2026 Commencement Program | Northern California

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

Alliant University is a private university accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) which offers programs in psychology, education, business management, forensic studies, and nursing health sciences. Alliant’s mission is to prepare students for professional careers of service and leadership, and to promote the discovery and application of knowledge to improve the lives of people in diverse cultures and communities around the world.

Alliant is comprised of six schools: California School of Professional Psychology, School of Education, School of Management & Leadership, School of Forensic Studies, and School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Our locations include Fresno, Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco in California, and a campus in Phoenix, Arizona.

Alliant holds program-specific accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA), the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Alliant is also fully approved by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) and Arizona Board of Nursing (AZBN).

MISSION STATEMENT

Alliant University prepares students for professional careers of service and leadership, and promotes the discovery and application of knowledge to improve the lives of people in diverse cultures and communities around the world.

Alliant is committed to excellence in four areas:

1. Education for Professional Practice
   Alliant’s educational programs are designed to give students the knowledge, skills and ethical values they need to serve and lead effectively in a variety of professional settings. Alliant graduates are expected to achieve mastery of a body of knowledge and be able to apply that knowledge in professional practice in order to achieve desired and beneficial outcomes.
2. Scholarship
   Scholarship in the Alliant context includes the discovery of new knowledge; the discovery of new applications of knowledge to solve practical problems; the integration of knowledge in new ways; and innovation in teaching knowledge and professional competencies.
3. Multicultural and International Competence
   Alliant is an inclusive institution committed to serving diverse populations around the world by preparing professionals to work effectively across cultural and national boundaries; by increasing the number of professionals working in underserved areas; and by understanding and responding to the needs of diverse communities.
4. Community Engagement
   Alliant is an inclusive institution committed to serving diverse populations around the world by preparing professionals to work effectively across cultural and national boundaries; by increasing the number of professionals working in underserved areas; and by understanding and responding to the needs of diverse communities.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM

ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP

CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

SACRAMENTO

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY FACULTY

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

SACRAMENTO

OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING – CSPP LIAISONS

STAFF

PLATFORM PARTY

ACADEMIC PROCESSION

2026 GRADUATING CLASS
FACULTY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNIVERSITY
PLATFORM PARTY

COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

CONNELL PERSICO, PHD

Connell F. Persico received his BA (Political Science-1966) and MS (I/O Psychology-1968) from San Francisco State College, where he was elected Student Body President in 1964-65 and served as director of various co-educational innovative programs. He received his PhD in Educational Administration from Stanford University (1974).

He joined CSPP as Dean of Student Affairs in Los Angeles in 1975. He served as Campus Provost from 1981-1991 leading to program and degree diversification and the creation of a multicultural psychology focus as fundamental to the education and training programs. During his tenure as Provost, the LA Clinical program was the first free standing professional school to receive APA program approval. He also received the first PsyD (honorary) awarded in the CSPP system in 1991.

He served as systemwide Vice President, Institutional Advancement (CSPP) and Senior Vice President (Alliant University) from 1989-2004 and University Professor from 2004-2007. From 2006-2007 he also served as systemwide Program Director of the Educational Administration program. He joined the Alliant Educational Foundation Board of Directors serving from 2016-2025 as Board Secretary, Vice Chair and chair of the Fund Raising Committee. He has served on numerous non-profit and community service boards and considers himself a social justice advocate focused on inclusion and agency for marginalized populations. He is currently retired and living with his husband of 39 years In Placerville, CA.

ACADEMIC REGALIA

Academic dress has its origin in the Middle Ages. When the European universities were taking form in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, scholars were also clerics, and they adopted robes similar to those of their monastic orders. Caps were a necessity in drafty buildings; capes, or capes with hoods attached, were needed for warmth. As the control of universities gradually passed from the church, academic costume took on brighter hues and employed varied patterns in cut and color of gown and type of headdress.

The use of academic costume in the United States has been continuous since colonial times, but a clear protocol did not emerge until an intercollegiate commission in 1893 recommended a uniform code. In this country the design of a gown varies with the degree held. The bachelor’s gown is relatively simple with long, pointed sleeves as its distinguishing mark. The gown for a master’s degree has an oblong sleeve with the rear part cut square and the front part with a cutaway arc. The most elaborate academic costume is the doctoral gown with velvet panels down the front and three bars of the same material across the sleeves.

The velvet is usually black, but it may be a color designating the field of study to which the degree pertains. The gown itself, usually black like those of lower degrees, may be of a color distinctive of a particular university.

The hood bears a still larger symbolic burden: the width of its velvet trimming designates the level of the degree; the color heralds the major field of study; and the lining identifies the institution that granted the degree. Alliant University is symbolized by a lining of blue, sage and gold.

SIGNIFICANCE OF COLORS

Colors indicating fields of study are listed below:

The gold tassel indicates the doctoral degree; a black tassel indicates the master’s or bachelor’s degree.

MILITARY HONOR CORDS

In recognition of military service to the United States of America, Alliant University honors the graduation of Active Duty service members and Veterans by providing an opportunity for them to wear red, white, and blue honor cords to their commencement ceremony. Honorably discharged U.S. Veterans, Active Duty, National Guard, or Reservists, or ROTC students commissioning upon graduation are authorized to wear a Military Honor Cord.

OATH OF AFFIRMATION

I hereby affirm that I shall discharge the responsibilities of my profession in a manner consistent with respect for the dignity and worth of the individual and that I shall strive for the preservation and protection of fundamental human rights.

That I shall seek to increase knowledge of human behavior, to increase selfunderstanding and understanding of others, and that I shall use such knowledge for the promotion of human welfare.

That I shall diligently protect the welfare of those who seek my services, and that I shall use my skills only in the furtherance of human welfare and the integrity of the individual.

And that I shall well and truly recognize the traditions and ethics of my profession, and that I shall subscribe to these traditions and ethics freely and upon my honor.

Adopted from the Code of Ethics of the American Psychological Association.

DEGREES EARNED FROM ALLIANT UNIVERSITY

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF FORENSIC STUDIES

MASTER OF SCIENCE: FORENSIC BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

Vianey Alejandra Salazar

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY: PSYCHOLOGY, PUBLIC POLICY AND LAW

Flor-Mari Flores Crisostomo
Voices of Resilience: Exploring the Perspectives of Formerly Incarcerated Mothers Who Have Successfully Reintegrated Into Society
Chair: Michael McHenry, PhD

SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

NOTE TO OUR NEW ALUMNI

Congratulations! Commencement is an inspirational and exiting time for you and your family! You are now joining over 45,000 alumni of Alliant University. We are sure you will make a difference in the world, just as many other alliant alumni have done and continue to do so.

Your fellow alumni have gone on to become world-renowned psychologists, couples and family therapists, educators, government leaders, international entrepreneurs, leaders of universities, authors, television stars and even academy award winners. You are in great company when you proudly state you are a graduate of Alliant University.

The Alliant Alumni Association, which includes graduates from a rich 85+ year history at Balboa University (1926-1959), Cal Western (1959-1973), United States International University (1973-2001), California School of Professional Psychology (1972-2000), Alliant International University (2001-2025), and now Alliant University (2026).

You are important to us, and we want to stay connected!

An important part of your future is being a member of the Alliant Alumni Association. Keep the Office of Alumni Relations up to date with your most recent address, both physical and electronic, as well as career successes and personal developments and achievements. Alliant continues to contribute to your professional development and gives you the means to expand your professional network. We encourage you take advantage of the following alumni services:

• Get involved by attending University events, participating on alumni panels, and
  guiding students interested in your field.
• Join the Impact Network alumni portal to connect with fellow alumni and students.
• Access alumni benefits such as the use of Career Services and the Library as well
  as discounts on Continuing Education classes and theme park attractions.
• Update your contact information to stay in touch!

Our Alumni Association wishes you great success as you travel through life with the
valuable knowledge and experience you have gained at Alliant. Stay connected!

Contact Information: alumni@alliant.edu
Website: alumni.alliant.edu

Be sure to also check out your school-specific alumni webpage for additional information!
Links to the SML, SFS, SOE & CSPP pages are on the main alumni website.