New Jersey’s annual commencement season, which ramped up last weekend at Rutgers University and several other locations, is taking place this year amid a national focus on campus protests stemming from the Israel-Hamas war.
Several college commencement ceremonies around the nation have been disrupted as graduates have chanted or walked out in protests.
Approximately 60 of the 4,200 graduates walked out in a pro-Palestinian protest at Sunday’s commencement ceremony for Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences students.
The walkout happened on the same day that dozens of graduates at Duke University exited their commencement in protest before a speech by comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld, who is Jewish and has offered public support for Israel.
Many of the commencements at New Jersey’s four-year colleges and universities are slated to feature well-known commencement speakers. CNN anchor Abby Phillip, host of “NewsNight with Abby Phillip,” is speaking Tuesday at Kean University’s graduate commencement. Tariq Trotter, the musician known as Black Thought and co-founder of The Roots, will speak Wednesday at the Rutgers University-Newark commencement.
Below are speakers announced as of Monday for the remaining commencement ceremonies scheduled at the state’s four-year colleges and universities. Some schools have not announced a speaker yet or chose to not have a guest commencement speaker this year.
Bloomfield College
Speakers: None announced
Date: Saturday, May 18, at 12:30 p.m.
Location: College Quadrangle
Caldwell University
Speakers: None announced
Dates: Saturday, May 18, at 6:30 p.m. for graduate students; Sunday, May, 19, at 10 a.m. for undergraduates
Location: George R. Newman Center
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Speaker: Stephen K. Klasko, formerly the president of Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health
Date: Wednesday, May 15, at 9:30 a.m.
Location: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford
Felician University
Speakers: None announced
Date: Thursday, May 23, at 9:30 a.m.
Location: The Rink at American Dream in East Rutherford
Kean University
Speakers: Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City and a frequent presence on PBS Nova, Discovery and other programs, is the undergraduate commencement speaker. CNN anchor Abby Phillip, host of “NewsNight with Abby Phillip,” is the graduate commencement speaker.
Date: Tuesday, May 14, for graduate students and Thursday, May 16, for undergraduates
Locations: New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark for graduates students; Prudential Center in Newark for undergraduates
New Jersey City University
Speaker: Bettina L. Love, a Columbia University professor and author of “Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal”
Date: Wednesday, May 15 at 10 a.m. for the School of Business and College of Professional Studies; 2 p.m. for the William J. Maxwell College of Arts & Sciences and CAS/Education dual-degree recipients and Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe College of Education
Location: Red Bull Arena in Harrison
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Speakers: Marjorie A. Perry, president and CEO of MZM Construction Co. in Newark, is the undergraduate commencement speaker. Santo Politi, founder and managing partner at Spark Capital, is addressing master’s degree recipients from the Newark College of Engineering, J. Robert and Barbara A. Hillier College of Architecture and Design, College of Science and Liberal Arts and Martin Tuchman School of Management. Samir Saini, a civil engineering graduate of NJIT, is speaking at the master’s degree ceremony for Ying Wu College of Computing. Carolyn Merkel, a Martin Tuchman School of Management graduate in technology management, is delivering the keynote address at the doctorate commencement.
Dates: Friday, May 17, at 9 a.m. for undergraduates; Wednesday, May 15, at 9 a.m. for master’s degree students for the Newark College of Engineering, J. Robert and Barbara A. Hillier College of Architecture and Design, College of Science and Liberal Arts and Martin Tuchman School of Management; Wednesday, May 15, at 1:30 p.m. for the master’s degree ceremony for Ying Wu College of Computing; Wednesday, May 15, at 5 p.m. for the doctorate commencement ceremony.
Locations: NJIT Wellness and Event Center in Newark for graduate students and Prudential Center ( for undergraduates
Pillar College
Speakers:Dale Caldwell, president of Centenary University
Date: Friday, May 17, at 2 p.m.
Location: Zarephath Christian Church in Franklin Township
Princeton University
Speakers: Sam Waterston, the actor best known for his role as district attorney on “Law & Order,” will speak at the university’s Class Day celebration the day before commencement; Princeton traditionally does not announce its honorary degree recipients before the commencement ceremony begins.
Dates: Class Day ceremony for seniors is Monday, May 27, at 10:30 a.m.; Commencement is Tuesday, May 28, at 9:30 a.m. for all graduates
Locations: Class Day is at Cannon Green on campus; Commencement is at Weaver Stadium in Princeton
Ramapo College
Speakers: None announced
Date: Wednesday, May 29, at 8:40 a.m.
Location: Prudential Center in Newark
Rutgers-Newark
Speakers: Tariq Trotter, the musician known as Black Thought and co-founder of The Roots
Date: Wednesday, May 15, at 9 a.m.
Location: Prudential Center in Newark
Rutgers-Camden
Speaker: New Jersey Secretary of Higher Education Brian Bridges is the Rutgers-Camden and graduate school commencement speaker. Wawa president Brian Schaller is delivering the keynote address at the School of Business-Camden ceremony. Loretta Sweet Jemmott, vice president of health and health equity at Drexel University, is speaking at the School of Nursing-Camden ceremony. Associate Justice Fabiana Pierre-Louis of the New Jersey Supreme Court is speaking to Camden graduates of Rutgers Law School.
Date: Tuesday, May 14, at 4 p.m. for Rutgers-Camden and graduate school commencement; Wednesday, May 15, at 10:30 a.m. for School of Business-Camden; 1:30 p.m. for School of Nursing-Camden; Thursday, May 16, at 10 a.m. for Camden College of Arts & Sciences and University College-Camden; and 2:30 p.m. for Camden graduates of Rutgers Law School
Location: Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden
Saint Elizabeth University
Speaker: Margaret Roman, a 1972 graduate who served as director of the school’s honors program for 26 years
Date: Friday, May 17, at 10 a.m.
Location: Front lawn of the university’s campus
Saint Peter’s University
Speaker: Eugene J. Cornacchia, president of Saint Peter’s University, who is retiring at the end of June
Date: Friday, May 17, at 10:30 a.m.
Location: PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel
Seton Hall University
Speakers: Gary Cohen, broadcaster for New York Mets and Seton Hall basketball games
Date: Tuesday, May 21, at 9 a.m.
Location: Prudential Center
Stevens Institute of Technology
Speakers: Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, a celebrated YouTuber with nearly 19 million subscribers, will address undergraduates. Michael Kakos — a scientist, entrepreneur and global business leader — will address graduate students.
Date: Wednesday, May 22, at 9 a.m. for undergraduates and at 4 p.m. for graduates.
Location: PNC Arts Center in Holmdel
The College of New Jersey
Speakers: None announced
Date: Thursday, May 16, at 8:30 a.m.
Location: Lions Stadium in Ewing
William Paterson University
Speaker: State Sen. Nellie Pou, chair of the state Legislative Latino Caucus, will address the undergraduate commencement.
Dates: Wednesday, May 22, at 9 a.m., is the undergraduate commencement. Monday, May 20, is the graduate commencement, starting at 12 p.m. for the College of Education and College of Science and Health, and at 6 p.m. for the Cotaskos College of Business and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Location: Prudential Center in Newark (undergraduates). William Paterson University’s Sports and Recreation Center (graduates).
Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust.
Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.
