10 things to know about Emory’s 2025 Commencement

By Sylvie Wages April 30, 2025

Emory University will celebrate its Class of 2025 with Commencement ceremonies May 9-12 on the Atlanta and Oxford campuses.

As the time draws near, here are 10 things you need to know ahead of the festivities.

1. Usher is this year’s Commencement speaker and one of three honorary degree recipients.

Grammy Award-winning performer and philanthropist Usher Raymond IV will deliver the keynote address at the Emory University Commencement ceremony on Monday, May 12.

The renowned artist, known simply as Usher, will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree during the ceremony. Since his self-titled debut in 1994, at age 15, the artist has been widely considered a standard bearer of R&B.

Winner of eight Grammy Awards, he has charted nine career No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including hits like “U Got it Bad,” “Yeah!,” “Burn,” “My Boo” and “OMG.” Following blockbuster Las Vegas residencies from 2021-23 with 100 sold-out shows, Usher headlined the 2024 Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show. Beyond the musical stage, he has appeared on Broadway, in primetime television shows like “The Voice” and in more than a dozen feature films.

Since 1999, Usher has served as founding chair of Usher’s New Look (UNL), an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization that has encouraged more than 55,000 under-resourced teens to identify their passions, develop their whole selves, finish their education and serve others.

Emory will also award honorary degrees to groundbreaking immunologist and geneticist Leonore Herzenberg and Susan Hassmiller, a national leader in nursing, health equity and leadership development.

Susan Hassmiller will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in recognition of her visionary contributions to nursing education and practice, which have elevated health care, addressed disparities in underserved populations and created opportunities for nurses nationwide. During her 25 years at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Hassmiller served as the senior adviser for nursing. As senior scholar-in-residence and senior adviser to the president at the National Academy of Medicine president, she helped lead two landmark “Future of Nursing” reports.

She also served on the National Board of Governors of the American Red Cross, including as the national chair of the 9/11 Recovery Program, and received the International Florence Nightingale Medal from the International Red Cross.

Leonore A. Herzenberg, Endowed Chair of Flow Cytometry and Genetics at Stanford University, will receive an honorary doctor of science degree. Herzenberg and her late husband, professor Leonard A. Herzenberg, made many critical discoveries in the fields of immunology, genetics and cell biology. Perhaps most notable was the invention of the Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter (FACS), which enabled fluorescent-labeled monoclonal antibodies to be used to characterize and sort individual cells — a technology that revolutionized biomedical research and medicine.

2. Graduates and their guests need tickets to attend in person.

The main Emory University ceremony on Monday, May 12, is on the Emory Quadrangle at 8:30 a.m. Graduating students and their guests are invited to attend in person and enjoy the pomp and circumstance of Emory’s processional march featuring full academic regalia, Usher’s keynote address, honorary degree presentations, President Gregory L. Fenves’ address to the graduating class and the formal conferral of all student degrees earned. Registration and tickets are required.

Each school at Emory also has its own diploma ceremony where graduates are honored. Times can be found on the Commencement schedule of events, and additional details can be found on the individual schools’ websites.

3. You don’t have to be a graduate to get involved or watch the ceremony.

Members of the Emory community who are not graduating students or their guests can also join the celebration. Faculty can participate in the procession. Staff members can fill a variety of volunteer roles, including helping with the annual Chair Rodeo on May 7 or assisting with Quadrangle clean-up after Commencement on May 12. Learn more and register to help.

You can also watch online or from other areas on campus. The May 12 ceremony will be livestreamed on the Emory Commencement 2025 website and available for viewing on Emory Television 28.1 (QAM). A simulcast will be shown in Cannon Chapel, White Hall Rooms 206, 207 and 208, and other locations on campus. Soon after Commencement, the event video will be available for archival viewing.

4. Attendees must follow safety protocols.

All graduates, guests and others at the Commencement ceremonies should follow any safety protocols that are in place.

In the event of potentially dangerous weather, check the university’s website, or call the dangerous weather hotline (404-727-1234) after 7 p.m. Sunday for the status of Monday’s Commencement activities. Check the Commencement website for details about plans in case of dangerous weather.

5. Numerous celebrations will occur before Commencement.

From Class Day Crossover to the Baccalaureate Luncheon to school diploma ceremonies, the Class of 2025 is honored with a full slate of events surrounding Commencement.

Class Day Crossover, a student-organized event for those receiving undergraduate degrees, will be Thursday, May 8, at 6 p.m. The evening will include a student reception, inspiring remarks from Karan Brar — actor, director, producer and advisory board member to The Cameron Boyce Foundation — and Emory leaders, as well as the presentation of senior awards (including the Boisfeuillet Jones Medals). The Candlelight Crossover tradition continues when graduating undergraduate students cross as a group from the Emory Student Center to McDonough Field for a party in their honor.

Emory alumni, faculty, staff and trustees are invited to cheer on the graduates during the Candlelight Crossover. Candles will be provided, and attendees are encouraged to sport their Emory gear. Advanced registration is encouraged.

The Baccalaureate Luncheon for the Class of 2025 will be Friday, May 9, at 11 a.m. in Brooks Commons Cannon Chapel. The Baccalaureate Luncheon is an opportunity for the Emory University Chaplaincy to honor graduating students who have been leaders in spiritual, religious and interfaith life during their time at Emory. It is also a time to reflect on and give thanks for students’ journeys as they become alumni. Students awardees are invited, and other graduates are welcome to join. The Oxford College Baccalaureate Ceremony will be at Old Church on Friday, May 9, at 5 p.m.

6. Honors will extend beyond the graduates.

Commencement will pay tribute to several individuals and groups in addition to the graduates.

The Exemplary Teacher of the Year Award and the Thomas Jefferson Award, which honor faculty or staff who have significantly enriched the intellectual and civic life of the Emory community, will be presented during the May 12 ceremony. Other honors presented to faculty and staff during Commencement events include:

Members of the Society of Corpus Cordis Aureum, a group of alumni celebrating 50 or more years since graduation, will also be honored at the Oxford and Atlanta ceremonies and are easily recognizable in their distinctive gold Commencement robes.

7. Be prepared for special parking and transportation situations.

Expect heavy traffic on the Atlanta campus Friday, May 9, and Monday, May 12. Staff not involved in Commencement are encouraged to work remotely on those days, if possible. University parking deck gates will be open for Commencement guests at no charge from Friday, May 9, through Monday, May 12. Visitor parking fees will still apply in the Lowergate East and Lowergate West decks since they support Emory University Hospital and the Emory Clinic patients and visitors.

A modified shuttle schedule will be in place Monday, May 12. Check the Transportation and Parking Services website for specific route information. You can also track Commencement shuttles in real time on the Passio Go! website or by downloading the Passio Go! app.

8. Services for those needing hearing or mobility assistance will be offered.

Live captioning will be available for the ceremony on the Quad on May 12. A passenger drop-off area is located on Dowman Drive near the Administration Building, closest to the accessible seating area of the Quadrangle. Emory University does not provide wheelchair rental services, but several vendors can help with rental arrangements. Visit the Emory Commencement “Planning Your Visit” page and click “Prior to the Event” for more details.

9. Check out the bookstore’s pop-up shop on the Quad.

There will be two pop-up tents that include items such as Emory brand apparel, gifts, and more. Graduating students can pick up merchandise from the new Premier collection, showcasing exclusive merchandise with new logos, styles and brand elements. The shop also offers a great way for parents or visitors to purchase gifts for their graduates — or Emory merchandise for themselves. One of the tents will be located at the back of the Quad, and the other will be near the First Aid tent. The items will be available for purchase at least one hour before and after the ceremony.

10. Join the celebration with #Emory2025.

Use #Emory2025 to join the Commencement celebration through social media posts. You might even see your post shared on the university’s social media accounts.

Emory University 2025 Commencement schedule

Friday, May 9

School of Medicine, Doctor of Medicine: 10 a.m.
Baccalaureate Luncheon for the Class of 2025: 11 a.m.
Laney Graduate School: 2 p.m.
School of Medicine, Doctor of Physical Therapy: 2:30 p.m.
Oxford Baccalaureate: 5 p.m.
Goizueta Business School Master’s Degree Diploma Ceremony (MF, MSBA, MBV, MiM & MBA Executive, Full-time and Evening formats): 5:45 p.m.

Saturday, May 10

Candler School of Theology: 9 a.m.
Rollins School of Public Health: 10 a.m.
Oxford College: 10 a.m.
School of Medicine, Genetic Counseling Training Program: 11 a.m.

Sunday, May 11

School of Law: 11 a.m.
Emory College of Arts and Sciences Honors Ceremony I: 2:30 p.m.
Emory College of Arts and Sciences Honors Ceremony II: 5:30 p.m.

Monday, May 12

Emory University Commencement Ceremony on the Quadrangle: 8:30 a.m.
Emory College of Arts and Sciences: 10 a.m.
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing Diploma Ceremony: 11 a.m.
Goizueta Business School Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Diploma Ceremony: 11 a.m.
School of Medicine, Medical Imaging Program: 12:30 p.m.

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