Molloy University announced its Spring 2025 Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients who will headline the Spring Commencement ceremonies on Monday, May 19, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
World-renowned neuroscientist, cognitive psychologist, and musician, Dr. Daniel J. Levitin, will deliver the commencement address to Molloy University’s graduating class of 2025. Dr. Levitin is the author of five consecutive bestselling books, including This Is Your Brain on Music, The World in Six Songs, and I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music As Medicine. He has published over 300 scientific articles and is the founding Dean of Minerva University in San Francisco. An accomplished musician, Dr. Levitin has been awarded 17 gold and platinum records with international recording artists. Dr. Levitin will receive an Honorary Doctor of Science degree during the event.
“We are proud to welcome Dr. Levitin as our commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient, and the message Dr. Levitin brings to our students is bound to be inspiring, meaningful, and memorable,” said James P. Lentini, D.M.A., President of Molloy University. “His significant work as a scientist, author, and musical performer and producer offers a unique and impressive blend of talents. We look forward to hearing his insights and wisdom as they inspire the next generation of thinkers, creators, and leaders.”
Dr. Levitin’s research addresses fundamental questions in auditory memory, musical structure, and the neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of musical experience. He has published in journals such as Science, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Neuron, and Cognition. In addition to being Founding Dean at Minerva University, San Francisco, he is James McGill Professor Emeritus at McGill University and Visiting Professor of Neuroscience at UCLA.
In tandem with his scientific accomplishments, Dr. Levitin (tenor saxophone, guitar, vocals, and bass) has performed with Mel Tormé, David Byrne, Rosanne Cash, Sting, Bobby McFerrin, Victor Wooten, and Tom Scott. Levitin has produced and consulted on albums by artists including Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, and Joni Mitchell; and on the films Good Will Hunting and Pulp Fiction. His work has contributed to the sale of 30 million records.
Additionally, Molloy University will honor Long Island’s Robert “Bob” Catell, former Chairman and CEO of KeySpan Corporation and KeySpan Energy Delivery, with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. “Bob Catell has had an invaluable and lasting impact as a business leader in our region, and we are fortunate to have him as a member of our inaugural President’s Advisory Council at Molloy University,” said President Lentini. “We are delighted to award him with an honorary degree.”