Commencement 2025
A collection of features and profiles covering Harvard University’s 374th Commencement.
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Campus & Community
‘Who we are and what we stand for’
Amid Harvard Alumni Day celebration, speakers address challenges, share messages of strength and resolve
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Campus & Community
No joke: He’s graduating
With family in mind — and big dreams for the future — employee Jorge Mendoza completes long journey to degree
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Campus & Community
Proud day for Harvard
Joy, unity, and gratitude as University celebrates 374th Commencement
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Campus & Community
Verghese tells an American story at Commencement
Physician and acclaimed novelist underlines immigrants’ contributions to Harvard and the nation, urges graduates to show courage, character in the face of hardship
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‘Like we’re reaching a new period of human history’
Fascination with artificial intelligence pulls Muqtader Omari back to his scholarly first love: Science
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‘It’s the best feeling, helping a prosecutor, a judge, see someone’s humanity’
At Law School, Sophia Hunt discovers passion for defense — and rises to job once held by Obama
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Six honorary degrees awarded at 374th Commencement
Recipients include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Richard Alley, Esther Duflo, Elaine H. Kim, Rita Moreno, Abraham Verghese
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A celebration for parents, too
Moms and dads reflect on campus journey they shared with children
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Take a stand, Abdul-Jabbar tells graduating seniors
Writer and basketball legend speaks to the moment in Class Day address
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‘Stand up for the truth’
In ROTC address, Garber offers Churchill as model of courage in ‘face of near constant opposition’
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Hey you, hold onto your humanity. You’ll thank me later.
A little advice for the graduates — or, at least, for one of them (you know who you are)
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Healing through music
Grant Jones incorporated love of meditation and listening to R&B, hip-hop into dissertation on mindfulness interventions
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Identifying barriers faced by people with disabilities
Melissa Shang conducts ambitious survey for senior thesis, filling ‘major gap’ in scholarship
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She left small town for Harvard but found herself looking back
Lilian Smith’s thesis honors history of quiet resistance in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
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Ringing in tradition
Dozens of bells will mark Harvard’s Commencement
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Deep in the Amazon, local politicians resist gold miners — and inspire thesis
Encounter during rainforest trip leads Eduardo Vasconcelos to research focus
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Entering ‘our problem world’
University honors — and challenges — newly elected members of Phi Beta Kappa at ceremony
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Fight for education, Garber urges grads
‘Everything we might achieve is grounded in knowledge,’ says president in Baccalaureate address
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Finding common humanity, modern lessons in antiquity, a path forward
Yurong ‘Luanna’ Jiang, Aidan Scully, Thor Reimann to deliver orations
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Frustrated fighting wildfires in L.A., he resolved to build better tools
Rupen Dajee launches tech startup to aid emergency responders, leveraging lessons learned firsthand as EMT, firefighter
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After flying Apaches, she needed a new challenge
Lindsey Chrismon sets sights high from West Point to Harvard Business School
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Marine vet’s future was a puzzle. Then he found archaeology.
Shane Rice credits Gen Ed class — and professor’s wall of declassified intelligence photos — with illuminating career path
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Less a problem than an adventure
For Eliot Hodges, math is a creative process
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Searching for answers to life’s big questions
Kelsey Hanson Woodruff served as a Presbyterian minister before love of religious studies led her to Harvard
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Bringing startup energy to whatever he does
Michael Oved builds community around passions for entrepreneurship, Republican politics
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Finishing what he started
Ben Abercrombie battles back to graduate 8 years after spinal-cord injury on football field left him paralyzed
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‘The goal is to understand who you are.’
Studying neurobiology gives Nghia Nguyen insights into ‘technical, tangible’ reasons for the things he does every day
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Interviewing experts wasn’t enough
Stint as data journalist at NYT sends Sahil Chinoy on quest for even deeper dives into labor, politics, human behavior
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How the Cold War continues to shape German identity
Addie Esposito’s thesis — based on interviews with lawmakers in the Bundestag — examines ‘persistent divide’ between East and West
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The boy had just lost his dad to cancer. Jett Crowdis listened.
Medical School graduate found his calling in a connection forged while serving as camp counselor
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Four awarded Harvard Medal for exceptional service
To be honored on June 6 marking Alumni Day
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar named Class Day speaker
NBA icon, award-winning author, and humanitarian chosen for ‘his lasting efforts to build a more just and compassionate world’
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Atul Gawande named featured speaker for Harvard Alumni Day
Acclaimed surgeon, writer, and public health leader will take the stage at Harvard’s global alumni celebration on June 6
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Abraham Verghese, physician and bestselling author, named Commencement speaker
Stanford professor whose novels include ‘Covenant of Water’ to deliver principal address May 29