Dr. Sylvia Washington Announced as Honored Commencement Speaker

This May, Unity College invites students to its 90 Quaker Hill location for an in-person spring commencement ceremony.

America’s Environmental College is proud to graduate 137 students during this hybrid, in-person, and online event. Just as the college strives to provide students with maximum flexibility in the classroom, it is also ensuring anybody who is unable to attend in-person has the opportunity to watch live online.

“We are thrilled to bring graduating students, their families, and friends back to our 90 Quaker Hill Rd. location. Spring is a wonderful time in Unity. The season signals a fresh start and new growth. It is our honor to bring our Hybrid Learning and Distance Education graduates together one final time before they go off into the world and blossom as environmental superheroes,” said Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury.

Commencement Speaker:

Distinguished environmentalist, Dr. Sylvia Washington, will be featured as Unity College’s May ’22 commencement speaker. Dr. Washington is a highly accomplished and successful environmental epidemiologist, environmental engineer, historian, and clinician with over 30 years of research experience working on the impact of industrial pollution on human health.

Dr. Washington was instrumental in the successful implementation of the Research Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Superfund and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations for effluents and solid waste derived from power generation sources (space and terrestrial systems) for both private industry and NASA.

Honorary Degree Recipient:

Philanthropist John A. Couri, founder of the Couri Foundation, will be presented with an honorary Doctorate of Sustainability degree during May commencement.

Couri is a longtime supporter of Unity College and its mission. In 2018, Couri generously donated Sky Lodge to the college. This multi-million dollar donation is one of the largest donations in Unity history. Sky Lodge includes more than a dozen buildings, including the 7,500 square foot main lodge and over 150 acres of land.

“John Couri’s contribution to the environmental sciences cannot be understated. As Unity College continues to utilize the state of Maine as our classroom, we are proud to steward these properties in the Moose River region for years to come,” said Dr. Khoury.

Commencement will be held outside of Quimby Library on May 21, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. The venue opens at 1:00 p.m. All graduates and their guests should arrive by 1:00 p.m. to ensure ample time for parking and to pick up reserved tickets.

More details on Unity College’s May Commencement, including an important to-do list, can be found here.