Commencement Speakers for 2025
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Updated on May 6, 2025
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The lineup for spring 2025 commencement speakers includes politicians, activists, academics, authors, actors, musicians, scientists, film producers, athletes, motivational speakers, business leaders … and a Muppet.
Credit: Craig F. Walker / The Boston Globe / Getty ImagesColleges and universities have begun naming their commencement speakers for 2025. Here’s a running list of announcements, including ceremony dates.
Stay tuned for continual updates throughout the spring.
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| School | Date | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Adelphi University | May 20 | James Stavridis, a retired Navy admiral and partner and vice chair of global affairs for The Carlyle Group, undergraduate ceremony; Joseph Moscola, an Adelphi alum and executive vice president for shared services strategy and operations at Northwell Health, graduate ceremony |
| Albion College | May 3 | Debbie Stabenow, a former U.S. senator from Michigan |
| Albright College | May 11 | Kenya Davis, an attorney and partner at Boies Schiller Flexner, LLP |
| Assumption University | May 18, 21 | Jeffrey W. Talley, an Assumption alum, retired three-star Army general, and president & CEO of The P3i Group, undergraduate ceremony; Sheila M. Harrity, an Assumption alum, former superintendent of the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District, graduate ceremony |
| Ball State University | May 3 | Kayla Davion, a Ball State alum and actress |
| Bard College | May 24 | Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis, former prime minister of Haiti and president/founder of the Foundation for Knowledge and Liberty |
| Bates College | May 25 | Angela Duckworth, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania |
| Bentley University | May 16-17 | Jeremy M. Jacobs Jr., CEO of Delaware North, undergraduate ceremony; Yvonne Hao, secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, graduate ceremony |
| Bluefield University | May 10, 17 | Will Morefield, member of the Virginia House of Delegates, undergraduate ceremony; Don Caudill, a business leader and academic, graduate ceremony |
| Boston University | May 18 | Emily Deschanel, a BU alum, actor, and animal rights activist |
| Brandeis University | May 18 | Jonathon Sarna, Brandeis alum and retired history professor; and Shirley Ann Jackson, former president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| Bucknell University | May 18 | Jessica Livingston, a Bucknell alum and co-founder of Y Combinator |
| California Institute of Technology | June 13 | Walter Massey, a physicist and chair of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization |
| Carnegie Mellon University | May 11 | Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy |
| Cedar Crest College | May 10 | Kate Zernike, a New York Times reporter and author |
| Central College | May 10 | Adam Gregg, a Central alum and president and CEO of Iowa Bankers Association |
| Centre College | May 24 | Kent Barnett, a Centre alum and dean of The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law |
| Clark University | May 19 | Esther Duflo, an economics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Nobel laureate, undergraduate ceremony; Ari Shapiro, host of National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” graduate ceremony |
| Coe College | May 4 | Forest Brown, a Coe alum and president of Brown’s Family of Dealerships |
| Colby College | May 25 | Charlie Baker, president of the NCAA |
| College of William & Mary | May 16 | M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International and host of PBS’s “Changing Planet” |
| Colorado Christian University | May 9 | James Brown, the host of “The NFL Today” on CBS |
| Colorado College | May 18 | Mike Shum, a Colorado College alum and an award-winning independent filmmaker |
| Colorado State University | May 16 | Eugene Daniels, a Colorado State alum and senior Washington correspondent for MSNBC |
| Dartmouth College | June 15 | Sandra Oh, the actor |
| Dickinson College | May 18 | Tiffany Frey, a biology professor at the college |
| Drew University | May 17 | David Epstein, a journalist and author, undergraduate ceremony; Craig Drinkard, executive officer of the Victoria Foundation, graduate ceremony |
| Duke University | May 11 | Grant Hill, a former Duke and NBA basketball player, sports commentator, and businessman |
| Eastern University | May 9-10 | Marvin Rees, an Eastern alum and former mayor of Bristol, United Kingdom |
| Elizabethtown College | May 10 | S. Dale High, an Elizabethtown alum and chair emeritus for High Industries Inc. and High Real Estate Group LLC |
| Elon University | May 23 | Wes Durham, an Elon alum and a sportscaster for ESPN and the ACC Network |
| Emerson College | May 11 | Jennifer Coolidge, an Emerson alum and actress |
| Emory University | May 12 | Usher Raymond IV, singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor |
| Fairfield University | May 17-18 | Timothy Shriver, chairman of the Special Olympics International Board of Directors, undergraduate ceremony; Cathy E. Minehan, former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, graduate ceremony |
| Fitchburg State University | May 17 | Peter Reynolds, a Fitchburg alum and author and illustrator |
| Fordham University | May 17 | Regina Hall, a Fordham alum and actress |
| Gallaudet University | May 16 | Tom Humphries, a Gallaudet alum and academic, author, and lecturer on deaf culture, undergraduate ceremony; Carol Padden, a communication professor at the University of California, San Diego, graduate ceremony |
| George Mason University | May 15 | Martina Cheung, president and CEO of S&P Global |
| Georgetown University | May 17 | Henry Winkler, the actor, is one of 14 speakers |
| George Washington University | May 18 | Jonquel Jones, a GW alum and WNBA basketball player |
| Gettysburg College | May 17 | Carol Cantele, a Gettysburg alum and former field hockey coach at the college |
| Gonzaga University | May 10-11 | Linda M. LeMura, president of Le Moyne College, undergraduate ceremony; Cornelia E. Davis, a Gonzaga alum and epidemiologist, graduate ceremony; Timothy Kaine, U.S. Senator from Virginia, law school ceremony |
| Gordon College | May 17 | Makoto Fujimura, an artist |
| Goucher College | May 23 | Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge |
| Greenville University | May 8-10 | LaShanna Farley, chief human resources officer and president of Kenosis Leadership LLC |
| Harvard University | May 29 | Abraham Verghese, a Stanford University biology professor, physician, and novelist |
| High Point University | May 3 | Jane Seymour, actress |
| Hiram College | May 17 | Marlena Hudson, a Hiram alum and executive coach, motivational speaker, author, and supervisor of talent services at NASA’s John H. Glenn Research Center |
| Hillsdale College | May 10 | Victor Davis Hanson, a historian and political commentator |
| Hope College | May 4 | Lauren Hearit, a management professor at the college |
| Howard University | May 10 | LeVar Burton, an actor, director, producer, and author |
| Johns Hopkins University | May 22 | Sal Kahn, founder of Kahn Academy |
| Kenyon College | May 17 | Jacqueline Woodson, an award-winning writer |
| Lafayette College | May 24 | MK Asante, an author, filmmaker, recording artist, and professor at Morgan State University |
| Lake Forest College | May 10 | Justin Lansing, a Lake Forest alum and musician |
| Lasell University | May 9-10 | Nancy Castle Donahue, a Lasell alum, fashion model, and entrepreneur, undergraduate ceremony; Callie Crossley, a journalist, graduate ceremony |
| Lehigh University | May 17-18 | Kate Johnson, a Lehigh alum and president and CEO of Lumen Technologies, undergraduate ceremony; James Wassil, a Lehigh alum and executive vice president and chief operating officer of Vaxcyte, graduate ceremony |
| Linfield University | June 1 | Nicholas Kristof, an opinion columnist for The New York Times |
| Longwood University | May 16-17 | Christy S. Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, undergraduate ceremony; Larry Stimpert, president of Hampden-Sydney College, graduate ceremony |
| Marist University | May 23-24 | Steve Kornacki, a national political correspondent for NBC News, undergraduate ceremony; John Liporace, a Marist alum and managing partner at Taylor Global LLC, graduate ceremony |
| Marquette University | May 10 or 11 | Diane Foley, president of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, undergraduate ceremony; Anne Basting, emerita professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and founder of TimeSlips.org, graduate ceremony |
| Marshall University | May 10 | Soledad O’Brien, a broadcast journalist and author |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | May 29 | Hank Green, an online educator, author, and YouTuber |
| McDaniel College | May 17, 23 | Linda L. Singh, retired Adjutant General of the Maryland National Guard and founder of Kaleidoscope Affect LLC, undergraduate ceremony; Simeon K. Schlossberg, professor of counseling at the college, graduate ceremony | Meredith College | May 10 | Brenda Parks Hughes, a Meredith alum and filmmaker |
| Miami University | May 17 | Jeff Berding, a Miami alum and president and co-CEO of FC Cincinnati |
| New College of Florida | May 23 | Alan Dershowitz, a constitutional lawyer, author, and Harvard Law School professor emeritus |
| New York University | May 15 | Molly Shannon, an NYU alum and actor |
| North Carolina State University | May 3 | Adm. Daryl Caudle, an NC State alum and commander of the United States Fleet Forces |
| North Carolina Wesleyan University | May 3 | Danijel Velicki, founder of Opus Wealth Strategies and Sqwire, LLC |
| Northeastern University | May 11 | Elliot Grainge, a Northeastern alum and CEO of Atlantic Music Group |
| Northwestern University | June 15 | Steve Carell, actor |
| Norwich University | May 3 | Phil Scott, governor of Vermont |
| The Ohio State University | May 4 | U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden Jr., a former astronaut and NASA administrator |
| Ohio University | May 3 | John P. Gainor, an Ohio alum and former president and CEO of International Dairy Queen, Inc. |
| Old Dominion University | May 10 | Meagan Good, an actress, producer, and director |
| Oral Roberts University | May 3 | Bobby Gruenewald, a pastor and innovation leader at Life.Church and founder of the YouVersion Bible App |
| Oregon State University | June 14 | Nicholas Kristof, an opinion columnist for The New York Times |
| Pace University | May 19 | Josh Silverman, CEO of Etsy |
| Pitzer College | May 17 | Shaquem Griffin, the NFL’s first one-handed player |
| Post University | May 10 | Regina Martin, an educator and motivational speaker |
| Princeton University | May 25 | Jerome Powell, a Princeton alum and chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, will speak at Baccalaureate |
| Ramapo College | May 15 | Craig J. Coughlin, Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly |
| Regent University | May 10 | Winsome Earle-Sears, a Regent alum and lieutenant governor of Virginia |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | May 10 | Lisa Su, chair and CEO of AMD; and R. J. Scaringe, an RPI alum and founder and CEO of Rivian |
| Richard Bland College | May 14 | Belle Wheelan, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |
| Ripon College | May 18 | Betsy Kleba, vice president of cancer screening product management at Exact Sciences Corporation |
| Rutgers University | May 18 | Peter Seligmann, a Rutgers alum, environmentalist, and co-founder of Conservation International and Nia Tero |
| Saint Anselm College | May 17 | Carlos Lozada, a New York Times opinion columnist |
| Saint Mary’s College | May 17 | Mary McAleese, former president of Ireland |
| Saint Michael’s College | May 11 | Fr. Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries |
| Salem College | May 10 | Celia Weston, a Salem alum and actress |
| Scripps College | May 17 | Nava Mau, a filmmaker, actor, advocate, and cultural worker |
| Siena College | May 18 | Al Roker, NBC “Today” anchor |
| Skidmore College | May 17 | Aaron Dworkin, an author, poetjournalist, filmmaker, and University of Michigan professor; and Adam Weinberg, director emeritus of the Whitney Museum of American Art |
| Soka University of America | May 23 | Orlando Bloom, the actor |
| Stanford University | June 15 | Katie Ledecky, a Stanford alum and 14-time Olympic medalist in swimming |
| State University of New York at Old Westbury | May 21 | Alberto J.F. Cardelle, president of the State University of New York at Oneonta |
| Stevens Institute of Technology | May 21 | Emilio A. Fernandez, managing director of Pulse Capital |
| Susquehanna University | May 10 | Baktash Ahadi, a Susquehanna alum and a director, producer, and writer |
| Temple University | May 7 | Mitchell Morgan, a Temple alum and owner of Morgan Properties |
| Trinity College | May 18 | Ned Lamont, governor of Connecticut |
| Tufts University | May 18 | Freeman A. Hrabowski III, president emeritus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County |
| Tulane University | May 17 | Sheryl Lee Ralph, an actress and singer |
| U.S. Military Academy at West Point | May 24 | President Donald Trump |
| University of Alabama | May 1 | President Donald Trump |
| University of California, Berkeley | May 17 | Daniel Lubetzky, founder of KIND Snacks and the Builders Movement |
| University of Georgia | May 8-9 | Jarryd Wallace, a Georgia alum and Paralympian, undergraduate ceremony; Paige Carmichael, a Georgia alum and professor at the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine, graduate ceremony |
| University of Hartford | May 18 | David Thompson, a Hartford alum and vice president of commercial services for Boston Scientific; and Lawrence Ward, president of the university |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | May 17 | Robert J. Jones, chancellor of the university |
| University of Maine | May 11 | Robert Dana, a Maine alum and former dean of students at the university |
| University of Maryland | May 21 | Kermit the Frog, a Muppet |
| University of Maryland Eastern Shore | May 16 | Wes Moore, governor of Maryland |
| University of Mary Washington | May 10 | Melanie Kay-Wyatt, a Mary Washington alum and superintendent of Alexandria City (VA) Public Schools |
| University of Michigan | May 3 | Derek Jeter, the former New York Yankees shortstop and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame |
| University of Mount Saint Vincent | May 17 | Luis A. Miranda Jr., a political strategist and advocacy consultant |
| University of New Hampshire | May 17 | Lt. Col. Scott Poteet, a UNH alum and retired astronaut |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | May 10 | Mia Hamm, a UNC alum and World Cup and Olympic soccer champion |
| University of Notre Dame | May 18 | Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chairman and acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| University of Pennsylvania | May 19 | Elizabeth Banks, a Penn alum and actor, producer, writer, and director |
| University of Pittsburgh | May 4 | Larry Fitzgerald Jr., the former Pitt and NFL football player and founder of the Larry Fitzgerald Foundation |
| University of Portland | May 4 | Michael Eric Dyson, an author and professor at Vanderbilt University |
| University of Saint Francis | May 3 | Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress |
| University of Southern California | May 15 | Jon M. Chu, a USC alum and film director, screenwriter, and producer |
| University of Utah | May 1 | Holly Rowe, a Utah alum and ESPN commentator |
| University of Vermont | May 18 | James Betts, a Vermont alum and pediatric surgeon at the University of California San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital |
| University of Virginia College at Wise | May 10 | Glenn Youngkin, governor of Virginia |
| Ursinus College | May 17 | Steven Forti, chief wellness and resiliency officer at the Hospital for Special Surgery |
| Virginia State University | May 17 | Don Scott, Virginia delegate and Virginia Speaker of the House; and Louise Lucas, Virginia state senator |
| Wake Forest University | May 19 | Scott Pelley, a reporter on CBS News’ “60 Minutes” |
| Warren Wilson College | May 10 | Colleen Shogan, the 11th archivist of the United States |
| Washington University in St. Louis/a> | May 12 | Simone Biles, the Olympic and world champion gymnast |
| Western New England University | May 15 | Martin J. Walsh, executive director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association, undergraduate ceremony; Amy Fliegelman Olli, a WNE alum and retired executive vice president and general counsel at VMware, graduate ceremony |
| Wheaton College | May 10-11 | Ricky Jenkins, senior pastor of Southwest Church |
| Wilkes University | May 17 | Eddie Day Pashinski, a Wilkes alum and Pennsylvania state representative, and David Hicks, an author and director of the university’s graduate program in creative writing |
| William Peace University | May 10 | Mary-Ann Baldwin, a former mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina, and executive director of the Cooper Charitable Foundation |
| Williams College | June 8 | Valerie Jarrett, CEO of The Obama Foundation and senior distinguished fellow at the University of Chicago Law School |
| Wittenberg University | May 17 | Gina Schaefer, a Wittenberg alum and founder of 13 ACE Hardware stores |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | May 15-16 | Michelle Gass, a WPI alum and president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., undergraduate ceremony; Noubar Afeyan, founder of Flagship Pioneering and co-founder and chair of Moderna, graduate ceremony |
| York College of Pennsylvania | May 17 | David Sunday, attorney general of Pennsylvania |