Fall Convocation

Keynote Speaker

Rebecca Fox, Adrian Reed Associate Professor of Environmental Science

Rebecca Fox has taught at Washington College for 11 years, leading students in understanding environmental science everywhere from the Chesapeake Bay watershed to Bermuda and Ecuador. She has emphasized not just the subject matter, whether biogeochemistry or climate change, but also training students in field methods and in how to ask productive research questions.  

Fox works with students to create formal research proposals, just as they will have to do when applying for grant funding if they pursue science as a career. This helps students understand directly that successful research requires not only a novel and valuable idea, but also literature reviews, evaluations of potential methods, study sites, and investigators, as well as annotations, bibliographies, outlines, and multiple drafts of the written proposal itself.

When leading study abroad courses, Fox works to ensure students understand the context of what they will see through research in advance. During the travel itself, she reinforces the objectives of study abroad by encouraging students to keep research notebooks throughout the experience.

Fox’s own research specialty is in the chemistry of the nitrogen cycle, examining nutrient concentrations in streams and groundwater and studying the conversion of nitrate—often applied as fertilizer—to nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas.

In addition to dedicated teaching and research, Fox makes a difference for Washington College students through service to the College and its programs, including as faculty athletic representative and advisor for the Student Environmental Alliance. 

Alumni Horizon Ribbon Award

Ellen Bassett (O’Brien) ’12

Arundel Rivers Federation

Ellen Bassett is a riverkeeper with the Arundel Rivers Federation, dedicated to the protection and restoration of the South, West, and Rhode Rivers of Anne Arundel County. At Washington College, she majored in environmental studies, with a concentration in Chesapeake regional studies, and participated in the Chesapeake semester, was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, Omicron Delta Kappa honor society, and dance team captain. She earned her master’s in environmental education from Concordia University-Portland in 2017.

Bassett previously worked at ShoreRivers in a variety of positions including education and outreach coordinator and the Miles-Wye riverkeeper and has experience in environmental restoration, volunteer coordination, water quality monitoring, oyster restoration, county and state policy, and more.

Alumni Horizon Ribbon Award

Keenan Wheeler, D.O. ’10

U.S. Naval Academy

Keenan Wheeler is a team physician with the U.S. Naval Academy athletic department specializing in internal and sports medicine. Originally from Towson, Maryland, Wheeler graduated cum laude, majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. He was president of his class, a peer mentor, member of Kappa Alpha fraternity, Omicron Delta Kappa honor society, and men’s crew. A lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, Wheeler earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2016. He completed his internship and residency with the National Capital Consortium, his fellowship at the National Naval Hospital at Camp Pendleton and has also been a flight surgeon.