Colgate Awards Degrees to Chathamites

Two natives of Chatham were among the 661 students who earned their undergraduate degrees from Colgate University this year.

Theodore Ellis Ake Jr. graduated with a B.A. in German.

Kirsten Marisa Kellstrom graduated with a B.A. in Spanish and Applied Mathematics from Colgate University.

Colgate's class of 2012 ended their undergraduate careers with a graduation rate of 89.7%, which is among the highest in the nation.

Mark H. Murphy '77, president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, delivered an inspiring keynote address to a packed house.

Kellstrom, along with fellow Chatham resident Erin Theresa Murray, received the Dean's Award for academic excellence in the 2011 fall semester. Murray is a member of the class of 2013 studying Psychology.

To be eligible for the Dean's Award, a Colgate student must achieve a 3.30 or higher average while enrolled in four courses.

Megan Elizabeth Switzer, a member of the Colgate University class of 2014, was inducted into the Colgate chapter of Phi Eta Sigma, the national scholastic honorary society that recognizes the outstanding academic achievement of first-year students.

Switzer was one of 150 Colgate students to receive the prestigious distinction for having earned a grade point average of at least 3.5 during the 2010-2011 academic year.

Founded in 1819, Colgate University is a liberal arts institution distinguished by the dedication of its 272 full-time faculty-scholars, and its commitment to undergraduate research, off-campus study programs, sustainable practices, and residential education. Colgate offers 52 majors to a student body of 2,900 undergraduates. Almost three-quarters of all Colgate students study off campus and more than half conduct faculty-guided research.