Congratulations to the NHS Class of 2007!

Tanuj Banker, who graduated first in his class, led the commencement procession.

Under a beautiful Washington sky on Saturday, May 19, members of the School of Nursing & Health Studies Class of 2007 received their degrees. Derek Yach, director of global health policy for PepsiCo, was this year's commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient. Yach has held several distinguished positions in his career, including at the World Health Organization.

"By the time you reach mid-career in the 2040s, the world will be very different," Yach told the graduates. "It could be a miserable and poor world where only a few achieve their true human and genetic potential and where many continue to suffer from grinding poverty and the added reality of climate crises."

"Or it could be a more caring world where inequities of opportunity are diminished through bold and committed actions," he said. "A world in which stunning technological advances are accessible to all the world's people. A world in which all people's brains on our planet are used to solve problems together."

"The 2040s sound far off for you now," he added. "But they are really around the corner. In your hands, you have the potential to shape that future. Take your newly acquired knowledge and skills [and] proudly build on the values of your school and your teachers as you become the next generation of heroic leaders. The world needs you."

David Fajgenbaum, a human science major, was selected by his classmates to present the student address at commencement. Fajgenbaum, a Rhodes Scholarship finalist, also founded the National Students of Ailing Mothers and Fathers (AMF) support network after his mother died from brain cancer in 2004.

"This support from my family in St. Mary's helped me to stay in school and remain focused," Fajgenbaum said in his address, which received a standing ovation. "My experience in NHS is not unique to me. I have watched other students and listened to their stories. They are very much the same."

Among the 108 graduates:

• Tanuj Banker, who majored in human science, led the student procession, finishing first in the graduating class.
• Timothy Shannon, who majored in health care management and policy, was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious honor society for the liberal arts.
• Four students achieved summa cum laude (3.9 and above), 15 achieved magna cum laude (3.7 and above), and 19 achieved cum laude (3.5 and above).
• Nineteen students were elected to Sigma Theta Tau, the International Nursing Honor Society; eight were selected as Health Studies Scholars; three were named to Upsilon Phi Delta, the Honor Society for Health
  Systems Administration; and four students were named to Alpha Sigma Nu, the National Jesuit Honor Society.
• Two seniors in the Department of Human Science were initiated into Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society.

In addition, 82 students from the NHS graduate programs in health systems administration and nursing received their degrees this year.

Five graduate students in the health systems administration program were also inducted into Upsilon Phi Delta.

"Our faculty members strive to instill in each student the ability to think critically and live the Georgetown value of cura personalis," NHS Dean Bette Keltner said at commencement. "As you move forward, I ask all of you to embrace the NHS mission to improve health and well-being for all people."

NHS Professors Edilma Yearwood, Jean Farley, and Richard Ross, S.J.	NHS Professors Adriana Stoica, Patricia Cloonan, and Joan Riley
Gary Filerman, chair of the Department of Health Systems Administration, and graduating students	Graduates Kazuo Oishi and Ashley Miller pose with NHS Professor Kathryn Leonhardy
NHS Professors Myrtle McCulloch, Jennifer Huang, and Myriam Vuckovic	Graduate Timothy Shannon and NHS Professor Maria Klopf
NHS Professors Kevin Mallinson, Amanda Liddle, Colleen Norton, and Adriana Stoica	Michael Relf, chair of the Department of Nursing, with NHS Professors Jean Farley and Rita Ailinger
Charles Evans, chair of the Department of Human Science, stands with graduate David Fajgenbaum, who presented the student speech during commencement, and NHS Professors Pablo Irusta and Allan Angerio	Graduates Meridith Mikulich and Molly McNamara
NHS Dean Bette Keltner and Derek Yach	Graduates line up during ceremony
Healy Hall adorned with decorations for 2007 commencement ceremony	Bernhard Liese, chair of the Department of International Health, reads the honorary degree citation for Derek Yach