The College will honor the Class of 2020 during a virtual conferral of degrees at noon on Sunday, June 14.
“Honoring U: A Tribute to the Class of 2020” will celebrate the nearly 480 members of the class. The event will be streamed live on the College’s Facebook page.
The valedictorian is Kara Leyden, a biology and sociology interdepartmental major from Glenmont, N.Y.
The salutatorian is Jonathan Hanna, a computer science major from Phoenixville, Pa.
The virtual event will include remarks from President David Harris and student leaders, among others.
The College announced last month, following careful consideration and deep reflection, its traditional Commencement ceremony was postponed due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A new date for an in-person event has not been determined.
“While conditions in New York continue to improve, current state regulations do not allow us to bring large numbers of people to campus,” President David Harris and other college leaders wrote in a letter to seniors. “Like the vast majority of schools in New York and across the country, we have concluded that it is unlikely that changes in safety and social distancing requirements will come quickly enough to allow for the kind of interaction and celebration you want and deserve.”
Also during the June 14 virtual ceremony, the winners of the Stillman Prize for Faculty Excellence in Teaching and the Stillman Prize for Faculty Excellence in Research will be announced. The prizes were created by David I. Stillman ’72, Abbott Stillman ’69 and Allan Stillman in honor of Abraham Stillman, father and grandfather.
The teaching prize was first awarded in 1995 to Mary K. Carroll ‘86, the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry. Last fall, the research prize was awarded for the first time to Lori J. Marso, the Doris Zemurray Stone Professor of Modern Literary and Historical Studies, and professor of political science. Both awards will be presented in person later.
To learn more about the Class of 2020, visit the website.