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Secretary Riley delivers commencement address as Furman awards 677 degrees


Last updated February 17, 2016

By News administrator

MAY 5, 2012
by Vince Moore, Director of News and Media Relations

Richard W. Riley Commencement Address

Katie Love Graduation Speech

Photos of the event

Furman celebrated its 186th commencement on May 5.

GREENVILLE, S.C.—Furman University awarded 677 undergraduate and master’s degrees and presented a number of its top academic honors during graduation exercises Saturday, May 5.

The Scholarship Cup, given to the graduating senior with the highest academic average, was awarded to Elizabeth Anne Wood, a chemistry major from Vestavia Hills, Ala.

Susannah Marie Morris of Atlanta, Ga., and Brandon Alexander Tensley of Columbia received the General Excellence awards, given by the Furman faculty to the outstanding female and male student in the graduating class.  Morris majored in religion, and Tensley double majored in political science and German.

Furman also presented Alester G. Furman, Jr., and Janie Earle Furman awards for meritorious teaching and advising.  The teaching award went to William Henry Brantley, Professor of Physics. The advising awards were presented to Brett Peter Barclay, Assistant Director of Continuing Education, and Jessica Lynne Hennessey, Robert E. Hughes Assistant Professor of Economics.

The late C. Dan Joyner of Greenville was awarded the first Richard W. Riley Medal for Promise and Achievement. Members of the Joyner family accepted the award.

Former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley delivered the commencement address.  The student speaker was graduate Katherine Barnett Love of Columbia, an economics major.

For more information, contact Furman’s News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.

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