Contact: Deanna I. Howes, Director of Communications, AJCU
(202) 862-9893 | dhowes@ajcunet.edu
It’s that time of year again! The following is a list of speakers and dates for the 2017 commencement ceremonies at the twenty-eight Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States:
U.S. Senator Bob Casey (Photo by John Klemmer)
Boston College: May 22
United States Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)
Canisius University: Graduate: May 17, Undergraduate: May 20
Graduate: Christine M. Licata-Culhane, Ed.D. ’67, M.S. ’71 (senior associate provost and professor in the Division of Academic Affairs at Rochester Institute of Technology), Undergraduate: Nelson D. Civello ’67 (retired president of the Fixed Income Capital Markets Group for Dain Rauscher Corp. and past chair of The Bond Market Association)
College of the Holy Cross: May 26
James J. O’Connell, M.D. (president and founding physician of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program)
Creighton University: May 13
Paul Farmer, M.D., Ph.D. (co-founder of Partners in Health)
Fairfield University: Undergraduate, Graduate: May 21
Undergraduate: Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. (former President of Fairfield University and current Superior of the LaFarge House Jesuit Community in Cambridge, MA), Graduate: Juanita James (President and CEO of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation)
Anna Deavere Smith (Photo courtesy of Loyola Marymount University)
Fordham University: May 20
His Eminence Óscar Andrés Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga, S.D.B. (Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras and key advisor to Pope Francis)
Georgetown University: School of Foreign Service in Qatar: May 4, McCourt School of Public Policy: May 18, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, McDonough School of Business (Graduate), School of Continuing Studies: May 19, Georgetown College, School of Nursing & Health Studies, McDonough School of Business (Undergraduate), Walsh School of Foreign Service: May 20, School of Medicine, Georgetown Law: May 21
- School of Foreign Service in Qatar: H.E. Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani
- McCourt School of Public Policy: Alice M. Rivlin (Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution and Visiting Professor, McCourt School of Public Policy)
- Graduate School of Arts & Sciences: Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D. (Regents Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing, Arizona State University)
- McDonough School of Business (Graduate): Arthur “Artie” Minson ’92 (President and CFO, WeWork)
- School of Continuing Studies: Nathaniel “Nate” Read Silver (Editor-in-Chief, FiveThirtyEight)
- Georgetown College: Sister Mary Scullion, R.S.M. (Executive Director and President, Project HOME)
- School of Nursing & Health Studies: James H. Shelton, III (President of Chan Zuckerberg Education, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative)
- McDonough School of Business (Undergraduate): Gregory Gerard Coleman ’76 (President, BuzzFeed)
- Walsh School of Foreign Service: Anne Applebaum (Columnist, The Washington Post, and Visiting Professor, London School of Economics)
- School of Medicine: Dr. Worta McCaskill-Stevens (Chief, Community Oncology and Prevention Trials Research Group; Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute)
- Georgetown Law: Charles R. Lawrence, III (Professor of Law, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Centennial Professor, William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa)
Gonzaga University: Law, Graduate: May 13, Undergraduate: May 14
Law: Thomas W. Hillier, II ’73 (trial lawyer), Graduate: Stephanie Russell, Ed.D. (vice president for mission integration at the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities), Undergraduate: Sherman Alexie (pre-eminent poet, novelist and filmmaker of contemporary Native American reservation life)
John Carroll University: May 21
Rev. Myles Sheehan, S.J., M.D. (Assistant to the Provincial for Senior Jesuits of the Maryland Province and the USA Northeast Province)
Le Moyne College: Graduate: May 19, Undergraduate: May 21
Graduate: Rev. Peter Folan, S.J. (member, Le Moyne College Board of Trustees), Undergraduate: John Langdon, Ph.D. ’67 (author and history professor at Le Moyne College)
Loyola Marymount University: Undergraduate: May 6, Graduate: May 7
Undergraduate: Anna Deavere Smith (renowned playwright and actress), Graduate: Michelle King (superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District)
Loyola University Chicago: School of Education, Graduate School & Institute of Pastoral Studies: May 9, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing & School of Social Work: May 10, Quinlan School of Business, School of Communication & School of Continuing and Professional Studies: May 11, College of Arts & Sciences: May 12, School of Law: May 13, Stritch School of Medicine: May 20, Arrupe College: August 20
Van Jones (Photo courtesy of Loyola University New Orleans)
- School of Education: Claudio Sanchez (Education Correspondent, National Public Radio)
- Graduate School & Institute of Pastoral Studies: Mary Frances Berry, Ph.D. (author, activist and Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought and History at the University of Pennsylvania)
- Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing: Cathy Catrambone, Ph.D., RN, FAAN (Associate Professor, Rush University College of Nursing; President, Sigma Theta Tau International)
- School of Social Work: The Honorable Thomas J. Dart ’87 (Sheriff, Cook County, Illinois)
- Quinlan School of Business: Edward J. Wehmer (President and CEO, Wintrust Financial Corporation)
- School of Communication & School of Continuing & Professional Studies: Trish Biondo-Soltys ’89 (Chicago Media Veteran)
- College of Arts and Sciences (Arts): Wil Haygood (Pulitzer Prize nominee, author and reporter)
- College of Arts and Sciences (Sciences and Institute of Environmental Sustainability): Cynthia A. O’Connell ’81 (Brigadier General, United States Army [Ret.], health care executive & educator)
- School of Law: Mary Meg McCarthy ’89 (Executive Director, National Immigrant Justice Center [a Program of Heartland Alliance])
- Stritch School of Medicine: Pamela L. Wible, M.D. (physician and author)
- Arrupe College: The Honorable Toni Preckwinkle (President, Cook County Board, Illinois)
Loyola University Maryland: May 20
Rev. James Martin, S.J. (Bestselling Author and Editor-at-large, America Magazine)
Loyola University New Orleans: May 13
Undergraduate / Graduate: Van Jones (Social justice champion and CNN political contributor), College of Law: Honorable Madeleine M. Landrieu, J.D. ’87, H ’05 (Fourth Circuit Appellate Judge; incoming dean of the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law)
Sr. Maria Marciano, O.P. (photo courtesy of Marquette University)
Marquette University: May 21
Sister Maria Marciano, O.P. (Dominican sister from Brazil who serves Haiti’s poorest citizens)
Regis University: Graduate: May 6, Undergraduate: May 7
Rev. Greg Boyle, S.J. (founder and executive director of Homeboy Industries)
Rockhurst University: May 13
Undergraduate: Paul Alexander Hagan (candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Science), Graduate: Julie Ruth Thomson (candidate for the degree of Master of Science in Business Intelligence and Analytics)
Saint Joseph’s University: Undergraduate, Graduate: May 20
Undergraduate: Madeline Bell (President and CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia [CHOP]), Graduate: Linda Cliatt-Wayman ’92 (noted leader in education advocacy on behalf of children living in poverty)
Saint Louis University: May 20
Diana Natalicio, Ph.D. ’61 (president of the University of Texas at El Paso)
Timothy P. Shriver, Ph.D. (Photo courtesy of Saint Peter’s University)
Saint Peter’s University: May 22
Timothy P. Shriver, Ph.D. (Chairman of Special Olympics)
Santa Clara University: Jesuit School of Theology & School of Law: May 20, Graduate: June 16, Undergraduate: June 17
Jesuit School of Theology: The Most Reverend Robert W. McElroy (Catholic Bishop of San Diego, CA), School of Law: Leon Panetta ’60, ’63 (former United States Secretary of Defense & Director, CIA), Undergraduate: Juan Felipe Herrera (21st Poet Laureate of the United States)
Seattle University: Undergraduate, Graduate: June 11
Undergraduate: Sherman Alexie (pre-eminent poet, novelist and filmmaker of contemporary Native American reservation life), Graduate: Maggy Barankitse (international humanitarian; 2008 Opus Prize Laureate)
Spring Hill College: May 6
Arthur J. Tipton, Ph.D. ’80 (President and CEO of Southern Research)
University of Detroit Mercy: School of Dentistry: May 12, School of Law & Undergraduate / Graduate: May 13
School of Dentistry: Lee E. Rouse, D.D.S. (Dean of the Howard University School of Dentistry; former president of the American Dental Education Association), School of Law: Chief Judge Denise Page Hood (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan), Undergraduate / Graduate: James Padilla (retired chief operating officer of Ford Motor Company)
University of San Francisco: School of Education: May 18, College of Arts & Sciences (Undergraduate, Graduate), School of Nursing & Health Professions: May 19, School of Law & School of Management (Undergraduate, Graduate): May 20
- School of Education: The Most Reverend Robert W. McElroy (Catholic Bishop of San Diego, CA)
- College of Arts and Sciences (Undergraduate Humanities & Sciences): Karl W. Eikenberry (Ambassador and Lieutenant General [Ret. U.S. Army])
- College of Arts and Sciences (Undergraduate Arts & Social Sciences): Carey Perloff (playwright and Artistic Director, American Conservatory Theater)
- College of Arts and Sciences (Graduate Arts and Sciences): Maureen Orth (journalist, author and special correspondent, Vanity Fair)
- School of Nursing and Health Professions: Rev. Jon D. Fuller, M.D., S.J. (physician, Center for Infectious Diseases and associate professor at the Boston University School of Medicine)
- School of Law: The Honorable Xavier Becerra (California Attorney General)
- School of Management (Undergraduate): Regina Benjamin, M.D., MBA (former United States Surgeon General)
- School of Management (Graduate & Professional): Mark Buell ’64 (President, San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission)
Juan Felipe Herrera(Photo by Carlos Puma/UC Riverside)
University of Scranton: Graduate: May 27, Undergraduate: May 28
Undergraduate: Rev. James Martin, S.J. (Bestselling Author and Editor-at-large, America Magazine), Graduate: Kathleen Curry Santora, Esq. ’80 (President and CEO of the National Association of College and University Attorneys)
Wheeling Jesuit University: May 6
Patty Briguglio (North Carolina-based businesswoman and public relations expert)
Xavier University: Undergraduate & Graduate: May 13
Undergraduate: David and Liane Phillips (Co-Founders, Cincinnati Works), Graduate: Steve Melink (National Clean Energy Expert & CEO, Melink Corporation)