Seven Seniors Recognized for Highest GPAs at Winthrop Commencement Ceremonies (05/11/26)

HIGHLIGHTS

• In the morning ceremony, Morgan Baxter, Lila Dailey, Hunter Garrison, Ciaran Murphy, Betsy Ryerson and Olivia Whitfield were recognized. The seniors earned degrees either from the College of Visual and Performing Arts or the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Emily Nycole Ellis received recognition in the afternoon ceremony held for the College of Business and Technology and the Richard W. Riley College of Education, Sport and Human Sciences.

ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Seven Winthrop University seniors who finished their college careers with perfect 4.0 grade point averages earned the President's Award for Academic Excellence at the May 9 Commencement ceremonies.

In the morning ceremony, Morgan Baxter, Lila Dailey, Hunter Garrison, Ciaran Murphy, Betsy Ryerson and Olivia Whitfield were recognized. The seniors earned degrees either from the College of Visual and Performing Arts or the College of Arts and Sciences.

Emily Nycole Ellis received recognition in the afternoon ceremony held for the College of Business and Technology and the Richard W. Riley College of Education, Sport and Human Sciences.

Here is more information about each recipient:

Morgan Charlize Baxter is an Honors student and a McNair Scholar who earned a psychology degree. A native of Irmo, South Carolina, Baxter worked with several faculty mentors and won multiple research awards at professional conferences. In the fall, Baxter is attending the College of William and Mary to pursue a Master of Science in psychological sciences. Once that is completed Baxter wants to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, with the end goal of working with children and families from marginalized communities.

Lila Page Dailey, a chemistry major from Lexington, South Carolina, will transition from a part-time position into a full-time role as a formulation scientist at 3D Systems in Rock Hill. She will work on developing photo-polymer resins for 3D printing.

A Teaching Fellow, Emily Nycole Ellis is a special education major from Irmo. She has served as the president of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and on the national early career and student board. She presented research at the national CEC conference. Ellis worked as an accessibility coordinator for theatre in the fall and was a lead mentor with the WinthropLIFE program. She will be teaching next year at Cayce Elementary in Columbia in a Pre-K classroom serving children with disabilities.

Hunter Garrison is a music education major from Greer, South Carolina, who plays the trombone. He performed in the top music ensembles at Winthrop, was the featured trombone soloist on the Wind Symphony's fall 2025 tour, and was a participant in the American Trombone Workshop. He served as the president of Winthrop's student chapter of the National Association for Music Education, as a member of the music department's Student Advisory Council and as a S.C. Teaching Fellow. This fall, Garrison will teach music at Hendersonville Elementary school and sixth grade band in Colleton County, South Carolina.

Known as an exceptional student, Ciaran Murphy is a biology major who conducted Honors thesis research which resulted in three online publications. The Tall Timbers, Maryland, native has shared her knowledge and laboratory skills with more than 20 research students through collaborative efforts and has mentored students in individual applied research. She plans to attend graduate school to specialize in vaccine development and global health.

An Honors graduate, Betsy Ryerson of Catawba, South Carolina, earned a chemistry degree. In the fall she will enroll as a Ph.D student in the quantitative and chemical biology program at Vanderbilt University. She plans to focus her studies in structural biology.

Olivia Whitfield served as Secretary-General of Winthrop's 50th Anniversary Model United Nation Conference. The Greenwood, South Carolina, native and Honors student earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in political science, a pre-law concentration and a double minor in legal studies and peace, justice, and conflict resolution studies. Whitfield will pursue her Juris Doctorate degree in fall 2026 at Rutgers Law School. Her ultimate goal is to become a judge.

For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or e-mail her at [email protected].