A celebrated YouTuber with nearly 19 million subscribers will be giving a commencement speech this month at Stevens Institute of Technology, school officials announced Thursday.
Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, graduated in 2015 from Stevens’ business school.
Brownlee launched the YouTube channel @mkbhd — which stands for Marques K. Brownlee high-def — in 2008 while attending Columbia High School in Maplewood. He soared to fame via reviews of smartphones, tablets, monitors, headphones and other tech equipment, Stevens said in announcing his selection to speak at the May 22 ceremony.
The Shorty Awards named him “Creator of the Decade” in 2018.
“One of my favorite hard-to-believe-but-true facts is that many of the students graduating from Stevens in 2024 will go on to have long and successful careers in fields that haven’t even been created yet. And no matter what they go on to do, they’re now armed with the technical background and the problem solving skills required to pursue it at the highest level,” Brownlee, 30, said in a statement.
The university-wide commencement ceremony will be held May 22 at 9 a.m. at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel.
Brownlee’s YouTube channel had more than two million subscribers by 2014. It has risen to 18.8 million as his following as a tech reviewer has grown. One of his recent videos, on using Apple Vision Pro, has 26 million views.
In addition to his YouTube prominence, Brownlee is the founder and co-host of the Waveform podcast, known as WVFRM, which offers analysis of tech news and interviews with industry leaders. He also plays with the New York Empire in the Ultimate Frisbee Association.
“Marques Brownlee is an exemplary Stevens alumnus who embodies the core values we cherish — innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship,” said Stevens President Nariman Farvardin.
“With his captivating insights, authenticity and remarkable influence in the tech world, Marques has inspired millions worldwide. Our graduates will greatly benefit from his wisdom and experiences as he addresses the Class of 2024,” Farvardin said.
A second Stevens alumnus, Michael Kakos — a scientist, entrepreneur and global business leader — will address graduate students in a second ceremony starting at 4 p.m.
Stevens will be awarding approximately 3,336 undergraduate and graduate degrees to one of the largest classes in the school’s 154-year history, officials said.
Last year, Stevens’ commencement was criticized for poor planning after one ceremony at the Prudential Center in Newark was plagued by delays and a second ceremony at Newark Symphony Hall had additional problems when graduates were told to leave the ceremony due to overcrowding.
Stevens Institute of Technology refunded each graduate $250 after the ceremonies.
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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
