Actor Eriq La Salle, entrepreneur Henry M. Zachs among honorees at Goodwin University Commencement, May 23

Graduation ceremony at Rentschler Field launches University's 25th Anniversary year

by Philip Moore

East Hartford, CT (05/20/2024) — Goodwin University has scheduled its 2024 Commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 23, at Rentschler Field, 615 Silver Lane in East Hartford, Connecticut. The ceremony will begin at 4 pm as an estimated 375 students receive their certificates and associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. A separate hooding ceremony for the master's degree recipients will be held earlier that day. President Mark Scheinberg will deliver remarks to the graduates and provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Michael Pardales will serve as master of ceremonies.

This year's Commencement marks the launch of activities to celebrate Goodwin University's 25th Anniversary, tracing the school's inception as the Data Institute, its growth as Goodwin College, and its present status as non-profit, career-focused university with a presence in both East Hartford and Bridgeport.

At the ceremony, actor/director/producer and Hartford native Eriq La Salle will receive an honorary degree from the University and address the graduates along with their families, friends, and faculty. La Salle is best known to worldwide television audiences for his award-winning portrayal of Dr. Peter Benton on the critically acclaimed medical drama ER. Educated at Juilliard and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, his credits range from Broadway to film roles opposite Eddie Murphy in Coming to America, Robin Williams in One Hour Photo, and Hugh Jackman in Logan. La Salle has maintained a prolific acting career while at the same time working steadily as a director, taking the helm for HBO, Showtime, NBC, Fox, and CBS. He remains a valued member of the Dick Wolf Entertainment camp after four years as executive producer and director on Chicago PD in addition to directing episodes of Law & Order and Law and Order Organized Crime. La Salle is the author of several critically acclaimed thrillers published in 2022 and 2023, Laws of Depravity, Laws of Wrath, and Laws of Annihilation. He has also written an episode of The Twilight Zone, which made the Writers Guild of America's List of 101 Best Written TV Series.

Also to be honored is entrepreneur Henry M. Zachs, who made his mark in the wireless industry. In 1960, he was one of the first applicants for mobile telephone spectrum from the Federal Communications Commission in Hartford, Connecticut. He was chairman and founder of Message Center Beepers, which was sold to Vodaphone/Air Touch. He was one of 11 founders of Cellular One in NYC, and has worked in several areas of communications including paging, cellular, wireless, and the internet (Ziplink, Inc.). Zachs promoted the idea that indigenous tribes should receive a preference and arranged for 10 tribes to file for cellular, before the preference was allowed for casinos. He is the founder of Endow Hartford 21, an endowment matching program that has helped more than 60 local non-profits in the Greater Hartford area build endowments for the long-term health of their organizations. His philanthropy doesn't stop there: he has been involved as a trustee, advisor and/or board member, and donor to numerous organizations including Williston-Northampton School, Trinity College, Watkinson Library, Trinity Hillel, UConn Hillel, Connecticut College Hillel, University of Hartford Hillel, Greenberg Center, United Way, Jewish Community Foundation, Jewish Federation, Wadsworth Atheneum, The Bushnell Center for Performing Arts, Oak Hill, Solomon Schechter School, and many others. Zachs has a B.A. from Trinity and an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

Additional honorary degrees recipients include professor and former mayor of Norwalk and member of the Connecticut House of Representatives Alex Knopp, educational advocate and activist and current alumni specialist for the Goodwin University Magnet School System Elizabeth Horton Sheff, and founder and executive director of the Center for Children's Advocacy Martha Stone.

Also scheduled to address the audience is student representative Armanie Dutes who will receive her bachelor's degree in Professional Studies.

Note: members of the media are welcome to attend. Please use Rentschler Gate A for most convenient access.

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