Mohawk Valley Community College hosted its Spring Commencement Thursday, May 9, at the Adirondack Bank Center. More than 1,120 MVCC students were invited to walk across the stage for conferral of associate degrees or certificates awarded in December 2018, May 2019, or August 2019.
Colonel Timothy J. Lawrence, director of Information Directorate and commander of Detachment 4, Air Force Research Laboratory, delivered this year’s Commencement keynote address. MVCC’s 2019 Alumni of Merit Award winner, Christopher Crolius ’78, a principal and founder of MARCH Associates Architects and Planners, also was honored.
About the graduating class
To date, more than 1,120 graduates are eligible for the conferral of a two-year associate in applied science, associate in occupational studies, associate in arts, associate in science degree, or one-year certificate. By graduating, students join MVCC’s family of more than 48,000 living alumni on record.
About the keynote speaker
Colonel Timothy J. Lawrence has served at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s directorates in Edwards AFB and London as an advanced space propulsion engineer and space technology liaison officer. He authored a textbook on nuclear propulsion in 1995. At USAFA, he was director of the Department of Astronautics Space Systems Research Center where he worked on the design, assembly, and flight programs of FalconSAT-2, FalconSAT-3, and FalconSAT-5 small satellites. Colonel Lawrence spent eight and a half months in Kabul, Afghanistan, where he was a mentor to the Afghan Dean of the National Military Academy Afghanistan. Before coming to AFOSR, he was the Commandant and Vice Chancellor of the Air Force Institute of Technology.
Lawrence, a native of Waterloo, Iowa, graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1988, a master’s degree from MIT in 1991, and a Ph.D. from the University of Surrey (U.K.) in 1998. His Ph.D. research led him to receive the Thomas Hawksley Gold Medal from the Institute of Mechanical Engineering in 1999. That research, coupled with swimming the English Channel, led him to be named one of the top 10 outstanding young people of the world in 2001 by the World Jaycees.
About the Alumni of Merit Award
Christopher Crolius ’78 was selected as the honoree by the Alumni Association Board of Directors. After graduating from MVCC with an associate degree in Civil Technology, he earned a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Utica College, and a master’s degree in business administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He plays an active role in all aspects of the firm’s operations, utilizing his background in construction to take a hands-on approach to solving design and construction issues. He enjoys working and collaborating with all team members. Chris enjoys spending time with his wife, Cindy, and two sons, David and Brian, when not working.