Commencement Speaker

Seth Meyers is an Emmy Award-winning writer and current host of "Late Night with Seth Meyers." Meyers was named one of the 2014 "Time 100," Time magazine's 100 most influential…

Andrea Mitchell, the veteran NBC Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, is also the host of MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports

David McCullough has been widely acclaimed as a "master of the art of narrative history" and "a matchless writer." Winner of two Pulitzer Prizes and the National Book Award, he…

Legendary quarterback Peyton Manning, the NFL’s only five-time Most Valuable Player and a 14-time Pro Bowl selection.

Whether skewering Republicans, Democrats, the mass media or Hollywood, Bill Maher is one of the most perceptive and hilarious satirists at work today. From the podium he delivers his trademark…

Mario Lopez is the host of Extra, the Emmy Award–winning entertainment news program.This is Lopez’s eighth consecutive season as the show’s host, after co-hosting Extra's weekend edition since January 2007.…

Jay Leno, Acclaimed TV late night show host, admired stand-up comedian, best-selling children’s book author, corporate speaker, lovable TV and movie voice-over artist, pioneering car builder and philanthropist…it’s no wonder…

Nine-time Grammy award-winning R&B artist John Legend and the “All of Me” crooner has earned millions of fans with his chart-topping albums.

Dr. Mona Lake Jones, author, educator and community activist. Jones, who has served as Poet Curator and Poet Laureate for the City of Seattle and Martin Luther King County, travels…

Academy Award Winner Spike Lee’s iconic body of storytelling has made an indelible mark on filmmaking and television

Dr. Henry C. Lee is one of the world’s foremost forensic scientists. Dr. Lee’s work has made him a landmark in modern-day forensic sciences. He has been a prominent player…

Wendy Kopp is CEO and Co-founder of Teach For All, a global network of independent organizations that are cultivating their nations’ promising future leaders to ensure their most marginalized children…

Billie Jean King is the founder of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative and the co-founder of World TeamTennis. She has long been a champion for social change and equality.…

Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. After his parents separated when Stephen was a toddler, he…

Gayle King is a co-host of “CBS This Morning,” and editor-at-large of the award-winning O, the Oprah Magazine. King previously hosted “The Gayle King Show,” a live, weekday television interview…

Barbara Kingsolver was born in 1955, and grew up in rural Kentucky. She earned degrees in biology from DePauw University and the University of Arizona, and has worked as a…

William Kennard, is the former chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union. He currently is chairman and co-founder of Velocitas Partners…

Vernon Jordan, a prominent attorney, political advisor to President Bill Clinton and the former president of the National Urban League. Vernon Jordan has devoted the major part of his life…

Eric Jerome Dickey was born in Memphis, Tennessee and attended the University of Memphis (the former Memphis State), where he earned his degree in Computer System Technology. In 1983, he…

Earvin “Magic” Johnson has become the most powerful African-American businessman in the world.

Laura Ingraham is the most listened-to woman in political talk radio in the United States. "The Laura Ingraham Show" is heard on hundreds of stations nationwide and has been addicting…

The Grant Hill story is one of faith, guts, family, friends, commitment and the incredible will to play basketball. He was born with a competitive spirit that sent him to…

Jennifer Holliday is a “singer’s singer,” a diva with a voice that can leave an audience absolutely breathless. Whether punctuating a presidential ecumenical service at the White House with a…

Hill Harper is an award-winning actor, best-selling author, and philanthropist. Harper starred on the CBS TV drama CSI: NY from 2004 to 2013. As of March 2013, he joined the…

For years, Ed Helms worked in the comedy trenches as a stand-up comedian which led to regular spots at NYC's top comedy clubs. His television credits include Comedy Centrals Premium…

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the multiple Emmy award winning chief medical correspondent for CNN.

Stedman Graham is chairman and CEO of S. Graham & Associates, a management and marketing consulting firm that specializes in the corporate and educational markets. Stedman delivers his leadership message…

Lawrence Otis Graham a nationally known author, attorney and commentator on race, politics and diversity in America. A lecturer on governmental affairs and employment issues, Larry is chairman of the…

John Gray is the leading relationship expert in the world. His relationship and health books have sold over 50 million copies in 50 different languages. His groundbreaking book, Men Are…

Vartan Gregorian is president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Prior to assuming this position in 1997, he served for nine years as president of Brown University. From 1981…

Nikki Giovanni is a world - renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Over the past 30 years, the outspoken nature of her writing and speaking has br ought the…

Actor, director, producer, and political activist Danny Glover has also become known for his community activism and philanthropic work. A San Francisco native, Glover trained at the Black Actors’ Workshop…

Whoopi Goldberg became one of a very elite group of artists who have won the Grammy (Whoopi Goldberg, 1985), the Academy Award (Ghost, 1991), the Golden Globe (The Color Purple,…

Hard-hitting, inspiring, intelligent, honest, direct: these are some of the words used to describe the style and approach of Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Ed Gordon. Known for his stellar interaction with…

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, literary scholar,…

Despite being in the entertainment business for only a short time, Jamie Foxx has already proven himself an accomplished performer in film, television and music.

Morgan Freeman earned his first Academy Award nomination for his chilling performance as a homicidal pimp in the drama Street Smart, which also brought him the LA, N.Y., and National…

Star of hit movie, The Hangover and Bridman, Zach Galifianakis an American comedian and actor, known for numerous film and television appearances including his own Comedy Central Presents special. Galifianakis…

Vivica A. Fox keeps busy! She is set to shoot the sequel Independence Day in May of this year. with You can catch Fox in the film Chocolate City releasing…

Laurence Fishburne has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in Film, Television and Theatre having worked in over 70 projects in all performance mediums. He is not only an actor,…

Jane Fonda was born in New York City, the daughter of Henry Fonda and Frances Seymour Fonda. She attended the Emma Willard School in Troy, New York, and Vassar College.…

Long a renowned comic talent, Jimmy Fallon’s ability to deliver versatile, standout performances on the screen has allowed him to join the exclusive ranks as one of the Saturday Night…

America Ferrera is perhaps best known for her Emmy Award-winning portrayal of "Betty Suarez" on the ABC hit comedy Ugly Betty, but she is also a devoted humanitarian who dedicates…

Tina Fey is an Award-Winning Television and Film Actress. She completed a seven-season run as the executive producer, head writer, and star of three-time Emmy Award-winning comedy series 30 Rock.…

Award-Winning actor Hector Elizondo has a successful career spanning 40 years that includes film, television, theater and radio. In 1997, Elizondo won the prestigious Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor…

Mike Espy is the former Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, and a former U.S. Representative from the 2nd District of Mississippi. He currently works as a private…

Bill Duke is an acclaimed African American filmmaker, actor, director, producer and writer who received his dramatic arts training at Boston University, New York University's Tisch School of Arts and…

A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Charles S. Dutton has a career spanning theater, television, and film, and is one of the few actors to earn Tony, Emmy,…

Dr. Harry Edwards was born in St. Louis but grew up in East Saint Louis, Illinois. After an outstanding athletic career at East St. Louis High, he graduated in 1960…

There are a few celebrities who take up an environmental cause and actually move beyond a superficial commitment. Ted Danson is one of those celebrities. He is the co-founding member…