Utica College Names Valedictorian, Two Salutatorians
Top students of the graduating undergraduate class of 2020 announced
Utica College Provost Todd Pfannestiel has announced that Nicole Collette is this year’s valedictorian. An animal behavior major, Collette earned a 4.00 grade point average (GPA). A graduate of Stillwater High School, she is the daughter of Trish Gifford and Mickey Collette. This past semester, Collette interned at New Orleans Audubon Zoo, training sea lions, until the zoo was forced to close due to COVID 19.
The college has named two salutatorians, Caleb Davisson and Adam Lyford.
Davisson, an accounting major, has earned a 4.00 GPA. Hailing from Clarence, Iowa, he is a graduate of North Cedar High School in Stanwood, Iowa. The son of Larry and Ellen Elijah, Davisson is enrolled in UC’s MBA program earning the 150 credit hours required to sit for New York State’s Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license. He works as an assistant accountant auditor at The Bonadio Group in Syracuse.
Lyford, a cybersecurity major who also earned a 4.00 GPA, is from West Kingston, Rhode Island. A graduate of South Kingston High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree in resource economics from UMass Amherst. The son of Tim and Laurie Lyford, he is married to Jessica Lyford. He plans to apply to UC’s masters in cybersecurity program, and is seeking a position in cybersecurity.
More Stories
Move-In Day 2026: A Welcoming Start to a New Academic Year
It was bright skies and even brighter smiles all around Utica University as a new class of Pioneers and their...
Utica University to Mark 80th Anniversary with Recreation of 1946 Opening Ceremony
Eight decades after University’s founding, local leaders and community members will gather at the site where Utica University’s enduring partnership with the community began.
Utica University Welcomes Jennifer Waters as Convocation Speaker
Jennifer Waters ’09, G’17, vice president for business development at New York State’s Governor’s Office of Semiconductor Expansion, Management, and...
I would like to see logins and resources for:
For a general list of frequently used logins, you can also visit our logins page.