(PDF) (DOC) (JPG)April 16, 2007

(Mahwah) – Nancy Giles, CBS Sunday Morning contributor, comedian and actress, will deliver the commencement address at Ramapo College of New Jersey’s 2007 ceremony Friday, May 11 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Bandshell.  Frances K. Hackett, Ramapo class of 1980, will receive the President’s Award of Merit.  A total of 1,363 students who completed their studies in January and May, or are expected to finish in August, are eligible to participate.

Whether delivering her social commentaries on CBS Sunday Morning or delighting theater fans with her solo pieces, Nancy Giles is known as a perceptive and provocative observer of today’s world.

Her acclaimed work on CBS Sunday Morning has provided the largest audience yet for her blend of laugh-out-loud humor and common sense wisdom.  Giles brings an alternative feel that helps distinguish the program from others.

She is the writer and performer of the one-woman shows, Notes of a Negro Neurotic and Black Comedy:  The Wacky Side of Racism.  Giles has made her mark dismantling misconceptions about race, feminism and sexism.
Born in Queens, New York, she graduated from Oberlin College and spent three years with Chicago’s Second City Improv troupe.  Giles appeared as Frankie in the television drama, China Beach, and played Connie the waitress in the sitcom Delta.  Her movie credits include New York Stories, Big and Working Girl. She has also co-hosted several radio shows in New York City and Philadelphia.

The College’s President’s Award of Merit will be awarded to Frances K. Hackett, Ramapo Class of 1980.  As vice president, Administration and OSGLI at Prudential Financial, Hackett’s responsibilities include the management of the company’s largest group client and special projects with significant organizational impact.  She has been with Prudential since 1974, briefly leaving the company in 1996 to work for Amerihealth Insurance Company of New Jersey.  She has served as a member of the Classification and Compensation Policy Advisory Committee of the State of New Jersey Judiciary, as coordinator of the NJ Supreme Court’s Committee on Efficiency II, and as a member of the Advisory Council of the School of Health Related Professionals at UMDNJ.

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About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The comprehensive college is situated among the beautiful Ramapo Mountains, is within commuting distance to New York City, was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler, and boasts the best on-campus housing in New Jersey per Niche.com. Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Business Administration, Contemporary Instructional Design, Computer Science, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

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