated with obesity.

In the veterinary sciences field, we have observed that the epidemic of overweight humans is being mirrored in the population of pet cats and dogs. Obesity is just as threatening to the animals as it is to their owners, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine.  Diseases being diagnosed in animals that are obese “are eerily similar to those reported for people,” according to the center, citing an annual study by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP).

Fat owners, fat pets? It has long been observed that dog and cat owners often resemble the dogs and cats they own. In 2009, a scientist in England issued a study in which 70 subjects were asked to match pictures of 41 dog owners to one of several breeds. They were able to match successfully more than half the time, far better than chance. Why? Because it’s true: Many people look like their pets.

Norman Rockwell, the artist famous for his series of Americana paintings featured on Saturday Evening Post covers, did not need a study to understand how pets and owners reflect each other. He painted a group of dogs and their look-alike owners in 1952, in his famous work “Waiting for the Vet.”

But the resemblance is now being found to extend to problems like obesity and the diseases it can cause, potentially affecting millions of Americans and the animals they love.  More than half of all American households have a companion animal, for a total of 77 million dogs and 93 million cats.  There are more dogs and cats in households than children, in addition to 75 million small mammals and reptiles and millions of aquarium fish. Pets are family members, and we often treat them as loved ones with all the benefits of a great home life. But our pets are, sadly, falling victim to one of the biggest health issues facing their human owners.

Obesity is a leading epidemic in the United States, for humans and for pets. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that during the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in American obesity, and rates remain high. More than two-thirds (68.8 percent) of adults are considered to be overweight or obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3 percent) have extreme obesity. Almost 3 in 4 men (74 percent) are considered to be overweight or obese, and the numbers are relatively the same for women.

Guess what? Similar trends hold true for our pets. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in the dog and cat. The latest nationwide survey, conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), found 53 percent of adult dogs and 55 percent of cats to be classified as overweight or obese by their veterinarian. That equals over 100 million pets that are too heavy, according to veterinarians.

A central part of the problem, APOP found, is the growing “fat pet gap.” Many owners are unaware that their pets are overweight. The new normal is fat and, in many cases, the problem correlates to the obesity epidemic among people. The FDA sees the pet as the sentinel for childhood obesity. When we see dogs that are overweight, we essentially should see a child that’s at risk for excess weight. Think about the lifestyles of many of our young people, and then we can readily see how their pets are emulating those lifestyles.  If a child is playing video games all day, the dog isn’t outside playing. Rather, the pet is sitting at her feet or on the sofa. If the child is lying around snacking on high-calorie treats, chances are the dog is sharing in those same excess calories—and is also likely to get something from the dinner table.

What can we start doing in May—National Pet Month—the perfect occasion to begin decreasing the risk of disease and improving the overall health and wellness of both ourselves and our pets.? Just as humans who are striving to improve their health can benefit from partnering with others, so too can we partner with our pets. Make May a time to resolve to change your unhealthy habits, and those of your pet. Get outside with your dog. Go for a walk or play fetch. Run around the house with a feather on the end of a lead with your cat. Take an unflinching look at your lives TOGETHER.

Rather than sit together, play together. Exercise together. Eat right together. Picture a healthier you looking fit and trim, and do the same with your dog, cat, or other favorite pet. Make your new normal—and that of your pet—healthy.  And, as in the Norman Rockwell painting, make sure to visit your veterinarian so you can receive the guidance and assistance you both need to embark on a healthy mission together.

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Ebenezer Crafts (1740-1810) and Jacob Davis (1741-1814) co-founded Leicester Academy in 1784 and went on to found the Vermont towns of Craftsbury and Montpelier, respectively. Educator and entrepreneur E. C. A. Becker (1855-1907) founded Becker’s Business College in 1887 and introduced to Worcester the latest technology (the typewriter) and business practices of the time. Today’s Becker College traces its history from the union of those two Massachusetts educational institutions.

Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D., the tenth president of Becker College, established the President’s Medal, which is awarded at the sole discretion of the president to an individual or organization whose contributions have had a far-reaching and positive influence on the Becker College, in our communities, across the nation, or around the world.

“The history of Becker College is intertwined with the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” says President Johnson. “It is only fitting that we honor our founders—two Minutemen who founded one of the first academies in Massachusetts, with a charter signed by Samuel Adams and John Hancock, and one an innovator in business education—on this 225th Commencement Anniversary. Their entrepreneurial spirit formed the strong, enduring foundation which today ensures that the education Becker College delivers is relevant, connected, and engaged in our global society.”

The President’s Medal honors those who exemplify the ideals represented in the college’s vision, mission, and core values—globally focused and grounded in the responsibility of an educated person to not only seek personal and professional success, but also to contribute to a greater good.

The President’s Medal features a global citizenship motif—a hallmark of Dr. Johnson’s presidency that was first introduced with his inaugural medallion in September 2011. The image of the world is spanned by the words Becker College, symbolizing the College’s focus on and commitment to delivering to the world highly educated, responsible citizens who are prepared to thrive, contribute to, and lead in a global society. Laurel leaves, which are also part of the design on the college’s seal, encircle the medallion and reflect the ancient Greek tribute of using laurel leaves to form a crown of honor for scholars, heroes, and others of renown and significance.

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The six-member Becker dance team competed against 14 other dance and cheer teams and earned 240 out of 300 points, 40 points more than their last competition, says Coach Lynn Koenig.

Coach Koenig speaks highly of the team. “They are a talented group with a great attitude,” she says. “Our choreographer, J’Quan Oliver, has been instrumental in creating our hip hop routines. I work to be sure that their spacing, precision, and energy are where they’re supposed to be; it is a privilege for me to work with them.”

This academic year, team members Krissy Girouard ’16 (Forensic Psychology); Andrew Jones ’16 (Graphic Design); Megan Koski ’13 (Veterinary Science/Veterinary Technology); Kimberly Luhcs ’16 (Criminal Justice); Oliver ’15 (Game Design/ Japanese); and Gabriela Alvarez Toro ’16 (Veterinary Science) performed in dance showcases at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester State University, Bryant University, the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester Afternoon of the Arts, and the Shrewsbury Street Shuffle, many of which donated proceeds to local charities.

“These students did not know each other at the beginning of the year,” said Coach Koenig. “At their summer dance camp they were voted the team other teams’ dancers wanted to be on. They have come together as a family, strengthened by Becker’s core values of creative expression and social responsibility, and ended the year better than we could have imagined.”

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The resolution read, in part, “I, Mayor Joseph M. Petty, do hereby proclaim the City of Worcester, as ONE City. I encourage everyone to recognize the devastating impact extreme poverty and preventable disease have globally and to take action in our local community to bring about change around the world.”

ONE at Becker College finished the 2013 ONE Campus Challenge, an intercollegiate competition that mobilizes students to educate others and advocate for global aid funding, in seventh place nationally and first in New England, among 100 other colleges. View the ONE Campus Challenge top 25 colleges and universities.

The Becker chapter was also recognized with a Community Engagement Award from the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, which was presented to Crowley, Syner, Buck, Trent Gibson ’14, and ONE at Becker founder Rebecca Corbett ’97 ’12.

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Honor society inductions took place at a ceremony on Sunday, April 21. Thirty-six students, representing the top 10 percent of full-time juniors and seniors, were inducted into the Alpha Chi Honor Society. Of the Alpha Chi members, 16 were inducted into the Theta Chapter as Models of Excellence, having maintained a place in the top 10 percent of their class for both their junior and senior years. More than 75 high-achieving freshmen swelled the ranks of Alpha Lambda Delta, an honor society for first-time, full-time college students, with a 3.5 GPA during their first semester.

Yet to come are a number of additional awards earned by graduating seniors, to be awarded at the College’s Honors Convocation, Friday, May 10, on the Leicester Campus. In addition to two of the College’s highest awards, the Samuel May Award and the President’s Award, top honors will be presented to seniors in the 27 traditional and accelerated academic majors and concentrations, and 105 seniors who are graduating with honors—about 30% of the Class of 2013—will be recognized.

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More than 25 years ago, the University of California’s Clark Kerr and Marian Gade wrote that in higher education, turmoil and change have been “the rule, not the exception.” Yet the winds of tumultuous change are today blowing harder than ever, whipping up a gale that threatens every institution that is slow to adapt.

Online learning is certainly a driving force in the higher education revolution, but the phenomenon of Internet-based courses is only part of the changes to come. In the furious rush to build virtual classrooms, colleges and universities may be confusing the online revolution with the larger need for higher education to embrace much wider change.

Read more.

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