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Howard University Announces Prestigious Slate of 2023 Commencement Speakers

Speakers for Howard University’s 14 schools and colleges include Sen. Raphael Warnock, visual artist Bisa Butler, and Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick

Spring 2023 Commencement Speakers

WASHINGTON – Howard University will feature a prestigious slate of speakers during its 2023 commencement ceremonies recognizing its 14 schools and colleges. President Wayne A. I. Frederick, Howard alumna Bisa Butler, Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock are among those to address this year’s graduating seniors, and their families during their respective ceremonies. The University recently announced the speaker for the main commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 13, will be President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. 

This year’s orators affirm Howard’s commitment to excellence and achievement in the Black community and beyond.

School of Social Work: Halaevalu F.O. Vakalhi, PhD, president and CEO of Council on Social Work Education.

College of Pharmacy: Adora Ndu, PharmD, JD, chief regulatory affairs officer of BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. and Abraham Hollist, PharmD, founder and CEO of Optimal Medical Health Center.  

School of Education: Peggy Carr, PhD, commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education.  

School of Communications: Stacey Hightower, CEO of Omnicom Special Marketing Group. 

School of Medicine: Andrea Hayes Dixon, MD, FACS, dean of the Howard University College of Medicine.  

School of Business: Nicholas M. Perkins, chairman, president, and CEO of Perkins Management Services.  

College of Arts and Sciences: Kareem Merrick, DDS, Howard alum and chief dental officer and associate dentist at NYC Health + Hospitals.  

College of Dentistry: Roosevelt Allen, PhD, VP & Dental Director of the Government Business Unit at United Concordia Dental.  

School of Divinity: Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Thompson, senior pastor of Allen Baptist Church in Oakland, California and HUSD alumna. 

College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences: Wayne A.I. Frederick, MD, MBA, 17th president of Howard University and Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery. 

College of Engineering and Architecture: Gregory L. Robinson, PhD, former program director at NASA.  

College of Fine Arts: Globally recognized visual artist and Howard alumna Mailissa Yamba-Butler (Bisa Butler). 

School of Law: Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, junior senator of the state of Georgia. 

For a complete details on all 2023 commencement ceremonies, please visit https://commencement.howard.edu/events

 

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Sen. Raphael Warnock

Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock Selected as Howard Law Class of 2023 Hooding Ceremony Keynote Address Speaker

About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 14 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced two Schwarzman Scholars, four Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African American PhD. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu