The School of Education Holds Graduate-Level Commencement Exercise

A total of 228 graduate students in The School of Education at St. John’s University earned their degrees during the School’s Graduate-Level Commencement Exercise held on Friday, May 16, in Carnesecca Arena on the Queens, NY, campus.

“It is always gratifying to see our remarkable students graduate,” said James D. Wolfinger, Ph.D., Dean, The School of Education. “At St. John’s, where we prepare students to lead lives and careers of service, we come together in community to celebrate our graduates and launch them into the next stage of their lives where they will make us proud as they make the New York City metro area a better place for students and their families.”

Simon G. Møller, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, conferred the degrees. The School of Education had the following conferrals: 28 Doctor of Philosophy, 26 Doctor of Education, 42 Advanced Certificates, and 132 Master of Science in Education. The conferral of degrees to the undergraduate students took place on Sunday, May 18 and the School of Education had 102 graduating students.

Adrianna Iliadis, a Master of Science in Education degree candidate, served as the student marshal for The School of Education. Stephen Kotok, Ph.D., Chair and Associate Professor of Administrative and Instructional Leadership, and Audrey Figueroa Murphy, Ed.D., Assistant Chair and Associate Professor of Education Specialties, presented The School of Education awards.

The Dr. Gene Geisert Outstanding Dissertation Award was given to Joanne Pisani ’25Ed.D., who earned her doctorate in Administration and Supervision. The award is named in honor of Gene A. Geisert, Ph.D., former Chairperson of the Department of Administration and Instructional Leadership in The School of Education. Her dissertation is entitled, “Mental Health Education Literacy in Schools: An Exploratory Analysis Through A Qualitative Multi Case Study and Phenomenological Approach.”

The St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Dissertation Award in Instructional Leadership, established to acknowledge an exemplary research study promoting the mission of Catholic schools and Catholic school education, was awarded to Anthony C. Marziliano ’13GEd, ’17CERT, ’25Ed.D., who earned his doctorate in Instructional Leadership and works at St. John’s as Assistant Provost for Academic Assessment and Accreditation. His dissertation is entitled, “Undergraduate Student Decision-Making: Pursuing Graduate Studies at the Same Institution That Granted the Undergraduate Degree.”

The 2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award in Literacy was awarded to Jenna L. Lynch, Ph.D., who earned her doctorate in January based on her dissertation, “My Writing Makes It So Others Can Feel Seen: A Queer Phenomenological Study of LGBTQ+ College Students Affective Experiences in an Out-of-School Poetry Workshop.”

Congratulations to all of our graduates!

2025 Graduate-Level Commencement Exercises Video