Commencement recap 

Three hundred sixty-six students received their degrees at our 153rd Commencement last Friday. The graduate ceremony in the morning featured two presenters. Dr. Annelies Kusters, an associate professor of Sign Language and Intercultural Research at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, used International Sign, while student presenter Edgar Sanabria Ramos, G-’23, used Mexican Sign Language.  

Watch Dr. Kusters’ keynote address in International Sign with American Sign Language interpretation. 

Read the English text of Dr. Kusters’ address. 

Watch Edgar Sanabria Ramos’ address in Mexican Sign Language with American Sign Language interpretation. 

Read the Spanish and English text of Edgar Sanabria Ramos’ address. 

In the afternoon, we awarded an honorary degree to Blanche Wilkins Williams, a Black Deaf teacher of the late 19th and early 20th century, who was denied admission to Gallaudet because of the color of her skin. We also enjoyed a keynote address by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, interim president of Mount Holyoke College. Dr. Tatum also received an honorary degree. The Class of 2023 was well-represented by its student speaker, Jakiya Murphy, ’23,  

Watch Dr. Tatum’s keynote address. 

Read the English text of Dr. Tatum’s keynote address. 

Watch Jakiya Murphy’s address. 

Read the English text of Jakiya Murphy’s address. 

Dr. William T. Ennis III, ’01, was named the university’s Distinguished Faculty Member for 2022-2023. Dr. Matthew H. Bakke, Dr. Dennis B. Galvan, Dr. Michael L. Moore, ’68, and Dr. Henry David Snyder received Faculty Emerit status. 

Congratulations to our newest alumni! 

COMMENCEMENT BY THE NUMBERS 
 
Total number of graduates: 366 

Undergraduate: 210 
Graduate: 156 

Our domestic graduates came from 41 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. 

Nineteen international undergraduate students and 13 international graduate students received their degrees. Countries represented: Botswana, Canada, China, Gabon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye.