Honors Convocation 2026
Please join President Whelan, Provost Jonathan Millen, and Darnell Parker, Vice President of Student Affairs, at Honors Convocation on Thursday, April 30 at 5:00 p.m. in Cole Memorial Chapel. Honors Convocation is an annual celebration to acknowledge excellence in academic and intellectual pursuits.
Departmental and College awards will be presented to students who have distinguished themselves as scholars and academic citizens of Wheaton College. Prabidhi Malla, Class of ’26 Chair, will present the Senior Class Faculty Appreciation Award and Provost Jonathan Millen will announce the recipient of this year’s endowed honorary professorships.
The lineup for the procession begins promptly at 4:45 p.m. College Marshals Stephanie Daniels and Bob Morris will line up the Faculty (in regalia) in front of Knapton Hall and Seniors (in robes) in front of the Chapel. (Inclement weather: Faculty will line up in the lower level of the Chapel and Seniors will line up in Balfour-Hood).
Honors Convocation is open to the public but seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. The recording of the ceremony and the official program will be available online shortly after the event.
Please direct any questions to the Office of the Provost at [email protected]. We hope you can join us for this special academic tradition!
Honors Convocation 2025
On Thursday, May 1 at 5:00 p.m., the Wheaton College community gathered in Cole Memorial Chapel for the 2025 Honors Convocation. President Michaele Whelan, Provost Jonathan Millen, and Darnell Parker, Vice President of Student Affairs, hosted this annual celebration recognizing academic excellence and intellectual achievement.
Nancy Kendrick, Professor of Philosophy, delivered the keynote address, “Don’t Believe Everything You Think,” offering thoughtful insights and inspiration to students, faculty, staff, and guests.
During the ceremony, departmental and college awards were presented to students who demonstrated outstanding scholarship and a strong commitment to academic life at Wheaton. Jema Espinosa, Chair of the Class of 2025, presented the Faculty Appreciation Award to Dana Polanichka, Professor of History. Provost Millen also announced the recipients of this year’s endowed honorary professorships:
The A. Howard Meneely Professorship: Delvyn Case, Professor of Music
Henrietta Jennings Faculty Professorship for Outstanding Teaching: James Byrne, Senior Professor of the Practice of English
The Robert C. & Mary P. Brown ’43 Professorship in Urban Planning and Environment: Jessie Knowlton, Associate Professor of Biology
William and Elsie Prentice Professorship: Aubrey Westfall, Professor of Political Science
William Isaac Cole Professorship in Sociology and Anthropology: Katherine Mason, Associate Professor of Sociology/Women and Gender Studies
You may view the names of the students honored for outstanding achievements in 2025 in the event program.
2025 Honors Convocation Program (pdf)
For more information, please contact the Office of the Provost at [email protected].