Providence College welcomed the Class of 2026, the largest class in its history, on Thursday, Aug. 25, for several days of orientation before the start of the new academic year.
The class is 1,163 members strong, with students from 34 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and 17 countries — Canada, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
There are 625 women and 538 men. The class includes 211 students with a parent who graduated from PC and 121 students whose parents never attended college. There are 174 students in the Honors Program and 99 student-athletes.
Nineteen percent of the students have not decided on a major. Among those who have, the most popular are finance, marketing, biology, management, and psychology.
Volunteers from student organizations assisted with the move into the first-year residence halls — Meagher, McDermott, St. Joseph, McVinney, Guzman, and Raymond. Students and families were welcomed with refreshments provided by the Office of Alumni Relations.
The Welcome Mass for New Families took place at 3 p.m. in Peterson Recreation Center and was celebrated by College President Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’82G.
“God in his providence has led each of you to the college named after him, and he will be with you every step of the journey,” Father Sicard said.
Sophomores, juniors, and seniors will move into campus residence halls on Sunday, Aug. 28, in time for the start of classes on Monday, Aug. 29.
A student poses for a photo in Guzman Hall after settling in.
New faculty to be welcomed at convocation
New faculty members will be welcomed at Academic Convocation on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 3 p.m. in Peterson Recreation Center. There are 20 new tenure-track and practitioner professors:
- Sarah Ahmed, Ph.D., Health Sciences, Women’s and Gender Studies
- Maria S. Bose, Ph.D., Global Studies
- Michael Chou, Ph.D., Mathematics and Computer Science
- Adelaide Clark, Ph.D., Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Rebecca Babcock Fenerci, Ph.D., Psychology
- Emily L. Gentes, Ph.D., Psychology
- Tomer Hamami, Ph.D., Economics
- Noah Hammond, Ph.D., Engineering and Physics
- Sara Hassani, Ph.D., Political Science, Women’s and Gender Studies
- Martin Hellwig, Ph.D., Mathematics and Computer Science
- William C. Longo, Ph.D., Music
- Samuel F. Murray, Ph.D., Philosophy
- Ana dos Santos Sao Bernardo, Ph.D., Global Studies
- Ileana Soto Reyes, Ph.D., Biology
- Charles A. Speicher, DBA, Accountancy
- Nicholas Tarantino, Ph.D., Psychology
- Virginia Thomas, Ph.D., Art and Art History, Women’s and Gender Studies
- Rev. Dominic Verner, O.P., Ph.D., Theology
- Michael A. Wahl, Ph.D. ’12, Theology
- Jason Willwerscheid, Ph.D., Mathematics and Computer Science
Mental health advocate is speaker
The keynote speaker at Academic Convocation will be Chamique Holdsclaw, who has dedicated her life’s work to mental health and wellness activism.
Sharing the story of her personal struggles with depression and explaining how she has sought help and manages her own mental health, Ms. Holdsclaw speaks frequently at conferences, panels, and events. She is making a return visit to Providence College following a well-received presentation in 2018, part of PC’s You’re Never Alone in Friartown mental health initiative.
A standout athlete at Christ The King High School in Queens, N.Y., Holdsclaw played basketball for the University of Tennessee Volunteers under coach Pat Summit and led the team to three consecutive NCAA championships, a first in women’s basketball history. She was the top pick in the WNBA draft in 1999 and capped her first season with the Washington Mystics with a Rookie of the Year Award and the first of six WNBA All-Star appearances. In 2000, she won a gold medal with Team USA at the Sydney Olympic Games.
Holdsclaw is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and she is an ambassador with the JED Foundation as an advocate for mental health and wellness.
Starting early with service
More than 200 students in the Class of 2026 began the academic year early, moving to campus on Saturday, Aug. 21, for several days of service prior to orientation.
Urban Action, a tradition for more than three decades, had 82 students and 23 leaders, they participated in a neighborhood cleanup and helped out at Times2 STEM Academy and Robert F. Kennedy Elementary School. The group also will coordinate service projects during the academic year.
Faith Works, a service immersion program of Campus Ministry that allows students to learn about the city from the perspective of Catholic social service agencies, had 50 students and 16 student leaders.
Transitions, an opportunity for multicultural and first-generation students of color to preview campus, network with faculty and staff, and meet new friends, had 56 participants who were guided by 17 dream coaches.
On Wednesday, Aug. 24, all three groups took part in service projects at Times2 STEM Academy, Bishop McVinney School, St. Augustine School, St. Pius V School, and Nuestro Mundo Public Charter School.
Original source can be found here.
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