(Photo Credit: Sally McCay)

Seniors Lee Stephane Kouadio and Dominic Chapman of the UVM men's soccer team are photographed above and were two of over 70 student-athletes who participated in the graduation ceremonies

The University of Vermont held its 205 Commencement Ceremony on the University Green on Sunday (May 17). UVM President Daniel Mark Fogel conferred degrees on an estimated 2,781 graduates, including 2,266 bachelor's, 313 master's, 82 doctoral, and 105 M.D. degree recipients, in addition to 15 post-baccalaureate certificates. Degree recipients included students from 45 states and 45 international students from 20 countries. Approximately 1,109 graduates are from Vermont. The graduating class also includes 189 African, Latino/a, Asian and Native American (ALANA) and bi/multi-racial students.

Fogel also conferred five honorary degrees, with the first going to Howard Dean, who shared the podium with Fogel as commencement speaker for the ceremony. Fogel noted that Dean took the national stage as a candidate during the 2004 presidential primaries, drawing wide voter interest early with his strong stand against war in Iraq. Though his run for the nomination was not successful, the Dean campaign's use of the Internet to build support revolutionized the use of technology in presidential campaigns. As chair of the DNC, Dean spearheaded the "50 State Strategy," which is widely credited with contributing to Democrats' gains in elections of 2006 and Barack Obama's election in 2008.

Receiving honorary degrees this year along with Dean were Dr. Ben R. Forsyth, who has served the University of Vermont as professor of medicine, senior vice president, trustee and advisor; Anthony J. Marro, a member of the UVM Class of 1965 and an award-winning reporter and longtime editor of Newsday, one of the nation's largest newspapers; Gretchen B. Morse, a member of UVM Class of 1975 who has spent 30 years working to improve the health and well-being of Vermonters as director of the United Way of Chittenden County, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Human Services, and Vermont State representative; and William Pickens III, founder and president of Bill Pickens Associates, Inc., an international consulting and executive search firm, and also the founding president and chief executive officer of the Paul Robeson Foundation.

President Fogel also bestowed a new title on four of UVM's top professors. Burton Sobel in medicine, Mark Nelson in pharmacology, Rex Forehand in psychology, and Judith Van Houten in biology, became the first faculty members to be named University Distinguished Professors, a new honorific title conferred upon a select number of professors who have attained an international reputation in the areas of teaching, research, scholarship, and service.

Five students were honored with university awards. Caroll Spelke won the Mary Jean Simpson Award, honoring the senior woman who exhibits the highest qualities of leadership, academic competence and character; Benjamin Bezark won the F.T. Kidder Medal, honoring the senior man ranking first in character, leadership and scholarship; Kristen Millar, a member of the UVM women's lacrosse team, and John Soltys won the Class of 1967 Award, presented to seniors who best exhibit leadership, academic competence and character, and who have earned the respect of faculty and fellow students; Emma Kennedy and Julie Kwok won the Keith M. Miser Leadership Award, recognizing outstanding service to the university; and Daniel Lim and Jennifer Nival won the Elmer Nicholson Achievement Prize, recognizing the greatness of the students' UVM experiences and the expectation that they will make a major contributions in their fields of interest.

The UVM Alumni Association honored Elaine McCrate, professor of economics, with the George V. Kidder Outstanding Faculty Award.