On Saturday, May 15, 2021, the College of Humanities and Sciences gathered together (in-person!) for the first time in over a year to celebrate our graduates. Due to the size of the College, departments/schools were divided among three ceremonies and the ceremonies were staggered throughout the day. The celebrations took place at Cary Street Athletic Field and all participants followed COVID-19 safety protocols.

Joining our graduates, were three alum speakers: Denise Walters, Ph.D. (BS ’85/H&S, PhD ’91/Pharm), scientist and strategy and development leader at GSK Consumer Healthcare; Anh Bao Nguyen Zarndt, Ph.D. (PhD ’11/H&S), lead science policy analyst at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and Jesse Vaughan (BS ’80/H&S), Emmy- award winning broadcast journalist, producer and director.

During the ceremonies, Dean Jennifer Malat, Ph.D., spoke to the graduates about the insights gained from this global pandemic. “We learned just how resilient we are. That when it comes to stretching and outlasting, we can do it. It is your resilience that brought you to this moment right now. You have done the work. You have put in the time, you have made the effort. And this resilience will stay with you long after this moment in history. You should all feel very proud.”

View a gallery of graduation photos on Facebook.