Photo (left to right): Cadets Marlo Stark, Groton, CT; Alaina Liddell, Weymouth, MA; Jennifer Verrilli, Southington, CT; Marchela Corolla, New Haven, CT; Mariana Gubert, Newtonville, MA; Massiel Leon, Tampa, FL; Dianna Persaud, Georgetown, Guyana; Meghan Berg, Marion, MA; Jessica Hinds, Sagamore Beach, MA; Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy; Honoree Christine Griffin, MMA 1983; Cadets Lauren O’Malley, Rochester, MA; Olivia Camelo, Carver, MA; Leeah Bachan, Las Lomas, Trinidad and Tobago; Grace Joy, Salem, VA; Kavita Singh, Georgetown, Guyana; Cole Francavilla, Stoneham, MA; and Kobe Copeland, Middletown, RI.
At the recent Women’s Network Event of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA), a top-ranked public university with undergraduate degree programs focusing on science, engineering, technology, math, and business that blend academics and experiential learning, it was announced that the Lady Buc Scholarship has been renamed the Christine M. Griffin ’83 Endowed Scholarship in honor of the MMA alumna whose many accomplishments include serving in key posts under two United States presidents.
The announcement was made at the annual Women’s Network Event held on the MMA campus on March 7th in front of an audience including Griffin, her family, friends, classmates, and shipmates.
Griffin, a graduate of the Academy’s Class of 1983, served on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under the George W. Bush administration and subsequently with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under the Obama administration, where she was responsible for the implementation of the then-president’s Executive Order on Increasing Employment of Individuals with Disabilities in the Federal Workforce. From 2011 to 2013 she was the Assistant Secretary for Disability Policies and Programs for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
Griffin, who earned her Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School, has held posts in disability advocacy groups throughout her career, including as Executive Director of the Disability Law Center, a private non-profit organization responsible for providing protection and advocacy for the rights of Massachusetts residents with disabilities. Griffin held that post from 1996 to 2005, and again from 2013 to her 2018 retirement from the Center.
Her extensive history of service and advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities includes serving as a member of the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council; the Board of the Easter Seals Massachusetts; the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education; and the Board of Directors of the New England Paralyzed Veterans of America.
Of particular pride to the MMA community is Griffin’s tenure as Acting President of the Academy from 1993 to 1994.
Griffin is herself a veteran, having served on active duty in the United States Army from 1974 to 1977.
“In renaming this scholarship for Christine, the Academy both honors her accomplishments and seeks to perpetuate her spirit of service among future generations of cadets,” said Kelley Lessard, assistant dean of advancement at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
For general or donation information about the Christine M. Griffin ’83 Endowed Scholarship, please visit https://www.maritime.edu/
About Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA): MMA is a fully accredited, four-year, co-educational state university offering Bachelor and Master of Science degrees that are highly regarded in the worldwide maritime industry and beyond. For more than 100 years, MMA has prepared women and men for exciting and rewarding careers on land and sea. As the nation’s finest co-ed maritime college, MMA challenges students to succeed by balancing a unique regimented lifestyle with a typical four-year college environment. Located at the mouth of the scenic Cape Cod Canal, Massachusetts Maritime Academy is the ideal college to pursue the love for the ocean, concern for the environment, interest in math and science, and a thirst for adventure. Follow MMA on FB: @massmaritime, @MassMaritime.Advancement; IG: @massmaritime, @mmacademyalumni; Twitter: @MMAadmissions, @MMAcademyAlumni; YouTube: Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
