Spring 2024 Degree Celebration speakers

In addition to Spring 2024 Commencement on Thursday, May 9, graduates have the opportunity to attend their own school or college degree celebrations. Here’s a look at the keynote speakers for those events.

Thursday, May 9

2 p.m. College of Engineering and Computing,  Volgenau School of Engineering. Keynote: Glenn Kurowski, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, CACI International Inc.

3 p.m. College of Visual and Performing Arts. Keynote: Dean Rick Davis

6:30 p.m.: College of Engineering and Computing, School of Computing. Keynote: Joe Cubba, Executive Vice President, Chief Growth Officer, ManTech

Friday, May 10

10 a.m. College of Science: Hakeem Oluseyi, research professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department, is a former Visiting Robinson Professor and a nationally recognized expert on astrophysics. He was a guest on two episodes of “Our Future: Transformed” with President Gregory Washington, talking about fusion energy and  the space race for cosmic resources.

11 a.m. Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. Keynote: Keith E. Noble, Chief Data Officer and Director, Office of Advanced Analytics, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, U.S. Department of State. Noble also serves an adjunct professor in the Carter school, where he teaches a graduate course focused on CSO’s implementation of the Global Fragility Act.

2 p.m. Antonin Scalia Law School JM/LLM. Keynote: Sandra Castaneda, LLM ’21, Vice President and Corporate Counsel at Marriott International

2:30 p.m. College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Keynote: Kathy Albarado, BS Psychology '87, MAIS '91, founded Helios HR, an award-winning human capital consulting and recruiting firm. Helios is known for helping their clients scale to their next stage of growth and have helped launch and grow hundreds of organizations ranging from start-ups to the Fortune 500.

7 p.m. Schar School of Policy and Government. Keynote: Rose Previte, MPP ’07, is the owner of Washington, D.C., area restaurants Compass Rose, Maydān, Medina, and Kirby Club, as well as Go There Wines, which brings to market wines created by women and underrepresented winemakers. In addition to public policy work for then-D.C. Councilman Jack Evans and with Arlington County, she said her degree helped her navigate the district’s permitting process.

Saturday, May 11

10 a.m. College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). Keynote: Gabe Segal, MEd ’22, is a science and special education teacher at Herndon Middle School. What started as a fund drive to pay off student lunch debt at one school during 2020 has morphed into an effort to ensure free lunch for all students regardless of ability to pay. He is a 2023 Distinguished Alumni and a Member at Large of the CEHD Alumni Chapter.

11 a.m. Antonin Scalia Law School, JDs. Keynote: The Honorable Melissa A. Long, JD ’95, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Rhode Island. The first Black justice on the Rhode Island Supreme Court when she was sworn in in 2021.

2 p.m. College of Public Health. Keynote: Marvin B. Figueroa, Chief of Staff to United States Senator Laphonza Butler. Previously, Figueroa served as the director of the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he provided counsel to Secretary Xavier Becerra to advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s health and human services priorities. His responsibilities extended to overseeing regional offices that engaged with state and local governments.

6 p.m. Donald G. Costello College of Business. Keynote: Dean Ajay Vinzé