2025 Commencement Speakers and Honorary Degree Recipients
April 2, 2025
Dear Brandeis Community,
I am excited to announce that historian of American Judaism and University Professor Jonathan D. Sarna ’75, GSAS MA’75, and theoretical physicist and higher-education leader, the Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, will keynote Brandeis’ 74th Commencement ceremonies and receive honorary degrees on Sunday, May 18.
LGBTQ+ rights pioneer, speaker and activist Jim Obergefell will also receive an honorary degree during the undergraduate ceremony. Obergefell was the lead plaintiff in the 2015 landmark Supreme Court case which legalized same-sex marriage throughout the United States. He co-authored the book “Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality,” and is also an executive producer on the JustMarried Project, which includes a book, podcast series and documentary series.
Sarna, the Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, will offer remarks at the undergraduate ceremony in the morning while Jackson will address students and families during the afternoon graduate Commencement exercises.
Sarna retired from teaching in December after serving on the Brandeis faculty for 34 years. He has written or edited more than 30 books, including “Lincoln and the Jews: A History,” (with Benjamin Shapell) and “When General Grant Expelled the Jews.” His book “American Judaism: A History” is considered the definitive history of American Jewry and has won many accolades, including the 2004 Everett Jewish Book of the Year Award from the Jewish Book Council.
Shirley Ann Jackson — the first African American woman to earn a PhD at MIT — served as the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 1999-2022. She has held senior leadership positions in academia, government, industry and research.
Jackson has earned many honors, including the National Medal of Science, the highest award bestowed by the U.S. president to individuals who advance knowledge in science and engineering, and the Vannevar Bush Award, which the National Science Board gave Jackson in recognition of her “lifetime of achievements in scientific research, education and senior statesman-like contributions to public policy.”
If you’d like to learn more about the accomplishments of these extraordinary individuals, I encourage you to view the full announcement on Brandeis Stories.
I look forward to celebrating these exceptional leaders, and all of our impressive graduates, with you in May.
Sincerely,
Arthur Levine ’70
Interim President