Microsoft's Gail Evans Speaks at Nazareth's Commencement, May 10
Nazareth College celebrated its 88th annual Commencement at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester on Sunday, May 10, with an address from Gail Evans of Microsoft. Evans, a Nazareth alumna, delivered the address to the Class of 2015 in a joint ceremony with both undergraduate and graduate students receiving their degrees. A total of 496 undergraduate and 352 graduate students graduated. The ceremony began at 9:45 a.m. For more information, please contact Julie Long, Nazareth’s chief public relations officer at (585) 389-2456.
See Evan's Commencement Speech here.
Evans’ story of climbing the corporate ladder to become an executive at Microsoft began 28 years ago. She worked as a custodian on the graveyard shift at Kodak so she could attend classes during the day at Nazareth College, earning her bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1986. She then completed her MBA at the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Executive Development.
Her current position at Microsoft is Partner Group Program Manager, Customer Knowledge Platform, Universal Store. She manages a team that analyzes data to find out the usage patterns of particular segments of users. “In other words, we find out what customers really want when they use our products, so we can innovate and meet their needs,” said Evans. In this role, she leads numerous technical and business program managers who extend the service across Microsoft.
At the start of her career, Evans worked at Eastman Kodak Company where she was actively involved with the digital transformation and web first strategies with the company. Evans then led the global consumer and small business banking e commerce application development team at Bank of America. Prior to working at Microsoft, Evans led the HP.com team of over 400 technical members to deliver the most ambitious website redesign project in the history of HP. In this role, she was responsible for managing a global team of more than 300 associates to deploy innovative customer experiences to grow online services, mobile sales and provide more efficient agile development processes.
Of her professional achievements, Evans is most proud of receiving the 2011 Egretha Hamilton Award for African American women who believe in hard work, community service and education. She is also proud of her involvement with NPower, which included providing information technology solutions for nonprofit organizations in Charlotte, N.C. Other achievements include a nomination for the Athena Award, serving on panel sessions and being the cover story for EVE Magazine “Voice of Western New York Women.”
For More Information
Julie Long, Nazareth Chief Public Relations Officer: (585) 389-2456; jlong2@naz.edu
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
