Here's Every Columbia 2023 Class Day Speaker We Know (So Far)
With Commencement, class days, and general graduation festivities around the corner, here's who we expect to speak to our graduates in celebration of their accomplishments.
Columbia Commencement is right around the corner in May and with it comes the special school-specific celebrations known as Class Days. #Columbia2023! During this year's Commencement ceremony, we'll hear from President Lee C. Bollinger on Wednesday, May 17 at 10:30 a.m. during an in-person ceremony that will also be broadcast live for those unable to make it to campus.
Schools across Columbia will also host ceremonies and speakers of their own. We're keeping track of those Class Day speakers, as they are announced, in the running list below. The list will be updated as we hear more throughout April and May!
Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
Andrés Jaque
Andrés Jaque, dean and professor at Columbia GSAPP, will speak at the school's ceremony on Saturday, May 13 ,2023 at 12:00 p.m. on the South Lawn.
David Sedaris
Preeminent humor writer David Sedaris will speak at the School of the Art’s in-person convocation on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 7 p.m. in Lerner Hall, Roone Alredge Auditorium.
Lena Waithe
Emmy Award-winning writer, creator, producer, actor, and founder of Hillman Grad, Lena Waithe will give the keynote address at Barnard College's Commencement on Wednesday, May 17 at 4 p.m. at Radio City Musical Hall.
Alisa Amarosa Wood
Alisa Amarosa Wood (CC'01), BUS'08), Partner at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Inc., will speak at Columbia Business School's recognition ceremony for MBA candidates on Sunday, May 14, at 10 a.m. on the South Lawn.
Jamaal Bowman
Jamaal Bowman, Representative for New York’s 16th congressional district, will deliver the keynote address at Columbia Climate School’s Class Day ceremony, which will take place on Friday, May 12 at 11:00 a.m. at Miller Theatre.
Katori Hall
Katori Hall (CC'03), a Pulitzer Prize and Olivier Award-winning playwright and television creator/producer, will speak at Columbia College's ceremony on Tuesday, May 16 at 8:00 a.m. on the South Lawn.
Nina Tandon
Nina Tandon (SEAS'09, BUS'12), CEO and co-founder of EpiBone, the world's first company to grow living human bones for skeletal reconstruction, will speak at Columbia Engineering's ceremony on Monday, May 15 at 12:30 p.m. on the South Lawn.
Keren Yarhi-Milo
Keren Yarhi-Milo (GS'03), Dean of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and the Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Relations, will be the keynote speaker at the School of General Studie's Class Day celebration on Monday May 15, 2023 at 7:45 a.m. on the South Lawn.
Turkuler Isiksel
Turkuler Isiksel, associate professor and deputy chair of Political Science at Columbia, will be the speaker at the PhD convocation for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences on Sunday, May 14 at 12:00 p.m. on the South Lawn.
Carol Gluck
Carol Gluck, George Sansom Professor Emerita of History at Columbia, will be the speaker at the MA convocation for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences on Sunday, May 14 at 3:00 p.m. on the South Lawn.
Maria Ressa
Maria Ressa, the Nobel laureate and Filipina journalist known for her work to protect media freedom, will be the featured speaker at Columbia SIPA’s graduation ceremony on May 14, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. on the South Lawn.
Christiane Amanpour
Christiane Amanpour, Chief International Anchor for CNN and host of CNN International’s nightly interview program Amanpour, will speak at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism's graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 17 at 3:00 p.m. in Lerner Hall, Roone Arledge Auditorium.
Damian Williams
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, will speak at the Law School's ceremony on Monday, May 15, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. on the South Lawn.
Brian Castrucci
Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH (MSPH'06), president and chief executive officer of the de Beaumont Foundation, will receive Mailman School of Public Health's Visionary Leadership Award and will speak at their ceremony on Tuesday, May 16 at 4:00 pm at The Armory.
Sarah Holloway
Sarah Holloway, Lecturer in Discipline and Nonprofit Management Program Director at the School of Professional Studies, will speak at the first School of Professional Studies ceremony, which will be held on Friday, May 12 at 10 a.m. on the South Lawn.
Beth Fisher-Yoshida
Beth Fisher-Yoshida, Professor of Practice and Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Program Director at the School of Professional Studies, will speak at the first School of Professional Studies ceremony, which will be held on Friday, May 12 at 1:45 p.m. on the South Lawn.
Karen Bullock
Karen Bullock (SSW'92), Louise McMahon Ahearn Endowed Professor at Boston College School of Social Work, will address graduates at the Columbia School of Social Work class day on Tuesday, May 16 at 10 a.m. in Levien Gymnasium.
Miguel Cardona
Miguel Cardona, United States Secretary of Education, will speak at the Teachers College convocation ceremony for the departments of Mathematics, Science & Technology, and Organization & Leadership, which will be held on Wednesday, May 17 at 7:00 p.m. at United Palace Theater.
Kevin Nadal
Kevin Nadal (TC’08), a distinguished professor and leading scholar in the exploration of microaggressions toward LGBTQ+ people and people of color, will speak at the Teachers College convocation ceremony for the departments of Counseling & Clinical Psychology, and Human Development, which will be held on Thursday, May 18 at 10:00 a.m. at United Palace Theater.
Marcus Samuelsson
Marcus Samuelsson, a cultural and philanthropic leader in the Harlem community and award-winning visionary behind the famous soul food eatery Red Rooster, will speak at the Teachers College convocation ceremony for the departments of Biobehavioral Sciences, Health & Behavior Studies, and International & Transcultural Studies, which will be held on Thursday, May 18 at 2:30 p.m. at United Palace Theater.
Elly Yae Li Cho
Elly Yae Li Cho (TC'11), a filmmaker and artist who examines the relationship between ecology and the human condition, will speak at the Teachers College convocation ceremony for the departments of Arts & Humanities, Curriculum & Teaching, and Education Policy & Social Analysis on Thursday, May 18 at 7:00 p.m. at United Palace Theater.
Atul Gawande
Atul Gawande, MD, MPH. Assistant administrator for Global Health at USAID, will speak at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons ceremony on Wednesday, May 17 at 2:00 p.m. at The Armory. Specific graduate programs within VP&S have their own speakers as well, and they can be found here.