University of Portland 2025 Commencement Ceremony Set for Sunday, May 4 at Chiles Center

On May 4, more than 720 undergraduate seniors will walk across the Chiles Center stage, claim their degrees, and officially become honored University of Portland graduates.

Keynote speaker Michael Eric Dyson, PhD is a distinguished professor, gifted writer and media personality. He has taught at some of the nation’s most prestigious universities, including Princeton, Brown and Georgetown, and is currently a Distinguished University Professor at Vanderbilt University — where he holds positions in both the College of Arts and Science and The Divinity School. Dyson has authored over 25 books, including seven New York Times bestsellers, and is known for his thought-provoking insights on race, social justice and contemporary culture. His books on figures such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Barack Obama have garnered widespread acclaim and sparked important conversations about race in America.

The mid-spring undergraduate ceremony on The Bluff will cap off UP Commencement Weekend activities, which include the university’s graduate school commencement, the School of Nursing & Health Innovations Pinning Ceremony and the ROTC Commissioning Ceremony. The university will confer degrees on graduates in its schools of business, education, engineering, nursing and College of Arts and Sciences.

During the undergraduate ceremony, the university will present honorary doctorates to outstanding national leaders, including 2025 Commencement Speaker Michael Eric Dyson, Ph.D., distinguished university professor of African American & Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University. The university’s highest honor, the Christus Magister Medal, will be awarded to the Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame.

“It will be our community’s great blessing to celebrate this year’s class of commencement honorees,” said University President Robert D. Kelly, Ph.D. “The extraordinary individuals we honor this May personify UP’s commitment to teaching and learning, faith and formation, and service and leadership. They are brilliant, accomplished, and inspiring, and we can’t wait to welcome them to The Bluff.”

For a complete commencement schedule, please visit the UP website.