North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University awarded nearly 1,500 undergraduate degrees, more than 300 master’s degrees and almost 60 doctoral degrees – as well as about 50 degrees from the Joint Programs in Social Work with the University of North Carolina-Greensboro – in three separate ceremonies on May 12 and 13 at The Greensboro Coliseum.
Robert H. Newman, Ph.D., N.C. A&T Nathan F. Simms Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biology, kicked off graduation weekend as the keynote speaker for the graduate student ceremony on Friday afternoon, May 12, in the Novant Health Fieldhouse at the Greensboro Coliseum.
“Today is the culmination of years of hard work, perseverance, and intellectual growth. Today, we celebrate you and your many achievements,” said Newman.
On Saturday, NAACP Image Award-winning actor Morris Chestnut served as keynote speaker for the two-baccalaureate student ceremonies.
“North Carolina A&T graduates, I challenge you to create your own blueprint. Create your own reality,” he said. “Insist that the gifts that God gave you be given back to the world,” said Chestnut.
N.C. A&T’s Meeshay Wheeler-Williams, Ph.D., was awarded with a 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award. Williams-Wheeler is an associate professor and program coordinator of child development and family studies as well as coordinator of the Child Development and Family Studies Program in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. The annual award is bestowed by the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors and recognizes the extraordinary contributions of faculty members across the UNC System.