Alexander, Batten, and DuPriest to Receive Honorary Degrees

Emmy Award-winning poet and author Kwame Alexander will serve as Randolph-Macon’s 2026 Commencement speaker.

“Kwame’s moving poetry is rich with insights on humanity that have inspired me and steadied me in uncertain times for years of friendship,” noted Randolph-Macon President Michael E. Hill. “I am so thrilled to have him join us for my first Commencement and share his gifts with this community.”  

Alexander is a New York Times bestselling author of 45 books, primarily for children and young adults, and an Emmy Award-winning television producer. His picture book The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, was nominated for the National Book Award and won the Newbery Honor and Caldecott Medal. His other books include Becoming Muhammad Ali (co-authored with James Patterson), Why Fathers Cry at Night, and Black Star.

Alexander is the executive producer, showrunner, and writer of the Emmy Award-winning Disney+ series The Crossover, based on his Newbery Medal-winning novel of the same name. The series was produced in partnership with LeBron James’ Springhill Company and Big Sea Entertainment, Alexander’s production company. Big Sea is dedicated to creating innovative, original children’s and family entertainment, like the Emmy-nominated PBS KIDS special Acoustic Rooster: Jazzy Jams, also based on one of his beloved children’s books. The company is also producing America’s Next Great Author, a groundbreaking reality TV series for writers.

He regularly shares his passion for literacy, books, and the craft of writing around the world at events such as Aspen Ideas and the Global Literacy Symposium in Ghana, where he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic. The recipient of a 2025 NAACP Image Award, Alexander is also a Sine 250+ Fellow at American University and the founder of the literacy non-profit One Word at a Time.

For three seasons, Alexander served as the Michael I. Rudell Artistic Director of Literary Arts at Chautauqua Institution, where Dr. Hill served as President for almost a decade.

Randolph-Macon will confer Honorary Doctor of Humanities degrees on three deserving individuals during the Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 24: Alexander, Jane Batten, and Barclay DuPriest.

Jane Batten

Jane Parke Batten is a nationally respected philanthropist and civic leader whose lifetime of service has advanced education, environmental stewardship, and community well-being. Raised in Norfolk, Virginia, she and her late husband, Frank Batten—an influential media entrepreneur and civic leader—shared a deep belief in community responsibility, service, and stewardship.

Batten has devoted decades to nonprofit governance and institutional leadership, serving on numerous boards and foundations that strengthen communities across Coastal Virginia. Her service has included leadership roles with Virginia Wesleyan University, the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, United Way of Hampton Roads, YMCA of South Hampton Roads, and the Slover Library Foundation. She is also a co-founder of E3: Elevate Early Education, reflecting her belief that opportunity and learning must begin early and be accessible to all.

Education and environmental responsibility are central to Batten’s philanthropic legacy. She has supported colleges and universities throughout Virginia and beyond through scholarships, endowed academic programs, and transformative capital investments, with particular emphasis on interdisciplinary education and environmental science. Her environmental leadership has been shaped in part by her involvement with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and further reflected in her support of coastal resilience, marine science, and sustainability initiatives. She is also the founder of First Tee Hampton Roads, a youth development organization that uses athletics to foster character, leadership, and life skills.

Barclay DuPriest

Barclay DuPriest has served as Randolph-Macon’s campus store manager for more than 40 years, with plans to retire from her full-time role in 2026. DuPriest is also widely admired as a pillar of school spirit and the embodiment of Randolph-Macon’s ethos of campus connection.

DuPriest earned her bachelor’s degree from what was then Randolph-Macon Women’s College in Lynchburg, Va., then taught elementary school for eight years at nearby Hanover Academy before taking charge of the campus store in June 1985. In that time, through shrewd merchandising, she transformed what was primarily a bookstore into a fully stocked campus store that serves as a destination for customers.

Her impact on the RMC community, far beyond her official duties, is immeasurable. DuPriest is well known for a contagious laugh, her uncanny ability to remember names and faces, and a deep concern for the well-being of all Yellow Jackets. Her selfless compassion and legendary support, in ways both small and large, has fostered connections across generations of alumni, many of whom keep in touch well after graduation.

Barclay and her husband Rob ’69 are ardent supporters of athletics and arts and regularly attend events on campus. A true team player, she relishes her role in the efforts of the Admissions and Advancement offices, speaking with prospective new students and parents and keeping alumni connected with the College.

“I could not be more inspired by the three people receiving honorary doctoral degrees this year,” President Hill said. “Each has made an indelible imprint on humanity and is worthy of celebration.”