Gannon University Celebrates Spring Commencement
Posted: May 9, 2014
The Rev. Majdi S. Syriani, L.L.D., guest speaker for Gannon
University's 2014 Spring Commencement ceremony.
Gannon University President Keith Taylor, Ph.D., will recognize
graduates at the University's Spring Commencement ceremony, to
be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 10 at Erie Insurance
Arena.
Gannon will award 769 degrees that include 44 students earning
doctoral degrees, 280 earning master's degrees, 416 earning
bachelor's degrees and 32 earning associate's degrees. Students
from 24 nations from Australia to Zambia will be earning degrees on
Saturday. Including students earning degrees at the December 2012
ceremony, Gannon University will have a graduating class of 970 for
the 2013-14 Academic Year in the University's three academic
Colleges: the College of Engineering and Business, the College of
Humanities, Education and Social Sciences and the Morosky College
of Health Professions and Sciences.
This year's keynote speaker is the Rev. Majdi S. Siryani, LLD
who directs the advancement and global office at the American
University of Madaba in Madaba, Jordan, a university with which
Gannon has an agreement for the exchange of faculty and students.
Fr. Syriani will be awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters degree,
honoris causa at the ceremony.
8:30 a.m.--Commissioning Ceremony Army
ROTC, Waldron Campus Center Room 219
10 a.m --Baccalaureate Mass, St. Peter
Cathedral
2 p.m.--Commencement, Erie Insurance
Arena
Guest Speaker
REV. MAJDI S. SIRYANI, L.L.D.
Fr. Siryani was ordained in Madaba by Bishop Salim Sayegh in
1986. He has been instrumental in the initiation and continued
development of Gannon University's strong partnership with the
Latin Patriarchate Schools and American University of Madaba. The
growing partnership has already included many Gannon students
sharing their talents and learning through their experiences and
service in the Jordanian schools as well as participating in study
abroad. Fr. Siryani has facilitated initial faculty scholarly
partnerships and sabbatical work as well as plans for additional
faculty travel and exchange with our partner Catholic institutions
in Jordan.
Previously, Fr. Siryani was the general manager of the legal
department of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem, as well as the
legal advisor for the Rev. Michel Sabbah, Patriarch Emeritus
of Jerusalem. In addition, he has served the Holy
See as a member of its delegation for negotiations with
the PLO since 1998. Prior to his assignment in
Jerusalem, Fr. Siryani studied civil and canon law at the
Pontifical Lateran University in Rome for seven years, and also
served parishes of the Arab-American Catholic community.
He completed his dissertation, "Legal Status of
Jerusalem under International Law" in 1998. Fr.
Siryani shares his knowledge and understanding of
international law and the legal status of Jerusalem at conferences
and presentations to bring awareness of the Christian presence in
Jerusalem. In late October 1998, he organized an
important symposium on Jerusalem for the Latin
Patriarchate.
Fr. Siryani also has 13 years of experience working with
youth ministry programs and educational programs. From 1988 to
1992, he was general director of the Latin Patriarchate
Schools. From 1985 to 1990, he also served as
the assistant parish priest and director of youth
ministry in Birzeit in the West Bank. During the time he
was engaged in theological studies prior
to his ordination, Fr. Siryani worked with
the Christian Youth Ministry in the Bethlehem region. Fr.
Siryani is a graduate of the Latin Patriarchate
Seminary in Beit Jala and received his second B.A.
in philosophy.