On Monday, USC announced its honorary degree recipients and baccalaureate speaker. The Price School of Public Policy, Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Rossier School of Education and the School of Architecture have also named their commencement speakers.

Author, conductor and geophysicist will receive honorary degrees

President Beong-Soo Kim will award honorary degrees to Joyce Carol Oates, Gustavo Dudamel and Marcia McNutt, according to a press release from the University on Monday.

Oates, whose literary work includes novels, poetry and her memoir, will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Oates is known for a variety of her works, notably her novel “them,” which won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1970. The novel depicted the lives of a family living in Detroit from the 1930s to the 1967 race riots.

Dudamel, also named this year’s main stage commencement speaker, will receive a Doctor of Music degree. Dudamel is the music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic as well as a conductor of the orchestra. He also spearheaded the launch of Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, a program that provides free instruments and music instruction to children from underserved communities.

McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences, will receive a Doctor of Science degree. Her studies focus on the interaction and movement of the Earth’s upper mantle and lithosphere. McNutt has also led expeditions to deep seas and responded to major disasters, including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, when she helped estimate the oil discharge rate, contain the oil spill and cap the well.

The three recipients will receive their honorary degrees during the University’s commencement ceremony on May 14 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Former Australian Prime Minister to deliver Price commencement speech

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will deliver the commencement keynote speech for Price graduates, the school announced Monday. Most recently, Rudd served as Australia’s ambassador to the United States from 2023 to 2026. 

During his prime ministerial career from 2007 to 2010, Rudd oversaw Australia’s response to the 2008 financial crisis and the country’s withdrawal of troops from the Iraq War. As ambassador to the United States, he helped negotiate the release of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, a library that published censored documents relating to war, spying or corruption.

In a press release, Price Dean Christopher Boone said Rudd is an “outstanding example” of public service to the school’s graduates.

“Rudd is a world leader who has navigated some of the greatest policy challenges in recent history,” Boone said.

Rudd will deliver his speech at 4:30 p.m. on May 15 during Price’s commencement ceremony at Shrine Auditorium.

Best-selling author Lisa Miller named baccalaureate speaker

Lisa Miller, New York Times best-selling author and clinical psychologist, will be USC’s baccalaureate speaker, a USC press release announced Monday. A tenured professor at Columbia University, Miller’s studies in spirituality, resilience and wellbeing have been covered extensively in research journals and popular media.

USC will host its baccalaureate ceremony at Bovard Auditorium from 5 to 6 p.m. on May 13.

Biopharmaceutical industry executive to deliver Mann’s commencement address

David Meek, chief executive officer of gene therapy company Genetix Biotherapeutics, will deliver Mann’s commencement address, the school announced in a press release. Meek also held executive positions at multiple biopharmaceutical companies, including Ipsen and Mirati Therapeutics.

“At a time when medicine is being redefined by breakthrough therapies, David Meek stands at the forefront of that transformation,” Mann’s Dean Vassilios Papadopoulos said in a press release.

Mann will host its commencement ceremony at 1 p.m. May 15 at McCarthy Quad.

Historian, philanthropist will speak at Rossier’s commencement ceremonies

Rossier announced Tuesday its commencement speakers will be historian Robert Cohen and philanthropist Melanie Lundquist. Cohen will speak at the doctoral hooding ceremony scheduled at 1 p.m. May 13 at McCarthy Quad. Lundquist will be the keynote speaker of Rossier’s master’s ceremony at 4:30 p.m. May 16 at Galen Center.

Cohen, professor of history and social studies at New York University, is known for his studies in protests, student movements and Black Freedom struggles in the 20th century. His book “Confronting Jim Crow: Race, Memory, and the University of Georgia in the Twentieth Century” won last year’s Lilian Smith Book Award, an award that honors books facilitating a better understanding of social issues, including human rights.

Lundquist, along with her husband Richard Lundquist, appeared six times on the annual list of America’s 50 most generous philanthropists. She and her husband have pledged more than $450 million over the past decade. Their philanthropic investments span across areas concerning healthcare, education and biomedical research.

USC alum architect to deliver School of Architecture’s commencement keynote address

Mark Lee, architect and USC ‘’91 alum, will deliver the School of Architecture’s commencement ceremony keynote address, the school announced Thursday in a press release. He is the principal and co-founder of architectural firm Johnston Marklee, whose work has received more than 50 major awards. As an educator, Lee has taught at many institutions and was chair of the Department of Architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design from 2018 to 2023.

“USC students are critical thinkers. They also have the ability to deliver when it matters,” Lee said in a press release.

The School of Architecture will host its commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. May 15 at Founder’s Park.