HWS News
13 May 2025 Lisa Kaenzig to Deliver Keynote Address at Baccalaureate
Hobart and William Smith graduates and their families are invited to attend annual interfaith celebration and opportunity for reflection on the eve of Commencement.
This year’s keynote address, titled “Finding True North: Take the Detour,” will be delivered by Lisa Kaenzig P’22, Dean of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Director of the Centennial Center. Kaenzig has served Hobart and William Smith for 22 years and will be concluding her tenure at the end of the semester to assume the role of Head of School at Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia.
The Baccalaureate ceremony, coordinated by The Rev. Nita S. Johnson Byrd, Dean for Spiritual Engagement and Chaplain, will take place on Saturday, May 17 at 1:30 p.m. in St. John’s Chapel. The interfaith service provides a contemplative setting for graduates and their loved ones to honor their academic and personal journeys.
In her address, Kaenzig says she will urge members of the Class of 2025 to stay true to their core values, passions and life purpose as they navigate their personal journeys, while remaining open to unexpected detours along the way.
Throughout her career at HWS, Kaenzig has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to student development and leadership. In her more than two decades in the William Smith Dean’s Office as Assistant Dean, Associate Dean and Dean, her leadership was instrumental in advancing academic support systems, fostering inclusive excellence and advocating for leadership development, particularly among William Smith and first-generation students.
Among her contributions, Kaenzig founded the HWS First Generation Initiative in 2006, advised the William Smith senior honor society Hai Timiai, established the HWS chapter of the Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) and served on the original steering committee for the Centennial Center. She also has served in leadership capacities on HWS Middle States Accreditation Steering Committee, the President’s Committee on Inclusive Excellence and the Strategic Diversity Plan Committee.
Nationally, Kaenzig is the former Chair of the Board of Directors for PLEN, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. A frequent invited speaker on issues relating to talent development and introverted learners, Kaenzig’s acclaimed research on the topic, “Introversion: The often forgotten factor affecting the gifted,” is cited as one of the most influential references in the field. Kaenzig has appeared on NPR and the BBC’s podcast “The Why Factor” to discuss her research. In the local community, Kaenzig served as the founding president of the Music Boosters of Geneva and on the board of the Geneva Theatre Guild.
She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership from The College of William & Mary and began her professional career in political advocacy in Washington, D.C.
Student speakers for this year’s Baccalaureate include Rebecca Barr ’25, Abigail Britton-Lowden ’25, Guarldiard T. Cyriaque Mentor ’25, Sophia Mughal ’25 and Mohammad Yassin ’25.
President Mark D. Gearan and Provost and Dean of Faculty Sarah R. Kirk will offer remarks during the ceremony. The Rt. Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer, a member of the HWS Board of Trustees, will offer a blessing. Musical selections will be performed by the Colleges Chorale, led by Director Jonathan Mott, and by Midlakes Brass.
The service will be opened and closed by Imam Shaheed Ali, Director of the Muslim Life Center and Muslim Student Association Advisor; Rabbi Dr. Ann Landowne, Director of the Abbe Center for Jewish Life and Hillel Advisor; and Chaplain Byrd.
