Our 2019 graduates are ready to go out and change the world

This weekend, we celebrate 1,673 undergraduate students who will participate in one of two College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) commencement ceremonies on Sunday, June 16. Commencement marks the next phase of an incredibly bright future for all of our graduates.

The class of 2019 is a diverse group of high achievers who can take great pride in their accomplishments. Reaching this milestone requires years of hard work to gain the depth and breadth of knowledge needed to succeed in whatever field our graduates choose to pursue. 

Each year, we acknowledge eight graduating students who have been selected by the CA&ES community for special achievements. These student award recipients (and their majors) are:

College Medal for scholastic excellence

• Anika Agrawal (environmental toxicology)

 Mary Regan Meyer Award for serving humanity

• Nicole Finney (global disease biology)
• Emily Thuy Tien Nguyen (global disease biology and French)

Charles Hess Community Service Award for public service

• Karina Castillo (clinical nutrition)
• Matthew Licina (sustainable agriculture and food systems)

Dean’s Circle Award for outstanding academics and community service

• Evan Dumas (biotechnology)
• Erin Hisey (animal science)
• Ariel Munoz (global disease biology)

Read more about these students in our story, “Exceptional Graduates, 2019 Commencement award recipients.” 

We also want to congratulate the recipients of the 2019 Outstanding Senior Awards. These are students from individual majors in our college who have made significant contributions through academic excellence, leadership in classroom discussions and student groups, or involvement in research or creative work. 

These outstanding seniors include: Genesis April Lozano (agricultural and environmental education), Julia Rose Cohen (animal biology), Erin Alissa Hisey (animal science), Carissa Rayann Garrity (animal science and management), Nicholas Michael Falk (atmospheric science), Evan Mitchell Dumas (biotechnology), Clarissa Rose Wong (clinical nutrition), Grace Kumetat (community and regional development), Kelly Ann Neal (environmental science and management), Anika Agrawal (environmental toxicology), Elizabeth K. Nojima (food science), Emily Carol Templin (human development), Leslie Lynn Conner (international agricultural development), Joshua Bradley Dansie Davis (landscape architecture), Olivia Ann Rockeman (managerial economics), Anne Grace Holt (marine and coastal science), Elisabeth Doody (plant sciences), Jordana Fuchs-Chesney (sustainable agriculture and food systems), Cassidy Rose Craford (sustainable environmental design), Keaton Hammond Crow (viticulture and enology) and Lynette Barbara Williams (wildlife, fish and conservation biology).

Commencement signifies the end of an important chapter and the beginning of a new one for our graduates. In the morning ceremony, we will graduate 370 students in managerial economics, 224 in human development, 55 in biotechnology, 33 in community and regional development, and 30 in landscape architecture. Other graduates in the morning ceremony represent majors in ecological management and restoration, environmental horticulture and urban forestry, international agricultural development, plant sciences, sustainable agriculture and food systems, and sustainable environmental design.

In the afternoon ceremony, the five majors with the most students include animal science with 252, clinical nutrition with 118, global disease biology with 82, environmental science and management with 80, and wildlife, fish and conservation biology with 68. Other majors represented in the afternoon ceremony include: agricultural and environmental education, animal biology, animal science and management, atmospheric science, entomology, environmental policy analysis and planning, environmental toxicology, fiber and polymer science, food science, hydrology, nutrition science, textiles and clothing, and viticulture and enology.

We gratefully acknowledge the support and encouragement of the families who helped our graduates on their journey through higher education. Special thanks goes to all the volunteers and faculty from throughout the college who make commencement possible. 

Congratulations to all on a job well done!