FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Sacred Heart University alumnus Kevin Nealon ’75 will present the keynote address for Sacred Heart’s 56th undergraduate commencement exercises scheduled for Saturday, May 14, at 3 p.m., at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport. SHU’s undergraduate class of 2022 includes 1,385 students who have earned associate and bachelor’s degrees.
Nealon also will join Sacred Heart trustee Frank Martire ’69, former chairman of Sacred Heart’s Board of Trustees, in receiving an honorary doctor of humane letters degree, honoris causa, during the ceremony.
That same day, John M. Murphy, president and CEO of Nuvance Health―a network of health-care facilities in New York and western Connecticut―will address graduate students at their commencement. That ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater. Murphy will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree, honoris causa, as well. During this ceremony, Sacred Heart will bestow 1,200 students with master’s degrees, professional certificates and doctorates.
Gathering all of 2022’s graduates together at this year’s celebrations marks a welcome return to normalcy after the last two years. The exercises for 2020’s commencement were postponed until 2021 and took place during a week-long commencement celebration that included five separate ceremonies.
“I am so beyond proud to be graduating from this respectable nursing program,” said Marissa Pettinelli ’22, who will be following graduation with a position as a registered nurse at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford. “The last four years have been so difficult, and I have spent so much time studying, doing schoolwork and attending clinicals. I also enjoyed being able to study abroad in Dingle, Ireland, being an orientation leader and FYE instructor and being a part of the Student Nurses Association. Accepting a job as a registered nurse in my dream position just makes it feel like all my hard work has finally paid off. It was all truly worth it to be joining such an honorable profession where I feel as prepared as I can be after going through Sacred Heart’s very rigorous program.”
Political science and global studies major Sheila Moloney ’22 will begin her post-SHU career as a private wealth management investments analyst in the Goldman Sachs Cohoes, NY, office. “After the unprecedented times faced over the last few years, Sacred Heart University has been a constant light through the dark,” Moloney said. “Sacred Heart has stayed my school, home and favorite place. Through support inside and outside the classroom, I was able to continue to thrive and obtain a position at Goldman Sachs following commencement. The department of political science and global studies prepared me for the fast work pace and communication needed to excel in a career after graduation. As I graduate and join the Goldman Sachs family, I will forever be thankful for my Sacred Heart family.”
“From the first moments of our orientation right through the defense of the dissertation, participating in this SEL-focused doctoral program has been a challenging yet tremendously rewarding experience,” said Christopher Cipriano ’22, principal of Notre Dame High School in Fairfield, who is part of the first cohort to graduate from SHU with an Ed.D. degree. “Our professors led each course, and the program as a whole, from a social-emotional perspective. Not only did we learn the course content, but we learned from the example each professor set for us. On behalf of our cohort, I am confident saying these past three years have instilled in each of us a strong realization for the power and importance of social-emotional learning. This knowledge will positively impact each of our respective school communities—including students and teachers. It has been a privilege to work with such a great group of colleagues as the first cohort to navigate this program and to learn from such a dynamic, engaging and outstanding group of professors. I cannot speak highly enough about the entire experience!”
An Emmy and SAG award-nominated actor, comedian and author, Nealon is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. He received critical acclaim for his role in the Showtime series Weeds from 2005 to 2012 and, more recently, he starred on the CBS-TV comedy series Man with a Plan. He currently produces and hosts a digital series, Hiking with Kevin (exclusively available on his YouTube channel) and performs his stand-up comedy globally. In addition, Nealon was the titular voice in the animated series in Glenn Martin, DDS; completed two critically acclaimed stand-up specials for Showtime and has appeared in numerous films and television series.
On Saturday Night Live, he had a recurring role as anchor on “Weekend Update” and earned an Emmy nomination in 1988 as part of the SNL writing team.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Nealon moved to Bridgeport with his family, graduating from St. Joseph High School in Trumbull. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Sacred Heart University.
Frank Martire
Martire was born and raised in Bridgeport. He attended and graduated from Notre Dame High School in Bridgeport.
Martire earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Sacred Heart University in 1969 and a master’s degree in finance from the University of New Haven. He has been a member of Sacred Heart’s board of trustees since 2005 and served six years as the board chair. SHU’s Frank and Marisa Martire Center for the Liberal Arts and the Martire Family Arena, currently under construction on campus, honor Martire and his wife, Marisa.
Martire has been the executive chairman of NCR Corporation since May 2018 and a director of Cannae Holdings, a publicly traded company, since November 2017. In 2019, he created an investment firm called Bridgeport Partners. He previously served as executive chairman, chief executive officer and president of Fidelity Information Services, Inc. (FIS), from October 2009 through December 2017. He currently holds various leadership roles and serves as a board member for several not-for-profit organizations including the Mayo Clinic Leadership Council.
John M. Murphy, M.D.
Murphy was instrumental in Western Connecticut Health Network’s (WCHN) merger with Health Quest Systems, which was announced in 2018 and finalized in 2019. The merger created Nuvance Health, a $2.7 billion, seven-hospital system that serves 1.5 million people across Connecticut and New York and employs more than 15,000 people.
With more than 40 years of experience in health-care management and medicine, Murphy held various positions at Danbury Hospital before becoming CEO of WCHN, including executive vice president and chief operating officer. A neurologist by training, he also served as chairman of the Danbury Hospital board of directors. He recently completed a three-year term as chair of the Connecticut Hospital Association board of trustees. He also serves on a number of health-care boards at the local, state and national level. Prior to taking on administrative roles in health care, Murphy practiced neurology in the Danbury area for 20 years, and he still sees patients in a free clinic.
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About Sacred Heart University
As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers nearly 90 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland and offers online programs. More than 9,000 students attend the University’s nine colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Social Work; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 387 Colleges–2022 Edition, “Best Northeastern” and Best Business Schools–2022 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliated radio station, WSHU, a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theatre. www.sacredheart.edu