Each spring the University of Mary Washington Commencement sets the scene for years of accomplishments by students, with numerous credit hours in classrooms, labs, internships and extracurricular activities.
Eight University of Mary Washington graduates in 2026 marked the moment with a perfect 4.0 GPA, earning the Colgate W. Darden Jr. Award for Academic Achievement for completing their degrees with the highest grade-point average in the undergraduate program. As they crossed the stage sharing in the honor, impressively becoming part of the largest group of Darden Award recipients in school history, they each prepared for what is next through a variety of majors, minors, graduate programs and career paths.
Chasity Autumn Beeson
Chasity Autumn Beeson, from Spotsylvania, Virginia, graduates with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics with a minor in education studies and teacher licensure in secondary education. A future educator herself, she has been named a Noyce Scholar with funding through the National Science Foundation. This nationally acclaimed teacher preparation program supports students who want to be high school teachers in one of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) subjects with up to two years of tuition costs paid. The program partners with Germanna Community College, through which Beeson graduated in 2024.
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Beeson earned the Oscar Schultz Award in Mathematics at UMW, and she graduates as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She also participated in the Irene Piscopo Rodgers '59 Summer Science Institute with a project focused on predicting trends in teacher preparation using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Her undergraduate research extends through several projects, including a second project on using Brownian motion to detect the motion of bears, which involved techniques from graduate-level mathematics.
Her advisor notes, “Her effort and dedication are exceptional, perhaps only rivalled by her deep compassion and profound sense of respect.”
Tyler Christian Downs
Tyler Christian Downs graduates with a Bachelor of Science in biology and departmental honors in biology with a minor in chemistry. His love of science extends beyond his own work in the class and lab, as he has mentored and tutored many students through his college years, weaving in humor to keep it interesting and asking questions to keep learning. “This curiosity served him well in classes and contributed to the robust amount of data he collected for his departmental honors project that he successfully defended last week,” said his advisor.
Downs participated in the Scholars Transforming through Research Advocacy Program, through Council for Undergraduate Research this year, presenting at the Virginia State Capitol, and his undergraduate research, exploring how to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria, has been funded by a Virginia Academy of Science grant. He credits the Phage Hunters class for facilitating his interests and connecting him with research and mentors.
He earned the William A. Castle Award for Outstanding Biology Major and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Next, he will pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Georgia to continue studying the genetic basis of infectious disease.
Kathryn Grace Field
Kathryn Grace Field graduates with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education with a minor in digital studies. She has been named to Phi Beta Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi honor societies and is a winner of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Virginia Scholars Award.
“Kati not only excels in the classroom because she is strong academically, but she also has what we refer to in education as the ‘it’ factor. It cannot be taught. She naturally can bring out the best in students and help them feel motivated and confident,” said her advisor.
She plays on the UMW Women’s Rugby team and serves as vice president and team captain, while also working in the Digital Knowledge Center as a consultant. Field will be a teacher in an elementary school in Prince William County next year.
Asunta Gabriele Ross
Asunta Gabriele Ross graduates with a Bachelor of Arts in English with minors in digital studies and linguistics. She has excelled in her undergraduate studies since her first classes, often demonstrating graduate-level work, according to her advisor. He says, “I have witnessed her evolve into a true leader on campus, especially in clubs, programs, and internships associated with our department. Those skills were on full display two weeks ago at the Kemp Symposium where Asunta presented in a range of roles.”
As an undergraduate researcher in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Summer Institute she worked on “Experiments in Generative AI, Literature and Machine Learning for Creative Writing.” She also served as the lead nonfiction editor for The Rappahannock Review.
She earned the Carlton R. Lutterbie Jr. Outstanding Senior Service Award and Outstanding Major in English and graduates with University Honors, departmental honors and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She is pursuing an internship in copywriting and creative roles.
Mackenzie Renee Swain
Mackenzie Renee Swain, from Palmyra, Virginia, graduates with a Bachelor of Science in computer science with minors in data science and cybersecurity. As her advisor notes, “MacKenzie is a true 4.0 student — consistent, disciplined, and highly capable. Her research experience shows in the way she thinks creatively and approaches problems from multiple angles.”
A participant in the Irene Piscopo Rodgers '59 Summer Science Institute, she presented her research at the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Eastern Regional Conference in 2004. She also served as a lab aide at UMW. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and earned the Earnest C. Ackermann Excellence in Computer Science Award.
Mallory R. Thompson
Mallory R. Thompson, from Spotsylvania, Virginia, graduates with a Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences with a minor in practical ethics. She began her studies at UMW with a first-year seminar on “Science and Technology: Because We Can Should We?” Her advisor notes how Thompson excelled through the class and through her degree, saying, “This gave her a 360-degree understanding of many topics from science in the past and to forecast where science is headed in the future.”
She graduates with University Honors and departmental honors and is a Washington Scholar, having earned the Rae Elizabeth Smith '59 Washington Scholarship through her studies at UMW, a prestigious award that provides full tuition, fees, and housing and dining for in-state students. She also recently earned the Grellet C. Simpson International Scholarship, which supported her studies during the fall semester at the University College Cork in Ireland. She is a member of the Performing Arts Company at UMW and pursued dance through her study abroad.
An aspiring physician, she joined UMW’s Pre-Health Society, volunteers with Red Cross blood drives and Mary Washington Healthcare’s emergency department and traveled with Global Medical Brigades to treat patients in rural Panama. Through undergraduate research Thompson focused on the role of methionine restriction in breast cancer immunogenic cell death, presenting her work at the Virginia State Capitol. A UMW Honors Program scholar, Thompson will continue her studies after she graduates at The George Washington University School of Medicine, where she was accepted through Mary Washington’s Early Selection Program.
Emily P. Wills
Emily P. Wills, from Chesterfield, Virginia, graduates with a Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences with a minor in chemistry and plans to pursue medical school next. Her work and research have already connected her with many physicians, including shadowing with Mary Washington Behavioral Health and Virginia Commonwealth University. She served as a research assistant at the VCU Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies and volunteered as a lab assistant at VCU and a tutor for Stafford Junction.
Wills earned UMW Undergraduate Research funding for her project on “Gene Function in Phage Zapner” and presented her research at the Virginia Academy of Science. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Chi Beta Kappa and Mortar Board honor societies and also served as co-treasurer of the Performing Arts Company. She is the captain and co-founder of UMW’s Pep Dance team.
Carleigh Madison Wood
Carleigh Madison Wood graduates with a Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences with minors in Spanish and neuroscience, a combination that has prepared her well for medical school. She pursued honors in biology, earned departmental and University Honors, and is a member of Mortar Board and Phi Beta Kappa, earning the Roy H. Smith Phi Beta Kappa Award for her significant academic accomplishments. She also served as president of the UMW Field Hockey Club.
With a pre-med focus, she completed undergraduate research focused on myotonic dystrophy using fruit flies. “As part of this project she showed her determination and dedication to reach her goals. Part of this project involved dissection of the fruit fly brain, which required a steady hand and many hours of practice. Her thesis and presentation at the end of her project was the most professional one that I have seen in my 34 years at UMW,” said her advisor.
