Molloy University is pleased to announce the speakers for the Fall Commencement Ceremonies. The ceremonies are scheduled for January 9, 2024, in the Madison Theatre. Dr. Launette Woolforde, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer at Northwell Health, will address the Barbara H. Hagan School of Nursing’s undergraduate and doctoral graduates. And Estela Lugo, Adjunct Professor of Inclusive Design at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and renowned disability advocate, will address the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Education and Human Services and the Nursing masters graduates.
Dr.Woolforde is Chief Nursing Officer for Lenox Hill Hospital and the Manhattan region of Northwell Health, the largest healthcare provider in NY State. Previously, Launette served as the System Vice President for Nursing Education and Professional Development. She co-authored the national Scope and Standards of Practice for Nursing Professional Development and served on the Board at the National League for Nursing and the Association for Nursing Professional Development. Dr. Woolforde was named the 2019 National Certified Nurse of the Year by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has been the recipient of multiple nursing awards. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Case Western Reserve University and a Doctor of Education degree from Columbia University, Teachers College. She is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and of the esteemed American Academy of Nursing.
Estela Lugo’s journey with disability began at just four years old when, she was diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular condition called Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). Growing up with physical challenges, she gravitated towards design and the arts and later earned a bachelor’s in interior design from FIT in 2002. A decade into her design career, Estela was compelled by her own personal journey with CMT to change the trajectory of her life’s work. She joined the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation as their Program Development Manager and has testified before the FDA in that role, advocating for funding CMT studies and therapies. Estela leads inclusion workshops for brands like Levi Strauss, Pinterest and Lockheed Martin, fostering better communication, design, and advocacy for disability inclusion. In 2019, Estela gave her first TEDx talk titled “RePurpose Your Pain” on the art of turning adversity into life’s most beautiful work. Today, her unique blend of design, marketing, and creativity is the very foundation on which she aims to empower the disability community with wellness and connection.