During the Honor Committee’s annual Graves Mountain Lodge retreat March 27-29 — where the outgoing executive Committee and incoming representatives meet to discuss the upcoming term and newly-elected representatives vote on executive committee members — the Committee elected the new Committee chair and vice chairs for the 2026-27 term. Third-year College student Genny Freed was named the new chair and will succeed fourth-year Engineering student Thomas Ackleson.
The incoming representatives were elected Feb. 24-26 in student-body-wide elections. Internal elections to select the new chair and vice chairs took place over the span of two days during the Committee’s retreat. Only the newly elected incoming representatives are able to vote in the elections for chair and vice chairs.
Freed wrote in an email statement to The Cavalier Daily that during her time as chair, she hopes to help change the University community’s perspective on honor away from a strictly punitive system, as well as increase the efficiency and efficacy of the sanctioning process.
“I am excited to further embed the transformative power of the multi-sanction system into the U.Va. community’s understanding of Honor. I want students to view honor as a body that fosters a lifelong guiding principle of integrity, rather than as a purely punitive system,” Freed wrote.
Ackleson wrote in an email statement to The Cavalier Daily that he is fully confident in Freed’s leadership ability and admires her integrity and character.
“Genny is a proven leader, [she] knows the case process intimately and, most importantly, is a person of tremendous integrity and character. I have had the privilege of working with her for my past three years in Honor and look forward to her successful leadership of the Committee," Ackleson said.
Freed most recently served as the vice chair for sanctions and College of Arts and Sciences representative. Before serving in these roles, Freed served as a support officer for two years. During her first year, she served as an investigator/counsel before becoming a senior investigator/counsel during her second year.
The vice chair for sanctions is responsible for sanctioning administration, completion and compliance. Investigator/counsel support officers serve to conduct investigations of alleged honor violations and ensure fair representation in hearings.
Additionally, Annie Linley, current senior investigator/counsel and third-year College student, was elected as the vice chair for investigations at the retreat. According to the Committee bylaws, the vice chair for investigations is responsible for overseeing all cases that are currently under investigation. Linley will be replacing third-year College student Cody Scarce.
Sree Pamulapati, current pre-hearing coordinator and third-year College student, was elected as the vice chair for hearings at the retreat. The vice chair for hearings is responsible for overseeing all honor hearings and appeals. Pamulapati will be replacing fourth-year Batten student Mary Holland Mason.
Jessica Drennan, current senior investigator/counsel and third-year Batten student, was elected as the new vice chair for sanctions at the retreat. Drennan will be replacing Freed.
Scarce was elected as the new vice chair for the undergraduate community at the retreat. The vice chair for the undergraduate community is responsible for oversight of all outreach and education efforts to the undergraduate community at the University. Scarce will be replacing fourth-year Education student Penelope Molitz.
Third-year Engineering student Pippa Harris was elected as the new vice chair for operations at the retreat. The vice chair for operations is responsible for ensuring the proper management, administration and finances for the Committee. Harris will be replacing fourth-year Commerce student Caelin Rowell.
The vice chair for the graduate community was not filled during the Committee's retreat and will be filled by an internal election at an unconfirmed date. The VCGC is responsible for oversight over all the Committee's education and outreach to the graduate community at the University. The new VCGC, when elected, will replace Medical Student Nile Liu.
Freed and the new executive committee will assume their positions at 12:00 p.m. Monday.
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