Students walking into Lehman Auditorium for the event were greeted by rows of faculty and staff members, who cheered and held signs welcoming them to campus. Bubbles filled the air outside the brick performing arts venue, while Kool & the Gang鈥檚 鈥淐elebration鈥� played on a loop.

As students filtered into the auditorium, they were welcomed by the drumming of adjunct faculty member Makinto GC 鈥�26, along with his wife, Mukarabe, and members of the 黑料正能量 Chamber Singers. They led the crowd in chants of 鈥淭ogether, we are power, 黑料正能量!鈥�

Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president for academic affairs, welcomed returning students, faculty, and staff, as well as those joining the campus community for the first time. 鈥淵ou are stepping into a world of endless possibilities, new friendships, and academic challenges,鈥� she said. 

Willingham introduced 鈥減ower and equity鈥� as the university theme for the 2026-27 academic year and encouraged students to exercise, share, challenge, and transform the power they have. 

鈥淓very day, through our choices and our relationships, we have the opportunity to use power that is entrusted to us to make 黑料正能量 a place where more people, where students like you, can belong, learn, flourish, and contribute to the world,鈥� she said.

Christina Harrison, director of intercultural programs; Dr. Gaurav Pathania, assistant professor of sociology and peacebuilding; and Brian Martin Burkholder, university chaplain, offered a blessing for 黑料正能量鈥檚 intercultural learning programs this semester. One of those programs, a trip to India led by Pathania and Dr. Mary Sprunger, professor of history, departed campus on Tuesday. 

Harrison recognized the 13 new international students at 黑料正能量 this semester, who join 37 returning international students representing 24 countries. 鈥淭hey will be learning interculturally every day, while also giving us the opportunity to learn about their cultures as we welcome them into the 黑料正能量 community,鈥� she said. 

Davis Bert, a sophomore biology major serving as Student Government Association co-president this year, welcomed students and introduced the SGA Executive Team, which includes Co-President Esm茅 King Martin, Vice President Yuji Wenger, Marketing Coordinator Jose Lopez Vasquez, and treasurer Bennett de Tenley. He encouraged students to find new ways to get involved and support one another.

鈥淭here is no better time than now to get out there,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a new semester for all of us.鈥�

As someone who鈥檚 preached and spoken to hundreds of crowds on countless stages, President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus recounted the first time she stood on such a stage. She was a six-year-old girl in ballet class, and her teacher would often encourage her to 鈥渞aise those beautiful brown arms and let us see your beauty.鈥�

鈥淭hose words inspired me,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey empowered me. And I stand here today because those words still ring true in my heart and in my head.鈥�

鈥淚 hope you know that this is a year that will encourage all that is within you,鈥� she added, 鈥渁nd that there will be voices around you who will remind you to raise your beautiful arms and to show your beauty.鈥�

This marked Dycus鈥� first Opening Convocation as 黑料正能量鈥檚 10th president. She began her term on July 1.

Esm茅 King Martin, Troy Martin, and Maria Esther Showalter shared stories of how they have experienced power throughout their lives, while members of the 黑料正能量 Jam Collective (pianist Dr. David Berry, vocalist Tabatha Parrott, drummer Dr. Benjamin Guerrero, and guitarist Adam Wirdzek) played musical interludes. 

King Martin, a senior environmental science and Spanish major and SGA co-president, spoke about how she had worked on a soft pretzel truck every summer since she was 14. Through that job, she learned to connect with customers over 鈥渟omething as simple as a soft pretzel.鈥�

鈥淭hese skills of connection are a form of power,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey will benefit me in future jobs and in future communities that I live in.鈥�

She challenged students to expand their social webs by connecting with at least 10 new people this year. 鈥淲hat would it look like if the connection you made with a student in a different major, religious group, racial or ethnic group, or political group at 黑料正能量 comes up again in 20 years when you need a lawyer, banker, doctor, or a couch to sleep on?鈥�

Martin, director of financial aid, reflected on his father, Carl, a lifelong farm laborer and construction worker in rural New York who had 鈥渄ecades of dirt and sawdust鈥� under his fingernails and thick calluses and scars on his palms. His father had an eighth-grade education and was mostly illiterate, while his mother worked as a hairdresser at a nursing home. Both parents worked hard and sacrificed so much to send him to college. That opportunity, he said, opened a new world to him and exposed him to new people and different cultures.

鈥淲hile Carl Martin didn鈥檛 hold much of what we stereotypically think of as power in his life, he exercised a power through faith, service, and care for his family that created a lasting legacy,鈥� Troy Martin said. 

Showalter, director of 黑料正能量鈥檚 language and literature program, shared how she accepted a call to serve as advisor of the fledgling Latinx Student Alliance during the spring of 2014 and watched it blossom into a 鈥渧ibrant student club full of energy and life.鈥�

During club meetings, members dreamed up all sorts of activities to celebrate Hispanic culture, including the LSA banquet that has become a highlight of the semester and the tradition of creating an Easter alfombra. 

Showalter also highlighted how past LSA members had gone on to serve as SGA co-presidents. 鈥淚 am grateful to every LSA member for the impact you have had on my life and the 黑料正能量 community,鈥� she said.

President Dycus called on students, faculty, and staff to tell stories this year and listen for them, to be curious about which stories are missing, and to have the courage to ask whose experience still needs to be heard.

鈥淧ower is right here,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t starts in summer jobs on pretzel trucks, in the legacy of courageous and arthritic hands, and in sharing important parts of our identity and cultures as our LSA group does. It lives in our ability to shape what happens around us.鈥�

鈥淲here power allows us to influence a room, open a door, make a decision, or speak a word, we are invited to explore each of these in our intellectual exercises this year.鈥�

Success does not happen by accident, said Christ Zola, a recent graduate of 黑料正能量鈥檚 Intensive English Program (IEP).

鈥淏ehind every achievement, there are often sacrifices that people never see,鈥� he told a crowd of families, friends, students, and supporters gathered at Martin Chapel for IEP鈥檚 graduation ceremony on Wednesday. 鈥淭here were times when I cried and asked myself, 鈥榃as all this really necessary?鈥� There were other times when I struggled to keep my eyes open in class because I hadn鈥檛 slept the night before.鈥�

鈥淏ut today, I stand before you as proof that perseverance works,鈥� he continued. 鈥淜eep believing, keep working, and keep moving forward. Never give up, because your breakthrough may be closer than you think.鈥�

Zola was one of 15 graduates from the IEP鈥檚 spring and summer 2026 semesters recognized at the ceremony last week.

The IEP helps English language learners from all around the world find their voice and build a better life for themselves. In a typical semester, the program has 60 to 80 students representing 15 to 20 different countries.

Graduates of 黑料正能量鈥檚 Intensive English Program share their perspectives at last week鈥檚 ceremony.

The graduates received certificates of completion and stoles bearing the flags of their home country. Many shared perspectives from their time in the program, expressed gratitude for the support and encouragement they received from family members, friends, classmates, and teachers, and reflected on how the skills they acquired will serve them throughout their lives.

Sahar Malkzai, a spring IEP graduate, described the happiness she felt having completed the program. 鈥淭his is my first achievement that I got in the United States,鈥� she said.

鈥淵ou didn鈥檛 just teach us English,鈥� she told her teachers. 鈥淵ou gave us confidence and motivation. Your education has truly changed our lives, and I will always be grateful for everything you have done for us.鈥�

Ezatullah Yousofzai, a summer IEP graduate, thanked his teachers for their support, patience, and guidance, and for believing in him and his classmates throughout their journey. 鈥淎s we graduate today, let us remember that every lesson, every challenge, and every teacher has helped shape who we are,鈥� he said.

Another summer graduate of the program, Mohammad Anway, said he can now understand English well, speak it fluently, and read and write it with confidence. 鈥淲e are sure this great achievement will have a positive impact on our future careers,鈥� he said.

IEP Office Coordinator Kris Long drapes a stole over a graduate鈥檚 shoulders.

LEFT: Jeremy Samsoe, director of the IEP, presents a certificate of completion to a graduate. RIGHT: Graduates pose for a photo following the ceremony.

Jeremy Samsoe, director of the IEP, remarked that this was the most graduates the program had ever honored at a single ceremony. 鈥淲e鈥檝e never had a stage quite so full before,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is wonderful.鈥�

As he projected images of Ellis Island and his great-grandfather, Nicholas Samsoe, who immigrated to the United States from Germany by boat, he spoke about how similar Nicholas’ life was to those of many students in the IEP.

鈥淗e came to this country and had to start over a lot of his life,鈥� Samsoe said. 鈥淗e spoke a language other than English, he spoke German, and his life as a child was very, very different from the life of his own children.鈥�

鈥淚 want to remind you that what you do and who you are as an individual will be remembered by your children, by your grandchildren, and by your nieces and nephews,鈥� he told the graduates. 鈥淎nd your life will influence and shape the lives of even your great-grandchildren or great-nieces and nephews who may never meet you.鈥�

Fifteen graduates of 黑料正能量鈥檚 Intensive English Program were recognized at Wednesday鈥檚 ceremony.

LEFT: Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs, offers her remarks to the graduates. RIGHT: A celebratory potluck meal was held after the graduation ceremony.

Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs, encouraged the graduates to continue learning, asking questions, and building bridges wherever they go. 鈥淭his is not the end,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is the start of something new, something great, and something beautiful.鈥�

黑料正能量 has three core values: academic excellence, peace and justice, and active faith. 鈥淎nd each of you represents those three core values in distinct and unique ways,鈥� Willingham said. 鈥淚t is because of your desire not just to learn a new language, not just to create more opportunities for your families, but also to make a difference in your life and in your community that you are a demonstration of who we are at 黑料正能量 at our core.鈥�

For more information about 黑料正能量鈥檚 Intensive English Program, visit emu.edu/iep.

Those faculty members are:

• Dr. Katherine Evans: Jesse T. Byler Endowed Chair in Education
• Dr. James Leaman: Longacre Endowed Chair in Business and Leadership
• Dr. Peter Dula: Myron S. Augsburger Endowed Chair of Theology
• Dr. James Yoder: Daniel B. Suter Endowed Chair of Science

Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs for 黑料正能量, said these faculty members were chosen as endowed chairs because of their demonstrated leadership, service, teaching, and research, as well as their capacity to be champions of their programs at 黑料正能量. 

鈥淓ndowed chairs are a critical component of 黑料正能量鈥檚 academic vitality,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ur goal is to elevate the recognition of our faculty who hold this honor and to celebrate the donors whose generosity helps to support academic excellence in this way.鈥�

The endowed chair positions provide funding for each faculty position within a particular discipline, along with scholarships for students in the discipline and funds for program initiatives. Chairs receive professional development funds to support their research and scholarship. An endowed chair appointment is one of the highest honors a faculty member can receive at 黑料正能量, supporting their continued excellence in scholarship and teaching, said the Rev. Dr. Sarah Ann Bixler, dean of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

Keep reading for bios of each professor.

Dr. Katherine Evans

Professor of Teacher Education and director of the Undergraduate Teacher Education program
Jesse T. Byler Endowed Chair in Education

Kathy Evans is a professor of Teacher Education at 黑料正能量, teaching courses in educational psychology, special education, and restorative justice in education. She earned her PhD from the University of Tennessee in educational psychology and research. Her research, teaching, and scholarship focus on ways in which educators participate in creating more just and equitable educational opportunities for all students, including those with disability labels, those who exhibit challenging behavior, and those who are marginalized for a variety of reasons, including race, ethnicity, language, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. 

During her 15 years at 黑料正能量, Evans has helped develop 黑料正能量鈥檚 graduate program in Restorative Justice in Education (RJE), which supports educators as they create learning environments that promote relational approaches to teaching and learning, justice and equity in schools and classrooms, and transformational approaches to conflict and harm. She is the co-author of聽The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education聽and has published several articles and book chapters related to restorative justice in education, school culture and climate, and school discipline practices, focusing on the ways in which restorative justice is applied to educational contexts.聽

How do you feel to be granted this position?

It鈥檚 an honor to be appointed as the Jesse T. Byler Endowed Chair in Education. The Byler endowment has historically been such a gift to the Teacher Education Program at 黑料正能量, providing support for pre-service teachers in the way of fee waivers for testing and licensure, conference registration for networking with other pre-service teachers, scholarships, and resources that support their success through their 黑料正能量 program. We are in a season of growth and expansion and I am grateful for the opportunities I will have in this position to support that growth, both in the recruitment of talented and dedicated teachers and in the ongoing professional development for our faculty. At this moment in time, we need teachers who are committed to justice and peacebuilding. Embedding restorative justice within our teacher education program at both the undergraduate and graduate levels opens up spaces to support educators who want to not only excel as educators, but to be educators who nurture the well-being of each student. The Byler endowment helps us to do that work better.

What do you love about 黑料正能量?

This is my 15th year at 黑料正能量 and I am more hopeful about 黑料正能量鈥檚 future today than I have been since I arrived. The commitment to peacebuilding and justice鈥攅ven when we don鈥檛 fully live into that commitment鈥攎eans that there is a unifying set of values that guide our collective work. I see our students, staff, and faculty working to honor those values and that mission. Our students are amazing and they remind me every day that the work of justice is ongoing, intergenerational, and worth it.

What is a fun fact about you?

When I鈥檓 not working, I might be fishing鈥攂ass fishing at Silver Lake or fly-fishing at Dry River. I find the water so peaceful.

Dr. James M. Leaman

Associate Professor of Business and director of the Business and Leadership program
Longacre Endowed Chair in Business and Leadership

Jim Leaman chairs the Business and Leadership Program, where he teaches undergraduate courses in management, finance, and economics, and graduate courses in organizational and leadership studies. His industry experience spans both private business and nonprofit administration, including 12 years of service with an international non-governmental organization (INGO) in Kenya. The 黑料正能量 alumnus has a PhD in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

The perspective Leaman adds to his field is analyzing and teaching about the role and impact of business and organizations within ecological limits and dynamic social systems, resulting in an integrated lens of sustainability, stewardship and justice. Leaman researches and publishes in the areas of sustainable housing and energy, and his most recent scholarly work is a management textbook, with which he collaborated with an international team of authors to publish in the creative commons, resulting in lower resource costs for students. 

How do you feel to be granted this position?

It is an honor to hold the endowed chair position in business and to steward the gifts and vision of the Longacre family as the program serves and prepares the next generation of business leaders.

What do you love about 黑料正能量?

The 黑料正能量 mission to prepare students to serve and lead in a global context becomes more relevant with each new innovation and global integration.

What is a fun fact about you?

In awe of the vastness and complexity of the universe, I鈥檝e gained an avocational interest in learning as much as I can about the cosmos.

Dr. Peter Dula

Professor of Religion and Culture
Myron S. Augsburger Endowed Chair of Theology

Peter Dula is the professor of Religion and Culture at 黑料正能量. The 黑料正能量 alumnus received a PhD from Duke University in theology and ethics in 2004. He is the author of Cavell, Companionship, and Christian Theology (Oxford, 2011). Before coming to 黑料正能量 in 2006, he was the Mennonite Central Committee Iraq Program Coordinator. He has taught at Lancaster Mennonite High School and at the Meserete Kristos College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he was a Fulbright scholar in 2001-02.

This is his 20th year at 黑料正能量. He teaches primarily in the undergraduate program, as well as one class each year at the seminary and the Bioethics course in the MA in Biomedicine program. He is married to Ilse Ackerman and they have two children, Simon (17) and Nina (15). 

What do you love about 黑料正能量?

Two things I love about 黑料正能量 are its smart and interesting faculty colleagues and its location in the Shenandoah Valley.

What is a fun fact about you? 

I planted 500 trees over the last couple of years. The latest Weather Vane issue has . Along with Trina Trotter Nussbaum at the Center for Interfaith Engagement, I organized last month’s consultation on Judaism, the Bible, and Anabaptism. The Weather Vane also has . 

Dr. James Yoder

Professor of Biology and director of the Natural Sciences programs
Daniel B. Suter Endowed Chair of Science

Jim Yoder is the chair of 黑料正能量鈥檚 Department of Natural Sciences, advising environmental science and biology majors and teaching evolution, ecology, and conservation biology. A 1994 alumnus of 黑料正能量, he earned his PhD from The Ohio State University, where he studied the effects of habitat fragmentation on ruffed grouse movements at large spatial scales. His research interests include conservation, landscape and behavioral ecology, animal movement, invasive species, stream restoration, nitrogen and carbon footprint tracking, and insect movement using harmonic radar. He has also led multiple intercultural programs to New Zealand, the Navajo Nation, and Washington D.C. (upcoming), as well as three research trips with undergraduates to Australia. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, traveling, and hiking with his wife Kathy. 

How do you feel to be granted this position?

I’m honored to be named the Suter Endowed Chair of Science and work to continue the level of scholarship and teaching Daniel Suter established in the natural sciences at 黑料正能量. Coordinating the long-running Suter Science Seminar Series with a diverse array of speakers and increasing collaborative research among our science faculty and undergraduate students are two aspects of being Suter Chair that I’m most excited to focus on. 

What do you love about 黑料正能量?

Wonderful colleagues, a diverse student body, and the beautiful Shenandoah Valley鈥攊t’s a great place to be a field biologist!

What is a fun fact about you?

My wife and I recently moved into a loft apartment in the heart of downtown Harrisonburg above . It keeps us young at heart!  And we are soon to be grandparents for the first time!

The award honors Willingham for her years of service to the CIC鈥檚 Chief Academic Officers Task Force. Members of the task force develop programs and chair sessions at the annual institute, which brings together chief academic officers from across the country to learn with and from each other about the most important issues facing their institutions. Some of those topics include leadership development for faculty and staff, data-informed decision making to support students and faculty, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Willingham served a three-year term on the task force from 2022-25 and chaired it from 2024-25. She has also chaired the women administrators鈥� lunch since 2023.

鈥淎s a first-generation college graduate who feels it鈥檚 my calling to make change and create access and opportunity for students from similar backgrounds, this award is not just a recognition, but an affirmation that I鈥檓 doing the right work and living out my calling,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to feel that affirmation and support around me.鈥�

While in Indianapolis, Willingham met with provosts and deans from to hear what鈥檚 happening at other Mennonite schools and problem-solve similar challenges and opportunities. She served on two panels during the institute. One featured chief academic officers reflecting on the leadership challenges they encountered while leading major academic restructuring efforts. The other, a closing plenary panel, explored key lessons officers have learned over time and shared ways they could support each other to be more successful. Willingham attended the conference with Tara Kishbaugh, dean of faculty and student success for 黑料正能量.

鈥淭his year鈥檚 meeting was impactful in many ways,鈥� Willingham said. 鈥淭he focus was on unlocking student success: hearing and witnessing the ways in which so many of our institutions are pushing up against traditional silos to support students and using technology to engage students in their success. It was exciting to represent 黑料正能量, our mission, who we are, and the ways in which we鈥檙e serving our students and supporting student success.鈥�

Although the annual conference is not one that students attend, Willingham said that 黑料正能量 students made a presence through two videos. Recorded interviews with alumna Meredith Lehman 鈥�25, 黑料正能量鈥檚 first Rhodes Scholar, and Makinto, an Eastern Mennonite Seminary student, were shown throughout the event. 鈥淭o see 黑料正能量 and the voice of our students represented as part of the conference was wonderful,鈥� Willingham said.

黑料正能量 CIC

The Council of Independent Colleges is an association of more than 700 nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils, and higher education affiliates that works to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education鈥檚 contributions to society. It offers conferences, seminars, publications, and other programs and services that help institutions improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, student outcomes, and institutional visibility. Learn more at .

黑料正能量 the Institute for Chief Academic Officers

Each year, the Institute for Chief Academic Officers invites deans, provosts, and other chief academic officers and leaders from across the country to engage in conversation and collaboration. The theme of this year鈥檚 conference was 鈥淏uilding Places of Promise: Unlocking Student Success鈥� and addressed critical issues such as navigating academic freedom, managing campus conflict, preparing students for meaningful careers, and thoughtfully integrating AI on campus.

Campus felt warmer than usual on Monday morning, and it wasn鈥檛 just because of the sunshine. The music was bumping, the bubble machine was set to max, and positive vibes were in full swing. Faculty and staff members lined the pathway in front of Lehman Auditorium, holding signs and cheering as students arrived for Opening Convocation.

The annual ceremony serves as the traditional kickoff to the school year. Judging by the excitement on Monday morning, this year is sure to be bursting with energy and enthusiasm.

Keep scrolling for snapshots of the music, engaging speakers, and words of wisdom from Opening Convocation 2025!

Students received a hero鈥檚 welcome as they made their way into Lehman Auditorium for the ceremony. There were plenty of hugs and high-fives to go around!

As faculty and staff processed into Lehman as per tradition, they were treated to rhythmic djembe drumming led by Makinto, an Eastern Mennonite Seminary student and globetrotting musician. The talented multi-instrumentalist and worship leader energized the audience, leading everyone in a lively call-and-response of 鈥渨alk in peace,鈥� 鈥渢ogether we can,鈥� 鈥渁nd unity,鈥� and 鈥淓-M-U.鈥�

Members of the 黑料正能量 Chamber Singers, directed by Dr. Benjamin Bergey, lifted their voices together in a flawless rendition of the hymn, 鈥淭he Unclouded Day.鈥� Earlier this summer, the choir performed at venues across Europe and represented North America at the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism celebration in Z眉rich. 

Those attending Opening Convocation got a special treat as Dr. David Berry, director of the music program at 黑料正能量, debuted a new, rockin鈥� song written just for the occasion. Berry lit up the piano and delivered some fiery rap verses, while adjunct music instructors Jonah Barnett (guitar) jammed out on electric guitar and Tabatha Parrott (contemporary voice) wowed with her powerhouse vocals. 

Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs at 黑料正能量, provided words of welcome and introduced the university theme for the year ahead. 鈥淔or those of you who are first-year students, you鈥檙e stepping into a world of endless possibilities, new friendships, and academic challenges. But you don鈥檛 have to do it alone because we do this thing at 黑料正能量 together,鈥� she said. 鈥溾�� 鈥楾ogether鈥� is a word you鈥檙e going to hear, see, and, I hope, feel in your mind. We will learn together, we will serve together, we will compete together, and, this year, we will sustain together.鈥�

Seniors Maria Longenecker and Leah Frankenfield, who are serving as Student Government Association co-presidents this year, introduced themselves and encouraged students to express their concerns. 鈥淭ogether, we鈥檙e committed to making sure each student feels that their voice matters and is heard on campus,鈥� said Longenecker. 鈥淲e strive to support all students, including our multicultural, athletic, international, commuter, first-gen, and everyone in between.鈥�

Claire Hurst, a third-year environmental science and public health major who spent the summer as a climate advocacy intern through the 黑料正能量 Washington Semester, shared her experiences and spoke on the importance of environmental sustainability. At its core, she said, environmental sustainability is about using resources in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

鈥淔or me, a passion for the natural world has grown from countless summer nights camping under tall pine trees and Sunday afternoon hikes filled with laughter among friends and family. It feels natural to want to protect and give back to the places that have provided me such joy and fulfillment,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s we begin this fall semester, I encourage you all to think about how you connect and engage with our everyday spaces. 鈥� Anything that allows you to appreciate the environment will translate into wanting to protect it.鈥�

The Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus used the Opening Convocation, her first as 黑料正能量鈥檚 interim president, to talk about trees. She invited the members of the 黑料正能量 learning community to imagine themselves as trees and their lives together as a forest. She spoke about the interconnected root systems deep underground that anchor trees and absorb water and nutrients, the methods trees use to communicate stress and share resources, and the many ways they work in unison to sustain the forest as a whole鈥攏ot just themselves.

鈥淔orests don鈥檛 thrive because each tree is the tallest or the strongest; they flourish because they are connected.鈥� she said. 鈥満诹险芰�, we are a living forest, rooted in shared values and branching toward new possibilities. Every one of us鈥攕tudents, faculty, staff鈥攂rings something essential to this ecosystem.鈥�

Thank you to everyone who helped make Opening Convocation a spirited success, and we are excited to 鈥淪ustain Together鈥� this year!

There鈥檚 a new morning talk show host in town, and she鈥檚 here to celebrate.

As a special Mornings with the Mayor edition of Convocation on Wednesday, Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, director of alumni engagement and community connections at 黑料正能量, stepped into the role of host as she interviewed several trailblazing women leaders making their mark on campus. The one-of-a-kind program, held at the Student Union, celebrated Women鈥檚 History Month and paid tribute to departing 黑料正能量 President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman.

Reed steered the show with her trademark candor and panache, holding court over the 鈥渓ive studio audience鈥濃�攐ne student could be seen regularly holding up an 鈥淎pplause鈥� sign鈥攚hile she posed fascinating questions to 黑料正能量 students, staff, and alumnae. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the show where we bring you big energy, great conversations, and way too much coffee,鈥� quipped Reed.

The first guests to grace the stage were a pair of 黑料正能量 students, Arelys Martinez Fabian and Meredith Lehman, and a recent alumna, Ray Ray Taylor MS 鈥�24. Fabian, co-president of Student Government Association, highlighted the increased representation of women in campus leadership roles. Taylor, a lab instructor who was a track and field team, called for erasing negative stereotypes and for supporting women in sports. When asked about which woman in history she would share a meal with, Lehman, a Rhodes Scholar studying at Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center, answered that she had recently heard about Zheng Yi Sao, a pirate leader active in the South China Sea from 1801 to 1810. 鈥淪he was one of the most successful pirates in a time where you don’t really hear about female pirates,鈥� Lehman said. 鈥淚 would ask her where she pulls from to gain confidence and belief in herself鈥�

Another panel discussion featured three powerhouse administrative leaders who are 鈥渃hanging the game in education and beyond鈥�: Carrie Bert, Dr. Shannon Dycus, and Dr. Tynisha Willingham. Asked to provide her younger self advice, Bert, 黑料正能量 athletic director, said she would鈥檝e told her to pause and breathe to appreciate the moment. Dycus, vice president for Student Affairs, Equity and Belonging, shared some tough conversations she had when starting in her role about fighting hard to be heard. Willingham spoke about unique challenges she鈥檚 faced as a woman provost. “I think we often still see that even when women are in leadership roles, they are expected to be nurturing and can’t be as direct,鈥� she said.

Clad in her signature royal blue pantsuit, Huxman, the featured headliner for Reed鈥檚 morning show, bounded down the aisle and shined in the spotlight. Huxman is 黑料正能量鈥檚 ninth president, the first woman to lead in the role, and is retiring this summer after nine years of service. She joked about some unexpected lessons learned over those years. 鈥淚 started with a closet that had five blue outfits,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s half my closet now, skirts and outfits like this, and even shoes.鈥�

She also spoke about forming closer connections between the university and city, colloquially known as the 鈥渢own and gown relationship,鈥� during her time at 黑料正能量. Early on, she said, she had visited with elected officials, educators and business leaders who told her they had never stepped foot on 黑料正能量鈥檚 campus. 鈥淚 tried to work, especially in that first year, to get folks to campus,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 brought the delegates and our elected representatives up to my office. And, again, they said, 鈥榃ell, I’ve been an elected representative for 12, 15 years, and I’ve never been in the president’s office.鈥欌��

At a time when many colleges across the nation are shuttering their DEI programs, 黑料正能量 is doubling down on its commitment to the initiatives that bolster diversity, equity and inclusion and make all students on campus feel welcome. Huxman spoke about initiatives she鈥檚 witnessed over her two terms, including the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration started by Celeste Thomas during her second year as president, the Black Lives Matter mural鈥攖he only city in Virginia with a BLM street mural, Reed said鈥攖he establishment of the Office of DEI, the start of the Lavender Graduation, and the institutional statement on land acknowledgement. 鈥淚t is 黑料正能量’s time to lean into DEI,鈥� Huxman said. 鈥淚t’s wrapped into our mission, it’s wrapped into our vision and values, it’s wrapped into the Sermon on the Mount. And this is who we are as a faith-based institution.鈥�

Asked about which woman she would share a meal with, Huxman answered Ida B. Wells, a journalist and co-founder of the NAACP. 鈥淓very time I reread her biography, I just think, how did somebody walk the earth of this magnitude?鈥� said Huxman, regaling the crowd with tales of Wells鈥� accomplishments. 鈥溾� always think that, in a very real sense, the graduates from our university at 黑料正能量 are well-prepared to be peace and justice advocates like Ida B. Wells.鈥�

A special treat honoring the president was free for those attending the event. Baristas at Common Grounds Coffeehouse whipped up mugs of the 鈥淗ux Deluxe,鈥� a vanilla latte with a little cinnamon sugar on top. 鈥淚 love that it鈥檚 a latte and it has cinnamon on it,鈥� Huxman said. 鈥淪omebody knows I like that.鈥� 

The interviews were interspersed with video segments documenting powerful 黑料正能量 alumnae who are shaping the world. These included Khadija O. Ali MA 鈥�01, who became the first female state minister of the Somalian government and serves as an ambassador for the country, and Najla El Mangoush MA 鈥�15, who was the first female foreign minister of Libya. Another video showcased the legacy of the late Sadie Hartzler, 黑料正能量鈥檚 first full-time librarian whose name graces the library today.

Mukarabe, a student at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding who fled genocide in Burundi in 1993, read from a poem and led the crowd in a moment of silence for women persecuted around the world. She was joined by her husband Makinto, a student at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, as they performed music to cap off the event. Together, they shared 鈥淎mahoro,鈥� a Kirundi cultural expression conveying peace and God鈥檚 blessings, through song.

Braydon Hoover, vice president for enrollment, served as sidekick/announcer for 鈥淢ornings with the Mayor.鈥�