Excitement is building on the Roanoke College campus this week as members of the Class of 2025 prepare to celebrate the culmination of their hard work. Commencement exercises will take place on the John R. Turbyfill Quadrangle at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 3, with nearly 400 undergraduate students collecting bachelor’s degrees and 12 students graduating from the MBA program, now in its second year.
The celebration will kick off at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 2, with Baccalaureate, an annual worship service held in the Cregger Center. The Rev. Christopher Bowen, Roanoke College’s Timothy L. Pickle Dean of the Chapel, will preside and offer a message for students. All graduates, family and guests are welcome to attend. No tickets are required.
Commencement exercises on Saturday are open to all family and guests. No tickets are required.
The Class of 2025 hails from 29 states and 12 countries, and ranges in age from 19-37. In addition to the many students earning bachelor of science, bachelor of arts and bachelor of business administration degrees, this year’s ceremonies will celebrate the second cohort of students to graduate from a 4+1 MBA program unveiled in 2023. The intensive program empowers Maroons to earn their master’s in business administration on an accelerated one-year track.
During Commencement, Roanoke College will present honorary degrees to two local figures, Heywood Fralin and Dr. Michael Friedlander.
Heywood Fralin, a lifelong resident and champion of the Roanoke Valley, has played a pivotal role in transforming the local region into a hub for innovation, biotechnology, workforce development and medical research through his efforts to collaborate with partners in higher education, business and industry, and state and local government. His leadership, service and generosity have left an indelible mark on the Roanoke Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
As chairman of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and as someone who has served on multiple college boards, Fralin has been among higher education’s greatest advocates. He is also chair of the Virginia Business Council and the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, where he has strengthened ties between education and industry, and championed ideas that grow the talent pipeline and spur economic development.
Fralin has also given generously of his financial resources, time and talents. In 2018, he made a transformational gift through the Fralin Family Trust to establish the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion. That gift has elevated the region’s standing as a destination for medical research and health care innovation, which in turn has opened doors for Roanoke College students and alumni.
Fralin, who was named Roanoke’s 2024 Citizen of the Year, embodies the qualities we strive to instill in Roanoke College students: a life defined by purpose, service and leadership.
Dr. Michael Friedlander is executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) and is vice president for health sciences and technology at Virginia Tech. Under his leadership, FBRI has spurred regional development, provided valuable opportunities for students and alumni from area colleges – including Roanoke – and made groundbreaking contributions to human health. A neuroscientist by training, Friedlander grew the FBRI from one employee (himself) into a world-class research institute with 400 employees. He remains actively engaged in research.
The region’s growing prominence in health care and biomedical research under Friedlander’s leadership has opened many opportunities for the college, including the expansion of our health-related programs. The establishment of the Center for Health Careers at Roanoke College has strengthened and grown our partnerships in the region, opening pathways for students and inspiring them to serve the greater good. Today, approximately 30 percent of our graduates remain in the Roanoke Valley, many of them drawn by the region’s expanding opportunities in health care and research, as well as the enhanced quality of life fostered by this growing industry.
The deep connections that Friedlander has fostered in our community serve as both a model and a catalyst for Roanoke College as we strive to become the valley’s premier educational partner, as expressed in our strategic plan.
This year’s Commencement exercises will also feature a poem reading by Dr. Cheryl Hopson, the John P. Fishwick Endowed Associate Professor of English, and brief addresses by the class valedictorians.
Commencement will be held outdoors on the quad, rain or shine. The ceremony will be livestreamed via Roanoke College's YouTube channel. In case of severe weather, the event may be moved to the Salem Civic Center, located at 1001 Roanoke Blvd. If that is necessary, an announcement will be made on the morning of Saturday, May 3, via Maroon Alert, social media and Roanoke College’s website.
More information is available in the Severe Inclement Weather Plan. Graduates will complete their final exams this week and enjoy Senior Week festivities afterward. More details about Commencement can be found at roanoke.edu/commencement, and a direct link to the ceremony’s livestream will be available at that link later this week.