Commencement Speakers and Honorary Degree Recipients

Thursday, May 7, 5 p.m.
Graduate School Ceremony

Melissa Hughes is a professor and associate chair of biology and a faculty member in the Graduate Program in Marine Biology and the Master of Science in Environmental and Sustainability Studies program. She also serves as co-director of the Neuroscience program and is a former member of the Executive Committee for the Women’s and Gender Studies program. With a research focus in animal behavior, she has twice been elected to the Executive Committee of the international Animal Behavior Society and has served as associate editor for two leading journals in the field. In 2020, her scholarly work, teaching and mentorship were recognized with the College of Charleston’s William V. Moore Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Award.
Hughes received her Ph.D. in zoology from Duke University after graduating magna cum laude from Bucknell University with a B.A. in biology. A graduate of the South Carolina Coastal Master Naturalist program, she frequently leads bird walks and other science events for community groups. Her publications include scientific articles, book chapters, pedagogical research, nonfiction essays and poetry. She is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in creative writing at the College of Charleston.

Friday, May 8, 10 a.m.
School of Humanities and Social Sciences and School of Health Sciences

Devon W. Hanahan '87, Senior instructor of Spanish and the longtime coordinator of the Basic Spanish Language Program. An alumna of the College, she earned her B.A. in Spanish before completing an M.A. in Spanish at the University of South Carolina. She returned to the College in 1995 as an adjunct and has since become a central member of the department, known for her dedication to student learning and advising.
Her teaching reflects the College’s mission to prepare students for meaningful lives in a diverse and interconnected world, and she is committed to helping students discover the value of language learning and cultural engagement. Hanahan has received the Distinguished Service Award, the Distinguished Advising Award, the NACADA Faculty Advising Award and recognition among Princeton Review’s top 300 professors. Study abroad remains one of her greatest joys, particularly seeing students apply their Spanish in real-world settings. She lives on James Island with her husband, Bill, and has two grown sons, Will and Thomas.

Friday, May 8, 4 p.m.
School of the Arts, School of the Arts
School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics
School of Natural and Environmental Sciences

Janine McCabe ‘98, CofC Stages artistic director and associate professor of costume design in the Department of Theatre and Dance, is originally from New Jersey and came to the College of Charleston as a transfer student, graduating with a B.A. in theatre in 1998. She earned an M.F.A. in costume design from the University of Virginia and worked in New York City on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in opera and in dance before returning to the College as a visiting faculty member in 2006 and joining the tenure-track faculty in 2007. She leads the costume design and technology concentration and teaches in the First-Year Experience. In her 19 years at the College, she has designed nearly 100 productions, including more than 30 for the Department of Theatre and Dance, and mentors student costume designers for theatre, dance and opera productions. She is committed to providing experiential learning opportunities on and off campus, connecting students to the profession through work with Annex Dance Company, Charleston Opera Theatre, Pure Theatre, Charleston Stage and Spoleto Festival USA.

McCabe served as department chair from 2014 to 2024 and continues to serve as artistic director of CofC Stages and of Stelle di Domani for Piccolo Spoleto. She was recently recognized with the CofC SOTA Alumni Service Award, the SCTA Award for Excellence in Theatre Design & Technology and the URTA Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Training. She is often accompanied on campus by her son, Charlie.

Honorary Degree Recipients
Michael Bennett (bio to come)
Amy Benett (bio to come)
Governor Henry McMaster (bio to come)