Bard College Holds One Hundred Sixty-Third Commencement on Saturday, May 27, 2023

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NY — Bard College will hold its one hundred sixty-third commencement on Saturday, May 27, 2023. Bard President Leon Botstein will confer 384 undergraduate degrees on the Class of 2023 and 182 graduate degrees, including master of fine arts; doctor and master of philosophy and master of arts in decorative arts, design history, and material culture; master of science and master of arts in economic theory and policy; master of business administration in sustainability; master of arts in teaching; master of arts in curatorial studies; master of science in environmental policy and in climate science and policy; master of music in vocal arts and in conducting; master of music in curatorial, critical, and performance studies; and master of education in environmental education. The program will begin at 2:30 pm in the commencement tent on the Seth Goldfine Memorial Rugby Field.
 
The Commencement address will be given by U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, of Georgia. Honorary degrees will be awarded to Senator Warnock, horticulturist George Ball ’73, Indiana University School of Medicine assistant professor Caitlin Bernard, Olympic track star John Carlos, writer Sandra Cisneros, UCLA history professor Robin D. G. Kelley, MIT professor Barbara Liskov, Arthur Ross Director of the Center on US-China Relations at Asia Society Orville Schell, and playwright and actress Anna Deavere Smith. 

Other events taking place during Commencement Weekend include Bard College award ceremonies. The Bard Medal will be presented to Roland J. Augustine; the John and Samuel Bard Award in Medicine and Science to Babacar Cisse ’03; the Charles Flint Kellogg Award in Arts and Letters to Layli Long Soldier MFA ’14; the John Dewey Award for Distinguished Public Service to Tom Begich ’82 and Ting Ting Cheng ’02; and the Mary McCarthy Award to Katherine Boo.

ABOUT THE COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

A highly-respected pastor and social justice advocate, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock was first elected to the United States Senate in 2021 and re-elected for a full term in 2022. Additionally, for over 16 years, Senator Reverend Warnock has served as Senior Pastor of Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, the spiritual home of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is the youngest pastor selected to serve in that leadership role at the historic church.
 
Senator Reverend Warnock is a native of coastal Georgia, growing up in Kayton Homes public housing in Savannah, and was born one of twelve brothers and sisters. His father, a veteran, small businessman and preacher, grew up in Burke and Screven County, GA. Senator Reverend Warnock’s mother grew up in Waycross, GA, where she spent summers picking tobacco and cotton. A graduate of Savannah’s Sol C. Johnson High School, Senator Reverend Warnock’s mother and extended family still live in the Savannah area. Senator Reverend Warnock is a proud graduate of Atlanta’s Morehouse College and Union Theological Seminary, where he earned his PhD. 
 
A champion for expanding educational access and opportunities, Senator Warnock has worked tirelessly to ensure students in Georgia and around the country have access to a higher education that can transform lives. In addition to advocating for efforts to increase college affordability, Senator Warnock has been a vocal advocate for student loan debt cancellation, and pushed the White House in the summer of 2022 to enact a plan to help provide meaningful relief to millions of students. Senator Warnock was also instrumental in the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, reaching across the aisle to secure STEM education funding in the legislation for HBCUs and other higher education institutions across the nation that will boost American innovation and research   Additionally, as the Senate’s only current HBCU graduate, Senator Reverend Warnock has co-led efforts in the Senate to strengthen funding for the nation’s HBCUs and 1890 Land-Grant colleges and universities. As a voice for Georgia in the United States Senate, Senator Reverend Warnock is committed to highlighting the moral urgency for making change in Washington, including continuing to fight for increased access to quality education for students across Georgia and the nation.
 
About Bard College
Founded in 1860, Bard College is a four-year, residential college of the liberal arts and sciences located 90 miles north of New York City. With the addition of the Montgomery Place estate, Bard’s campus consists of nearly 1,000 parklike acres in the Hudson River Valley. It offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, and bachelor of music degrees, with majors in more than 40 academic programs; graduate degrees in 13 programs; eight early colleges; and numerous dual-degree programs nationally and internationally. Building on its 163-year history as a competitive and innovative undergraduate institution, Bard College has expanded its mission as a private institution acting in the public interest across the country and around the world to meet broader student needs and increase access to liberal arts education. The undergraduate program at our main campus in upstate New York has a reputation for scholarly excellence, a focus on the arts, and civic engagement. Bard is committed to enriching culture, public life, and democratic discourse by training tomorrow’s thought leaders. For more information about Bard College, visit bard.edu.

This event was last updated on 03-30-2023

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