Infertility researcher and health equity advocate Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and CEO of the Morehouse School of Medicine, will deliver the keynote address at Emory University’s 179th Commencement, set for May 13.
We’re highlighting one exemplary student from each of Emory’s nine colleges and professional schools. From investing in their communities to making new discoveries, these students are ready to take on the world.
Baccalaureate is an Emory Commencement tradition that formally celebrates academic and personal journeys for students on both the Atlanta and Oxford campuses. View photos from the 2023 services.
The nine schools of Emory University held diploma ceremonies for their Class of 2023 graduates in conjunction with the university’s 178th Commencement. Read about their programs and watch the livestreams of all events.
As part of the 2023 Commencement festivities, Campus Life hosted ceremonies for seven Belonging and Community Justice affinity groups. These programs honored students' achievements and supported them in exploring their identities while at Emory.
From “learn to say ‘I don’t know” to “make decisions with your patients not for your patients,” the School of Medicine’s diploma ceremony held much advice for the 128 members of its Class of 2023.
Emory University faculty and staff were recognized with multiple awards in conjunction with the 2023 Commencement and school diploma ceremonies. See who was recognized for their contributions during the academic year.
Emory’s Commencement on May 8 celebrated the spirit, resolve and extraordinary accomplishments of the Class of 2023. View comprehensive coverage, including ceremony highlights, photo galleries and profiles of outstanding graduates and award recipients.
For 25 years, Jon Howell, Emory’s swimming and diving coach, has shaped a program not focused on setting records, though there are joyous plenty of those. His holistic approach encourages scholar-athletes to embody excellence in all they do.
Meet the six faculty members who received this year's Emory Williams Award, which celebrates a record of excellence in undergraduate teaching.
Exerting an impact in the classroom and beyond, Ira Schwartz has followed a “nonlinear” path to family and preventive medicine and global health, becoming a role model in medical education and more.
The Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Awards honor outstanding scholars who excel as teachers within formal and informal educational settings.
Adriano Omar Iqbal views his budding career as a trial attorney focused on bankruptcy as an ethical imperative to help others grow from perceived failures.
Elaine Walker, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, is this year’s recipient of the Cuttino Award, recognizing a legacy of support and academic excellence that reverberates across the fields of psychology and mental illness research.
Graduates, their families and community members are invited to participate in the new JUSTICE exhibition, experience the various ways researchers and artists come together to create interactive exhibits, and reflect on how students are critical to the gallery.
As an advocate for greater representation of gender, racial and ethnic minorities in the nursing field, Audric Donald is primed to be a change agent in health care.
Elise Etrheim came to Emory ready for a diversity of ideas. She found them by blending the skills of a humanist and the insights of a scientist — and impacted peers and professors.
Why does Commencement begin with bagpipes? What do all of the different gowns mean? Learn the meaning behind Emory’s beloved graduation traditions, including the mace, the alma mater, school-specific rituals and more.
Justin Whitening arrived at Oxford College with interests in zoology and basketball. Through curiosity and connections across campus, he’s managed to excel at both while also giving back to his community.
McKenzi Thompson found purpose and direction at Rollins School of Public Health. Now, she’s working to advance reproductive health and justice while also building community wherever she goes.
Leveraging his experiences in rural Alabama and rural Mozambique, John Chancellor has committed his life to family medicine, rural primary care and mental health care while advocating for underserved groups.
Nicole Felix-Tovar is the student speaker at Emory University’s 2023 Commencement ceremony. A first-generation student, she’s found fulfillment and growth across multiple areas of campus.
Jonathan Trapp, who is graduating as a doctor of ministry, has spent two decades working in emergency management and as a pastor. That bivocational experience allowed him to better serve his community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clare McCarthy, an environmental sciences major with a minor in community building and social change, distinguished herself by applying her intellectual gifts as a climate leader both on and off campus.
Jewel Okoronkwo, a neuroscience and behavioral biology major, is well-known around Emory. When students returned to campus after the COVID-19 pandemic, Okoronkwo could be found fostering community and conversation in Asbury Circle.
Emory University will celebrate the Class of 2023 with ceremonies May 5-8 on the Atlanta and Oxford campuses. Learn more about Commencement events and how you can prepare for the festivities.
In the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, Elsa Mekonnen reflected on her drive to help others as a nurse. So it’s no surprise that during her master’s in nursing program, she became known for putting scholarship and service into practice.
From co-creating a pre-orientation program to helping students who are facing period poverty and studying water cleanliness abroad, Sandra Bourdon has made service her mission at Emory and beyond.
Get ready to celebrate the undergraduate Class of 2023 with Class Day Crossover on Thursday, May 4, an evening of inspiration, fun, awards and community featuring keynote speaker Kal Penn.
Joe Moon, Oxford dean of campus life for the past 35 years, will deliver the keynote address at Oxford's 178th Commencement exercises on May 6. Moon will retire on Aug. 1 after a long and impactful career.
Activist, writer and justice advocate Anthony Ray Hinton will deliver the keynote address at Emory University’s 178th Commencement, scheduled for May 8. Hinton spent 30 years on Alabama’s Death Row for crimes he did not commit.
At Emory’s first in-person Baccalaureate ceremony since 2019, graduating seniors shared how campus spiritual communities sustained them during their undergraduate years.
The Class of 2022 celebrated Class Day Crossover with a reception, remarks from former NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Capt. Scott Kelly, and the presentation of several awards.
The Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award is presented annually as part of Commencement to faculty members in each of Emory’s four undergraduate schools.
View comprehensive coverage, including keynote speaker Tyler Perry, video highlights, photo galleries and profiles of outstanding students and award recipients.
The Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Awards recognize outstanding scholars who excel as teachers within formal and informal educational settings.
View comprehensive coverage, including keynote speaker Tyler Perry, video highlights, photo galleries and profiles of outstanding students and award recipients.
Sally Q. Yates is a former U.S. deputy attorney general and acting attorney general who served the Department of Justice for 27 years, where she was responsible for more than 100,000 employees, including the prosecutorial, litigation and national security sectors.
As Rachelle Spell, this year’s winner of the Cuttino Award for Excellence in Mentoring, prepares to retire, she leaves a legacy of one-to-one guidance at Emory College.
Tyler Perry is a world-renowned producer, director, actor, screenwriter, playwright, author, songwriter and entrepreneur. At its heart, his work is concerned with providing hope, offering humor, and inspiring his fans to “leave space to dream.”
She sets a standard for pedagogy at Candler School of Theology and across Emory. Exemplary Teacher of the Year Award recipient Jennifer Ayres focuses on “the full humanization of everyone in the classroom.”
The profound generosity of Louise R. “Lou” Glenn, a founding trustee of The Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation and a steadfast supporter of Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute, led to the establishment of the Glenn Family Breast Center.
Stephanie Zhang is on a mission to create a more equitable world. Her commitment to creating a more welcoming campus has earned her the 2022 undergraduate Brittain Award, Emory’s highest student honor.
Heather-Destiny Konan, the 2022 Emory College class orator, found success through community while at Emory. She wants fellow graduates to consider their role doing the same as they head into the world.
Jefferson Award winner Jeffrey Rosensweig is a renowned scholar and sought-after mentor. One founder of the Emory Center for Ethics, he enlarged recognition of veterans and co-designed University Courses — an “intellectual commons” for faculty and students.
Social impact classes that prioritize stakeholders over shareholders and people over profits made impressions on Ben Feinstein that he intends to carry into his business career — and pass along to others.
Seeing the effects of Hurricane Maria firsthand influenced Natalia Calzada Jorge’s decision to pursue medical school. Now she’ll combine lessons from that experience with her time at Emory to better serve patients.
Jovaan Velez knew from an early age that he would work in health care. After weathering Hurricane Maria and navigating nursing school during COVID-19, he’s ready to step into his role as patient advocate.
Autumn McNeill combines her love of the environment with a social sciences perspective, finding ways to educate or involve others in creating solutions face-to-face and through social media.
Tejas Dave left high-level finance and coding for quantitative analysis behind when he arrived at Emory Law. Now he’s shifting his problem-solving focus to the frontiers of global finance.
From volunteering as an interpreter to mentoring first-generation students and speaking out on others’ behalf, this year’s graduate Brittain Award recipient My Nguyen drives positive change in everything she does.
Jay Desai is known at Emory and through international hackathons for pairing tech skills with a knack for repurposing common materials. The result? Inexpensive inventions that solve sticky medical problems.
As Anya Kasubhai graduates from Oxford College, she is grateful for lessons learned as a student and a leader, and the bonds she’s forged with those who have contributed to her successes.
As Camille Goldmon graduates with her PhD in history, she leaves a mark on Emory and the community as a groundbreaking researcher, engaging teacher and impactful mentor. Her dissertation examines the Tuskegee Institute's crucial role in the livelihood of Black agrarians.
Allie Williams once planned to be a doctor, but instead decided to explore the intersections of health and faith. Her studies and community work at Candler School of Theology showed her new ways to integrate spiritual and physical wellness.
As Emory prepares to welcome cinematic innovator Tyler Perry as the university’s 2022 Commencement speaker, take a look back at the wisdom offered by speakers over the past five years.
When Eladio Abreu set out to become a biologist, he didn’t know any Black scientists. Now he mentors students like graduating Emory College senior Damon Ross, who in turn helps others as a peer mentor.
Emory University will celebrate the Class of 2022 by returning to in-person, on-campus ceremonies May 6-9 on the Atlanta and Oxford campuses. Learn more about Commencement events, including how you can hear the keynote address by Tyler Perry.
Senior Ozzy Wagner has taken a lifetime of writing and developed into a groundbreaking playwright with an eye for inclusive and diverse theater.
Emory will celebrate graduating undergraduate students with Class Day Crossover on May 5, an evening of inspiration, awards and fun. Former NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Capt. Scott Kelly has been named keynote speaker.
Rev. Dr. Avis Williams, an Emory alumna and community leader, will deliver the keynote address at Oxford College’s 177th Commencement exercises, set for May 7.
World-renowned cinematic innovator Tyler Perry will deliver Emory University’s 2022 Commencement address and receive an honorary degree. The event is set for May 9 on the Emory Quadrangle.
Emory celebrated Class Day, a longstanding Commencement tradition, with events online May 13. Several seniors were recognized for their contributions, and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff encouraged graduates to get involved in the world around them.
Faculty and staff were recognized with multiple awards in conjunction with the 2021 school ceremonies and the conclusion of the academic year. See the honorees from each of the nine schools that make up Emory University.
After last year's Commencement had to be held virtually, graduates in the Class of 2020 came together May 15 to commemorate their achievements.
View comprehensive coverage of Emory's Commencement ceremonies, including keynote speaker Anthony Fauci, photo galleries, profiles of outstanding students and more.
The Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence honors contributions of faculty across Emory’s seven graduate and professional schools.
The Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award is presented annually to faculty members in each of the four undergraduate schools as part of Commencement celebrations.
From organizing numerous service opportunities through Volunteer Emory to helping fight food insecurity on campus and beyond, senior Genevieve Wilson embodies just the kind of student leader the Brittain Award honors.
Nursing student Mimi Yu recognizes the importance of focusing on both physical and mental health. Known as an encourager throughout her time on campus, she continues to share affirmations during her countdown to graduation.
The Sudler Prize honors graduating seniors who have demonstrated exceptional promise in the performing or creative arts. Meet Ruth Puryear and Jack Stallins, Emory’s 2021 recipients.
Emory University will host its 176th Commencement exercises with modified in-person ceremonies for the Class of 2021 at the Georgia World Congress Center May 14, 15 and 16.
PhD student Alisina Bazrafshan’s mentoring days began during college in Tehran. He continued that work while studying at Laney Graduate School, promoting the significance of higher education to underserved youth from refugee families in Atlanta.
From book-worthy research on Serbian ethnicities to developing training for the Liberian National Police to tutoring Atlanta-area refugees, Tara Djukanovic has thoroughly embodied the “extraordinary promise” of a McMullan Award winner.
As a child, Alex Revelle recorded church services for members who couldn’t leave their homes. Decades later, that knowledge proved invaluable during the pandemic and will continue to build connections wherever he serves.
This year’s Jefferson Award winner, Ruth Murphey Parker, long has led efforts to advance the progress of health literacy, resulting in improved outcomes for the most vulnerable patients.
A case note on racial inequalities in American history spurred Willie Sullivan’s desire for corporations to address large societal issues. The result was the inaugural John R. Lewis Racial Justice Case Competition.
Mikko Biana began working as a steward for community shortly after arriving at Emory. His address as class orator will reinforce that concept, while also reminding graduates they have the power to change narratives.
Throughout her career as a physician and professor of medicine, Jada Bussey-Jones has worked to empower future doctors to understand health disparities and treat each patient as "a person and not a disease."
Kristin Limpose reflects on being a doctor with a disability, the importance of listening to patients and what it has been like to complete medical school during a pandemic.
Honored with a “Heart of Emory” award, MPH student and future HIV epidemiologist Nellie Garlow has dedicated her time to the COVID-19 Outbreak and Response Team, the Rollins Election Day Initiative, and more.
Suman Malempati left his career as a pediatric oncologist, researcher and associate professor of pediatrics to train as a social justice lawyer because he could “no longer be an observer.”
As the pandemic unfolded, E. Lisa Chung got involved with multiple response efforts, from performing tests and delivering vaccines to mapping out prevention plans. She’ll continue her studies as a public health PhD student at Emory in the fall.
Dylan Goldberg was the only student leader of a religious organization on the Oxford College campus last fall. He rose to the challenge, finding ways the Jewish Student Union could connect with everyone in the community.
Woodruff Scholar Karissa Kang winds up her Emory career with the same burst of energy and brilliance with which she started. Next stop: Yale Law School.
Award-winning author and stellar researcher Vanessa Siddle Walker’s legacy of encouraging and promoting student success is being honored with the 2021 George P. Cuttino Award for Excellence in Mentoring.
As Commencement weekend draws near, use this list to prepare for all the celebrations at the Georgia World Congress Center and online, beginning with Class Day on May 13 and continuing with Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies May 14-16.
Learn more about Emory’s Commencement events, slated for May 14-16 at the Georgia World Congress Center. While some aspects of the university’s traditional ceremony must be adjusted to comply with health and safety protocols, many elements will be familiar.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff has been selected as keynote speaker for Emory's Class Day, a student-organized event for students receiving bachelor's degrees at this year's Commencement. Emory's Class Day will be Thursday, May 13, leading into Commencement weekend.
James W. Curran, dean of Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, will deliver the Commencement address for Oxford College on May 15. The ceremony also will feature congratulatory remarks to the graduates from U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock.
On March 11, 2020, Emory leaders informed the community that all classes would transition to remote learning. Through photos and headlines, take a look back at an extraordinary year, as students, faculty and staff met unprecedented challenges.
Dr. Anthony Fauci will deliver the 2021 Commencement address for Emory College of Arts and Sciences and receive the Emory University President’s Medal. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he will give his remarks virtually.
Through photos and headlines, see how Emory students, faculty and staff responded to an extraordinary year with resilience and resolve.
From a Pulitzer Prize to welcoming a new president, explore 10 of Emory's most-read stories of the year that were not about the pandemic.
Emory announces additional details about modified in-person Commencement ceremonies scheduled for May 14-16 at the Georgia World Congress Center, including dates and times for undergraduate, graduate and professional school diploma ceremonies for the Class of 2021.
Recognizing the important milestone that Commencement offers, Emory is moving forward with plans to hold modified ceremonies at the Georgia World Congress Center.
Faculty and staff were recognized with multiple awards in conjunction with the 2020 school ceremonies and the conclusion of the academic year. See the honorees from each of the nine schools that make up Emory University.
Delivering the keynote address at Emory’s Commencement, human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson addressed the death of Ahmaud Arbery, calling on graduates to challenge the narrative of racial injustice.
View complete coverage of Commencement, including keynote speaker Bryan Stevenson, video highlights, profiles of outstanding students and more.
Since arriving at Emory in 1992, religion professor Joyce Flueckiger has nurtured rigorous scholarship and mentorship in students, faculty and others. Her dedication was honored with the George P. Cuttino Award for Excellence in Mentoring.