May 18, 2024

Valedictorians, Professors Take Center Stage at Commencement

Hannah Harris earned the Colgate W. Darden Jr. Award for Academic Achievement for completing her degree with the highest grade-point average in the undergraduate program. She finished with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Hannah Harris earned the Colgate W. Darden Jr. Award for Academic Achievement for completing her degree with the highest grade-point average in the undergraduate program. She finished with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

As more than 1,000 Class of 2023 graduates crossed the stage at UMW’s Commencement to the applause of hundreds of faculty and thousands of family and friends, two students and two faculty received top-of-class honors.

Graduates Hannah Harris and Riley Smith earned the Colgate W. Darden Jr. Award for Academic Achievement for completing their degrees with the highest grade-point average (GPA) in the undergraduate program. Both finished with a perfect 4.0 GPA and are members of the UMW Honors Program and Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest honor society.

In addition, Associate Professor of Chemistry Randall Reif was recognized with the Mary W. Pinschmidt Award, for having had the greatest impact on the lives of the members of the Class of 2023, and Professor and Chair of Theatre and Dance Gregg Stull was named the first Anderson Distinguished Professor. Read more.