Order of Exercises

College of Arts & Sciences
School of Communications

Trumpet Prelude and Processional

Pomp and Circumstance, Sir Edward Elgar

Call to Commencement

Debra J. Liebowitz, PhD
Provost

National Anthem

Rebecca Huyck ’26

Greetings

Marie C. Hardin, PhD
President

Class of 2026 Student Speakers

• College of Arts & Sciences: Angelina Ann Marinko

• School of Communications: Lindsey Jade Dilapi

Introduction of Commencement Speaker

Margarita Diaz
Associate Professor of Journalism

Commencement Address

Alex Birsh ’11
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Playbill

Presentation of Candidates for Degrees and Awards

• College of Arts & Sciences: Adam Roth, PhD, Dean

• School of Communications: Nadine Barnett Cosby, PhD, Dean

Conferral of Degrees

Marie C. Hardin

Alumni Welcome

Yvonne Alston ’98
Alumni Association Board

Recessional

Alex Birsh ’11

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Playbill

College of Arts & Sciences and School of Communications Commencement | Saturday, May 9, 3 p.m.

Alex Birsh is the third generation of the Birsh family to work at Playbill, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Arthur, and his father, Philip. A self-professed lover of Broadway and baseball, Birsh is captivated by the magic, splendor and spontaneity of live performances.

After working for Sirius XM, Major League Baseball and Topps, Birsh joined the family business in 2016 as vice president and chief digital officer. In 2020, he was promoted to vice president and chief operating officer. 

Over the last decade, Birsh has helped his father grow Playbill into an indispensable theater brand. Playbill is not just the exclusive magazine for Broadway and Off-Broadway theater patrons in New York City. It’s also required reading in several other major theater markets, including Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

Birsh, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Quinnipiac, launched the Playbill Podcast in 2025 to celebrate live theater and the audiences who enjoy it. As the host of each episode, Birsh highlights a currently running Broadway show and features an interview with members of the cast and/or creative team. 

Mace and Medallion

The mace — a symbol of authority — has antecedents in both Roman and Medieval history. The Roman mace (fasces) was carried by a lictor before the chief magistrate of the city, as well as before the legions. During the Middle Ages, the mace (mateola), a weapon of war, became first a symbol of victory and then a symbol of authority. The mace emblazoned with the Great Seal of England became a symbol of authority in Parliament by the end of the 13th century. It is this form of the mace that was the prototype of those symbols of authority, not only of legislative bodies, but also of cities and universities.

In 1246, following some 20 years of strife, the University of Paris was finally conceded the right to its own common seal. Since then, the use of the seal engraved on the mace has come to symbolize the authority of the academic community. In July 2000, Quinnipiac commissioned the noted sculptor Robert Meyer of Westport, Connecticut, to design and execute a new mace for Quinnipiac University. Cast in bronze, the mace incorporates elements of the university seal.

The medallion (medal of office), like the mace and the seal, is also a symbol of authority. It is possible that its roots may be traced back to the Roman “bulla” (a gold amulet of honor). The obverse of the medallion shows the seal of the office the wearer holds — in our case, the seal of the university. Not infrequently, the reverse would show the personal seal or coat of arms of the bearer. Since the High Middle Ages, the medallion has been worn by such officials as the chancellors of England, mayors of cities, and rectors of universities, and came to signify the high personal position such figures occupied in their respective governments. During the Renaissance, medallion design reached unique artistic heights, and in certain portraits the medallion was given particular prominence. The medallion is worn by the university’s president. The Quinnipiac medal showcases the university seal, sculpted in relief and cast in bronze.