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The Health Sciences department graduation ceremony was on Saturday, May 16, at 7:00pm in the Rec. Center gym. Everything went smoothly except there were problems with the AC prior to the ceremony, so things were a little hot. This year we had our majors sit alphabetically to speed up the process. Our Chair, Brennan Harris, started off almost on time. He introduced the faculty and staff of the department and gave some introductory words before introducing our Major of the Year, Sofia Istnick, who then gave her speech. Both are below. The department had 130 graduates for 2026 and 115 walked.

This year’s Homecoming event was on Saturday, October 18th. We again had nice weather though a little colder than some years, but it was sunny. We had our event under the tent in front of Adair Hall and though we didn’t have as many alumni come by we still enjoyed seeing the ones who did show up. The football game was against the Elon Phoenix and W&M won 26-21. Please plan on coming by next year, we would love to see you.

Carrie Dolan, associate professor of health sciences, spoke at a high-level event on Sept. 25 called, A Legacy of Healing: 25 Years of Impact, hosted by World Pediatrics in collaboration with the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Undergraduate student Hannah Olson ‘27 published her first article in BMJ Open, an impressive achievement she credits to her perseverance, the encouragement of Dr. Carrie Dolan and the support of W&M Libraries.

The Kinesiology department graduation ceremony was on Saturday, May 17, at 7:00pm in the Rec. Center gym. This year everything went very smooth and we had no problems. Our “Major of the Year”, Ryan Shonk, couldn’t be at the ceremony because he was in Guatemala on a mission trip, but he did record a message to the graduating class of 2025. Below are the speeches of our Chair, Brennan Harris, and Ryan Shonk gave. We hope you all enjoyed the event and will remember it fondly.

Arts & Sciences proudly recognizes 12 outstanding tenured faculty members with endowed professorships to begin in the 2025-2026 academic year. These new appointments reflect the following faculty members’ commitment to groundbreaking research, innovative teaching and mentorship, substantive collaboration with their students and dedicated service to their fields, their departments and �鶹�ƽ�� as a whole.

A daunting task to finish one thesis, seniors Liam Staker, Adam Jutt, Maryclaire O’Brien, and Sarah Sakly have undertaken the seemingly impossible task of completing two theses each during the 2024-25 academic year.

W&M �鶹�ƽ��ing Scholar in the Department of Kinesiology, Prof. Chia-Hua Kuo talks with Bob McDonald, host of Quirks and Quarks on CBC radio about a recent publication with Prof. M. Brennan Harris in Sports Medicine and Health regarding the influence of bowel function on sports performance.

Provost Peggy Agouris' notice to campus community on the passing of Kim Whitley

Carrie Dolan was one of five faculty members named Reves 2023 Faculty Fellows

Emma Langley '17 won the USA Cycling Professional Road National Championship in Knoxville, TN on June 26th.

On April 22, 2022 The Kinesiology Majors Club and the Department of Kinesiology sponsored an ice cream social in the shaded area in front of Adair Hall.

�鶹�ƽ��’s Commonwealth Center for Energy and the Environment had its genesis about a decade ago after members of the university’s Board of �鶹�ƽ��ors expressed interest in encouraging new research, especially interdisciplinary initiatives.

As elementary and high school students head back into classrooms, W&M News spoke with Carrie Dolan, an epidemiologist, an assistant professor in health sciences, member of �鶹�ƽ��’s Public Health Advisory Board and director of the interdisciplinary Ignite global health research lab. She is currently advising the local school district and preparing her own family for going back to school.

John Cho ’23 and Kelly Crace, associate vice president for health and wellness, will receive the 2021 President’s Award for Service to the Community at this year’s Opening Convocation ceremony Sept. 10 in the Wren Yard.

Michael Deschenes is professor and chair of Kinesiology & Health Sciences at �鶹�ƽ��. He specializes in the neuromuscular system, the network of nerves that connects our brains to our muscles.

75-year old W&M student will graduate Saturday, completing a degree she started in 1963.

Newly published research, led by �鶹�ƽ�� undergraduate Morgan Pincombe ‘21, analyzes public health disparities among 113 countries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the better part of the past year, Brooke Ford’s return home from work has been an exercise in mitigating the spread of a potentially deadly pathogen.

New data collected by student researchers show that 97% of �鶹�ƽ��’s campus community is wearing masks in public spaces. The university is one of roughly 60 institutions partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct an eight-week mask observation study as part of the CDC’s Mask Adherence Surveillance at Colleges and Universities Project (MASCUP).

Relying on medical research, scientific data, guidance from federal and state agencies, and consultation with professional peers, the six-member group weighs health concerns and practical effects of the university’s pandemic response on the lives of the approximately 9,000 students and 700 faculty and staff members.

Drew Stephenson ’92 and Laura Papp ’18 combined forces to get Pleasure House Brewing through the pandemic.

Engaging in memorable social activities is a key component of student life at �鶹�ƽ��, but one that the pandemic has made far more complicated. Thanks to the perseverance and creativity of university staff and student organizations, there are numerous ways to answer that question.

Along with peers across the country, Anna Laws ’18 helped launch The FarmLink Project, a nonprofit that transports surplus produce from farms to food banks in need while restoring the jobs of farmers and truckers.

As we head into the holidays, W&M News spoke with Carrie Dolan, an epidemiologist, an assistant professor in health sciences and a member of �鶹�ƽ��’s Public Health Advisory Board, about ways to enjoy the season safely.

A healthy diet means a healthier you, which also means a healthier planet, right? Well, it’s complicated.

The Virginia Department of Health has five contact tracers working out of an office just off campus.

What’s it like to see �鶹�ƽ�� from both sides of the classroom — as a student and then as a faculty member? We spoke with alumni faculty members to see what it's like to come full circle.

Dena Bashri ’20 and Shivani Gupta ’20 graduated from �鶹�ƽ�� to become two of the six inaugural fellows working remotely for Transforming Primary Care on projects such as ensuring telehealth access to those experiencing homelessness and tracking the supply chain of COVID-19 testing kits.

�鶹�ƽ�� Associate Professor of Sociology Deenesh Sohoni and Yosselin Turcios ’20 researched the deportation of U.S. military veterans who are non-citizens throughout Turcios’ four years at �鶹�ƽ�� and have had their paper accepted for publication.

A new study by Zach Conrad, assistant professor in �鶹�ƽ��’s Department of Kinesiology & Health Sciences, finds that the average American consumer spends roughly $1,300 per year on food that ends up being wasted.

Carrie Dolan, kinesiology and health sciences professor at �鶹�ƽ��, has a unique perspective on being a student during a crisis and having to leave campus behind.

With panic buying affecting grocery stores throughout the country, we spoke with Zach Conrad, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology & Health Sciences, to discuss ways to food shop effectively.

With holiday meals on the horizon, we sat down with Zach Conrad, assistant professor of nutrition in the Department of Kinesiology & Health Sciences, to discuss ways to reduce food waste.

The next big thing in materials science may already be here – and it’s clogging up your showerhead.

Carrie Dolan’s research requires her to work with one foot in the world of big data and the other foot, well, just about anywhere in the world.

�鶹�ƽ��'s Human Anatomy Lab is a class that for over 50 years has allowed undergraduate students to gain an understanding of anatomy using actual human cadavers.

With the addition of Professor Iyabo Obasanjo as co-director, the increase of program offerings and larger presence within the COLL curriculum, the Center for African Development is on track to greatly expand its impact.

The Center for Balance and Aging Studies is conducting a set of analysis and intervention sessions at Williamsburg Landing, a Life Plan Community for those 62 and older.