CHBS graduates celebrate milestone commencement season

Students in James Madison University’s (JMU) College of Health and Behavioral Studies (CHBS) came together this spring to celebrate a milestone commencement season marked by academic excellence and a renewed sense of community across disciplines.

As JMU’s largest college, CHBS recognized graduates representing a wide range of health, behavioral and human services careers during two commencement ceremonies that, for the first time, included both undergraduate and graduate students together. The shared celebration reflected the college’s commitment to collaboration and connection, preparing students to lead in their fields.

“This year feels especially meaningful because we are celebrating all of our graduates together for the first time,” said Sharon Lovell, founding dean of CHBS. “Across every program represented in this ceremony, our students have demonstrated resilience, innovation and an incredible commitment to improving the lives of others.”

Lovell, a JMU alumna, has led the college since its founding and continues to champion learning across CHBS’s eight academic units, its clinics, centers and institutes. Under her leadership, the college has grown into one of the university’s most dynamic academic communities, offering undergraduate, master’s, specialist and doctoral programs that prepare students to address complex health and societal challenges.

Among this year’s graduates is valedictorian Reagan Sheree Wilson (’27), a health administration major with minors in business and human resources development from Triangle, Virginia. Throughout her time at JMU, Wilson immersed herself in leadership opportunities, service, and campus engagement, experiences she says shaped both her personal and professional growth.

Wilson served on the Leadership Council for Make Your Mark on Madison, a 10-week student-led leadership development program. She was a Program Ambassador for the Health Services Administration program and a Democracy Fellow for the Madison Center for Civic Engagement. Beyond the classroom, she volunteered at the University Health Center lab, a local cat café and Bridgewater Retirement Community while also working as a camera operator for the videoboard team during JMU basketball and football games.

After graduation, Wilson plans to take a gap year to gain additional professional experience before pursuing a Master of Health Administration at Virginia Commonwealth University.

This year’s commencement ceremonies also highlighted the depth and diversity of scholarship produced throughout CHBS’s doctoral and clinical programs. Across departments, graduate students explored research topics centered on mental health, communication sciences, and evidence-based care.

In the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, doctoral candidates examined topics ranging from hearing science to family quality of life and infant language development. Jesus Gomez studied fall risk among English- and Spanish-speaking adults living in the community while clinical audiology graduates conducted research on managing ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and how children experience balance and movement.

Research across psychology and counseling programs reflected CHBS’s continued emphasis on human connection and inclusive care. Tahlia Wilson-Nealy examined racial and athletic identity among college athletes navigating life after sports. In Counseling and Supervision, Emily Vaught Bogaev focused her research on improving quality care for neurodivergent youth.

Other graduates focused on topics like how students perform in low-stakes testing environments and new approaches to testing, demonstrating the broad impact of CHBS research beyond clinical and healthcare settings.
Throughout the ceremonies, faculty reflected on the importance of preparing graduates not only as professionals but also as leaders capable of addressing community needs.

“Whether students are entering healthcare, counseling, education, research, or advocacy, they are stepping into careers that require adaptability and collaboration,” Lovell said. “What makes CHBS special is that students learn to work across disciplines while staying grounded in service to others.”

For many graduates, commencement represents a celebration of years spent gaining knowledge and relationships while preparing to serve communities far beyond campus, a value that continues to shape CHBS’s students, faculty and future professionals.