Merit Pages News
(June 25, 2024) — The University of Rhode Island celebrated more than 4,100 of its newest alumni during the University’s May, 2024 Commencement. Nearly 4,000 undergraduate degrees and 800 graduate degrees were conveyed to students during the ceremonies, among them:
- Lauren Burley of Killingworth
- Tea Marinaro of Haddam
- Brianne Neptin of Haddam
Acclaimed actress Viola Davis, one of only 19 people to have won all four of the major American performing arts awards, delivered a stirring keynote address, sharing a message of transformation, healing, and love with graduates. Davis, a Rhode Island native, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters.
Charles M. Royce and Deborah Goodrich Royce, noted for their considerable literary and investment success and important preservation work across Rhode Island, were awarded honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees during the ceremony.
