To recommend a keynote speaker for this year's Commencement ceremonies, fill out the keynote speaker nomination form online.
Previous Keynote Speakers
Spring 2024
Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science
Cástulo de la Rocha, President and CEO of AltaMed Health Services Corporation
Charles Nies, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, UC Merced
Fall 2023
Keith Alley, DDS, PhD.
Ted Mitchell, President of the American Council on Education
Spring 2023
Ricardo Cisneros ('08), UC Merced Assistant Professor
Joseph Acaba, NASA Astronaut
Fall 2022
Duval Johnson ('14, '18), Mechanical Engineer and Tribologist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Max Espinoza, Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Spring 2022
Teenie Matlock, UC Merced Vice Provost for the Academic Personnel, McClatchy Chair in Communications and Professor of Cognitive Science
Fred Ruiz, UC Regent Emeritus & Co-founder of Ruiz Food Products, Inc.
Cecilia V. Estolano, UC Regent Emerita & CEO & Founder of Estolano Advisors
2021
Dr. Carrie L. Byington, Executive Vice President, UC Health
2020
Xavier Becerra, Attorney General of California
2019
Dorothy Leland, Chancellor
2018
Maria Cardona, CNN
Lenny Mendonca, Senior Partner Emeritus, McKinsey & Co.
2017
Lesley Slaton Brown, Chief Global Diversity Officer, HP, Inc. (E-NS)
Héctor Tobar, Author (SSHA)
2016
Diosdado P. Banatao, Partner, Tallwood Venture Capital (E-NS)
Michael P. Huerta, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (SSHA)
2015
Richard A. Tapia, University Professor, Rice University (E-NS)
Cora B. Marrett, Former Deputy Director and Acting Director, National Science Foundation (SSHA)
2014
Kristina M. Johnson, CEO, Enduring Hydra, LLC (E-NS)
Paul C. Lo, Judge, Merced County Superior Court (SSHA)
2013
José M. Hernandez, Former NASA Astronaut (E-NS)
David Mas Masumoto, Author (SSHA)
2012
Hon. Cruz Bustamante, California Lieutenant Governor (Ret.)
2011
Lloyd Dean, CEO, Dignity Health
2010
Lester Holt, NBC news anchor
2009
First Lady Michelle Obama
2008
Ruben Navarrette Jr., nationally syndicated columnist
2007
Hon. John Garamendi, Congressman and California Lieutenant Governor (Ret.)
2006
No keynote speaker
