Commencement Speakers

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Released: 12-May-2023 7:15 PM EDT
Mae Jemison to speak at University of Delaware commencement
University of Delaware

Mae Jemison, the first woman of color in the world to go into space, will address the graduates at the University of Delaware's Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 27.

   
Released: 9-May-2022 11:05 AM EDT
Binghamton University to host 10 Commencement ceremonies
Binghamton University, State University of New York

Pharmacy ceremony to be held Friday, May 13; all others the following week.

Newswise: Media Advisory: Catherine Lhamon to Deliver UCI Law 2022 Commencement Address
Released: 27-Apr-2022 4:05 PM EDT
Media Advisory: Catherine Lhamon to Deliver UCI Law 2022 Commencement Address
University of California, Irvine School of Law

Catherine Lhamon, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education, will deliver the keynote address for UCI Law’s 2022 commencement ceremony Saturday, May 7.

Released: 6-Feb-2018 3:05 PM EST
Renée Fleming to Deliver Commencement Address at Northwestern
Northwestern University

World renowned soprano Renée Fleming will deliver this year’s commencement address at Northwestern University in June. Fleming, one of the most recognizable and celebrated voices on the planet, is a four-time Grammy Award winner, was the first classical artist to sing the National Anthem at a Super Bowl and has been presented the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists by the U.

Released: 18-Jan-2018 4:05 PM EST
Civil Rights Icon John Lewis to be UC San Diego Commencement Speaker
University of California San Diego

The University of California San Diego today announced that Rep. John Lewis, often called “one of the most courageous persons the civil rights movement ever produced,” will offer the keynote address at the invitation-only UC San Diego All Campus Commencement June 16, 2018.

Released: 2-May-2017 2:50 PM EDT
USC Viterbi School of Engineering Announces 2017 Commencement Speakers
University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering

The USC Viterbi School of Engineering satellite commencement ceremonies will take place on Friday, May 12th, 2017, following USC’s main commencement ceremony. There will be three separate ceremonies featuring three distinguished speakers. All ceremonies will be streamed live on the respective undergraduate and graduate-level commencement pages.

Released: 19-Apr-2016 6:00 PM EDT
American University Announces 2016 Commencement Speakers
American University

American University announces its 2016 commencement speakers. María Salinas, Donna Harris, Raymond G. Chambers, John King, Deborah F. Rutter, The Honorable Loretta E. Lynch are this year's commencement speakers.

Released: 14-May-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Binghamton Commencement Speaker Overcomes Challenges of Delivering Speech on Jewish Day of Rest
Binghamton University, State University of New York

Don Greenberg was thrilled to be announced as one of this year’s student Commencement speakers for Binghamton University’s Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science. However, when he learned that his Commencement ceremony was on Shabbat, it appeared as if all hope was lost. Growing up as an Orthodox Jew, Shabbat had always been a time for Greenberg to spend with friends and family, while also resting. For many Jews, Shabbat is a time to disregard many of the typical demands of modernity, such as driving, using electronics, writing, cooking and other forms of “work.”

Released: 30-Apr-2015 3:05 PM EDT
Celebrated Chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov to Deliver 2015 Commencement Address at Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University

Celebrated Chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov to Deliver 2015 Commencement Address at Saint Louis University May 16.

Released: 22-Apr-2015 12:05 PM EDT
Admiral Michelle Howard, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, To Address Rensselaer Graduates at 209th Commencement
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Admiral Michelle Howard, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, will address graduates on May 30 at the 209th Commencement Ceremony of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

   
Released: 22-Apr-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Ursinus Honors its Late President at 2015 Commencement
Ursinus College

President Bobby Fong and Suzanne Fong will "graduate" with the Class of 2015

Released: 22-Apr-2015 9:05 AM EDT
Broadcast Journalist Laura Ling to Deliver2015 Commencement Address at Carthage College
Carthage College

Six years ago at this time, Laura Ling was imprisoned in North Korea. Chosen as Carthage College’s 2015 Commencement speaker, she’ll share reflections from those terrifying months and other lessons she has gleaned from a career as an award-winning broadcast journalist.

Released: 21-Apr-2015 2:05 PM EDT
Top eBay Executive Devin Wenig ’88 to Speak at Commencement
Union College

More than 500 students in the Class of 2015 will receive degrees during the ceremony, scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday, June 14,

Released: 14-Apr-2014 11:00 AM EDT
"Frozen” Screenwriter/Director Jennifer Lee ‘92 is UNH 2014 Commencement Speaker
University of New Hampshire

The first woman to direct an animated feature film for Walt Disney Animation Studios, Academy Award®-winner Jennifer Lee, will deliver the University of New Hampshire commencement address Saturday, May 17, 2014.

Released: 14-Apr-2014 11:00 AM EDT
Alex Smith, NFL Quarterback and University of Utah Alum, to Deliver 2014 Commencement Address
University of Utah

Alex Smith, quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, U graduate and generous philanthropist is the U's 2014 commencement speaker. He will receive an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for his dedication and inspiration – on and off the field of play.

Released: 14-Apr-2014 10:30 AM EDT
Wynton Marsalis to Address Tulane University Graduates
Tulane University

New Orleans native and Pulitzer Prize winner Wynton Marsalis will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters and deliver the keynote address to graduates at Tulane University’s Commencement 2014, which will be held at 9 a.m., May 17 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Released: 14-Apr-2014 10:00 AM EDT
Global Leader in Study of HIV/AIDS to Speak at Commencement
Union College

Dr. Deborah L. Birx, a renowned international expert in the field of HIV/AIDS, will be the featured speaker at Union's 220th Commencement, College officials announced today. Approximately 525 students in the Class of 2014 will receive degrees during the ceremony, scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday, June 15, on Hull Plaza. Birx will receive an honorary doctorate of science degree.

Released: 13-Apr-2014 12:50 PM EDT
Celebrity Chef José Andrés to Deliver Commencement Address at the George Washington University, May 18
George Washington University

World-renowned chef José Andrés will address graduates of the George Washington University at its 2014 Commencement. The James Beard winner is known for his restaurants, his PBS television series, his food advocacy work and his GW class, “The World on a Plate: How Food Shapes Civilization.”

Released: 11-Apr-2014 5:00 PM EDT
Baseball Hall of Famer Tony La Russa to deliver WUSTL’s Commencement address
Washington University in St. Louis

Tony La Russa, who recently was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and is considered one of the best managers in baseball history, has been selected to give the 2014 Commencement address at Washington University in St. Louis. The university’s 153rd Commencement ceremony is 8:30 a.m. Friday, May 16, in Brookings Quadrangle on the Danforth Campus.

Released: 11-Apr-2014 4:00 PM EDT
Fed Chair Janet Yellen, Yankees Pitching Great Mariano Rivera, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, Singer Aretha Franklin, and Distinguished Attorney Martin Edelman to Receive Honorary Degrees at NYU’s 2014 Commencement in New York
New York University

NYU President John Sexton and Board of Trustees Chairman Martin Lipton today announced the names of those to be honored at the University’s 182nd Commencement Exercises, which will be held Wednesday, May 21st, at Yankee Stadium.

Released: 11-Apr-2014 3:00 PM EDT
U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to Speak at U.Va. Final Exercises
University of Virginia

Ray Mabus, the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, will deliver the commencement address at the University of Virginia’s 185th Final Exercises on May 18. The former governor of Mississippi and ambassador to Saudi Arabia will speak on the Lawn following the traditional academic procession.

Released: 11-Apr-2014 2:00 PM EDT
Emmy Award–Winning Writer Chris Regan Selected as Ithaca College Commencement Speaker
Ithaca College

Emmy Award–winner Chris Regan, a 1989 graduate of Ithaca College, has been selected to deliver the main address at the college’s 2014 Commencement ceremony, scheduled for May 18.

Released: 11-Apr-2014 1:00 PM EDT
Saint Joseph's University Announces 2014 Commencement Speakers
Saint Joseph's University

Saint Joseph’s University will grant honorary degrees to Frannie and James J. Maguire ’58 and David Hollenbach, S.J. ’64, Ph.D., at the 2014 Commencement ceremonies, which are set for Saturday, May 17.

Released: 10-Apr-2014 5:00 PM EDT
UMB Invites Author and Producer Wes Moore
University of Maryland, Baltimore

Wes Moore is a best-selling author, Army combat veteran, social entrepreneur, and executive producer and host of a series with PBS on returning veterans called “Coming Back with Wes Moore".

Released: 4-Apr-2014 8:55 AM EDT
Award-Winning Author to Give Hamilton College Commencement Address
Hamilton College

Award-winning author and journalist Christopher Dickey will deliver the Commencement address at Hamilton College on Sunday, May 25, at 10:30 a.m., in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House. Dickey will be awarded an honorary degree, along with Deborah Bial, founder and president of the Posse Foundation, and Thomas Schwarz, a 1966 Hamilton graduate and president of Purchase College.

Released: 1-Apr-2014 5:05 PM EDT
UC Irvine's Paul Merage School of Business Announces Taco Bell CEO as Commencement Speaker
University of California, Irvine, Paul Merage School of Business

Greg Creed, chief executive officer for Taco Bell Corp., a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., will give the commencement address at UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business graduation ceremony to be held June 16, 2014, in the Bren Events Center on the UC Irvine campus.

Released: 1-Apr-2014 11:00 AM EDT
Michigan Tech Commencement Speaker: Former Astronaut, NFL Player
Michigan Technological University

Former astronaut and NFL football player Leland D. Melvin will be the speaker at Michigan Technological University's 2014 Spring Commencement.

Released: 28-May-2013 11:00 AM EDT
Mount Holyoke Celebrates 176th Commencement
Mount Holyoke College

A jam-packed crowd cheered more than 600 graduates as they received their diplomas Sunday, May 19 in Mount Holyoke College's 176th annual commencement in the Richard Glenn Gettell Amphitheater.

Released: 30-Apr-2013 8:00 AM EDT
Dalai Lama to speak at Tulane University Commencement
Tulane University

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibet, will deliver the keynote address to graduates at Tulane University’s 2013 Commencement.

Released: 22-Apr-2013 10:30 AM EDT
Peter B. Lewis to Speak at CWRU's Commencement
Case Western Reserve University

Renowned business leader and philanthropist Peter B. Lewis has been named Case Western Reserve University commencement speaker. The Progressive Insurance Co. chair to give address and receive an honorary degree on 10th anniversary of the opening of the Weatherhead School of Management building with his name.

Released: 4-Mar-2013 4:15 PM EST
Alum Kavita Ramdas Named Mount Holyoke Commencement Speaker
Mount Holyoke College

Social justice advocate and leader Kavita N. Ramdas ’85 will give the 2013 commencement address and receive an honorary degree when Mount Holyoke College celebrates its 176th commencement on Sunday, May 19.

Released: 13-Aug-2012 10:40 AM EDT
Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher to Speak at NSU Commencement on August 25
Nova Southeastern University

Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., will be the keynote speaker at a commencement ceremony for Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) colleges of Nursing and Health Care Sciences on Saturday, August 25.

Released: 21-May-2012 7:00 AM EDT
Macy’s Parade Leader Addresses Ithaca College Graduates
Ithaca College

Amy Kule, planner and producer of Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, brought showmanship, flair and wisdom as Ithaca College’s Commencement speaker

Released: 18-May-2012 1:55 PM EDT
Military Medical University Holds 33rd CommencementMore Than 200 Uniformed Medical Professionals Prepare to ‘Care for Those in Harm’s Way’
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU)

For the last four years, students from all over the United States have been ‘learning to care for those in harm’s way’ at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), the nation’s only federal health sciences university, operated by the Department of Defense. On Saturday, May 19, these more than 200 uniformed and civilian medical professionals and scientists will take the final step towards that goal as they receive advanced degrees at USU’s 33rd Commencement Exercise.

Released: 9-Apr-2012 9:00 AM EDT
'Doonesbury' Creator Trudeau Speaking At St. Lawrence University Commencement
St. Lawrence University

Garry Trudeau and Skidmore dance professor Mary DiSanto-Rose, a Class of 1975 graduate, will speak at St. Lawrence University's Commencement May 20.

Released: 4-Apr-2012 3:20 PM EDT
Leading Innovation Expert and Former U.S. House of Representatives Science and Technology Committee Chairman Barton J. Gordon Will Speak at 206th RPI Commencement
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin G. Scalia, Digital Camera Inventor and Rensselaer Alumnus Steven J. Sasson ’72, and Stanford University Computer Science Professor Emeritus Edward A. Feigenbaum Also Will Receive Honorary Degrees

Released: 8-Mar-2012 3:50 PM EST
IBM's Sam Palmisano to Speak at Johns Hopkins University's Commencement Ceremony
 Johns Hopkins University

Sam Palmisano, chairman of the board of IBM and chair of IBM’s executive committee, will return this spring to his alma mater, the Johns Hopkins University, as the featured speaker at the university-wide commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 24. A former university trustee, Palmisano will also receive an honorary degree of doctor of humane letters during the ceremony, which is for graduates from all divisions and campuses.

Released: 9-Feb-2012 4:00 PM EST
Azar Nafisi to Give 175th MHC Commencement Address
Mount Holyoke College

Best-selling writer Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, will address Mount Holyoke College graduates during the College's 175th commencement on May 20.

Released: 25-May-2011 2:00 PM EDT
Rush University Commencement Ceremony on June 11 to Feature Former U.S. Surgeon General
RUSH

Rush University will recognize 596 graduating students at its 39th commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 11, at 2 p.m. at the UIC Pavilion, 525 South Racine in Chicago.

Released: 12-May-2011 3:00 PM EDT
Florida Governor Rick Scott to Speak at NSU Commencement
Nova Southeastern University

Scott to give keynote address to graduating health professionals.

Released: 7-Apr-2011 2:00 PM EDT
Tom Brokaw St. Lawrence Commencement Speaker
St. Lawrence University

Journalist Tom Brokaw will be the speaker for St. Lawrence University's Commencement ceremony May 22, 2011.

Released: 4-Apr-2011 10:25 AM EDT
Dr. Anthony S. Fauci To Deliver Albert Einstein College Of Medicine Commencement Address
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Noted AIDS researcher and immunologist Anthony S. Fauci will deliver the keynote address at the 2011 commencement ceremony for Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will speak at Einstein’s graduation, which takes place Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 3 p.m. at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall.

Released: 18-Mar-2011 12:00 PM EDT
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist, Novelist Anna Quindlen to Address Class of 2011 at Grinnell College Commencement
Grinnell College

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author Anna Quindlen will address the Grinnell College Class of 2011 at the college’s 165th Exercises of Commencement, on Mon., May 23, at 10 a.m. on Central Campus.

Released: 15-Mar-2011 3:25 PM EDT
DeMaurice Smith to Give University of Maryland Spring 2011 Commencement Address
University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland will welcome DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), as the 2011 Spring Commencement speaker. The fourth leader in the union's 41-year history, Smith represents approximately 1,700 NFL players in the collective bargaining union, which is currently negotiating a billion-dollar collective bargaining agreement with league owners.

Released: 13-Dec-2010 2:00 PM EST
Pulitzer Prize-Winner Thomas Friedman to Speak at Tulane’s Commencement
Tulane University

Best-selling author, reporter, New York Times columnist and three time Pulitzer Prize-winner Thomas Friedman will deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary doctorate from Tulane University at its 2011 Commencement, which will be held at 4 p.m., Thursday, May 12 in the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Released: 30-Oct-2010 6:00 PM EDT
New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to Deliver George Washington University’s Commencement Address May 15, 2011
George Washington University

Michael R. Bloomberg, mayor of the City of New York, will address graduates of the George Washington University at its Commencement on the National Mall Sunday, May 15, 2011.

Released: 2-Jun-2010 2:35 PM EDT
Robert Brooks, Ph.D., to Deliver Address at 2010 Graduate Commencement Ceremony
Nova Southeastern University

Leading motivational speaker on resilience, self-esteem, and family relationships to address graduates on June 12.

Released: 2-Jun-2010 11:50 AM EDT
Award Winning Actress & Activist Marlee Matlin to Speak at NSU Education School’s Commencement
Nova Southeastern University

Academy Award winning actress and activist Marlee Matlin will be the speaker at the 2010 commencement ceremony for Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Fischler School of Education and Human Services. The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 12 in the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.

Released: 25-May-2010 9:00 AM EDT
Health Policy Advisor to Address Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Graduation
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Ezekiel J. Emanuel, M.D., Ph.D., a leading health policy advisor in the Obama administration, will address graduates at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s 115th convocation on Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 2:30 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore.

Released: 14-May-2010 12:00 PM EDT
MacArthur "Genius" Fellow Bill Strickland To Deliver Babson College Commencement Address May 15, 2010
Babson College

MacArthur “Genius” Fellow William E. Strickland, Jr., President & CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation, will deliver the Babson College commencement address during ceremonies on May 15, 2010, on the Babson campus.



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