commencement

Imani Perry, a 2023 MacArthur Fellow and distinguished Harvard University professor, will deliver the commencement address at Wesleyan University’s 192nd Commencement ceremony on May 26, 2024. Perry will also receive an honorary degree alongside fellow recipients Raj Chetty, renowned for his studies of higher education and social mobility, and Michael Greenberg ’76, P’14, one of the world’s most distinguished neuroscientists. "At a time when the Academy is under fire, the inspiring achievements of these honorees shows just how powerful and beneficial academic work at the highest level can be," said President Michael S. Roth ’78. "Award-winning author and professor of…

President Michael Roth '78 announces that Wesleyan University will recognize three extraordinary individuals during the 190th Commencement on Sunday, May 22, 2022. The honorary degree recipients will be Freeman A. Hrabowski III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who will also deliver the Commencement address; Joseph J. Fins ’82, physician and professor of medical ethics and professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College; and Gloria Steinem, a trailblazing leader of the American feminist movement in the late 1960s, award-winning journalist, and political activist. Unfortunately, Rita Moreno, who was previously announced as a recipient of an honorary degree,…

Wesleyan's Class of 2021 was celebrated during the 189th Commencement Ceremony on May 26. View the images below and in the full Class of 2021 Commencement photo gallery on Flickr. (Photos by Olivia Drake MALS '08 and Tom Dzimian) (more…)

(Written by Katie Aberbach with contributions from Himeka Curiel, Allie Otlowski, and Sam O'Neill.) Perseverance, pride, progress, and graduating during a unique moment in history were on the minds of the hundreds of graduates and their families at Wesleyan University's 189th Commencement ceremony on Wednesday. “It was a difficult year," said Aidar Raev '21, a Posse Veteran from Kyrgyzstan who majored in the College of Social Studies with minors in international relations and Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies. (The Posse Veterans program supports veterans of the United States armed forces who are earning bachelor's degrees at American universities.) Raev…

From an excitement-filled Arrival Day to the unpredictable final three semesters of campus life that unfolded during the COVID-19 pandemic, "so much has changed in your lives since you were first introduced to Wesleyan," President Michael Roth '78 said in his remarks to the graduating Class of 2021, who sat in front of him on Andrus Field in a socially distanced 189th Commencement. Besides the obvious impacts of the pandemic, Roth was referring to social and political divisiveness in the country, which has increased in recent years, "exacerbated by" irresponsible media platforms. "Attacks on those considered 'outsiders' are a sick…

Bryan Chong ’21, a double major in government and psychology, delivered the Senior Class Welcome at Wesleyan's 189th Commencement. In a speech that was at moments emotional and rousing, Chong reflected on "an extraordinary year that has restructured the ways we socialize." He emphasized the ways that this time of "generation-defining change" has challenged students to re-examine their time at Wesleyan and the juxtaposition of coming together in unexpected community despite being forced apart by the pandemic. "Many say that we discover our true selves during times of crisis," he said. "This year, I discovered that amidst all the chaos…

Award-winning poet, memoirist, scholar, and social justice advocate Reginald Dwayne Betts delivered the 2021 Commencement Address during Wesleyan's 189th Commencement Ceremony on May 26. In a powerful speech tinged with moments of humor, Betts focused on the theme of time and understanding our duty as part of an expansive community that includes lesser-seen members outside the traditional campus. Reflecting on how "these [COVID-19] pandemic days have turned time different," Betts drew parallels to his own past history and that of other currently or previously incarcerated individuals, including eight students from Wesleyan's Center for Prison Education program, who were among those…

After being named a 2021 recipient of Wesleyan's honorary doctor of science degree, Catherine Coleman Flowers delivered a pre-recorded speech thanking the University for the honor and exhorting Wesleyan's Class of 2021 to go forth and "quickly dismantle the historical and structural inequities that have existed in this country since its inception." Flowers, a native of Lowndes, Alabama, gained national recognition through her tireless efforts to bring attention to failing water and waste sanitation infrastructure in rural areas (beginning with her hometown), in so doing highlighting structural inequities that perpetuate health and socioeconomic disparities. For her work, Flowers was awarded…

Scott Gottlieb ’94, a physician, public health and policy advisor and advocate, received an honorary doctorate of science during Wesleyan's 189th Commencement on Wednesday, May 26. Gottlieb, who earned a BA in economics from Wesleyan, was the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2017 to 2019. He is currently a special partner with the venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates, and a resident fellow at public policy think tank the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). In his speech, Gottlieb drew distinctions between his time at Wesleyan 25 years ago and the experiences of the Class of 2021. Yet he…

During Wesleyan’s 189th Commencement on Wednesday, May 26, the University presented three honorary degrees to Reginald Dwayne Betts, Catherine Coleman Flowers, and Scott Gottlieb ’94 for their significant contributions to the social, environmental, and public health of the United States. Reginald Dwayne Betts, who also delivered this year’s Commencement address, was named an honorary doctor of letters in recognition of his impact and influence as a poet, scholar, and advocate and for his “perseverance . . . poetic sensibilities, and embrace of education to empower life [and] use of that empowerment and those sensibilities to improve the lives of others.”…

Wesleyan’s 189th Commencement will take place in person on Wednesday, May 26. "This year’s Commencement was previously planned for May 30; however, due to a number of factors, including current pandemic conditions and cancellation of an in-person reunion weekend, we have decided to move up the date," Wesleyan President Michael Roth '78 said in a campus-wide email. The University is hoping that conditions will allow for two guests per graduate to attend the ceremony. Wesleyan is pursuing plans to accommodate the seniors and other graduates who have been studying remotely to return to campus for Commencement exercises. As with all…

Wesleyan has announced the speaker and honorary degree recipients for its 189th Commencement. The date of Commencement was previously announced as May 30th; however, given current pandemic conditions, the University is reviewing other options for the last week of May. The University is currently planning to hold the ceremony in-person on Wesleyan’s Middletown campus, though off-campus guests will be restricted to virtual attendance given the ongoing threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. More details about the ceremony and a definitive date for Commencement will be announced by the end of March. Reginald Dwayne Betts, an award-winning poet, memoirist, and teacher,…

Announcing 192nd Commencement Honorary Degree Recipients and Speaker

Wesleyan Announces Commencement Speaker, Honorary Degree Recipients

A Pictorial Look at the 189th Commencement Ceremony

Perseverance, Pride, Progress Characterize 189th Commencement

In Commencement Address, President Roth Expresses Pride in “Courageous” Class of 2021

Chong ’21 Talks Solidarity Amid Hardship in Senior Class Welcome: “Juxtaposition”

Betts Reflects on Time, “What We Owe Each Other” in 2021 Commencement Address

Flowers Speaks about “Listening,” Environmental Justice at 2021 Commencement

Gottlieb ’94: Apply Wesleyan Spirit to “Decisive Juncture in History”

Betts, Flowers, Gottlieb ’94 Receive Honorary Degrees

Wesleyan’s 189th Commencement to Be Held May 26 In Person

Wesleyan Announces Its 2021 Honorary Degree Recipients