Meet the graduates: Memorial University conferring 900 degrees at convocation today

Ref. No.: 103

Nine hundred Memorial University graduates will receive their degrees today and head out into the world as experts in their fields and educated citizens of our province.

Five of them, profiled below, are available for interviews.

The graduates are happy to discuss how their post-secondary experiences transformed their lives and prepared them for disciplines as diverse as archaeology, medical research, aquaculture and deep-sea exploration.

This fall’s convocation ceremonies are also notable for the official installation of two members of Memorial University’s leadership team. Installation is the ceremonial endowment of powers and responsibilities of the respective offices.

Dr. Janet Morrison, Memorial’s president and vice-chancellor, will be installed at 10 a.m.; Dr. Jennifer Lokash, assuming the permanent position of Memorial’s provost, vice-president (academic) and pro vice-chancellor, will be installed in her role during the 3 p.m. ceremony.

Graduates available for interview

Inaugural graduate of new aquaculture master’s program inspired by positive impact of industry on her hometown of Burin 

Fall graduate Charlotte Parrott is part of the first cohort from to collect a master’s degree in aquaculture this fall. She was inspired to explore opportunities in the industry after seeing the positive impact Grieg Seafood N.L. operations had on her hometown of Burin. “I quickly found that it was something I was very passionate about — an industry consisting of people from all over the globe sharing a desire to produce a sustainable food source for their communities and families.” Composed of both coursework and a 12-week internship, the opportunity for practical learning was a point of interest for Ms. Parrott.  “I’m a hands-on learner, so being able to physically apply my knowledge from the classroom to the industry was incredibly rewarding.”  

Mapping the seafloor like never before, and exploring fracture zones, lava flows and radioactive waste

A Memorial PhD graduate in earth sciences has been around the world, including to the bottom of the ocean, during her time at Memorial. Fall graduate Caroline Gini’s dissertation and research focuses on how we explore and map the seafloor — one of Earth’s least explored frontiers. She used new high-resolution mapping technologies that could transform how scientists study the ocean floor. With a growing demand for seafloor space from industries like offshore wind, mining and fisheries, developing better ways to assess and monitor these environments is becoming increasingly important. Her immediate plans for the future include several international projects, but she’s most excited about a follow-up expedition to explore radioactive waste barrels off the coast of France. 

Colombian archaeology graduate really “dug” his experience on Great Northern Peninsula

When fall graduate Santiago Ramirez Moreno was deciding between archaeology programs, Memorial stood out for a key reason: its comprehensive, hands-on training. One of the highlights of his degree was a 2023 field school experience at L’Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the location of the earliest known European presence in North America. “For any archaeologist, working at L’Anse aux Meadows is already a big thing to say.” 

PhD research unlocking mystery of what makes some of us more prone to Alzheimer’s disease

Tamunotonye (Tonye) Omoluabi, a new PhD graduate in the Faculty of Medicine’s neuroscience program, is proving the brain still has plenty of secrets left to uncover. Her research investigates why some people are vulnerable to developing the disease, while others are resilient. “Results from my project show that environmental experiences and lifestyle choices may account for the individual susceptibility to the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.” 

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For more information, or to arrange an interview with the fall graduates, contact Chad Pelley, media relations manager for Memorial University, at chad.pelley@mun.ca or 709-853-4281.