Graduation 2021

Congratulations to the graduating students of the Masters in International & Regional Studies (MIRS) and area studies programs!

Cheers to the graduates from the African Studies Center; Center for European Studies; Center for Japanese Studies; Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies; Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies; Center for Southeast Asian Studies; Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; Global Islamic Studies Center; and Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies! Watch the recording on YouTube »

Thank you for joining the 2021 virtual graduation ceremony!

Graduation Ceremony Speakers

Keynote Speaker
Representative Elissa Slotkin

Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin represents the 8th District of Michigan.

Student Speaker
Nicholas Kolenda

Nicolas Kolenda is a graduating student in the Master of Arts in International and Regional Studies program, Middle Eastern and North African Studies specialization.

Student Reader
Emma Lerman

Emma Lerman is a graduating student in the Master of Arts in International and Regional Studies program, Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies specialization.

Remarks by
Mary Gallagher

International Institue Director; and Amy and Alan Lowenstein Professor in Democracy, Democratization, and Human Rights, Political Science

Remarks by Pär Cassel

Graduate Studies Director; and Associate Professor, History

Recognition of Graduates by Center Directors and Associate Directors

Andries Coetzee, Director, African Studies Center; & Matthew Countryman, Chair, Department of Afroamerican & African Studies

Johannes Von Moltke, Director, Center for European Studies and Center for Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies

Reginald Jackson, Director, Center for Japanese Studies

Victoria Langland, Director, Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies

Ryan Szpiech, Associate Director, Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies

Laura Rozek, Director, Center for Southeast Asian Studies

Muzammil Hussain, Associate Director, Global Islamic Studies Center

Twila Tardif, Director, Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies

Graduating Students

African Studies Center

Master of Arts in International and Regional Studies, African Studies Specialization

Jessie Bakitunda
Ian McDaniel

Center for European Studies

Minor, Modern European Studies

Kathleen Elizabeth Sharkey

Center for Japanese Studies

Master of Arts in International and Regional Studies, Japanese Studies Specialization

Tere Elizalde
Sophie Ayumi Hasuo
Shohei Kawamata
Elinor Lindeman

Master of Arts, Japanese Studies

Andrew Greig
Lauren Guz
Adrian Morales

Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies

Graduate Certificate, Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Eimeel Castillo Dona
Paloma Contreras

Minor, Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Nicolás Alfredo Gutiérrez Riera
Isabella Hayes
Emilia Jonic
Amy Muñoz
Matthew Neubacher
Jaclynn Spryshak
Isabel Zuniga

Center for Middle Eastern & North African Studies

Master of Arts in International and Regional Studies, Middle Eastern and North African Studies Specialization

Nicholas Kolenda
Daniel Lightfoot

Master of Arts, Middle Eastern and North African Studies

Ali Al Momar
Mekarem Eljamal
Seif-Eldeen Basheer Saqallah

Bachelor of Arts, Middle Eastern and North African Studies

Nour Ali
Lama Baddah (Bachelor of Science)
John Ballouz (Bachelor of Science)
Kaitlyn Bell
Abigail Choffel
Shon Harris
Feras Hassan
Jason Semaya
Jeremy Waxman