New academic year at Furman launches with Convocation

Furman University’s Class of 2029 basked in waves of applause on Aug. 25 as they came in out of the heat and into McAlister Auditorium for this year’s opening convocation.

Many of the more than 550 students of the incoming first-year class took their seats among faculty and staff, trustees and other members of the campus community. As Furman prepares to celebrate its bicentennial in 2026, President Elizabeth Davis said there’s much to be grateful for, but nothing greater than “the solid foundation of a liberal arts education that we will continue to build well into our next century.”

“Over the next four years you will learn more than your chosen major,” she said. “You will learn to think critically and independently, using reflection and knowledge gained from a variety of disciplines, taught by some of the brightest, most caring faculty and staff in the country.”

Furman President Elizabeth Davis and Mariam Nguyen ’26, president of Student Government Association, dap it up during Convocation in McAlister Auditorium on Aug. 25. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

Beyond the classroom, students will learn how to engage in civil discourse with people they disagree with. Furman’s signature On Discourse initiative encourages constructive discussions, with the theme this year of seeking a deeper understanding of democracy in the United States.

“Making connections and working through conflict to get to understanding might be your generation’s most important work,” Davis told the class Monday.

Student Government President Mariam Nguyen ’26 told the incoming class she was nervous when she was in their shoes. Would she feel like she belonged at Furman? Would she find people with whom she could connect?

“Furman isn’t a place where you have to prove you belong. It’s a place where you build who you are,” she told the crowd. “And together – students, faculty, staff – we’re not just building four years. We’re building a lifetime.”

Jason Cassidy, associate vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, gave the address during Convocation on Aug. 25. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

The morning’s guest speaker was Assistant Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students Jason Cassidy.  Since he started working at Furman in 1999, the university has invested heavily in campus infrastructure and built the award-winningly beautiful campus students see today.

He urged students to slow down and take in its beauty, but to remember that it’s the people they connect with who will define their time at Furman. That’s why he encouraged students to lead with kindness.

“People will never forget how we treated them when they were stressed, struggling or just needed someone to notice them,” he said. “And being kind doesn’t mean we will never disagree or face conflict. It simply means we will handle those moments with respect and empathy.”

Faculty, students and staff receive accolades

Cherie Maiden Invitational Award

• Faculty – Jeffery Makala, associate director for special collections and university archivist

The Meritorious Award for Diversity and Inclusion

• Staff – Lauren Pollino, assistant director of alumni engagement

Furman Fellows

These $10,000 awards go to five seniors to pursue their academic, creative and professional pathways. This year’s fellows are:

• Neha Bhatnager ’26, neuroscience major from Greer, South Carolina
• Cian Matthew Colgan ’26, Earth and environmental sciences and history double major from East Amherst, New York
• Zia Isabella Harrison ’26, physics major from McLean, Virginia
• Ethan James Ropp ’26, music and physics double major from Greenville, South Carolina
• Pratik Shrestha ’26, information technology major from Nepal

Faculty promoted to the rank of professor were also recognized at Convocation.