Former president and CEO, current senior advisor, Arnold P. Gold Foundation

Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine Ceremony
Friday, May 10, 1 p.m.

Dr. Richard Levin is an accomplished leader in medical education and a passionate advocate for humanism in healthcare. He is the former president and CEO of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation and currently serves as a senior advisor to the president.

Levin's career is marked by a deep commitment to fostering compassionate and patient-centered care. A graduate of the New York University School of Medicine, Levin served as president and CEO of the Gold Foundation for more than a decade.

Under his leadership, the foundation expanded its reach and impact, supporting initiatives that instill empathy, communication skills and cultural humility in future physicians. His efforts have been instrumental in shaping a generation of healthcare professionals who prioritize their patients’ dignity.

Prior to his role at the Gold Foundation, Levin held a variety of significant leadership positions at NYU and McGill University in Canada. He earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University and is the recipient of numerous honors, including a Clinician Scientist Award from the National Institutes of Health and an honorary doctorate from Wake Forest University.

Former director of research, NOAA

School of Law Ceremony
Friday, May 9, 5 p.m.

Craig McLean, JD ’93, is a distinguished leader in ocean and atmospheric science and law. He retired as director of research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2021, the culmination of a remarkable 40-year career.

A native of Rutherford, New Jersey, McLean dedicated his professional life to driving the exploration, protection and improvement of the world’s oceans. Along the way, he championed scientific integrity, diplomatic collaboration and marine conservation for the benefit of future generations.

His deep understanding of both the scientific and legal landscapes has enabled him to navigate intricate policy issues and advocate for evidence-based decision-making. In addition to his research, he took part in several exploration missions, including a return to the Titanic in 2004 with renowned explorer Bob Ballard.

McLean began his career as a uniformed officer in the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps in 1981 and served for nearly 25 years aboard fisheries, oceanographic and hydrographic ships. Prior to his time at Quinnipiac, he earned a Bachelor of Science in zoology from Rutgers University.

Executive director, Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce

School of Education and School of Nursing Undergraduate and Graduate Ceremony
Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m.

Dr. Tina Loarte-Rodriguez is a dedicated nurse leader, advocate and innovator with over 19 years of experience in healthcare. She currently serves as the executive director of the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce, where she leads initiatives to strengthen the nursing profession, promote diversity and advance health equity across the state. 

Loarte-Rodriguez previously served as associate director of health equity measures at Yale University’s Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation. A recognized leader in the field, she is a Hartford Business Journal Healthcare Hero Award winner and led her team to a Connecticut Nurses Association Excellence in Team Award. She has also published several works, including her recent book, Latinas In Nursing, the first anthology celebrating the journeys of fifteen Latina nurses across the United States.

She completed the American Nurses Association’s Innovation Accelerator Program and is a 2023-24 Fellow of the American Nurses Advocacy Institute. A first-generation college graduate, Loarte-Rodriguez received degrees from Cornell University and the University of Connecticut, before earning both her MSN and DNP from Quinnipiac University. 

Vice President, News Programming, NPR

College of Arts & Sciences and School of Communications Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement
Saturday, May 10, 3 p.m.

Eric Marrapodi is an award-winning journalist and the vice president of news programming at NPR, National Public Radio. In this role, he oversees NPR's flagship news magazines, including “All Things Considered,” “Weekend Edition” and “Weekend All Things Considered.” He is also responsible for the Newscast division, the Network Booking and Specials team and NPR’s podcasts such as “Up First” and “Consider This.”

Previously, Marrapodi worked on the NPR management team at “Morning Edition” and was the lead producer of special events live coverage for political reporting and the network booking team. His innovative direction led to new approaches in NPR's special coverage, including expanding to video interviews and the use of Twitter spaces.

Prior to NPR, Marrapodi was the senior producer in Washington for “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.” His career included more than a decade at CNN, where he was part of their Emmy Award-winning election coverage and co-creator of the “Belief” blog, focused on faith and values.

Marrapodi is a 2003 Quinnipiac graduate with a bachelor’s in broadcast journalism. He also holds a master’s in religious studies from Georgetown University.

Vice President and General Manager, Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company

School of Business and School of Computing & Engineering Undergraduate and Graduate Ceremony | Sunday, May 11, 10 a.m.

Richard Benton is the vice president and general manager for Stratford, Connecticut-based Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company within the Rotary and Mission Systems business area.

Benton leads 10,000 employees in the strategic growth and program execution of Sikorsky’s government and commercial rotorcraft, including the Black Hawk and Seahawk; the CH-53K heavy lift aircraft for modern battlefields; the S-92 helicopter for search and rescue, head of state transport and other key missions; and Sikorsky Innovations, a prototyping group that develops future vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. 
One of the projects Sikorsky Innovations is currently working on is the Rotor Blown Wing, a hybrid aircraft that's poised to revolutionize search and rescue, surveillance and more with its autonomous operation features and advanced sensors.

With more than 25 years of industry experience, Benton has held key leadership roles in program management, global supply chain, international capture, and mergers and acquisitions in the aerospace and defense industries.

Benton holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration, both from the University of Florida.

Vice President and Chief Clinical Innovation Officer, Hartford HealthCare

School of Health Sciences Undergraduate and Graduate Ceremony | Sunday, May 11, 3 p.m.

Dr. Barry Stein is an experienced physician executive and innovation leader across multiple medical domains, specialties and organizational functions. Recognizing artificial intelligence as the fuel for healthcare innovation, Stein is developing an enterprise capability to unlock AI’s transformative applications in a safe and trustworthy way.

At Hartford HealthCare, Stein serves as the chief clinical innovation officer, the chief medical informatics officer and the leader of Hartford HealthCare’s Center for AI Innovation. He also practices as a vascular and interventional radiologist. 

Stein received his post graduate medical training at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, where he did his radiology residency, served as chief resident, and completed fellowships in MRI, and vascular and interventional radiology. He received his medical degree from the University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa.

Stein is board certified by the American Board of Radiology in diagnostic radiology and vascular and interventional radiology and is a fellow of both the Society of Interventional Radiology and the American College of Radiology. He is regarded as one of the pioneers in the development, and clinical paradigm shift, from invasive angiography to magnetic resonance angiography.