2015 graduates celebrate on Ball Circle. (Norm Shafer)
In ceremonies May 8 and 9, 2015, the University of Mary Washington awarded 1,158 degrees – 169 graduate and 989 undergraduate.
Three students from Virginia, Claire R. Harrington ’15 of Chesapeake, Lisa Blake Johnson ’15 of Vienna, and Emma Katherine Leheney ’15 of Arlington, received the Colgate W. Darden Jr. Award for having the highest grade-point average over four years of undergraduate study. Each had a perfect 4.0.
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees were awarded to undergraduate commencement speaker Pamela Bridgewater and posthumously to Claudia Emerson, a poet and longtime professor at UMW.
Bridgewater is a retired career ambassador with the U.S. Diplomatic Service. The graduate commencement speaker was Steven R. Staples, Virginia’s superintendent of public instruction.
Other noteworthy honors were:
* Grellet C. Simpson Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching – Liane R. Houghtalin, professor of classics, philosophy, and religion
* UMW Alumni Association Outstanding Young Faculty Member – Eric C. Bonds, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology
* Mary W. Pinschmidt Award, selected by the graduating class – Marisa Martinez-Mira, associate professor of Spanish
* Graduate Faculty Award for excellence in graduate teaching and professional leadership – G. Robert Greene, associate professor in the College of Business
Emeritus status was awarded to seven faculty members: Galen F. deGraff, professor emeritus of management; Martha V. Fickett, professor emerita of music; Stephen W. Fuller, professor emeritus of biology; Suzanne G. Houff, professor emerita of education; Constance Smith, senior lecturer in English, linguistics, and communication; David S. Soper, professor emeritus of athletics, health, and physical education; and Gary W. Stanton, associate professor emeritus of historic preservation.