星期一, 5月 02, 2016

WGBH世界頻道慶祝亞美傳統月將播映50多個亞美影片

 (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)五月份是美國的亞美傳統月,公共電視台WGBH從5月1日起,以“我們的聲音:亞太裔美人“為主題,陸續將播映不下50個亞美故事。
WGBH的世界頻道(World Channel)在5月1日時先以播映記錄片“我在中國的生活(My Life in China)“製作兼導演,伍少文(Ken Eng),以及”Grace Lee計畫“製作人Grace Lee的訪談,拉開序幕。
陸續將重點放映的影片及日期為5月3日“贏女孩(Winning Girl)“,5月10日“Grace Lee計畫“,5月17日“爆米花行動(Operation Popcorn)“,5月24日“我在中國的生活(My Life in China)“,5月31日“最後一季(The Last Season)“。
WGBH世界頻道今年的亞美傳統月慶祝重點在移民及難民的身份衍變,以及第一,第二代亞太裔兒童的有著不只一種,而是兩種身份。
 在5月份,WGBH世界頻道將藉“我們的聲音:亞太裔美人“這主題,展示50多個由多元化的亞裔美人社區所製作,或有關亞裔美人的故事,其中包括選字“全球聲音(Global Voices)”,“獨立鏡頭(Independent Lens)”,“太平洋心跳(Pacific Heartbeat)”,等公視紀錄片系列中的影片,以及從“重塑美國(America ReFramed)”系列中選來在本地首映的三部片。
在5月份中,WGBH世界頻道播出的影片中,由華裔拍攝,製作的影片還包括,5月3日晚6點將放映,屬於“獨立鏡頭”系列的“孿生姐妹(Twin Sisters)“,5月3日晚9點放映的”中國對聯(Chinese Couplets)“,5月21日放映王穎執導的“宴之魂(Soul of a Banquet)”,5月22日的“摸索姐妹(The Mosuo Sisters),”桑子(Mulberry Child),5月23及24日放映的“成名之路(Road to Fame)“等。
其中的“孿生姐妹”描述2003年時,中國有一對孿生姐妹被人放在紙盒,留在孤兒院門前。有關當局把這兩姊妹交給分別來自挪威,美國加州的不同家庭收養時,並未做明,但這兩家人辦理收養手續時相遇,發現這情況,於是兩姐妹在知道遠方有姐妹中長大。8時,加州的到挪威去探望,他們發現彼此不但長相,動作都像,還難分難捨。

“中國對連”則是製片人Felicia Lowe追尋有關她母親在排華法案期間移民來美事蹟,帶出的一個家族四代女人穿越三個國家的辛酸故事。

TELLING OUR STORIES: ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Telling Our Stories is an initiative that builds on WGBH’s year-round commitment to creating and providing programs and content that reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of the communities we serve. During the month of May, WGBH commemorates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with a showcase of new programs and encore presentations on television, radio, and the Web.
Editor's pick: Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority
Description: http://www.wgbh.org/imageassets/patsymink.JPGIn 1965, Patsy Mink became the first Asian American woman and woman of color in Congress. Seven years later, she ran for president and co-authored Title IX, the landmark legislation that opened up higher education and athletics to America’s women. Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority looks at Mink’s remarkable, though often lonely and tumultuous, political journey.
Sunday, May 2, at 7pm on WGBH 2
Description: oldier in vietnamAcademy Award-nominated filmmaker Barak Goodman focuses his lens on the 1968 My Lai massacre, its subsequent cover-up, and the heroic efforts of the soldiers who broke rank to halt the atrocities. My Lai draws upon eyewitness accounts of Vietnamese survivors and men of the Charlie Company 11th Infantry Brigade, as well as recently discovered audio recordings from the Peers Inquiry, to recount one of the darkest chapters of the Vietnam War.
Sunday, May 2, at 3:30pm on WGBH 2
Description: http://www.wgbh.org/imageassets/hollywoodchinese.JPGFrom the first Chinese-American film produced in 1916 to Ang Lee’s triumphant Brokeback Mountain nine decades later, American Masters: Hollywood Chinese brings together a fascinating group of actors, writers, directors, and iconic film images to examine how Chinese people have contributed to and been portrayed by an industry that was often ignorant about and dismissive of race. Often humorous, sometimes maddening, but always inspiring, Hollywood Chinese weaves a rich tapestry and complex history. 
Friday, May 7, 6pm and 8:30pm on WGBH World
More to watch
Oh, Saigon
Sunday, May 2, at 7pm on WGBH World
Airlifted out of Vietnam on April 30, 1975, Doan Hoang’s family was on the last civilian helicopter out of the country at the end of the war. Twenty-five years later, they return to Vietnam after decades of exile, where her father, a former South Vietnamese major, meets his brothers again to confront their political differences: one was a communist, the other a pacifist. Meanwhile, Hoang tries to reconcile her own difficult past with her half-sister, who was mistakenly separated from the family during the escape.
Global Voices: Sumo East and West
Sunday, May 2, at 10pm on WGBH World
In recent years, the ancient art of sumo has witnessed an increasing number of foreigners rising to the top of its professional ranks. From Hawaii to Atlantic City, the experiences of American wrestlers provide an entertaining glimpse at the past, present, and future of sumo.
Global Voices: Shaolin Ulysses: Kungfu Monks in America
Monday, May 3, at 7pm on WGBH World

The famous fighting monks of the Shaolin monastery have seen a resurgence throughout the world, aided in part by the popularity of kungfu movies among the hip-hop set and films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The film follows a handful of Shaolin monks who have brought the style to America, chronicling their adventures in New York City, Houston and Las Vegas.
Global Voices: The Flute Player
Monday, May 3, at 8pm on WGBH World

As a young boy in the 1970s, Arn Chorn-Pond survived Cambodia's brutal Khmer Rouge Killing Fields by playing propaganda songs on the flute. Now, after living in America for 20 years, Arn embarks on an emotional journey back to Cambodia to seek out "master musicians" who survived the genocide and to face the dark shadows of his war-torn past.
Forsaken Fields
Tuesday, May 4, at 7pm on WGBH World

Delve into the little-known history of California’s Japanese American farmers before, during, and after they were forced into US internment camps, along with 120,000 other persons of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Interspersing vivid footage of camp life, painful recollections of property loss and the racial discrimination they faced as they returned to their farms, this moving documentary captures the emotional complexity and resiliency of a community determined to survive one of the darker chapters in national history.
Bittersweet Roots: The Chinese in California’s Heartland
Friday, May 7, at 7:30pm on WGBH World

The California Delta, in the heart of the state, is the only place in America where the Chinese have maintained a sustained presence for nearly a century and a half. Here, immigrants from China transformed swampland into one of the richest agricultural regions. See archival imagery, actor-portrayed re-creations, and personal family accounts in this powerful lesson of triumph over adversity.
The First Battle
Sunday, May 9, at 7pm on WGBH 2

The First Battle documents how, during World War II, 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry on the US mainland were interned, while 160,000 people of Japanese ancestry in Hawaii were able to go about their lives. This documentary reveals that mass internment could very well have occurred if not for a few twists of fate and the foresight and bravery of a small network of men in Hawaii.
Global Voices: Teacher
Sunday, May 9, at 10pm on WGBH World

For the past 15 years, Nguyen Van Hung, once a homeless drug addict, has dedicated his life to helping street children survive AIDS in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. “Teacher” is the story of one man’s fight against an epidemic that claims its victims by the millions and the innocent children and teenagers struck by the reality of a global nightmare.
Global Voices: Anatomy of a Springroll
Sunday, May 9, at 11pm WGBH World

This program chronicles one man’s journey from the food-filled streets of San Francisco to the back streets of Saigon as he searches for the secret ingredient to blend the traditions of his family’s culture with his adopted American life.
Fiji Firewalkers
Monday, May 10, at 7:30pm WGBH World

Narrated by Grammy award-winner Paul Horn, Fiji Firewalkers explores Fiji’s people, land and culture, with a special emphasis on the legendary firewalkers of Beqa Island. The program captures the voices of the Fijian people and the sights and sounds of their Pacific homeland. Rich in colorful, vibrant music and cultural tradition, Fiji Firewalkers chronicles the origin of a Polynesian people whose civilization dates back to 700 BC. Ancient pottery-making techniques still used today are documented, along with a village-wide fishing drive, plus kava and firewalking ceremonies.
Global Voices: Great Wall Across the Yangtze
Monday, May 10, at 8pm on WGBH World

Against the backdrop of China’s stunning Three Gorges, this documentary tells the story of a powerful river that for centuries has helped shape the evolution of Chinese civilization — but today faces its greatest challenge. In 1994, the People’s Republic of China approved the construction of the world’s largest dam and hydroelectric power plant across this legendary river. Made without government authorization, Great Wall takes viewers into the heart of China and explores the controversy behind the dam project, told by the people most affected.
Most Honorable Son
Sunday, May 16, at 7pm on WGBH 2

Friday, May 28, at 6pm and 9pm on WGBH World 
After the Pearl Harbor attack, Nebraska farmer Ben Kuroki volunteered for the US Army Air Corps. He would become the first Japanese-American war hero, surviving 58 missions as an aerial gunner over Europe, North Africa and Japan. Through interviews and rare, never-before-seen footage, Most Honorable Son recounts one man's remarkable journey through World War II, providing context to two seemingly disparate histories: the US air war and the Japanese American experience.
Global Voices: Sentenced Home
Sunday, May 16, at 10pm on WGBH World

Raised as Americans in inner-city projects near Seattle, three young Cambodian refugees each made a rash decision as a teenager that irrevocably shaped his destiny. Years later, facing deportation back to Cambodia, they find themselves caught between a tragic past and an uncertain future by a system that doesn’t offer any second chances.
Global Voices: Refugee
Sunday, May 16, at 11pm on WGBH World

Mike Siv is going to meet his father and brother for the first time since he escaped Cambodia as a child, but, the journey takes an unexpected turn. Days before Mike’s departure, he learns that his father is remarried and has another family, and his younger brother was raised by an aunt. Mike’s vision of his family is shattered. As he puts it, “That’s a whole lotta truth. I learned more about my family in that one hour than I heard in my whole life.”
Global Voices: Morning Sun
Monday, May 17, at 7pm on WGBH World

Few events of the 20th century have dramatically engulfed so large a proportion of humanity as China’s Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Violence and disorder were widespread, and it is estimated that half a million Chinese died as a direct result. Yet the Cultural Revolution remains only barely understood; this program explores the historical and ethical questions raised.
Global Voices: China Blue
Sunday, May 23, at 10pm on WGBH World 

China Blue takes viewers inside a blue jeans factory in southern China, where teenage workers struggle to survive harsh working conditions. The film follows 17-year-old Jasmine as she leaves her home village for a low-paying job in the city. Providing perspectives from both the top and bottom of the factory’s hierarchy, the film looks at complex issues of globalization from the human level.
Global Voices: Death of a Shaman
Sunday, May 23, at 11pm on WGBH World 

Through a journey that takes her back to her roots in Thailand, a young Mien woman from Sacramento strives to come to terms with her father’s death and drug addiction and her sister’s murder. Reunited with her Mien relatives, she begins to grasp the complexity of her father’s past and to experience the nuances of lost identity.
A Necessary Journey
Wednesday, May 26, at 7pm on WGBH World 

This transformational 17-day road trip tracks fearless, irreverent Binh Rybacki and her Children of Peace medical team as they move from the northern remote mountains of Vietnam to the fast-changing streets of Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon. Traveling at an exhausting pace, the team relocates and sets ups clinics on a daily basis, sometimes forced to change plans at the last moment as Binh duels with Communist government officials. As we travel the length of Vietnam, Binh’s story unfolds in a journey not just for Binh, but for anyone touched by memories of the Vietnam War.
Independent Lens: A Village Called Versailles
Wednesday, May 26, at 8pm on WGBH World
Thursday, May 27, at 9pm on WGBX 44 

On the eastern edge of New Orleans, a community of Vietnamese refugees has thrived for 30 years in a neighborhood they call Versailles. This film recounts the residents’ successful fight against the opening of a toxic government-imposed landfill after Hurricane Katrina struck and transformed their neighborhood.
Global Voices: Vietnam: The Next Generation
Sunday, May 30, at 10pm on WGBH World 

Meet eight young Vietnamese, some born in the final days of the Vietnam War, others in its aftermath, who together embody the hopes, dreams and challenges of a new Vietnam. Through their stories, this groundbreaking film takes an in-depth look at modern-day Vietnam.

Global Voices: Witnesses to a Secret War
Sunday, May 30, at 11pm on WGBH World 

Watch the stories of three generations of Hmong refugees as they struggle with personal and political legacies. The Xiong family, who fought on America’s side of the “secret” war in Laos, tries to claim its own piece of the American dream, while Hmong-American Ka Ying Yang tries to understand her own similar family history.

白宮訂5/4表揚林佩恩等10名亞美藝術及說故事推動改變者

White House to Recognize Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling “Champions of Change”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, May 4, the White House will recognize ten individuals from across the country as “White House Champions of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling.”

During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May, the White House andWhite House Initiative on AAPIs are celebrating artists and advocates who have used unique channels and diverse platforms to tell powerful stories, increase awareness around key AAPI issues, and encourage diversity and inclusion in all sectors of society. These ten individuals were selected for their leadership and tireless work to raise the visibility of diverse AAPI experiences and create dialogue around issues the community faces.

The event will feature remarks by Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady Tina Tchen, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu, and White House Initiative on AAPIs Executive Director Doua Thor. Panels with the Champions of Change will be moderated by Phil Yu, blogger of Angry Asian Man, and Jeanny Kim, Acting Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities. The event will be live streamed on the White House website at www.whitehouse.gov/live on Wednesday, May 4, at 2:00 PM ET. Follow the conversation at #WHChamps.

As part of AAPI Heritage Month, the White House is working with StoryCorps to share and document AAPI stories under #MyAAPIStory. To learn more, visit here.

Tanzila "Taz" Ahmed – Los Angeles, CATanzila "Taz" Ahmed is an activist, storyteller, and politico based in Los Angeles. An electoral organizer by trade, she’s mobilized thousands of AAPIs to the polls in over seventeen different languages in the past fifteen years at various nonprofit organizations, starting with founding South Asian American Voting Youth in 2004. She is Campaign Strategist at 18MillionRising, an Asian American new media organizing group. She is cohost of the #GoodMuslimBadMuslim podcast that has been featured in O MagazineWired, and Buzzfeed. An avid essayist, she had a monthly column called Radical Love, was a blogger for Sepia Mutiny, has written for TruthoutThe AerogramThe Nation,Left Turn Magazine, and more. She is published in forthcoming anthology Good Girls Marry Doctors(2016) and poetry collection Coiled Serpent (2016) and was published in the anthology Love, Inshallah(2012). Her third poetry chapbook Emdash and Ellipses will be published in early 2016. Taz curates Desi music at Mishthi Music where she co-produced Beats for Bangladesh and she annually makes #MuslimVDay Cards. Her artwork was featured in the shows Sharia Revoiced (2015), in Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center’s H-1B (2015), and Rebel Legacy: Activist Art from South Asian California(2014).
Selu Alofipo – North Salt Lake, Utah
Selu Alofipo is a self-taught expressionist artist who immigrated to the United States from the Island of Samoa in 1983.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana Tech University while on a football scholarship and credits much of his success to the opportunities made available to him through his parent's hard work and family support.  As a first-generation Samoan American, Selu feels a tremendous responsibility not only to his family, but also to his Samoan heritage to persevere, progress, and succeed by doing things the right way and by utilizing the values instilled in him as young child--faith, family, respect, and above all, hard work.  Selu has returned to his local elementary, junior high, and high schools to speak to students and to personally thank the teachers and administration for their dedication by donating customized original paintings as a token of gratitude.
Quang Vu Minh Do – Birmingham, AlabamaQuang Do is a spoken word poet and student development professional at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Quang has worked to empower AAPI youth and has extensive experience as a teaching artist facilitating writing/performance workshops using spoken word as a tool to help communities better understand the personal and cultural needs of the AAPI community.The themes of love, identity, oppression, compassion, and humanity are all foundational to Quang’s poetry. Quang is a multi-time Grand Slam Champion of the Montevallo Poetry slam, TEDxBirmingham 2015 speaker, and top finalist at the Southern Fried Regional Poetry Slam. He currently serves as Coordinator of Student Leadership at UAB where he advises and works with the Black Student Awareness Committee, the Multicultural Greek Council, the Multicultural Council, International Mentors, as well a host of other organizations and programs. Previously, Quang was  a full-time touring and teaching artist.

Jason Fong – Redondo Beach, CaliforniaJason Fong, born in Los Angeles, California, is a junior at Redondo Union High School and third-generation Chinese-Korean American. Jason is interested in progressive politics, having written extensively on issues such as police brutality, affirmative action, and immigration.  He is the founder of the popular hashtag #MyAsianAmericanStory, which has earned millions of impressions on Twitter.  His blog, JasonFongWrites, has been featured in news outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, the AtlanticNBC, and CNN. Jason has participated on panels about social media, civil rights, and Asian American identity at colleges, including the University of California, Riverside and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Kayhan Irani – Jackson Heights, New YorkKayhan Irani is an Emmy Award-winning writer, a socially engaged artist, and a Theater of the Oppressed trainer and facilitator. She designs and directs socially engaged arts projects for community-based organizations, government agencies, and international NGOs.  She facilitates workshops and trainings nationally and internationally in Afghanistan, India, and Iraq. Her published work includes Telling Stories to Change the World: Global Voices on the Power of Narrative to Build Community and Make Social Justice Claims (2008).  In 2010, Kayhan won a New York Emmy Award in best writing for We Are New York, a nine-episode broadcast TV drama created with the NYC Mayor's Office of Adult Education and used as an English language and civic engagement tool for immigrant New Yorkers. She is currently producing Documented cIRCA 86: Immigration Reform Turns Thirty, a multimedia oral history and public engagement project that celebrates the lives and accomplishments of immigrants who found a pathway to legalization through the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986.
Grace Lin — Florence, MassachusettsGrace Lin is an award-winning and bestselling author and illustrator of picture books, early readers, and middle grade novels, including the Newbery Honor Book "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon." An advocate for diversity in children's book, Grace gave the TEDx talk, "The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf." Most of Grace's books are about the Asian American experience.
Fawzia Mirza – Chicago, Illinois  Fawzia Mirza is a Pakistani, Muslim, and queer actor, writer, and producer based in Chicago. She has written and produced theatre, web series, short films, documentaries, and more. Fawzia is a creative workaholic and believes in the power of art, storytelling, and comedy to break down stereotypes across all her identities, as well as dispelling the model minority myth seen in both the media and her communities. Fawzia is currently producing her first feature film Signature Move, which is about a Pakistani woman seeking her identity in love and wrestling, and was selected to be part of the 2016 Tribeca Film Institute All Access program. She is the recipient of the 2015 3Arts Award and was named a Rising Star in Indie Filmmaking by WBEZ Chicago and a Top Ten Creative by Indiewire Magazine.

Leslie Hsu Oh – Middletown, Delaware
Leslie Hsu Oh is an award-winning writer whose work has been named among the distinguished stories of the year by Best American Essays. Losing her mother and brother to hepatitis B at age 21 inspired her to found the Hepatitis B Initiative in 1997, which she later expanded to the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. area with Thomas Oh. Today, this award-winning nonprofit continues to operate in several states mobilizing communities to prevent liver diseases caused by hepatitis B and C among AAPIs, African Americans and other high-risk groups. Earning masters in fine arts and public health from Harvard, she is the recipient of the Rasmuson Individual Artist Award, the first Julius B. Richmond Young Leader in Public Health Award, the first National Award for Excellence in Public Health Leadership, the Sun Memorial Award for exemplifying a commitment to improving the health and well-being of people in underserved populations, and the Schweitzer Award for reverence for life. Her writing and photography has appeared or is forthcoming in Alaska Magazine, Backpacker Magazine, First Alaskans Magazine, Fourth Genre, Parenting Magazine, Rosebud Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, Sierra Magazine, Under the Sun, and The Washington Post, of which several are excerpts from a memoir-in-progress including the essay named in Best American Essays.
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu – Honolulu, HIHinaleimoana Wong-Kalu is a Native Hawaiian teacher, cultural practitioner, and community leader.  Her work as an innovative teacher was highlighted in the award-winning PBS documentaryKumu Hina from which emerged A Place in the Middle, a nationally-recognized youth-focused, culturally centered educational program aimed at making schools and communities safe and inclusive for all.  Hina serves as the gubernatorially-appointed Chair of the O'ahu Island Burial Council, charged with overseeing the protection and care of ancestral remains, and is leading a Hawaii State Department of Corrections program to empower offenders preparing for community reintegration.  She was a founding member of Kulia Na Mamo, a community organization established to improve the quality of life for māhūwahine (transgender women), and served for 13 years as Director of Culture at Hālau Lōkahi Public Charter School in Honolulu.  Hina is the recipient of the National Education Association’s 2016 Ellison S. Onizuka Memorial Award.

Jenny Yang – Los Angeles, California Jenny Yang is a Los Angeles-based writer and standup comedian who produces a (mostly) female, Asian American standup comedy tour, Disoriented Comedy, and has been a writer and performer on the viral Buzzfeed videos that have amassed over 20 million combined views such as "Ways Our Asian Moms Say 'I Love You'" and the "Ask An Asian" video series. In 2015, Jenny produced the first-annual The Comedy Comedy Festival: A Comedy Festival, an Asian American comedy festival featuring the best emerging and veteran standup, sketch, improv, and writing talent. Drawing from her former career in politics, Jenny is a regular commentator on politics and pop culture with contributions featured on NPRSouthern California Public RadioThe GuardianNBC NewsBBC News,Al Jazeera America, and Pivot TV. She has been an actor and host in numerous digital projects including Comedy Central’s White Flight and AngryAsianMan.com Phil Yu's Angry Asian Americatalk show on ISAtv, a new media platform created by Far East Movement and Wong Fu Productions. Jenny was dubbed one of Los Angeles' "most fascinating people" of 2015 in LA Weekly's annual "People" issue, and a featured standup comic on Joan Rivers' 2013 Showtime documentary Why We Laugh: Funny Women.

麻大波士頓分校將頒榮譽法律博士學位表揚李素影

UMASS TO GIVE HONORARY DEGREE TO  SUZANNE LEE


Longtime community leader Suzanne Lee will receive an honorary degree from the University of Massachusetts at UMass/Boston's spring commencement this year.

Suzanne Lee will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, Honoris Causa.
Educator and community leader Suzanne Lee has been organizing for equality, justice, and democracy for more than 40 years. Ms. Lee worked in the Boston Public Schools for 35 years, first as a teacher and later as a principal. She led a high-profile turnaround at the Baldwin School in Brighton, transforming a low-achieving and divided school into a national model for school improvement. She went on to head the Josiah Quincy Elementary School for 10 years. During her tenure there, the school was named one of the Best 100 Elementary Schools in Massachusetts. As a community leader, Ms. Lee helped immigrant mothers launch the first Chinese Parents Association and worked with unemployed garment workers to secure Boston’s first bilingual training programs. She also was a founding member of the Massachusetts Asian American Educators Association, and she served on the Massachusetts Advisory Council on Bilingual Education and on the English Language Learners Task Force for the Boston Public Schools.

Other recipients of honorary degrees include The Honorable Roderick L. Ireland, the first African American appointed tot he Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts; Susan Akello Mboya, president of the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation; and the late Honorable Louis Stokes, Congressman from Cleveland.

WHO: Longtime community leader and former principal Suzanne Lee
WHAT: Honorary Law Degree at UMass/Boston Commencement
WHEN: Thursday, May 26, 2016 at 3:00 pm
WHERE: UMass/Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Clark Athletic Center

Honorary Degree & Chancellor’s Medal Recipients

2016 Honorary Degree and Chancellor's Medal Recipients

We are pleased to announce that the following honorees will join us at our graduate commencement ceremony:
The Honorable Roderick L. Ireland, Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa
In 1997, Roderick L. Ireland became the first African American appointed to the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) in Massachusetts. In 2010, then-Governor Deval Patrick appointed him chief justice, making him the first African American to hold the position. In 1977, then-Governor Michael Dukakis appointed Mr. Ireland as a judge in Roxbury’s Boston Juvenile Court. He later served on the Massachusetts Appeals Court before his appointment to the SJC. In 2003, he was one of four justices to support the court’s landmark 2003 decision to legalize same-sex marriage. As chief justice, he has presided over several high-profile decisions, including a ruling that found it unconstitutional to sentence teenagers convicted of murder to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He retired in July 2014 after a 45-year legal career. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University.
Susan Akello Mboya, Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa
Susan A. Mboya is the group director of Eurasia, Africa Group (EAG) for women’s economic empowerment at Coca-Cola, and president of the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation (TCCAF). She leads the deployment of TCCAF initiatives and the 5by20 initiative, a global effort to economically empower 5 million women by the year 2020. Dr. Mboya has forged public-private partnerships with the IFC, USAID, Plan UK, DFID, Technoserve, MercyCorps, and others to help resource, fund, and provide technical expertise for the 5by20 program, raising over $116 million. To date, 5by20 has empowered more than 270,000 women in the more than 90 countries that make up the EAG. Dr. Mboya also is the founder of the Zawadi Africa Educational Fund, a 501c (3) nonprofit organization that provides young African women from disadvantaged backgrounds with scholarships at more than 65 universities in the United States and Canada.
At our undergraduate ceremony, we look forward to honoring:
Suzanne Lee, Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa
Educator and community leader Suzanne Lee has been organizing for equality, justice, and democracy for more than 40 years. Ms. Lee worked in the Boston Public Schools for 35 years, first as a teacher and later as a principal. She led a high-profile turnaround at the Baldwin School in Brighton, transforming a low-achieving and divided school into a national model for school improvement. She went on to head the Josiah Quincy Elementary School for 10 years. During her tenure there, the school was named one of the Best 100 Elementary Schools in Massachusetts. As a community leader, Ms. Lee helped immigrant mothers launch the first Chinese Parents Association and worked with unemployed garment workers to secure Boston’s first bilingual training programs. She also was a founding member of the Massachusetts Asian American Educators Association, and she served on the Massachusetts Advisory Council on Bilingual Education and on the English Language Learners Task Force for the Boston Public Schools.
The Honorable Louis Stokes (deceased), Doctor of Science,Honoris Causa
The late Congressman Louis Stokes, raised in Cleveland’s inner-city housing projects, rose to prominence as a lawyer and legislator, becoming a powerful figure in the fight for civil rights and social justice. In 1968, he ran for his district’s seat in the US House of Representatives, becoming the first African-American congressman from Ohio. He served 15 consecutive terms in the House before retiring in 1999. During his tenure he cofounded the Congressional Black Caucus and served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. As chairman of the Select Committee on Assassinations, he conducted hearings on the deaths of Martin Luther King, Jr., and President John F. Kennedy. As chairman of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (aka Ethics), he led the investigation into the ABSCAM corruption scandal. He also chaired the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and served on the Iran-Contra investigative committee. After he retired, Congressman Stokes resumed his work as a lawyer and served on the faculty at Case Western Reserve University. On August 18, 2015, he passed away at the age of 90.

State Officials Recognize 27 Programs for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education

State Officials Recognize 27 Programs for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education
2016 US Green Ribbon Schools Awardee Littleton Public Schools Also Recognized

BOSTON – May 2, 2016 – At a State House ceremony, Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Matthew Beaton today honored 27 energy and environmental education programs as part of the 22nd Annual Secretary’s Awards for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education.

“These educators have gone beyond what is required to create programs that actively engage students in environmental and energy issues,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “It is vital we inspire young people to care about the well-being of the environment, and give them the tools necessary to help protect it.”

“The educators recognized today are inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards with hands-on learning programs.” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “These projects teach students how to make a difference in the world and immerse them in important issues like energy, recycling, conservation and wildlife,”

“I am proud to recognize Massachusetts students, teachers and nonprofits who are working to make a positive impact on their communities and our environment,” said EEA Secretary Beaton. “The programs honored today instill in our youth appreciation for our natural world and encourage them to create innovative solutions to our environmental challenges.”

Winners competed for $5,300 in awards, funded by the Massachusetts Environmental Trust with the intention to fund further environmental education initiatives at the schools. EEA solicited Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education Award nominations in early 2016. Schools and organizations that voluntarily incorporate environmental education into public or private school curricula are given priority.

 The project applications were scored by the Secretary's Advisory Group on Energy and Environmental Education, a group of environmental educators from state agencies, non-profits, industry and academia.

Secretary Beaton also recognized the U.S. Department of Education (USED) Green Ribbon Schools awardee from Massachusetts, Littleton Public Schools. The award honors schools that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs, improving the health and wellness of students and staff and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, which incorporates STEM, civic skills and green career pathways.

“We congratulate today's excellence in energy and environmental education award winners and thank all those who submitted nominations,” said Education Secretary Jim Peyser. “We also are pleased that Littleton Public Schools were recognition by the U.S. Department of Education for their leadership in working to promote a curriculum which highlights the importance of environmental learning opportunities.”

22nd Annual Secretary's Awards for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education

ANDOVER:              Sanborn Elementary “Food Rescue Initiative and Recycling Program,” Sanborn Zero-Waste Team and the children of Sanborn Elementary, K-5

BOSTON:                  Northeast Clean Energy Council “Workforce Development Program,” Kevin Doyle

BOURNE:                 Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School “Environmental Science and Technology Program,” Nolan Roy, Grades 9-12

DARTMOUTH:        Dartmouth High School “Science & Marine Science Program” and “Pop-up Oyster Project,” Margaret Brumsted, Grades 9-12

DEVENS:                  Francis Parker Charter School “Water and Forest Ecological Investigations,” Judy Gibson, Grades 7&8

HAVERHILL:          Dr. Paul Nettle Middle School, “Air Quality Study,” Angela McVey,
Grade 7

LINCOLN:                Massachusetts Audubon Society “All Person’s Trails Guidelines Project”

MANCHESTER:      Manchester Essex Regional High School’s “Green Team,” David Alger,  “Green Team Project Managers,” Grades 9-12 and Co-Vice President Sarah Reed and Isabella Hickey. 

MANSFIELD:          Quarters Middle School “Blandings Turtle Headstarting Program,” Jill Sheridan, Mary Chmielecki, Lauren Penta & Michael Ganshirt, Grade 8

MIDDLEBOROUGH:  Middleborough High School, “Shed and Garden Project” Futures Program, Grades 9-12

NEW BEDFORD:    Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School “ES&T Sustainability Club,” Environmental Science/Technology & EST Students, Grades 9-12

NORTHAMPTON:   Lander Grinspoon Academy “Solar Energy Video,” Becky Lederman, Grade 6

NORTHAMPTON:  Lander Grinspoon Academy “What’s the problem with trash, and what we can do about it?” Amy Meltzer, Andrea Olkin and the Kindergarten Class

OAK BLUFFS:         Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s MVironment Club’s “Engineering for Sustainability,” Grades 10-12

OAK BLUFFS:         Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School “Building a Usable Cell Phone Powered by Solar Power,” Katharine Roberts and Rose Engler, Grade 10

PEABODY:               Captain Samuel Brown School “Brown School Green Strides Project,” Grades K-5

PEABODY:               Captain Samuel Brown School “Outdoor Classroom,” Daniel Dyer, Eagle Scout, Troop 88Project, K-5

PITTSFIELD:           Herberg Middle School “21st Century Community Learning Center Program,” Meagan Ireland, Suzanne Jester and Karen Losardo, Grades 6 -8

SALEM:                    Salem Sound Coastwatch “Leading the Way to Healthier Sea & Shore Project,” Grades 9-12

SUDBURY:               Lincoln Sudbury High School “Design-Build-Test a Solar Hot Water Heater Project,”Chris Collins, Paul Shultz and Alex Wankowicz, Grades 9-12      

UPTON:                     Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School “From Local to Global: Hands-on Projects in Energy Efficiency,” Grades 9-12

WEST TISBURY:    Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School “Social and Environmental Resiliency Program,” Jonah Maidoff and Louis Hall – Grades 11 and 12

WEYMOUTH:          The New England Wildlife Center “Shut off the Lights, and Eat Your Peas Program,”Grades 5-6

WILBRAHAM:        Minnechaug Regional High School, “Green Team” Eco Club, Grades 9-12

WILLIAMSBURG:   Anne T. Dunphy School, “Korpita’s Kids Green Team,” Johanna Korpita, Grade 2

WINCHESTER:         McCall Middle School Greenhouse Club “Gaining through Sustaining at McCall’s Middle School Greenhouse,” Grades 6-8

WOBURN:                 Woburn Public Schools – All Elementary Schools “Change is Simple – Environmental Education Program,” Grades 3-5