Laurel College Standouts: Summa Cum Laude at McDaniel, Merrimack Dean's List

Below, find a roundup of the latest honors, degrees, and noteworthy accomplishments from Laurel-area students in higher education. Descriptions are courtesy of the institutions named and/or students' family members. 

Florida Institute of Technology: Kevin Hoover, a Biomathematics major from Laurel, earned a bachelor's degree at Florida Institute of Technology's Spring Commencement. Florida Institute of Technology is the only independent, technological university in the Southeast.

McDaniel College: McDaniel College awarded more than 370 bachelor's degrees May 25, 2013, at the College's 143rd Commencement.

• Dani Allen of Laurel graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art.
• Gabriela R. Branda of Laurel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.
• Christine E. Jubinski of Laurel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.
• Gregory J. Nolen of Laurel graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.
• Mara K. Seibert of Laurel graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French.

Academic honors given at graduation include Summa Cum Laude for a cumulative grade point average of 3.9 or higher, Magna Cum Laude for a cumulative grade point average of 3.70-3.89, and Cum Laude for a cumulative grade point average of 3.50-3.69.

McDaniel also awarded more than 480 master's degrees:

• Andrew D. Ashby of Laurel graduated with a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
• Christina E. Beringer of Laurel graduated with a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
• Barry M. Dagold of Laurel graduated with a master's degree in Administration.
• Kelly Elizabeth Edwards of Laurel graduated with a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
• Robert E. Everett, III of Laurel graduated with a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
• Mary Clare Gannon of Laurel graduated with a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
• Jennifer Love Hamilton of Laurel graduated with a master's degree in School Library.
• Michele D. Harrison of Laurel graduated with a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
• Ashley M. Liby of Laurel graduated with a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
• Sarah Denise Neal of Laurel graduated with a master's degree in Administration.
• Nikolett Eliz Varsa of Laurel graduated with a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
• Gregory Barnard Walsh of Laurel graduated with a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction.

Finally, the following students made McDaniel's 2013 Dean's List. Highest honors are earned for a semester grade point average of 3.90 or higher, high honors for a grade point average of 3.70-3.89, and honors for a 3.50-3.69 average:

• Danika J. Allen of Laurel received Highest Honors.
• Brett W. Haas of Laurel received Honors.
• Gregory J. Nolen of Laurel received Honors.
• Shannon M. Nolte of Laurel received Highest Honors.
• Mara K. Seibert of Laurel received Highest Honors.

Merrimack College: The following local students were recently named to the Merrimack College Spring 2013 Semester Dean's List:

• James Strickland, of Laurel, a Sophomore at the College.
• Colleen Baxley, of Laurel, a Sophomore at the College

Dean's List students are so designated having earned a GPA of 3.25 or better based on a 4.0 grading system.

Notre Dame of Maryland University: Notre Dame of Maryland University celebrated a historic commencement on May 25 at the Baltimore Convention Center, the first of Dr. James F. Conneely's presidency. Award-winning journalist and author Kathleen Koch addressed the graduates and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. President Conneely presented Notre Dame's prestigious 2013 Mullan Distinguished Teacher Award to Associate Professor Maeve O'Donovan. The following local residents were among those receiving degrees:

• Christine Baumgarten, of Laurel, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.
• Caroline O'Neal, of Laurel, received a Master of Arts in Leadership in Teaching.

Four hundred and three graduates were awarded bachelor's degrees at the ceremony, held at the Baltimore Convention Center. Three hundred fifty-six received master's degrees, 11 received the Certificate of Advanced Study in Education (CASE), 4 were awarded doctoral degrees in education and 53 received their doctorates in pharmacy.

Rochester Institute of Technology: The following local residents made the Dean's List for Spring 2013 quarter at Rochester Institute of Technology:

• Yawar Raza of Laurel is a fourth-year student in the game design and development program in RIT's B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.
• Catherine Turner of Laurel is a third-year student in the medical illustration program in RIT's College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

University of Delaware: Several local students have been named to the University of Delaware's Dean's List for Spring 2013:

• Anthony Boccio, of Laurel, MD.
• Mitchell Dennison, of Laurel, MD.
• Laura Simpler, of Laurel, MD.
• Tara Woodbury, of Laurel, MD.

To meet eligibility requirements for the Dean's List, a student must be enrolled full-time and earn a GPA of 3.33 or above for the semester.

University of Rhode Island: At the University of Rhode Island's 127th Commencement on Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19, 2013, more than 3,200 undergraduate and 770 graduate students became the University's newest alumni. Michael G. Tait of Laurel received a BS in Kinesiology.