Tobin and Spitaleri Awards L

Each year a campus-wide committee selects the winner of the Tobin Memorial Award for the outstanding graduating male student and the Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri Award, for the outstanding graduating female student. The awardees are recognized as the ideal role models of student scholarship and achievement based on their academic excellence, service to the University of Wyoming, leadership in co-curricular activities, and outstanding citizenship.

MAKAYLA KOCHER is majoring in English with minors in anthropology, honors, and museum studies. Her honors capstone project is titled “Living in Literacy: A Cultural Appreciation of Iceland” and included a trip Iceland to conduct research with Global Treks and Adventures. As a result of her honor’s project, she contributed two chapters and photographs to a pending publication called “Iceland Anthology.” As an intern with UW’s Communications Across the Curriculum Program, she conducted research on “Writing Across the Curriculum” efforts at other universities. As an undergraduate writing tutor at the Writing Center, she worked one-on-one with individuals on educational, professional, and personal documents at different stages of the writing process. Kocher has been active in SOAR, a competency-based program at UW made up of experiences that shape, engage, and prepare students to meet unpredictable and complex challenges for the future. Kocher has also been part of the leadership team for the Wellness Ambassadors Program of the UW Wellness Center where she helped organize and plan campus-wide events to promote the health and wellbeing of students here at the University of Wyoming. These include events that focus on mental health, nutrition, physical activity, sexual health and violence, alcohol and drug awareness, sustainability, body image, and financial wellness.

HUNTER SWILLING is a double major in molecular biology and physiology. He has been active in ASUW government serving as both student body vice president and as president. Those positions included being an ex-officio member of the UW Board of Trustees and providing student input on issues related to COVID-19 policy, tuition increases, and academic program changes.

Swilling also served as Chief of Legislative Affairs for the ASUW student government where he was involved in policy initiative related to the UW Food Share Pantry, Student Code of Conduct, and reformation of the voting system. Swilling worked in a neurophysiology lab where he contributed to the lab’s research testing the efficacy of a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease. As part of that lab experience, he completed an individual research project on the effect of aging on working and reference memory. In addition to academic-related activities, he served as president of the Best Buddies Student Organization which aims to create opportunities for one-to-one friendships for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

JOHNATHAN WALKER is majoring in psychology with minors in honors and statistics. At UW, he has been a research assistant in a lab studying health and aging as well as an interviewer for the Wyoming Kinship program, which provides resources to people in Wyoming who are taking care of children who are not their own. For his honors capstone project he conducted a review of current research on loneliness and anxiety-related outcomes. His research experiences resulted in authorship on several articles submitted to scientific journals. Walker served as a resident advisor providing emotional and academic support to 35 incoming freshmen living in the UW dorms. This led to his involvement as vice president of service and recognition for the National Residence Hall Honorary that promotes student involvement in service for the local community. Wallker has also been a child specialist with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Laramie where he helped design and implement after-school activities for students in elementary school.

8:30 a.m.

Conferring Degrees in:

College of Arts & Sciences

College of Education

Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources

Honors College

Office of Academic Affairs

PROCESSIONAL .................................................. Wyoming Wind Symphony directed by Joe Carver, Ph.D.

PRESENTATION OF COLORS ........................................................... University of Wyoming Army ROTC

WELCOME Ed Seidel, Ph.D., President of the University

RECOGNITION OF HONORARY MARSHALS ........................... Kevin R. Carman, Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice President

Leah Hardy, M.F.A., Professor, Visual and Literary Arts

Linda Hutchinson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Mathematics Education

RECOGNITION OF LEADERSHIP

AWARDING OF HONORARY DEGREE

Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.), Honoris Causa

Ed Seidel, Ph.D., President of the University

Paul Glenn Street

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS .............................................................................................. Mandy Fabel

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION..................................................................................................... Jack Tennant ’10

STUDENT SPEAKER

PRESENTATION OF THE GRADUATING CLASS ........................

PRESENTATION OF DIPLOMAS

Angela Davis, Criminal Justice, Psychology, African American Studies, with a minor in Sociology

Renee Laegreid, Ph.D., Chair, University of Wyoming Faculty Senate

Ed Seidel, Ph.D., President of the University

AUTHORIZATION OF DEGREES.............................. John McKinley, Chairman of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees

CONFERRAL OF DEGREES .................................................... Ed Seidel, Ph.D., President of the University

RECESSIONAL

FACULTY MARSHALS

Wyoming Wind Symphony directed by Joe Carver, Ph.D.

Dan McCoy, Ph.D., Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

Tiger Robison, Ph.D., Music Education

Christi Thompson, Ed.D., Assistant Dean, College of Education