Iain Prendergast of Norwich earns undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, MO (07/16/2010)(readMedia)-- Iain Prendergast, son of Penelope Prendergast and Thomas Prendergast, both of Norwich, Vt. (05055), received an undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis on May 21. Prendergast graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from the College of Arts & Sciences.

Prendergast was among the 2,706 students who received degrees at the university's 149th Commencement ceremony, which was held in Brookings Quadrangle on campus. U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, PhD, delivered the Commencement address. Chu received an honorary doctor of science.

Prendergast is a 2006 graduate of Hanover High School in Hanover, N.H.

Washington University is counted among the world's leaders in teaching and research, and it draws students and faculty to St. Louis from all 50 states and more than 125 countries. The total student body is more than 13,500 undergraduate, graduate and professional students.

The approximately 3,290 faculty teach in seven schools: Arts & Sciences, Olin Business School, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, School of Engineering & Applied Science, School of Law, School of Medicine and George Warren Brown School of Social Work. Twenty-two Nobel laureates have been associated with Washington University, with nine doing the major portion of their pioneering research here.

The university offers more than 90 programs and almost 1,500 courses leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in a broad spectrum of traditional and interdisciplinary fields, with additional opportunities for minor concentrations and individualized programs.

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