Waynesburg University honored its baccalaureate and commencement speakers during its 167th Commencement Exercises Sunday, May 5.
Stacey Olson, president of Chevron Appalachian, LLC, and the Rev. Dr. James Gilchrist were awarded honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.
The following citations were read:
Stacey Olson
Stacey Guillot Olson, for your hardworking and entrepreneurial spirit, as evidenced by a successful career with Chevron, Waynesburg University honors you.
Spanning three decades, your career with a company that champions science, technology, engineering and math education has taken you to stations in Thailand, Nigeria, Venezuela, the United Kingdom and United States.
Your work ethic, commitment to service and corporate social responsibility serves as an inspiration to the next generation of female leaders.
Your role in the development and launch of the Chevron Center for Corporate Social Responsibility at Waynesburg University was paramount in enabling the University and Chevron to together build a network of practitioners in the region dedicated to sharing best practices in corporate social responsibility work.
In gratitude and respect for your achievements and for the ways in which you parallel Waynesburg University’s mission of faith, learning and serving, it is with great honor that we confer upon you our degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.
Rev. Dr. James A. Gilchrist
James A. Gilchrist, in recognition of your noble and inspiring work as a religious and educational leader for nearly 40 years, serving at some of our region’s most prestigious churches, schools and organizations, Waynesburg University honors you.
During your time as a pastor, you led your congregations to follow the way of the Gospel and encouraged them to hear the call of Jesus in their lives, while constantly striving to be a thoughtful and devoted spiritual leader, always in search of your best self.
In the classroom, you dedicated yourself to developing and crafting young minds to flourish in the areas of theology, science, ethics, history and politics, among others, encouraging students to understand the importance of becoming life-long learners.
With your travel to more than 20 countries, you have taken your mission of serving others to Latin America, Europe, Malawi and India, with the hopes of making a positive difference in the lives of your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Your Christian commitment, leadership and genuine care of others serve as an example to Waynesburg University students as they prepare to enter the next phase of their lives and become leaders of tomorrow. For that, we are pleased to recognize you.
In gratitude and respect for your achievements and for the ways in which you parallel Waynesburg University’s mission of faith, learning and serving, it is with great honor that we confer upon you our degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.
About Waynesburg University
Founded in 1849 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg University is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with three additional sites located in the Pittsburgh region. The University is one of only 22 Bonner Scholar schools in the country, offering local, regional and international opportunities to touch the lives of others through service.
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