Jarryd Wallace, a four-time Paralympic competitor and recipient of two bronze medals, will present the spring undergraduate Commencement speech at the University of Georgia on May 9 in Sanford Stadium. The event will commence at 7:30 p.m.

Paige Carmichael, a veterinary pathology professor in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, will provide the address during the graduate ceremonies on May 8 in Stegeman Coliseum. The master’s and specialist ceremony starts at 10 a.m., followed by the doctoral ceremony at 2:30 p.m.

Wallace’s sports journey altered at the age of 20 when his right leg was amputated below the knee. Hailing from Athens, he was a state champion cross-country competitor and was enrolled at UGA on a track scholarship when complications from compartment syndrome derailed his aspirations. Following ten operations over two years, he chose to have his leg amputated.

The operation provided him with a new lease on life, and in less than a year and a half, he established a world record in the 100-meter dash at the Parapan American Games. Presently, he is a three-time gold medalist at the World Para Athletics Championships and has taken part in the last four Paralympic Games.

After attaining professional success in sprinting, which included a bronze medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games, Wallace opted to transition to the long jump. Although the shift was challenging, it proved to be an invigorating endeavor for him, and one that yielded success. At the 2024 Paralympic Games, he secured a bronze medal in long jump.

Wallace is the founder and CEO of the RIVL Foundation, which emphasizes prosthetic advancements, amputee rehabilitative studies, and community engagement. He has also partnered with prosthetic manufacturers to enhance the affordability and accessibility of running blades.

He graduated from UGA with a bachelor’s degree in 2019 and resides near Athens with his spouse, Lea, and their two sons.

Graduate speaker Carmichael is a distinguished figure in veterinary medicine and a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor. She is particularly recognized for her work on hereditary neurological disorders in dog breeds such as Bernese mountain dogs, Jack Russell terriers, and Irish setters.

Her investigations have paved the way for the creation of pioneering tests and therapies for animals suffering from these conditions. Carmichael’s research team was also the pioneer in detailing a spinal cord affliction called FeLV-associated myelopathy, which can impact cats infected with the feline leukemia virus.

She obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Tuskegee University in 1987 and initially worked as a temporary instructor at UGA’s Tifton campus. Subsequently, she completed a combined residency in pathology and doctoral program at UGA, earning board certification as a pathologist in 1995.

Apart from the Meigs Professorship, Carmichael has garnered numerous accolades at UGA, including the Lilly Teaching Fellowship, the Carl Norden-Pfizer Distinguished Teaching Award, and the Fulfilling the Dream Award. Tuskegee also honored her with the Outstanding Alumnus Award.

Beyond her research, Carmichael finds immense joy in teaching and co-founded the Teaching Academy Fellows Program at UGA to assist early-career faculty in refining their teaching abilities. She has also served on the boards of the UGA Athletic Association and the Georgia Museum of Art.

For additional details regarding Commencement, please visit commencement.uga.edu.

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