John Honeycutt '91 delivers the commencement address on May 20, 2023. Fitchburg State University celebrated its 127th commencement exercises this month, awarding nearly 850 undergraduate and graduate degrees. (View and download the list of graduates.) At the undergraduate ceremony on Saturday, May 20, alumnus John Honeycutt from the Class of 1991 and an award-winning media technology pioneer, gave the commencement address. Honeycutt described his path from being a first-generation college student at Fitchburg State to a globe-spanning career that has included time at FOX, Discovery, Google, and now as a consultant. “Your time here in Fitchburg, and the events of the last few years, have influenced, shaped and changed you,” Honeycutt told graduates and guests assembled on the university’s main quadrangle. “Your time here has provided you with the opportunity to expand your education, grow your ambition and set new goals. Be assured that you now have the knowledge, training, and skills to define your own path and reach those new goals. I encourage you to continue to invest in yourself, while figuring out how to be comfortable being uncomfortable, try to understand what it actually takes to get it done. Along the way seek opportunities to see life from different sides of the table, but most importantly, find what feels good.” Valedictorian Kenneth R. Aubuchon, center, poses with Fitchburg State President Richard S. Lapidus, left, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Patricia A. Marshall. Kenneth R. Aubuchon of Leominster gave the valedictory address. In his remarks, Aubuchon recounted the journey the Class of 2023 navigated through the global pandemic to arrive at their graduation. He thanked his family members and a supportive university community with helping him excel during his studies. “Going through tough times gave me the motivation to pursue my goal of being top in the class,” Aubuchon said. “In addition to my friends and family, I believe that the faith I held about being able to accomplish anything I want to and actually accomplishing my goal showed me that you can achieve anything if you put your best foot forward. You can really achieve something despite hardships when you set your mind to it and give your best effort.” The university awarded graduate degrees in a separate ceremony on Thursday, May 18. At the graduate ceremony, the Graduate Student Leadership Award was presented to Stephanie Tsacogianis of Stoneham. In her remarks, Tsacogianis–who completed an MBA in healthcare management–discussed pursuing her career goals in sports medicine and encouraged her fellow graduates to use their newfound degrees to serve as mentors and role models. Stephanie Tsacogianis at the Graduate Commencement ceremony on May 18, 2023. “As we embark on our professional journeys, I urge everyone to think about how they can help others,” Tsacogianis said. “Just as my mentors helped me, we all can be a source of guidance, support, and inspiration for someone else. Small acts of kindness and support, such as reviewing a friend's resume, making an introduction, or simply offering words of encouragement, can make a significant impact. We all have the power to help someone else achieve their dreams.” University President Richard S. Lapidus presided over the ceremonies. In his own remarks, he encouraged the graduates to work hard and take calculated chances as they embark on their next steps, and to remember that optimism can be a source of hope even in challenging times. “The reality of life is that there is always going to be contradiction and tension, but how you frame it and moderate it will be critical to better understanding yourself and allow you to become your best self,” Lapidus said. “So, take the time to put things in perspective, appreciate life and have some fun.” The ceremonies may be viewed and downloaded at fatv.org/fsu.

The Massachusetts Cultural Council has awarded Fitchburg State University $200,000 toward the construction of a state of the art “black box” theater to be constructed on Main Street, adjacent to the historic theater building that will be renovated as part of a comprehensive performing arts center. The theaterLAB, as it will be known, will comprise 16,240 square feet of new construction and accommodate 250 seats. The site will establish an ADA-compliant incubator for student experiential learning and a venue for campus and community arts and humanities programs. The grant program is administered by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and MassDevelopment.  “We are grateful for the Massachusetts Cultural Council and MassDevelopment’s support of our transformative vision for Fitchburg State and this region as a destination for arts and cultures,” University President Richard S. Lapidus said. “We are proud to be part of a renaissance of economic investment and vibrancy in downtown Fitchburg, and this investment by the MCC will continue the momentum. We appreciate the support from Gov. Healey’s administration and our local legislative delegation.” Fitchburg State purchased the long-dormant theater block in 2016. Its first phase of renovation, completed in 2018, included game design studio space for students and the interdisciplinary ideaLAB that supports creativity and entrepreneurial innovation. The theaterLAB marks the second phase of the project, which is expected to break ground in the next year. The third phase will include renovation of the historic theater building itself. Built in 1929, the renovated theater will accommodate 1,200 visitors. The theater project has already drawn considerable financial support from municipal, state and national sources, and is often cited by private investors as a catalyst for their own downtown developments. Including the theater project, more than $250 million in public and private investment within Fitchburg’s downtown corridor has been completed or is in development. These investments include anchor projects such as the $23.5 million restoration/renovation of Fitchburg’s historic City Hall, the $34 million conversion of the former B.F. Brown School into a 60-unit affordable artist living/work space known as the Fitchburg Arts Community, and the $40 million renovation and expansion of the Fitchburg Public Library. 

Business students at Fitchburg State University recently assisted the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce with an analysis of their annual member survey, giving the students a chance to apply their classroom experience to a “real world” data set. The students worked with Professor Michael Greenwood - their faculty advisor and chair of the Business Administration Department - on the project, meeting with leadership from the Chamber of Commerce and survey sponsor Fidelity Bank. Greenwood explained the student team simulated the perspective of a chamber member applying the annual economic survey data to their own simulated business situation. “This level of community engagement for our business students is truly world changing for everyone involved,” said Greenwood, who thanked Chamber President and CEO Roy Nascimento and Fidelity Bank Senior Vice President Derek Beahn for the access that was granted to his students. Emma Beqiri, a junior from Beverly, said she was excited to pursue the research opportunity when Greenwood presented it to her. “We built a strong team of dedicated Fitchburg State students who were diligent and devoted to this project,” said Beqiri, who served as project manager. “I was responsible for taking the lead and stimulating analytical conversations. I was proud to lead a team of diplomatic and diligent students who made the project engaging.” Toivo Kramer, a sophomore from New York, N.Y., was tasked with data analytics. “I was responsible for generating intuitive conversations to see where the data could bring the team, in terms of action steps the Chamber members could take,” Kramer said. Madison Pinard, a senior from Lunenburg, was also on the team and helped keep the Chamber informed of the group’s progress. “I hope the work that my team and I have completed will open a new window of opportunity for other business students at Fitchburg State in the future,” Pinard said. “I also hope that this encourages other students to strive to find extracurricular activities that will benefit their future careers. Beqiri said she recommends other students pursue similar opportunities during their studies. “You never know what you will learn, who you’ll meet, or what you are capable of doing.”  “There is a reason we all refer to one another as ‘team members’ and ‘team,’ because that is exactly how you should view your colleagues and project groups,” Kramer said. “We support one another, provide honest feedback and know that we will get our independent work done, then come together to collaborate to hit all of our goals.” “This was a great opportunity to partner with Fitchburg State University and expose students to business and community leaders,” said Nascimento. “The economic outlook report is an important project that provides valuable insight into business and consumer confidence in North Central Massachusetts.” In photo, from left, Fitchburg State student Madison Pinard, Fidelity Bank Chief Lending Officer Joseph Silva, Fidelity Bank Senior Vice President Derek Beahn, and Fitchburg State students Emma Beqiri and Toivo Kramer.

Media and information technology pioneer John Honeycutt, a 1991 graduate of Fitchburg State University, will return to campus to deliver the undergraduate commencement address on Saturday, May 20. Honeycutt will also receive the President’s Medal at the ceremony in recognition of his distinguished career, which includes senior leadership roles at FOX, Discovery and Google, and an Emmy award. “We are honored to welcome John Honeycutt back to campus to share his experience and insights with our graduates and guests,” Fitchburg State President Richard S. Lapidus said. “His global media and technology career exemplifies the importance of adapting to continuous change while performing at the highest level.”   Fitchburg State is holding its 127th commencement exercises in 2023. It will bestow master’s degrees and certificates of advanced graduate study at the Graduate Commencement Ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 18 in the Athletics and Recreation Center at 130 North St. The undergraduate ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 20 on the main quadrangle. Additional details are posted at fitchburgstate.edu/commencement. During his more than 30 years in the media industry, John Honeycutt has been at the forefront of innovation. In 2019, Honeycutt and his teams’ contributions to the media industry were recognized with a Technology and Engineering Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for advances in the utilization of cloud technology in the global media industry.  Honeycutt began his media career as a member of The Mustang News, his high school newspaper, in Medford, Mass. In 2020, he founded Sandy Valley Media, a specialist consulting firm that is currently advising sports leagues, media companies, and investors in a disrupted media landscape.  At Google, Honeycutt served as Vice President for Google Cloud's Media & Entertainment, Telecommunications and Gaming business, where he established and implemented GCP’s initial product and go-to market strategy globally.  Prior, Honeycutt spent 15 years driving innovation and transformation at Discovery Communications, culminating his tenure as chief technology officer.  In London, Honeycutt served as chief operating officer for Discovery Networks International where he drove Discovery’s global expansion into new territories and new platforms.  He began his career at Liberty Media and NewsCorp working to establish FOX Cable Networks, FOX Sports, and National Geographic Channel as category leaders.  Honeycutt serves as chair of the International Broadcasting Convention Council, is a non-executive director at Blackbird PLC, an adjunct professor at The American University’s Kogod School of Business and a charter member of AU’s Cybersecurity Executive Advisory Council, a member of The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and a volunteer at Harbor Homes of Martha’s Vineyard Homeless Shelter.  Other commencement honorees include Stephanie Tsacogianis of Stoneham, who will speak as recipient of the Graduate Student Leadership Award at the graduate ceremony on May 18. Tsacogianis is completing an MBA with a concentration in healthcare management. The undergraduate ceremony will also include remarks by valedictorian Kenneth R. Aubuchon of Leominster, who is completing a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Looking to grow their club team after its launch three years ago was derailed by COVID, the coach and players of Fitchburg State University’s men’s lacrosse club team had modest hopes for the 2023 season. That made winning the division title in their club lacrosse conference on April 30 all the sweeter. Daniel Ferdinand, a senior from Boston, called the season a roller coaster. While the club team was able to use the university’s athletic facilities when they were available, they didn’t have the same access as its varsity teams. They faced challenges with the roster, starting the season with 35 players but ending up with just 25. The season was also disrupted by weather and other teams on their schedule disbanding. Coach Otis Falvey agreed it was a challenging year but reflected resilience by the athletes. “When we got together for the first time in the fall, I asked what they wanted out of playing this season and the overall consensus was to not just to win the championship but to have a respected winning program,” he said. “These guys were determined to not just be another team in the league but wanted to be a program that people respected for how they played.”  The players worked hard and were indeed able to compete, winning games against more established programs, and ultimately taking the divisional crown. “It was a surreal feeling,” Ferdinand said. “We knew we wanted this from the start. We knew we could get here and we came and we executed.” Falvey said he hopes the success of the club team this year helps the program grow. “We hope that the students currently on campus that thought their playing career was over come out this fall and that high school players looking to continue their careers can apply here knowing there is a team for them,” the coach said. “I’m just proud of these guys, especially the seniors, who were freshmen playing with me the first time we tried having a team, and I’m just fortunate I had the privilege to work with them this season.” Falvey said he was grateful for the university’s support of the team, including the encouragement of advisor John Crawley, a professor in the Business Administration Department. “Whenever times got tough or things started to look gloomy, I knew I could go to Professor Crawley for some positive thoughts and proper guidance and can’t thank him enough,” Falvey said. “I am very proud of these young men, the way they have carried themselves and the way they have endured,” said Crawley, who enjoyed a classroom visit from the winning team after the championship game. Ferdinand, who is graduating this month, hopes to see the program grow and eventually become a varsity sport on campus. “We know we have the talent to compete,” he said. “It inspires us to want to do more, play harder and be better. I can see this team winning again next year." For more information about the university's varsity athletics programs, please visit fitchburgfalcons.com.

Fitchburg State University recently welcomed 60 students from area high schools for its 42nd annual Elizabeth Haskins Mathematics Contest. The competition invites sophomores, juniors and seniors from local high schools. This year students from Auburn High School, Hudson High School, Leominster High School, Montachusett Regional Vocational  Technical High School (Monty Tech) and Narragansett High participated.   In the 90-minute competition, students answer 50 multiple choice questions written or curated by members of the Fitchburg State Mathematics Department faculty. The questions are appropriate for a high school student that include many  branches of mathematics below the calculus level. The scoring includes a penalty  for wrong answers to discourage guessing. During their visit, students also enjoyed lunch on campus, participated in a solution session run by university faculty member Jessica Oehrlein, and attended an awards ceremony where top scorers were recognized. The following students received the highest marks in the competition: Grade 10: Orion Horne (Auburn High), first place; Katherine Longmuir (Narragansett High), second place; Lea Fiandaca-Longo (Monty Tech), Alyssa Goulet (Monty Tech) and Jacob Pervier (Narragansett), third place (tie); grade 11: Jacob Goldovitz (Auburn High), first place; Lucas Aucoin (Auburn High), second place; Cooper Lacina (Hudson High), third place; Grade 12: Minh Vu (Leominster High), first place;  Lillian Wyckoff (Leominster High), second place; and Quinn Cahill (Auburn High), third place. Minh Vu of Leominster High had the day’s overall top score. The contest is named for Elizabeth Haskins, a longtime member of the university’s mathematics faculty who retired in 1978. She passed away in 2004.

Fitchburg State University recently recognized the winners of its annual High School Writing Contest during an event in Presidents’ Hall. The contest is sponsored by the university’s English Studies Department. (See photos from the event online.) The contest recognizes writers from local high schools whose work was selected by a committee of university faculty readers. Prizes included gift cards to the university bookstore of $50 (for first place) and $25 (for honorable mention winners). First-place winners read from their work to the audience. University students whose work was selected in the campus creative writing contest were also recognized at the ceremony. This year marked the first in-person celebration since the pandemic, so included acknowledgement of winners from 2020 and 2021. First place winners included: Anna Fandy, Shrewsbury High School Aislynn Paradis, Nashoba Regional High School McKinley Chabot, Oakmont Regional High School Lily Killeen, Nipmuc Regional High School Honorable mentions included: Carla Vielevski, Nashoba Regional High School Nina Santiago-Garcia, Leominster High School Dorthea Gibbons, Groton Dunstable Regional High School Joseph Carlucci, Oakmont Regional High School Also recognized were Joenys Carrasquillo, graduate of Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School, for the 2020 contest; and Annie Skamarycz, graduate of Oakmont Regional High School, for the 2021 contest. The university’s Louis P. Shepherd prize winners included: Susannah Meszynski Ava DePasquale Kyle Lockwood Matilda Goad The university’s Matti N. Antila prize winners included: Michael Burns Joseph Asare Rachel Silva The contest committee is co-chaired by Fitchburg State English Studies Department faculty members Wendy Keyser and Steven Edwards, with faculty members Ben Railton and DeMisty Bellinger-Delfeld also serving.

Fitchburg State University’s Student Affairs division recently held its Recognition Night, saluting standout students, clubs and organizations for their activities and engagement during the 2022-23 academic year. The event was held in the main lounge of Hammond Hall. Students nominate their peers and clubs for recognition, with the winners selected by a committee of faculty, staff and administrators. The following winners were announced at Recognition Night:  Cultural & Spiritual Club of the Year: Black Student Union Greek Organization of the Year: Sigma Pi Honor Society of the Year: Sigma Beta Delta Performance & Media Club of the Year: Dance Club Sports & Recreation Club of the Year: Cheerleading Collaboration of the Year: ASA Winter Wonderland Party Organization of the Year: African Student Association Hammond Campus Center Area of the Year: Event Student Services DEI Program of the Year: GSA 2nd Chance Dance Small Campus Program of the Year: BSU Enrichment Trip Medium Campus Program of the Year: GSA Candle Light Vigil Large Campus Program of the Year: GSA Sweet Six Queen Drag Show Ricardo Melo Community Service Award: ASB Puerto Rico Hammond Campus Center Employee of the Year: Aidan Nemer Freshman Leader of the Year: Kervens Blanc Sophomore Leader of the Year: Emily Maestri Junior Leader of the Year: Ashaunti Gordon Senior Leader of the Year: Sydney Kinz Unsung Hero of the Year: Samantha Bernard Robert V. and Jeanne S. Antonucci Leadership Award: Benjamin Sacramone  Sacramone, the winner of the Antonucci Leadership Award, will also be recognized during the university’s undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 20. Learn more about Fitchburg State's dozens of campus clubs and organizations at FalConnect.

Executive Office of Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao toured the downtown theater block on Wednesday as part of her visit to the city to address mayors from across Massachusetts. University President Richard S. Lapidus was also a featured guest at the mayors' meeting, where he presented details of the performing arts center being proposed downtown. Prior to the meeting, Hao toured the theater and heard from President Lapidus and Fitchburg Mayor Stephen L. DiNatale about its transformative potential for the city and region. The university purchased the theater block in 2016. Its first phase of construction included the game design studio – site of the capstone experience for students in the university’s game design program – and the ideaLab, a coworking space designed to foster creativity and entrepreneurial innovation that has supported more than 250 businesses since its inception. The next phase will be the activation of several storefronts within the theater block, including a restaurant and an art gallery. Following that, construction is expected to begin in 2024 on a new “black box” theater adjacent to the main building. That project recently received a $500,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities following a competitive national cycle. The performing arts center will play a key role in the revitalization of Fitchburg’s Main Street, President Lapidus said. Hao and members of her staff met with mayors and municipal officials following the theater tour. Affordable housing, road improvements and expanded broadband access were among the topics the mayors raised with Hao and her staff during the meeting, which was held in the city’s Legislative Building on Main Street.  “The challenges we have in housing and transportation, these issues didn’t happen in three months or three years or even 10 years,” said Hao, who was appointed in January. “These are going to be multi-decade investments. We need to have some of these tough conversations now.” Hao also described the challenges facing Massachusetts, with its large healthcare and education sectors that were hard-hit by the pandemic. The good news, she said, is those segments will continue to recover and there are opportunities to build on their success. “Life sciences are going to continue to grow, but I want to see us grow not just in Boston and Cambridge,” said Hao, who also touted the importance of advanced manufacturing in the state’s economic health. The mayors’ meeting also included statewide updates on American Rescue Plan Act funding and pending legislation.