Hillsdale College Celebrates Spring Convocation Online
Professor of Chemistry Lee Ann Fisher Baron provides remarks; faculty and students honored for teaching and academic excellence
Hillsdale, Mich. – On Thursday, April 23, Hillsdale College hosted its annual Spring Convocation via livestream at the College’s Christ Chapel. The ceremony was held online so the College community could continue its traditional celebration of student and faculty achievements.
“This is a blessing, what we have here,” said Larry P. Arnn, Hillsdale College president. “Do you see that it makes us think about the fundamentals of our activity harder? Do you see that it’s clearer by the deprivation, the power of the connections we have? It makes it plain that this is valuable—to be treasured, to be fought for.”
The featured speaker was Lee Ann Fisher Baron, professor of chemistry and the Vincent and Anneliese Savona Chairwoman of Natural Sciences. Baron was named “Teacher of the Year” in 2019.
“At Hillsdale College, our goal is to equip you for participating in the conversations required to navigate through the issues of life,” said Baron in her speech. “And to do that, the journey goes beyond what we teach you in the classroom. It exists in the time you spend figuring out what you study, why it’s your passion, and how to integrate all these ideas within a larger framework.”
Hillsdale College Provost Christopher VanOrman announced the all-school GPA for the fall 2019 semester, 3.385, and the winners of the school’s scholarship cups. Pi Beta Phi earned the sorority scholarship cup with a GPA of 3.518. Sigma Chi earned the fraternity scholarship cup with a GPA of 3.246. Additionally, the top 10 students in the senior class were recognized for their academic excellence. They are, in alphabetical order: Sarah Becker, Natalie Bodnar, Jessica Chen, Emma Clifton, Nathaniel Gipe, Olivia Mulley, Sydney San Juan, Hannah Stevenson, Gabriella VanAken, and Caitlin Weighner.
Watch a recording of the livestream here.