Mathematics graduate selected as UNC Charlotte commencement speaker

When Hal West-Page crossed the commencement stage this summer, she did so not only as a graduate earning her doctorate in applied mathematics from the Klein College of Science, but also as the student selected to deliver UNC Charlotte’s summer commencement address.

A native of Hope Mills, North Carolina, West-Page has spent nearly a decade as a member of the Charlotte community, earning an undergraduate degree in 2021 and a master’s degree in 2025 before completing her Ph.D. in applied mathematics.

Her research interests at the intersection of mathematics and public health will continue this fall as she begins a postdoctoral position with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Steven M. Teutsch Prevention Effectiveness Fellowship.

West-Page was also a participant in UNC Charlotte’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition in 2025, where graduate students present their research and its impact in just three minutes. West-Page took second place in the competition and the experience helped showcase her ability to communicate complex ideas to broad audiences, a skill that carried through to the commencement stage.

Throughout her time at Charlotte, West-Page embraced opportunities both inside and outside the classroom, including leadership roles within the Mathematics Graduate Student Association. She credits the University with providing meaningful research experiences, professional development opportunities and a supportive academic community.

In her commencement remarks, West-Page encouraged graduates to reflect on the journeys that brought them to this milestone while looking confidently toward the future.