Faculty & Staff

Speakers planned for schools’ Commencement celebrations

Photo by James Byard / WUSTL Photos


A variety of distinguished speakers, faculty members and student leaders will take part in Commencement-related events for Class of 2018 graduates and their families and guests next week at Washington University in St. Louis.
Anne-Marie Slaughter, a renowned foreign policy expert, distinguished scholar, former top official at the State Department and author of a widely read article that sparked a national debate around women’s work-life balance, will deliver the address for the universitywide Commencement, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. Friday, May 18, in Brookings Quadrangle on the Danforth Campus. 

Other speakers include:

Wednesday, May 16

Victoria L. May, assistant dean in Arts & Sciences and executive director of the Institute for School Partnership, for the University College ceremony, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, in Graham Chapel. The student speaker is Gail A. Boker, candidate for a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in nonprofit management in University College.

Thursday, May 17

Jennifer R. Smith, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, for the College of Arts & Sciences ceremony, at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 17, in Brookings Quadrangle. The student speaker is Reuben Hogan, a bachelor’s candidate in molecular biology and biochemistry with a minor in anthropology, both in Arts & Sciences.

Cynthia Weese, BS ’62, BArch ‘65, founding partner of Weese Langley Weese and dean emerita of the Washington University School of Architecture, for the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts’ College of Architecture/Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design recognition ceremony, at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 17, in Graham Chapel. The undergraduate student speaker is Charles Clifford Hart, bachelor’s candidate in architecture. The graduate student speaker is Margot Shafran, candidate for master’s degrees in architecture and in liberal arts.

The School of Engineering & Applied Science ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in the Athletic Complex Field House. The student valedictorians are Jessi Gray, Sydney Katz, Nikhil Patel and Vanessa Wu.

David H. Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine; Victoria J. Fraser, MD, Adolphus Busch Professor and head of the Department of Medicine; Graham Colditz, MD, DrPH, the Niess-Gain Professor of Surgery, director of the Division of Public Health Sciences, associate director of prevention and control for Siteman Cancer Center, director of the Master of Population Health Sciences, and deputy director of the Institute for Public Health; and David K. Warren, MD, professor of medicine, director of the Clinical Research Training Center, director of the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation, for the Programs in Clinical Investigation, Population Health Sciences and Applied Health Behavior Research joint recognition ceremony, at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in the Eric P. Newman Education Center’s Great Room.

Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund, the nation’s largest private provider of scholarships and other educational support to African-American students, for the Graduate School hooding and recognition ceremony, at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in the Athletic Complex’s varsity gym.

Charita L. Castro-Gonzalves, MSW ’99, chief of the Research and Policy Division at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, for the Brown School recognition ceremony, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in the Field House.
Artist Paula Wilson, BFA ’98, for the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts’ College of Art/Graduate School of Art ceremony, at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in Graham Chapel. The undergraduate student speaker is Yuwei Pan, a bachelor’s candidate in fine arts; the graduate student speaker is Jacopo Mazzoni, a master’s candidate in fine arts.

To read about additional commencement speakers visit the WUSTL Source website.