Amid its 100th Anniversary celebrations, on Saturday, May 17, Chestnut Hill College will hold its 98th Annual Commencement Ceremony for students in the School of Undergraduate Studies. The procession will begin at 10:40 a.m. in the College’s Rotunda and St. Joseph Hall, and the ceremony will begin promptly at 11 a.m. in the College’s Sorgenti Arena in Martino Hall.
Prominent scholar, author, and political commentator, Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Ph.D., will be offering the Commencement Address for Saturday’s ceremony, after receiving an honorary degree in recognition of his extraordinary work within the American political sphere.
A passionate educator, political commentator, and author, Glaude is one of the nation’s most prominent scholars and intellectual minds and the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of African American Studies at Princeton. The African American Studies program is one that Glaude himself was instrumental in shaping while he was a doctoral candidate. Glaude served as the first-ever chair of the department, a role he continued in for over 14 years. In addition, Glaude is on the Morehouse College Board of Trustees, where he received his bachelor’s degree. Glaude received a master’s degree in African American Studies from Temple University before pursuing his Doctoral degree in Religion at Princeton.
A highly respected scholar in the field of religion and religious studies, Glaude has written many books on religion, especially in the African American community, and its intersection with philosophy including, “An Uncommon Faith: A Pragmatic Approach to the Study of African American Religion,” and “Exodus! Religion, Race and Nation in Early 19th Century Black America,” which received the Modern Language Association’s William Sanders Scarborough Book Prize. He has also written on the complex dynamics of the American experience including the New York Times bestseller, “Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own,” and his most recent book, “We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For,” which through a meditative approach, astutely examines how people can move away from a reliance on politicians shaping their lives to take on a more active role, assuming responsibility for how we can work together to make a difference in our communities.
In addition to his literary and educational accomplishments, Glaude is a regular columnist for TIME Magazine and has contributed to the Huffington Post. He has been seen on CNN, C-Span, and MSNBC shows including “Morning Joe,” and “Deadline White House” and is also a regular contributor for NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Combining his scholarly knowledge of history, political expertise on current events, and an activist’s passion for social justice, Glaude offers a unique perspective as he challenges viewers to examine our collective social conscience.
“With passion and grace, Dr. Glaude invites us to reexamine our collective American conscience to reimagine and fulfill our promise of a just and perfect democracy,” notes Chestnut Hill College Chair of the Board of Directors, Carol Steinour Young, Esq. “We are deeply honored to welcome Dr. Glaude to the Chestnut Hill College community.”
A separate joint ceremony for the School of Graduate Studies and School of Continuing and Professional Studies will take place on Thursday, May 15 at 3 p.m. when Pennsylvania State Representative Justin Fleming (House District 105) will offer the Commencement Address. Elected to the state house in 2022, Fleming has spent nearly two decades in and around state government, serving as a public advocate for mental health care and expansion of educational resources for children in Pennsylvania. Fleming has sought to support social and economic justice initiatives by reducing income inequality, providing better access to health care, and making life-saving medications more affordable.
At each commencement ceremony, honorary degrees will be conferred. In addition to Dr. Glaude, this year’s recipients include Joanne McFadden McBride ‘63, faithful alumna, longstanding member of the College’s Board of Directors, honoree of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, and recipient of the PREA Top Realtors award, along with David Contosta, Ph.D., and Mary Helen Kashuba, SSJ, Ph.D., two current professors who have faithfully served the College for more than 50 years. An honorary degree will also be bestowed posthumously to famed historian John Lukacs, who taught at Chestnut Hill College for more than 40 years.
“Joanne McBride has been a wonderful friend to the College, always giving of her time and energy to help support future generations of Griffins, and we are honored to present her with an honorary degree,” states Interim President Brian McCloskey, DM, M.B.A. “In addition, the contributions of Dr. John Lukacs, Dr. David Contosta, and our most tenured professor of now 62 years, Sister Mary Helen Kashuba, are quite simply boundless. These three extraordinary scholars have inspired thousands of students within the humanities, helping foster a love of learning in local and national history, along with foreign languages. We are incredibly fortunate to still be blessed by the commitment and dedication of Dr. David Contosta and Sister Mary Helen Kashuba. We look forward to the opportunity to honor Dr. Lukacs posthumously and are truly humbled to bestow these individuals their honorary degrees.”
For full bios of all honorary degree recipients and speakers as well as additional information on Chestnut Hill College’s 98th Commencement, visit www.chc.edu/commencement.