Recognition and regalia
Hooding Ceremony celebrates UD doctoral graduates
Doctoral students certainly spend countless hours on solitary research, lab work, data analysis, fieldwork and writing papers, but that depiction doesn’t tell the whole story.
While on their way to attaining a degree held by only 2% of the U.S. population, plenty of doctoral students engage in extracurricular activities that give them well-rounded experiences that further shape them professionally and personally. They also make lots of friends and have fun along the way — and some even find love.
“To me, the University of Delaware is opportunity,” said Stephanie Kuntz-McAllister, one of about 250 students who participated in UD’s 2026 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony at the Bob Carpenter Center on Wednesday, May 20. “My favorite part about UD was the opportunity to do things that I didn’t even think I would be interested in, be eligible for, useful or just didn’t even occur to me.”
Students ranging in age from 24 to 73 were hooded by their advisors and awarded doctorates in a wide selection of disciplines, including plant and soil sciences, art history, economics, geography, education, chemical engineering, microbiology, nutrition science, and public policy and administration — to name a few. They came to Newark by way of 38 countries, from Albania to Zambia, on every inhabited continent except Australia.
Against a backdrop of bagpipes, colorful robes, caps and coveted doctoral hoods — and surrounded by cheering friends and family — UD President Laura Carlson said the act of hooding symbolizes the passing of knowledge, expertise and skill from faculty mentor to doctoral student.
“The regalia is a pronouncement of your commitment, your close study, your careful reading, your countless hours and presumably endless cups of coffee that have led you to discoveries and expressions that have pushed forward the frontiers of knowledge,” Carlson said.
Thanks to the ceremony coinciding with his birthday, economics doctorate recipient Maximilien Turini Bielsa was thrilled to be provided with an annual reminder of the day.
“The school and the clubs here, such as QTGSU [Queer and Trans Graduate Student Union], have had a huge impact on me as a person, so being able to connect them to my birthday is amazing,” Bielsa said.
Kami Silk, dean of the Graduate College, drew on the words of President John F. Kennedy, who said the Greeks defined happiness as the “full use of your powers along the lines of excellence.” She encouraged the graduates to use their power — which now includes a doctorate — for both their own benefit and the benefit of others.
“When someone gives you an opportunity, remember it,” Silk said. “When someone spends time, offers advice, makes an introduction or mentors you, honor it by opening doors for others. And use your power to help solve the world’s problems, to heal people and to create a world that is a better place for not just some people, but for everyone.”
Advised and hooded by Martha Buell, Kuntz-McAllister immersed herself in campus life, highlighted by serving as Graduate Student Government president and using her power to support her fellow graduate students.
“Graduate Student Government gave me a lot of opportunities to build connections and work on professionalism, collegiality and interactions with administrators, faculty, staff and other students,” said Kuntz-McAllister, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of La Verne before moving from Southern California to Delaware for UD’s doctoral program in human development and family sciences. “I am a lot more confident in trying new things and my different abilities.”
As Kuntz-McAllister embraced the opportunities on UD’s Newark campus, Scott Goldberg had a different yet equally fulfilling experience pursuing his marine studies doctorate about 80 miles south on the Hugh R. Sharp campus in Lewes. Along with enjoying the biking trails and beaches in the southern half of the state, he quickly became part of a tight-knit cohort of classmates.
“One of the great things about the graduate student community in Lewes is we almost all live in the same area and get to know each other,” said Goldberg, who was advised and hooded by Aaron Carlisle. “I could open my door, turn my head and see almost everyone’s home.”
This proximity allowed Goldberg to develop camaraderie with students possessing diverse skills and knowledge who regularly support each other. Anytime he encountered a challenge, he didn’t have to look far to find someone happy to guide him.
“A lot of graduate school is learning and trying new things, so having people to offer advice and point you in the right direction is really phenomenal,” Goldberg said. “I met a lot of great people who were also fun to hang out with. I’m going to miss that.”
Goldberg previously earned a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a master’s degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Next, he’ll add another pin to his academic map when he begins postdoctoral work at the University of Georgia. Among the lasting relationships he built at UD, one will accompany him in Georgia. His fiancé, a former UD master’s student from a neighboring lab, is pursuing her doctorate at Georgia Tech.
Reflecting on their respective doctoral experiences, Goldberg and Kuntz-McAllister both discovered a passion for teaching undergraduates and a desire to keep doing so.
“The undergrads I worked with here have been phenomenal,” Goldberg said. “It’s not so much me telling them what to do as helping them achieve their goals. That’s been really satisfying.”
Kuntz-McAllister also met her future spouse in the UD graduate student community; she married her husband, who earned a master’s in statistics, in 2025. They would like to either stay in Delaware or head to Texas to be near family. Wherever they settle, she said teaching in the future is a must.
Although each student has a unique story to tell, Interim Provost William Farquhar said they all have the same responsibility.
“Whatever your academic field — and wherever your career takes you next — your role is to serve society and to pursue noble causes greater than yourselves, through the advancement and application of knowledge,” he said.
The graduates also all left the event with the same new title: Doctor.
“It feels pretty great,” Goldberg said. “It’s an accomplishment, and I am really proud of the work I have done here. A lot of the community has helped me get to this point.”
Kuntz-McAllister said she is both relieved and grateful.
“This is not only a testament to my own work, but to the community that has supported me to this point,” she said. “Without that community of my family, friends, advisor and academic mentors, I would not be able to be called Dr. Kuntz-McAllister.”
Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson and Evan Krape.