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Graduation 2026
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. Overall, there were 109 Kinesiology majors (KINE), 12 Public Health majors (PBHL), and 9 Human Health & Physiology majors (HHP) who graduated. With the new name change, this was the first year the Health Sciences department had majors walking and the first group of our newly designed majors graduated.
Chair Brennan Harris’ Opening Remarks at graduation
Welcome Everyone to the Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony for the Department of Health Sciences!
First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone behind the scenes who made this event possible. I would especially like to thank two individuals without whom the students and faculty of the Department of Health Sciences would not be able to find rooms to teach our classes, give make-up exams, have the supplies we need to conduct classes and research, and get paid. Stephanie Tackett, our office manager, and Chris Wilson, our administrative coordinator.
Next, I would like to thank all of you, family, friends, and loved ones of the graduates. Without your support the Class of 2026 would not have succeeded on this journey. Students please stand, turn around, and show them your appreciation.
Finally, I would like to recognize the faculty of the Department of Health Sciences who have dedicated themselves to educating, guiding, and mentoring this evening’s graduates. We have a small group of exceptional faculty and I would like to introduce each one:
- First, recognized in 2024 with A&S Faculty Teaching Excellence Award. She is the primary instructor for anatomy, exercise prescription, biomechanics, and health ethics, Prof. Evie Burnet.
- Next, recognized at last evening main commencement ceremony with a Values-in-Action award and the instructor for intro to nutrition and nutrition and the brain, Prof. Stephanie Caligiuri.
- Next, the recently named John and Audrey Leslie Associate Professor of Health Sciences and instructor of population nutrition and Sustainable Food Systems and Diets, Prof. Zach Conrad.
- Next, one of this year’s recipients of the Plumeri Award and instructor for epidemiology and public health policy, Prof. Carrie Dolan.
- Next, a Kinesiology alumni and member of PBK who instructs students in Intro to Public Health, Environmental Public Health, and Maternal and Child Health, Prof. Scott Ickes.
- Next, the Ken Kambis Professor of Health Sciences and instructor for human physiology, cardiovascular physiology, and physiology of obesity and aging, Prof. Robin Looft-Wilson.
- Next, our Associate Chair of Health Sciences and the Program Director for the minor in Public Health who teaches, Social and Behavioral Public Health and Public Health in the Pandemic, Prof. Sarah Menefee.
- Next, recent awardee of a Global Research Institute Seed Funding Program and instructor for Global Health and Statistics, Prof. Julius Odhiambo.
- Next, awarded the University Teaching Professor for Teaching Excellence and instructor for human physiology, microbes in human disease, and medical terminology, Prof. Ashleigh Queen.
- Next, our newest faculty member just completing his first year teaching intro to the human body and nutrition in human performance, Prof. Brent Scott.
- And lastly, completing his final and 31st year at William & Mary as Chancellor Professor of Health Sciences and now Professor Emeritus, Prof. Mike Deschenes!
Main Remarks
Now all the introductions are complete, it is my honor and privilege as chair of the Department of Health Sciences to provide a few remarks at this, the last (along with International Relations) commencement ceremony for the Class of 2026 at William & Mary. I recognize that the hour is late, so I will attempt to keep it brief. However, I do want to celebrate the remarkable transformation that graduating students and the department have undergone over the past few years.
You all make history today as the first graduating class from the Department of Health Sciences at William & Mary. Most of you probably never envisioned graduating from the Health Sciences department. You likely declared your major in Kinesiology & Health Sciences and chose one of many concentrations in Allied Health, Public Health, and Nutrition to complete your degree. Some of you took classes in exercise prescription, exercise physiology, nutrition, and biomechanics and everything made sense. Others of you took anatomy and physiology, cardiovascular physiology, physiology of obesity, and medical terminology and perhaps thought…is this Kinesiology? And still others, took intro to public health, epidemiology, global health, health policy, social and behavioral public health and also wondered if that was Kinesiology. Although all of our courses and faculty research are related to human health from either the molecular and physiological perspective to the population level perspective, the term Kinesiology no longer best represented the training and course of study many students were undertaking. Therefore, the faculty came together and launched two new degree programs one in Human Health & Physiology and the other in Public Health under the umbrella of a Department of Health Sciences. So, this is indeed a historic moment with students in three degree programs Kinesiology & Health Science, Human Health & Physiology, and Public Health all graduating together.
So, why did I tell this story? Well first, it’s highly possibly that all these changes have confused your parents, your loved ones and perhaps even yourselves. At last night’s main ceremony, it even confused the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences when she asked Health Science majors to stand. (But as you all just learned, its three majors, one department). Second, it is important to know your history. You are connected to a long line of students at William & Mary who had a passion for improving human health from the early days as the Department of Physical Education, then Kinesiology, then Kinesiology & Health Sciences, and now Health Sciences. Third, it is a story of inclusivity. We have the best and most caring students and faculty on campus. The department has a long history of welcoming everyone interested in improving human health whether that’s through physical activity, nutrition, or developing programs and policies to create behavior change and influence the health of entire populations. Finally, it is a story of transformation and adaptation. You are a different person from the one that first stepped on campus. You have new friends and new passions that you never expected. Even those that were laser focused on their career path have begun to see things from a different and more nuanced perspective. Now, despite all of these changes and transformations, there are few facts that remain unchanged.
So, here is a pop quiz covering multiple areas:
- What bone the intertrochanteric crest is found on? (femur)
- What are the Atwater factors? (4, 4, and 9)
- And, what outbreak did John Snow help end by removing the handle of a water pump? (Cholera).
Even if you did not get the answer to all of those questions, rest assured that your liberal arts education at William & Mary has made you well-prepared to think critically, to discern fact from fiction, and to serve your communities by promoting evidence-based health information which is especially important in today’s world and will prove to be invaluable in helping you adapt to this age of rapid transformation. The healthcare fields need exceptional humans like you to lead us into the future. Your incredible hard work to complete this journey shows that you have the resilience and perseverance to overcome any obstacle. Also, I know that the faculty of Health Sciences and your family, friends, and loved ones have instilled in you the knowledge as well as the caring and welcoming attitudes that will help you lead all of us into a dynamic, healthier, and more compassionate future.
Once again, congratulations to the Class of 2026!
Introduction of Major of the Year
Next, I would like to introduce our student speaker who the faculty of the Department of Health Sciences selected as the Student of Year, Sofia Istnick. Sofia is a double major in Human Health & Physiology and Neurosciences and has worked with Dr. Stephanie Caligiuri in the Neurobehavioral Nutrition Lab since 2023. As part of her work, she independently conceived and led a study on brain recruitment during basketball performance. Her well-executed and rigorous work led to a co-authored manuscript with Dr. Caligiuri that is currently under review at the British Journal of Sports Medicine. She recently completed the successful defense of her honors thesis in neuroscience on menstrual cycle influences on resilience and brain stress responses in Division I female athletes. A project reflecting scientific sophistication rarely seen at the undergraduate level. She helped with additional research on fasting, dance, and amino acid clinical studies, and stands to be first author on two papers and co-author on three more in part because of her expertise in functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Sofia has been an ever present part of our community in Adair Hall and helped provide guidance to new students, presented at the Charles Center and the UVA Psychology Research Conference, and competing as a Division I track athlete. Sofia's tenacity, curiosity, and commitment to science are something special. Sofia thank you for your contributions to our department. We are proud of your accomplishments.
Sofia Istnick’s Major of the Year Speech
Good evening, everyone! I hope you have all had a wonderful commencement leading up to this point. I want to start by thanking the Department of Health Sciences for the consideration and selection of this incredible honor, as well as the ability to stand in front of all of you and speak at the ceremony that acts as the conclusion to all of the hard work you all have put in over the years. I am so grateful for all of the people who have supported me throughout my time here at William and Mary, including all of the professors, staff, and friends who have made this time a blessing that I will look back on fondly. I would like to pause and take a moment to recognize all of our friends and family who have always offered love and support throughout our time here.
I am truly so honored to be able to speak to all of you during a moment of such celebration. Celebrating the countless hours spent studying for exams, making quizlets, and somehow trying to balance actually applying what we learned within Health Sciences for our overall well-being. Congratulations to everyone here for all that you have achieved and accomplished at William and Mary. I hope you are all proud of what you have done both in the classroom and in growing as individuals.
As our journey at William and Mary comes to a close, I want to provide a story of my own that encompasses all that I have learned here into a
simple interaction. I hope all of you can relate to it as well. A few weeks ago, I was volunteering at a local elementary school with my fellow athletes who were a part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee here at William and Mary. It was clear to see my excitement as I wore a bright smile on my face. It was nearing the end of this time that some of the students looked at me and asked, “Why are you smiling? We are in school!” Without a thought, my response was swift and confident, and only after I said it did I realize how true it was. I looked at them, continuing to show my smile, and said, “Because I love learning. I love learning because it allows me to understand other people. The more you learn, the more you can connect to someone about their passions, their cares, and what is truly meaningful to them on a deeper level.”
As I walked away, I was almost taken aback by how naturally the words flowed from my mouth. I questioned how these words came so easily, seeming like second nature rather than a conscious response. Then it dawned on me. My time at William and Mary had established this passion for learning and the passion for connecting with those around me. With a liberal arts education, I have had the opportunity to take classes across disciplines and learn things I never could have imagined. Everything from interpreting the brain through mathematical modeling, to learning about different cultures and history through a Russian film study class. William and Mary provide me with the ability to learn so many ideas, so that I may connect with each person around me.
This ability to learn was even further developed within the Health Science department, allowing me to take classes that spanned from how to use nutrition to better sports performance to learning about every muscle in the body (and their nerve innervation, their attachment, and their function). This department allowed me to become a part of Dr. Stephanie Caligiuri’s Neurobehavioral and Nutrition Research Lab, in which I have gained the greatest mentor and role model that anyone could ever ask for. In the lab, I was able to extend my reach across many disciplines, including sports performance, fasting and nutrition, dance, and female athletics. What I have learned from these areas of study has allowed me to expand the breadth and depth of my understanding to connect with more places and people.
I know that during all of your times here at William and Mary, you have learned so much, just as I have, and I know it was difficult at times as well. You have gained knowledge on how to implement health in the world and in everyday life, spanning from the smallest nutritional mechanism to the largest global reach of public health. And I know this was incredibly difficult at times, but this made it even more rewarding at others. I myself faced my own challenges, but even with all of the trials, we were still learning. No matter what grade you got on the exam in the past or present, you were still learning.
As I bring things to a close, I want to leave you with some insight from the book of Sirach in the bible that I hope will guide you in your continuous pursuit of knowledge, in the next stage of life, wherever that may be. Sirach book 6 lines 32-35 summarizes things perfectly: “If you are willing, my fellow students, you will be taught, and if you apply yourself, you will become clever. If you love to listen, you will gain knowledge, and if you incline your ear, you will become wise. Stand in the assembly of the elders. Who is wise? Cleave to him. Be ready to listen to every narrative, and do not let wise proverbs escape you.”
I hope this stays with you and guides you as it did me. Never forget that at the root of learning is the desire and ability to connect with those around you. Thank you and congratulations!!
Brennan Harris’ Final Remarks
Thank you everyone for your attendance at this final event and for giving your attention to our graduates. To the Class of 2026, you have achieved a remarkable accomplishment completing all the requirements for graduation from William & Mary. I am honored to call you fellow alumni of this department and university. Remember you can rely on your education and your William & Mary Family to help you meet whatever challenges you may face. We can’t wait to hear from you in the following years and learn about how you transformed the future. Congratulations!