Commencement Speakers for 2024

Colleges and universities have begun naming their commencement speakers for 2024. Here’s a running list of announcements, including ceremony dates.

Stay tuned for continual updates throughout the spring.

Adrian College — May 5

Riley Gaines, an anti-trans rights activist

Albany State University — May 4

Sen. Reverend Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA)

Alcorn State University — May 11

Montell Jordan, the author, pastor, and singer

Averett University — May 4

Gregory L. Robinson, an Averett alum and retired deputy associate administrator for programs at the NASA Science Mission Directorate

Ball State University — May 4

Stedman Graham, a Ball State alum, author, and chairman and CEO of S. Graham and Associates

Barnard College — May 15

Ruth Simmons, president’s distinguished fellow at Rice University and senior adviser to the president of Harvard University on HBCU initiatives

Bentley University — May 17-18

Joe Preston, president and CEO of New Balance, undergraduate ceremony; Karan Dyson, vice president of global grooming process & engineering at Procter & Gamble-Gillette, graduate ceremony

Bethany College — May 10

Republican United States Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia

Boston College — May 20

Cardinal Stephen Chow, the bishop of Hong Kong

Boston University — May 19

David Grann, a BU alum and author

Bowie State University — May 24

Wanda Durant, mother of NBA player Kevin Durant and president of the Durant Family Charitable Foundation

Brandeis University — May 19

Ken Burns, documentary filmmaker, undergraduate ceremony; Ruth Simmons, president’s distinguished fellow at Rice University and senior advisor to the president of Harvard University on historically Black college and university (HBCU) initiatives, graduate ceremony

Bryant University — May 16, 18

Karen S. Lynch, president and CEO of CVS Health, undergraduate ceremony; Edmund Shallcross III, president and CEO of Amica Mutual Insurance Company, graduate ceremony

Bucknell University — May 12

Nadia Sasso, Bucknell alum, creative producer, and digital storyteller

Buena Vista University — May 4

Jeff Anderson, a Buena Vista alum and executive vice president and chief communications officer for the Minnesota Vikings

California Institute of Technology — June 14

Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA

The Catholic University of America — May 11

Jonathan Roumie, professional actor and voice artist

Centre College — May 19

Matthew Barzun, a business leader, author, and former U.S. ambassador

Champlain College — May 11

Marcelle Leahy, a nurse and humanitarian

Chapman University — May 17

Bill Hader, the comedian, actor, writer and director

Colby College — May 26

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Colby alum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and presidential historian

Colgate University — May 19

Bill Browder, founder and CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, head of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, and author

Colorado College — May 19

Frieda Ekotto, a Colorado College alum and professor of Afro-American and African studies, comparative literature, and Francophone studies at the University of Michigan

Connecticut College — May 19

Laura Coates, CNN’s chief legal analyst and anchor of “Laura Coates Live”

Coppin State University — May 17

Linda L. Singh, founder and CEO of Kaleidoscope Affect LLC

Dartmouth College — June 9

Roger Federer, the tennis champion and philanthropist

Denison University — May 11

Philip A. Glotzbach, president emeritus of Skidmore College

Dillard University — May 11

Ayo Davis, a Dillard alum and president of Disney Branded Television

Duke University — May 12

Jerry Seinfeld, comedian, actor, writer, and producer

D’Youville University — May 11

Sophia, an artificial intelligence robot created by Hanson Robotics

East Carolina University — May 3

Ronnie Barnes, an East Carolina alum and vice president of medical services for the National Football League and head athletic trainer for the New York Giants

Elon University — May 24

Ginna Claire Mason, Elon alum and actress

Emmanuel College — May 18

Jack Connors Jr., founding partner of Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos and philanthropist

Emory University — May 13

Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and CEO of the Morehouse School of Medicine

Fairleigh Dickinson University — May 15

Stephen K. Klasko, an author, executive-in-residence at General Catalyst, and chief medical officer of Abundant Venture Partners

Fordham University — May 18

Joseph Patrick Kennedy III, the U.S. special envoy to Northern Ireland for economic affairs and former congressman

Gardner-Webb University — May 2

Crystal L. Hill, Gardner-Webb alum and superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

George Washington University — May 19

Jen Psaki, the host of “Inside with Jen Psaki”

Gonzaga University — May 11 and 12

Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of undergraduate academic affairs at the University of Washington, undergraduate ceremony; Angelique Albert, CEO of the Native Forward Scholars Fund, graduate ceremony; Robert Gates, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, law school ceremony

Grand View University — May 6

Michelle L. Book, president & CEO of the Food Bank of Iowa

Greenville University — May 10-11

John Inazu, a professor of law and religion at Washington University in St. Louis

Hampshire College — May 18

Chelsea E. Manning, an advocate for queer and transgender rights

Hampton University — May 12

Howard-John Wesley, pastor of Alfred Street Baptist Church

Harvard University — May 23

Maria A. Ressa, journalist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient

High Point University — May 2 and 4

Glenn Stearns, businessman and star of “Undercover Billionaire,” undergraduate ceremony; Vincent Price, president of Duke University, graduate ceremony

Hillsdale College — May 11

Pat Sajak, host of “Wheel of Fortune”

Hiram College — May 11

Adam Hickman, a Hiram alum and vice president of organizational and cast development at Partners

Hobart and William Smith Colleges — May 19

Carol Spahn, director of the Peace Corps

Hofstra University — May 19

Vanessa Baird-Streeter, president and CEO of the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island, and Margaret Hoover, host of “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover,” undergraduate ceremony; Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of “Science,” graduate ceremony

Hood College — May 18

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-MD

Howard University — May 11

Thasunda Brown Duckett, president and CEO of TIAA

Ithaca College — May 19

Jason DeLand, an Ithaca alum and co-founder of the advertising agency Anomaly

Johns Hopkins University — May 23

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT)

Kean University — May 14, 16

Neil deGrasse Tyson, the astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium, undergraduate ceremony; Abby Phillip, anchor of “NewsNight with Abby Phillip,” graduate ceremony

Lehigh University — May 19

Scott Willoughby, a Lehigh alum and senior vice president of performance excellence at Northrop Grumman’s space systems sector, undergraduate ceremony; Stephen S. Tang, a Lehigh alum and principal at Tangent2Cogent, graduate ceremony

Lesley University — May 18

Sy Montgomery, the author and naturalist

Liberty University — May 10

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)

Lincoln University — May 5

Bryan Stevenson, founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative

Lynn University — May 7

Jon Robertson, dean of the Lynn Conservatory of Music

Macalester College — May 11

Laura Coates, CNN’s chief legal analyst and anchor of “Laura Coates Live”

Maine College of Art & Design — May 10

Rebecca Sugar, an animator, director, singer and songwriter

Marietta College — May 4

Brendan Adkinson, a Marietta alum and medical student at Yale University

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts — May 11

Shannon Holsey, president of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians and president of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council

Massachusetts Institute of Technology — May 30

Noubar Afeyan, MIT alum, entrepreneur, and biochemical engineer

McDaniel College — May 18

Freeman A. Hrabowski III, president emeritus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, undergraduate ceremony; Mona Kerby, a professor at McDaniel, graduate ceremony

Molloy University — May 20

Matt Higgins, CEO and co-founder of RSE Ventures

Montana State University-Northern — May 4

Flint Rasmussen, a former professional rodeo clown and senior vice president of fan engagement for the Professional Bull Riders

Morehouse College — May 19

United States President Joseph Biden

Mount St. Joseph University — May 11

Sister Helen Prejean, the social justice advocate and author

New Jersey City University — May 15

Bettina L. Love, an author and professor at Teachers College, Columbia University

New York University — May 15

Martha Minow, a professor at Harvard University and former dean of Harvard Law School

North Carolina State University — May 4

David W. C. MacMillan, the Nobel Prize-winning chemist and professor at Princeton University

Northeastern University — May 5

David A. Thomas, president of Morehouse College, undergraduate ceremony; Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of the National Science Foundation, graduate ceremony

Northwestern University — June 9

Kathryn Hahn, Northwestern alum and actress

Norwich University — April 27

Lori Robinson, retired U.S. Air Force general

Occidental College — May 19

Lindy West, an Occidental alum and author, cultural critic, and screenwriter

Ohio Northern University — May 19

Gregory V. Palmer, a bishop in the United Methodist Church

Oral Roberts University — May 4

Rick Warren, author and spiritual leader

Oregon State University — June 15

Steven Jackson, Oregon State alum and former NFL running back

Pitzer College — May 11

Jim Obergefell, marriage equality activist

Pomona College — May 12

Tani Cantil-Sakauye, former chief justice of California; Cecilia Conrad, economist and nonprofit leader; Harry Elam, president of Occidental College; and Emil Kakkis, Pomona alum and medical geneticist

Princeton University — May 27

Sam Waterston, the actor, will speak at class day

Regent University — May 4

Jason S. Miyares, attorney general of Virginia

Rice University — May 4

Peggy Whitson, Rice alum and astronaut

Ripon College — May 12

Jason Felts, serial entrepreneur, Fortune 500 brand advisor, philanthropist, and film producer

Rutgers University — May 12

Freeman A. Hrabowski III, president emeritus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Saint Anselm College — May 18

Lauren Chooljian, Saint Anselm alum and senior reporter and producer for New Hampshire Public Radio

Saint Michael’s College — May 12

Ansel Augustine, an author, ministry leader, and advocate for cultural diversity in the Catholic Church

St. John’s University — May 17

Jim Ziolkowski, founder, president, and CEO of buildOn

Saint Vincent College — May 11

Susan Baker Shipley, president of the Pennsylvania, Ohio Valley, and Mahoning Region for Huntington Bank

Saint Xavier University — May 4

Candace N. Ramírez, a Saint Xavier alum and grants manager for The Allstate Foundation

Santa Clara University — June 15

Martin J. Jenkins, a Santa Clara alum and an associate justice of the California Supreme Court

Seton Hall University — May 21

Gary Cohen, an announcer for the New York Mets

Shippensburg University — May 11

James Saxton, a Shippensburg alum and CEO of Saxton & Stump

Simmons University — May 17

Meredith Woo, the former president of Sweet Briar College; and Claudia Goldin, a professor of economics at Harvard University

Skidmore College — May 18

Luis A. Miranda Jr., a community activist and political consultant, and Luz Towns-Miranda, a psychologist and psychoanalyst

Smith College — May 19

María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado, poet laureate and feminist intersectional educator; Ruth E. Carter, Academy Award-winning film costume designer; Ertharin Cousin, CEO and managing director of Food Systems for the Future; Jill Lepore, academic, journalist, and writer; and Reeta Roy, CEO of Mastercard Foundation

Southwestern University — May 11

Adam Winkler, Southwestern alum and television journalist

Spelman College — May 19

Angela Bassett, the actress, director, and producer

Springfield College — May 11-12

Martin Dobrow, professor of communications at Springfield, undergraduate ceremony; Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-MA), a Springfield alum, graduate ceremony

Spring Hill College — May 11

Tania Tetlow, president of Fordham University

Stanford University — June 16

Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and founder of Pivotal Ventures

State University of New York at Old Westbury — May 22

Ruth Simmons, president’s distinguished fellow at Rice University and senior adviser to the president of Harvard University on HBCU initiatives

Stonehill College — May 19

Ed Cooley, a Stonehill alum and head basketball coach at Georgetown University

Sweet Briar College — May 18

Tori Murden McClure, a noted explorer and president of Spalding University

Temple University — May 8

Quinta Brunson, a Temple alum and actress, writer, and producer

Tufts University — May 19

Fiona Hill, the chancellor of Durham University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution

Tulane University — May 18

Jon Meacham, the author and historian

United States Air Force Academy — May 30

United States Vice President Kamala Harris

University of California San Diego — June 15

Former United States Vice President Al Gore

University of Colorado Boulder — May 9

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple and a technology entrepreneur

University of Delaware — May 25

Joe Flacco, a Delaware alum and National Football League quarterback

University of Florida — May 3

Carlton Ward Jr., a Florida alum and conservation photographer

University of Georgia — May 10

Allison Schmitt, a Georgia alum, Olympic medalist in swimming, and mental health advocate, undergraduate ceremony; Jenna Jambeck, professor of environmental engineering at Georgia, graduate ceremony

University of Hartford — May 12

Sonya Halpern, a Hartford alum and Georgia state senator, undergraduate ceremony; Jay Malave, a Hartford alum and chief financial officer of Lockheed Martin, graduate ceremony

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — May 11

Jeanne Gang, Illinois alum, architect, and founding partner of Studio Gang

University of Maine at Fort Kent — May 8

Kathryn Olmstead, an author and emerita professor at the University of Maine

University of Maryland — May 20

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore

University of Mary Washington — May 11

Mark McClure, a Mary Washington alum and Major League Soccer executive

University of Michigan — May 3

Brad Meltzer, a Michigan alum and author, undergraduate ceremony; Robin Givhan, a Michigan alum and journalist, graduate ceremony

University of Mount Saint Vincent — May 18

Terry Fulmer, president of The John A. Hartford Foundation

University of New England — May 18

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill — May 11

Zena Cardman, UNC alum and astronaut

University of Notre Dame — May 19

The Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame alum and president of the university

University of Oregon — June 17

Sarah Mensah, an Oregon alum and the first Black woman to lead Nike’s Jordan brand

University of Pennsylvania — May 20

Siddhartha Mukherjee, physician, researcher, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author

University of Pittsburgh — April 28

John P. Surma, non-executive chairman of Marathon Petroleum Corporation

University of Saint Francis — May 4

Greg Erlandson, former editor-in-chief and director of Catholic News Service

University of Texas at Austin — May 11

Retired Maj. Gen. Jeannie M. Leavitt, a Texas alum and the first female fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force

University of Utah — May 2

Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith America

University of Wisconsin-Madison — May 11

Meghan Duggan, Wisconsin alum and former captain of the U.S. women’s hockey team

Utica University — May 9-10

Amanda Saravia-Butler, a Utica alum and GeneLab project scientist at NASA, undergraduate ceremony; Tennille Haynes, a Utica alum and associate dean for diversity and inclusion at Princeton University, graduate ceremony

Vanderbilt University — May 9

David Brooks, the New York Times columnist

Villanova University — May 17

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez

Virginia Commonwealth University — May 11

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University — May 10

Mehul Sanghani, a Virginia Tech alum and CEO and founder of Octo

Wagner College — May 17

Michael Tadross, a Wagner alum and president of productions at Stampede Ventures

Wake Forest University — May 20

Mandy K. Cohen, director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

Washington & Jefferson College — May 17

Elizabeth Kiss, CEO of the Rhodes Trust

Washington University in St. Louis — May 13

Jennifer Coolidge, the actress

Waynesburg University — May 5

John Montgomery, president and CEO of Community Bank

Weber State University — April 26

Rainn Wilson, the actor and comedian

Wells College — May 18

Tina Post, a Wells alum and professor of English literature and language at the University of Chicago

Wesleyan University — May 26

Imani Perry, professor of women, gender, and sexuality studies and of African American studies at Harvard University; Raj Chetty, professor of public economics at Harvard University; and Michael Greenberg, Wesleyan alum and professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School

Western Colorado University — May 4

Camille Dungy, an author and professor at Colorado State University

Western New England University — May 19

Latoyia Edwards, an anchor for NBC10 Boston and NECN, undergraduate ceremony; Ashley E. Randle, a Western New England alum and commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, graduate ceremony

Whitman College — May 19

Cecelia Kang, a Whitman alum and technology reporter for The New York Times

Wittenberg University — May 11

Megan Frost, Wittenberg alum and director of product design at Apple

Worcester Polytechnic Institute — May 9-10

Nancy M. Pimental, a WPI alum and television writer, undergraduate ceremony; Greg Tucker, a WPI alum and founder, vice chairman, and CEO of ProAmpac