Posted on Saturday, May 20, 2006
More than 335 students earned diplomas during the 152nd annual Westminster College commencement ceremonies Saturday.
The ceremony began with baccalaureate service at 10:30 a.m. in Orr Auditorium. The Rev. Daniel B. Merry, associate pastor to Pittsburgh Presbytery and 1977 Westminster graduate, spoke about "Is God Fair?" The service included music by Kathryn Miller, adjunct instructor, a welcome from Westminster College President R. Thomas Williamson, and prayers and scripture readings by the Rev. James Mohr II, college chaplain.
While waiting for the graduates to appear, parents and friends were treated to music by the Westminster College Faculty Brass Quintet. Bagpiper Richard Hosie, 1981 Westminster graduate, and drummer Adam Smith, led the grand march and Dr. Nancy Zipay DeSalvo, assistant professor of music, played "Pomp and Circumstance."
Welcoming remarks were made by George Berlin, chair of the Westminster Board of Trustees, and Westminster College President R. Thomas Williamson.
After receiving honorary doctor of public service degree, Charles Burke, Westminster College Trustee Emeritus, and Chairman Emeritus of The Grable Foundation, delivered "words of wisdom" to the class of 2006.
Westminster's commencement would not be complete without recognizing its faculty.
Distinguished Faculty Award
Dr. James Perkins, professor of English at Westminster College since 1973, was awarded the Distinguished Faculty Award. He earned his undergraduate degree from Centre College, his master's from Miami University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee. During the fall term of 1998, he was a Fulbright Visiting Professor at Seoul National University in Korea. He has also been honored as a Henderson Lecturer and McCandless Fellow. His publications include three chapbooks of poetry, "For the Record: A Robert Drake Reader (a collection edited with Randy Hendricks), and collections of short stories, and "Southern Writers at Centuries End," (a collection of essays co-edited with Jeffrey Folks).
The Distinguished Faculty Award is given to the faculty member who has, over a sustained period of time, demonstrated characteristics of the most outstanding faculty – intellectual vitality, effective communication skills, the ability to motivate of inspire, compassion and concern for student success, collegiality, and leadership.
One Professors Honored with Emeriti Status
Dr. James Hall, who has been with Westminster College since 1984, was awarded emeritus status. He earned his undergraduate degree from Northern Illinois University, his master's from Harvard University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. His professional interests include differential equations, teaching with computer technology, and the history of mathematics. Hall was the 1989 Henderson lecturer at Westminster with the presentation of "Tilings in Science and Art."
Senior class speaker Nawal G. Rajeh, a political science major from Youngstown, Ohio, delivered the senior class remarks. "Take the ordinary things you learned here at Westminster and use them to do something extraordinary. Use them to bridge the gaps in this world.
Stephanie Nicholson, a senior music performance major from Medina, Ohio, sang the Westminster College Alma Mater to end the ceremony.
