Katz School to Graduate 117 Students at Its Seventh Commencement

Dr. Rafael Reyes, director of graduate student life, will deliver the faculty address.

The Katz School of Science and Health will graduate 117 students in nine programs at its seventh commencement exercises on Monday, May 15, at 11 a.m. at the Weissberg Commons on the Wilf Campus.

Following commencement, a reception for all Katz School graduates will take place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. A Health Sciences Celebration for graduates of the M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy Doctorate will follow at 2 p.m. in the Weissberg Commons.

Dean Paul Russo will confer 101 master’s degrees to graduates of the following programs: Artificial Intelligence (1), Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship (10), Cybersecurity (13), Data Analytics and Visualization (13), Digital Marketing and Media (11), Mathematics (3), Physics (1) and Speech-Language Pathology (49). In addition, doctoral degrees will be awarded to 15 graduates of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate and to one in mathematical sciences.

Julietta Gurgova, representing the Occupational Therapy Doctorate, will deliver remarks on behalf of students.

“I share the pride our graduating students have in their accomplishments,” said Dr. Paul Russo, dean of the Katz School and vice provost at Yeshiva University. “In their coursework and clinical experiences, they’ve prepared themselves for fulfilling careers that will have enormous impact on the world.”

In addition to remarks by Dean Russo, Dr. Rafael Reyes, director of graduate student life and community engagement at the Katz School, will speak on behalf of the faculty; Julietta Gurgova, representing the Occupational Therapy Doctorate, will deliver remarks on behalf of students; and Humayra Kausar, a 2022 graduate of the M.S. in Data Analytics and Visualization, will give the alumni address.

Dr. Reyes holds a doctorate in process philosophy, religion and continental thought and a master’s degree in religion from Claremont School of Theology, as well as a sacred theology master’s from Drew Theological School, master of divinity from New York Theological Seminary and master of arts in New Testament studies from Alliance Theological Seminary.

Humayra Kausar, a graduate of the M.S. in Data Analytics and Visualization, will give the alumni address.

Gurgova will receive an Occupational Therapy Doctorate at commencement. Her capstone research, “Paternal Reflective Functioning and Its Impact on Joint Play,” examined whether a father’s self-perception impacts the ways in which they play with their sons.

Before enrolling in the Katz School, Gurgova was a solutions manager at Verizon Wireless in Manhattan. In addition to the Occupational Therapy Doctorate, she holds a bachelor of business administration in marketing management from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children, David and Amelia.

Kausar is a business development consultant for ViewSoft, a data technology firm, and president of the Katz Graduate Student Alumni Association. She holds an MBA in finance from Wilmington University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting and human resource management form East West University in Dhaka, Bangladesh.