by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

This weekend, the seven Claremont Colleges will be holding their spring commencement ceremonies for the class of 2022. The various commencements will feature hundreds of graduating students, as well as many distinguished speakers. Here’s the latest information.

Claremont McKenna College

Saturday, May 14, 2 p.m. at Parents Field

Danielle Wood, whose work at MIT’s Space Enabled Research Lab applies space technology to the improvement of human conditions on earth, will offer the keynote address for the class of 2022 at the historic 75th anniversary commencement ceremony of CMC. In addition, Rabbi Hannah Elkin of the interfaith Chaplaincy at The Claremont Colleges will lead the invocation.

Classes of 2020 and 2021 celebration weekend is scheduled for Friday, June 3 through Sunday, June 5. Former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, who ran for president in 2020, will deliver the keynote address on June 4 at 2 p.m. Religious leader, Phan Thị Kim Phúc, will lead the invocation.

Details about the speakers can be found at cmc.edu/news/cmc-selects-keynote-speakers-upcoming-commencements. The ceremonies will be live streamed and a link will be posted on cmc.edu and on the Commencement website closer to the event. Important commencement details can be found at cmc.edu/commencement/class-of-2022.

Harvey Mudd College

Sunday, May 15, 1:30 p.m. at the Harvey S. Mudd Quadrangle

Harvey Mudd’s commencement speaker is world renowned mathematician Terence Tao, who currently holds the James and Carol Collins Chair in mathematics at UCLA. Tao’s current research interests include harmonic analysis, partial differential equations, combinatorics and number theory. His most famous result so far, conducted together with Ben Green of Oxford University, is a mathematical proof demonstrating that there exist sequences of evenly spaced prime numbers of any length one wishes. More information about Terence Tao can be found at

hmc.edu/about-hmc/2022/01/18/mozart-of-math-to-address-harvey-mudd-college-class-of-2022-at-62nd-commencement.

The commencement ceremony will be streamed live at hmc.edu/student-life/commencement/livestream.

Pitzer College

Saturday, May 14, 10 a.m. at Stephen L. Glass Commencement Plaza

The class of 2022 selected LaTosha Brown, an award-winning organizer, political strategist, and philanthropic consultant who co-founded the Black Voters Matter Fund, to deliver the keynote address at this year’s ceremony. More details about Brown can be found at pitzer.edu/communications/2022/03/21/black-voters-matter-fund-co-founder-latosha-brown-to-deliver-pitzer-college-keynote-commencement-address.

In addition to Brown, Pitzer will also host various speakers, marshals and an honored guest. More information can be found at pitzer.edu/commencement/commencement-2022.

The ceremony will see more than 250 students graduate. Of note, six of the 2022 graduates have earned their Pitzer degree as part of the College’s pilot Inside-Out Pathway-to-BA program, a program that draws from the Inside-Out model of prison education in which incarcerated “inside” college students learn together with “outside” college students.

On Saturday, May 21, Pitzer will welcome back graduates from the class of 2020 for their long-awaited commencement ceremony. Details can be found at pitzer.edu/commencement. About 276 graduates from the class of 2020 will walk across the stage.

Pomona College

Sunday, May 15, 10 a.m. at Marston Quadrangle

Two Pomona College alumni will address the class of 2022 as commencement speakers: renowned biochemist and Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna, class of ’85, and long-time supporter of the college Stewart Smith, class of ’68. Each will also be recognized with an honorary degree by Pomona College during the ceremony. More information on each speaker can be found at pomona.edu/news/2022/02/15-jennifer-doudna-85-and-stewart-smith-68-address-class-2022.

The ceremony returns to the College’s Marston Quad after two years of virtual celebrations due to the pandemic. More than 350 Pomona College students will receive their degrees at Pomona College’s 129th commencement.

Scripps College

Saturday, May 14, 5 p.m. at Elm Tree Lawn

Andrea J. Ritchie, advocate and researcher who has authored a number of books and articles on policing, criminalization, mass incarceration and immigration enforcement, will deliver the keynote address at Scripps College’s 92nd commencement.

There will be about 237 graduates at this year’s ceremony. For commencement details, visit scrippscollege.edu/commencement.

Commencement celebrations for the classes of 2020 and 2021 will be held the following week on May 20 and 21. Registration and more information can found at scrippscollege.edu/alumnae/home/connect/events/celebrationof2020and2021graduates.

Claremont Graduate University

Saturday, May 14, 9 a.m. at the Harvey S. Mudd Quadrangle

CGU’s honorary degree recipient and keynote speaker is Dr. Richard H. Carmona, who served as the 17th U.S. Surgeon General between 2002 and 2006. The student speaker is Jason Beck, who received his Ph.D. in Positive Organizational Psychology in Fall 2021. Also speaking is CGU’s Alumni Board President Zenobia Walji. To learn about the speakers, visit cgu.edu/student-life/commencement/commencement-speakers.

In addition to the newly graduating class of 2022 walking the stage — of which approximately 300 graduates plan to attend — CGU have also invited the classes of 2019-20 and 2020-21 that were unable to walk across the stage due to the pandemic. All told, CGU anticipates approximately 550 graduates walking across the Mudd Quadrangle stage.

The total number of graduates for 2021-22 — attending the ceremony or not — is approximately 520. More commencement information can be found at cgu.edu/student-life/commencement.

Keck Graduate Institute

Saturday, May 14, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the KGI Campus

KGI will have two on-campus commencement ceremonies. The first ceremony, at 10 a.m., will honor graduates from the Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences. The second ceremony, at 2 p.m., will honor graduates from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. A total of 222 graduates will participate in the ceremonies.

The keynote speaker for the first ceremony is the Corporate Vice President of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement at Edwards Lifesciences, Larry L. Wood, M.B.A. The keynote speaker for the second ceremony is Founder and CEO of 54gene, Abasi Ene-Obon, Ph.D, PPM ’14.

The COURIER recognizes and commends the efforts of the graduating classes of 2022! You did it!