Shenandoah University

Shenandoah University had 1,053 students earn a spot on the Dean's List for the Spring 2025 semester. To qualify for the Dean's List, students must be enrolled full-time in baccalaureate degree programs and earn a semester GPA of 3.50 or higher. Dean's List students who achieve a semester GPA of 3.90 or higher also qualify for the university's President's List.

Shenandoah University had 469 students earn a spot on the President's List for the Spring 2025 semester. To qualify for this prestigious academic recognition, students must be enrolled full-time in baccalaureate degree programs and attain a semester GPA of 3.90 or higher. All President's List honorees are also recognized on the university's Dean's List, which includes students who earn a semester GPA of 3.50 or higher.

Shenandoah University presented the 2025 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards to recent graduates Liberty Tennyson '25 and Logan Williams '24, '28 at its Baccalaureate service on May 23. Each year, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan and Mary Mildred Sullivan awards are presented to deserving individuals at over 70 colleges and universities in the U.S. First awarded in 1890, the Sullivan Awards recognize individuals of noble character who act as humble servants and place service to others above self-interest. According to the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, the Sullivan Awards are the only national collegiate service awards in the U.S.

Shenandoah University senior Mairead McKibbin has been named the 2025 recipient of the Marjorie Berkley Award, marking the third time in four years a Shenandoah student-athlete has earned the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's highest academic and athletic honor. McKibbin, a standout on the field hockey team, joins Olivia Weinel (2022) and teammate Elise Velasquez (2023) as Shenandoah's three Berkley Award recipients. The honor recognizes the ODAC's top female senior scholar-athlete across all sports.

Shenandoah University's Alpha Omega Sigma chapter of the Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society welcomed nine new members during an induction ceremony on May 18 in Hazel-Pruitt Armory. The nine new members included: Shawnise Campbell (graduated May 2025), Kelly Hartman, Katelyn Lehmbeck, Alison Pippin, Virginia Truitt (graduated May 2025), Morgan Vandergrift, Jessica Velasquez, Katherine Weinhold (graduated May 2025), and Caitie Werlang. The organization also installed the following officers for 2025-26: president, Lily Kilduff; vice president, Aurora Padilla-Jimenez; treasurer, Jace Gibson; secretary, Katelyn Garback; social media manager, Katelyn Lehmbeck.

Shenandoah University junior outfielder Jaime Padilla earned 2025 American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-America honors in selections announced on May 29. Padilla, of Yonkers, New York, was a fourth-team selection.

This semester, Shenandoah sent a group of students to the NCAA men's basketball tournament Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, to gain hands-on experience in the field of sport management. The trip, performed in collaboration with On Location, an NCAA partner dedicated to enhancing the premier fan experience for sporting events, allowed students to lend a hand in performing duties related to game-day operations, and provided opportunities to tour several facilities and meet industry professionals.

On April 27, Shenandoah University announced the 2025 winners of the Student Leadership Awards during a ceremony in the Brandt Student Center, Ferrari Room. This year, there were 53 total nominees and 12 awards.

The Shenandoah University School of Business hosted its fifth Legacy Golf Tournament on April 24 at the Winchester Country Club, raising more than $92,500 for the Legacy Scholarship, which supports high-achieving, first-generation regional business students at Shenandoah. The recipients of the 2025 Legacy Scholarship included Kara Mondrone, Andrea Suchite-Melendrez, Jacquelyn (Jacky) Sanchez, Katherine Weinhold and Wesley Pendzich.

On April 24, the Student Government Association held its inauguration ceremony for the 2025-26 Executive Council in the Pruitt Health & Life Sciences Building, Halpin Rotunda. The Executive Council consists of undergraduate and graduate students dedicated to leading other members of the SGA and serving as liaisons with faculty. Although most positions are chosen through an application process, Shenandoah University students elect the president and vice presidents each spring. The 2025-26 Executive Council is as follows: President: Carter Sand Vice President of Undergraduate Affairs: Masha Balakersky Vice President of Graduate Affairs: Carlie Cross Director of Communications: Amy Oleksy Director of IDE: Jessica Velasquez Director of Finance: Emma Thompson Speaker of the House: Elisabeth Myers Chief of Staff: Jaxson Hall

Shenandoah University third-year Pharm.D. student Sheridan Herron '26 won the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) National Patient Counseling Competition during the APhA Annual Meeting that took place March 21-24, in Nashville, Tennessee. Herron, who was recognized during the APhA-ASP Student Awards Celebration on March 22, is the third Shenandoah University student in the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy to win the APhA-ASP National Patient Counseling Competition, joining Joanna Lyon (2014) and Danielle Przychodzin (2003). Shenandoah, which admitted its first class of doctoral pharmacy students in 1996, began participating in the National Patient Counseling Competition in 2000. Shenandoah University's three national winners are the most of any pharmacy school over the last 25 years, and Shenandoah is tied with the University of California, San Francisco for the most in the history of the National Patient Counseling Competition, which debuted in 1985.

Shenandoah Conservatory announces the winners of the 2025/26 Student Soloists Competition (SSC) on behalf of the SSC committee. Competition Winners Christopher Gilley, cello (Category I) Timur Mustakimov, piano (Category II) Cadence Weaver, voice (Category II) The final round of the competition was held at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 2, in Armstrong Concert Hall (view the digital program to learn more about the final round). Winners of this year's competition will be featured in performances with the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra throughout the 2025/26 season.

Three Shenandoah University athletic training students secured SU's third straight Virginia Athletic Trainers' Association (VATA) Student Quiz Bowl title during the organization's annual meeting on Jan. 3 at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, Virginia. This year's Shenandoah team included Megan Bone '29, Luke Finkbeiner '29, and Trilby Kite '30 as well as alternates Cori Babcock '29 and Aesia Garban '30. The VATA Student Quiz Bowl is a "Jeopardy"-style competition held during the annual conference that features college athletic training programs from across Virginia.

Eva Gary '25 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre) will join "Pretty Woman: The Musical," for the last leg of its U.S. national tour in 2025. Gary will play the lead role of Vivian Ward in the production based on the 1990 film of the same name.

Shenandoah University's softball program had 17 players earn Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athlete honors for the 2023-24 academic year, in selections announced by the NFCA on Aug. 6. As a program, the Hornets posted the best team GPA among the four Old Dominion Athletic Conference schools represented on the list of 118 NCAA Division III programs that achieved a collective GPA of 3.0 or better. SU student-athletes Kristen Blee, Rachael Blumenschine, Makayla Boone, Tiffany Bower, Abigail Campbell, Makayla Cox, Paige Eagleton, Kelsey Freeman, Kelly Hartman, Danielle McNeill, Sarah Medellin, Riley Nace, Lexie Reid, Taylor Smith, Kayla Stephenson, Kara Watkins, and Brenna Westwood each were named Easton/NFCA All-Academic Scholar-Athletes. To qualify for this distinction, student-athletes must have maintained at least a 3.50 or better cumulative GPA for the 2023-24 academic year. As a team, the Hornets tied for the 60th-best GPA (3.55) in Division III, edging out Virginia Wesleyan and Bridgewater (T-72, 3.51) and the University of Lynchburg (T-78, 3.50).

Shenandoah University is pleased to announce the 1,247 graduates who received their degrees and/or certificates during the 2023-24 academic year. These included 206 August 2023 graduates, 353 December 2023 graduates and 688 May 2024 graduates. Shenandoah's 2024 University Commencement took place on May 18.

Shenandoah University's Esports program recently announced the recipients of the 2024 Shenandoah Esports Awards. A total of seven individuals received one of six awards during a ceremony on May 7.

Over 131 undergraduate and graduate students presented a display of 73 projects at the 2024 Shenandoah University Research Expo. Nearly all schools at SU were represented in the expo, which featured an array of creative/portfolio, empirical and proposal/review projects across a variety of disciplines. Thirty-six faculty mentors supported these projects with an eye toward fostering scientific and creative inquiry among their students. Individual and group winners were announced in 11 categories in 2024.

Several Shenandoah students have served as vaccinators at the university's mass-vaccination clinic held in the Wilkins Athletics & Events Center. They have helped vaccinate thousands of individuals in the community and the state. From the pharmacy school, they are Elizabeth Beremendi, James Noll, Phillip "Austin" Taylor, Ashley Myers and Ashley Boothe.

Shenandoah University's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced that 349 student-athletes earned a spot on the Athletic Director's List for the Spring 2023 semester. To qualify for this honor, student-athletes must have a semester GPA of 3.0 or higher.