See below for an archive of WesternU’s Commencement ceremony keynote speakers from 1982 – 2023.
May 15
- College of Podiatric Medicine and College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Teresa A. Hubka, DO
- College of Health Sciences
John P. Hamilton, EdD
May 16
- College of Dental Medicine & College of Pharmacy
Tony L. Chan, PharmD
- College of Graduate Nursing & College of Optometry
Edwin C. Marshall, OD, MS, MPH
May 17
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Kwane Steward, DVM
May 24
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific – Northwest
Jonathan J. Rotella, BS
- College of Health Sciences – Northwest
Mike Cowgill, JD
May 17
- College of Podiatric Medicine and College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Gary Hall, Jr.
- Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences & College of Health Sciences
Deborah Deas, MD, MPH
May 18
- College of Dental Medicine & College of Pharmacy
Nader A. Nadershahi, DDS, MBA, EdD
- College of Graduate Nursing & College of Optometry
John T. Chapman, FACHE
May 19
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Liz Mossop, BVM&S, MMedSci(Clin Ed), PhD, MAcadMEd, FRCVS
May 26
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific – Northwest
Catherine Mater
May 18-19
- All Colleges
Robin Farias-Eisner MD, PhD, MBA
May 20
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Michael J Blackwell DVM, MPH
May 27
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific – Northwest
Robin Farias-Eisner MD, PhD, MBA
May 17-21
- All Colleges
David M. Carlisle, MD, PhD
May 15
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Gene Barduson, LHD
May 29
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific – Northwest
Gene Barduson, LHD
May 22 – 24
- Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences and College of Health Sciences
Christopher J.L. Murray, MD, DPhil, Professor, IHME Director, Chair, Department of Health Metrics Sciences
- College of Pharmacy and College of Dental Medicine
Robert S. Pugliese, PharmD
- College of Optometry and College of Graduate Nursing
Melvin D. Shipp, OD, MPH, DRPH
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Temple Grandin
- College of Podiatric Medicine and College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Habib Sadeghi, DO, FACEMIP
May 31
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific – Northwest
Governor Barbara Roberts
May 23 – 25
- College of Dental Medicine and College of Pharmacy
Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and CEO, Henry Schein Inc.
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Podiatric Medicine
Richard Pitts, DO, PhD, Vice President, Clinically Integrated Networks and Senior Medical Director, Saint Joseph Heritage Healthcare
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and CEO, Henry Schein Inc.
- College of Graduate Nursing and College of Optometry
Daniel Weberg, PhD, BSN, Senior Director, Innovations and Leadership, National Patient Care Services, Kaiser Permanente
- Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences and College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Howard J. Federoff, PhD, MD, Professor of Neurology, University of California, Irvine
June 1
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific – Northwest
David A. Connett, DO ’84
May 17 – 19
- College of Podiatric Medicine and College of Allied Health Professions
William E. Simon, Jr., JD
- College of Pharmacy and College of Dental Medicine
Rear Admiral Pamela M. Schweitzer, PharmD
- College of Optometry and College of Graduate Nursing
Jacob Green, MPA
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Justine Lee, DVM
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific and Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences
Clinton E. Adams, DO
June 2
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific – Northwest
Adrienne White-Faines, LHD (Hon.), MPA
May 18 – 20
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Podiatric Medicine
Wm. Jahmal Miller, MHA
- College of Dental Medicine and College of Pharmacy
Carol Gomez Summerhays, DDS
- College of Graduate Nursing and College of Optometry
Nicholas Webb
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Cathy King, PhD, DVM, MS
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific and Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences
David S. Bredt, MD, PhD
June 3
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific – Northwest
Lori Sobelson, LHD (Hon.), BA
May 20 – 22
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Podiatric Medicine
California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom
- College of Pharmacy and College of Dental Medicine
Patricia Chase, PhD
- College of Optometry and College of Graduate Nursing
Devorah A. Lieberman, PhD
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Clinton A. Lewis, Jr., MBA
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific and Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences
Vice Admiral Matthew L. Nathan
June 5
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific – Northwest
Jeff Heatherington, LHD (Hon.)
Larry A. Mullins, DHA, LHD (Hon.)
May 14 – 16
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Podiatric Medicine
The Honorable Hilda L. Solis
- College of Dental Medicine and College of Pharmacy
Leo E. Rouse, DDS
- College of Graduate Nursing and College of Optometry
Howard A. Kahn, MPA
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD
- Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences and College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Norman E. Vinn, DO, MBA
May 15 – 17
- College of Pharmacy
Janelle L. Sobotka, PharmD
- College of Dental Medicine, College of Optometry and College of Podiatric Medicine
Edward James Olmos
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Graduate Nursing
Jason Hwang, MD, MBA
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Kevin Fitzgerald, DVM, PhD
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific and Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences
Jason Hwang, MD, MBA
May 17 – 18
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Graduate Nursing
Devorah A. Lieberman, PhD
- College of Pharmacy
Michael S. Maddux, PharmD
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific and Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences
H. Roger Hadley, MD
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Temple Grandin, PhD, LHD (Hon.)
May 19 – 20
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Graduate Nursing
Senator Ed Hernandez, OD
- College of Pharmacy
William A. Zellmer, BSPharm, MPH
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific and Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences
John B. Crosby, JD
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Nicholas Trout, MA, VETMB
May 20 – 21
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Graduate Nursing
Senator Joseph Dunn
- College of Pharmacy
Alan T. Kiyohara, PharmD
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Larry A. Wickless, DO
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Kevin Fitzgerald, DVM, PhD
May 14 – 15
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Graduate Nursing
Richard A. Bond, DO ’82, DrPh, FAAFP
- College of Pharmacy
Lucinda Maine, PhD
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
William G. Anderson, DO
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Marty Becker, DVM
May 15 – 16
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Graduate Nursing
Bruce Hensel, MD
- College of Pharmacy
Herb K. Schultz, BS, MPP
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Larry A. Mullins, DHA
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Patricia Olson, DVM, PhD
May 10 – 11
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Graduate Nursing
Stephen C. Crane, PhD, MPH
- College of Pharmacy
The Honorable Mervyn M. Dymally, MA, PhD
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Joyce M. Johnson, DO, MA
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Betty White
May 11 – 12
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Graduate Nursing
Clinton Adams, DO, MPA, RADM, MC, USN (Ret.)
- College of Pharmacy
William Gouveia, MS
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Max D. Ray, PharmD, MS
May 12 – 13
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Graduate Nursing
Edward O’Neil, MPA, PhD
- College of Pharmacy
Byron F. Schweigert, PharmD
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Clinton Adams, DO, MPA, RADM, MC, USN (Ret.)
“Who Needs a Doctor Anyway?”
May 13
- College of Allied Health Professions and College of Graduate Nursing
Douglas L. Wood, DO, PhD
- College of Pharmacy
M. Patricia Lee
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Barbara Ross-Lee, DO
May 16
- College of Allied Health Professions, College of Graduate Nursing, and College of Pharmacy
Alfred E. Mann, MS, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, MannKind Corporation
“The Rewards of Giving to Society”
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Jon Fong, DO ’84
“A Whole in the Heart”
May 31
Edward Tessier, MS
“Let Compassion Lead You”
Kenneth P. Moritsugu, MD, MPH
“Medical Care, Health Care and Health”
May 26
Reverend Chris Brown
“Earn It”
June 2
Jerome A. Halperin
“Four Rules”
June 3
John Roth, PhD
“Healing the Nation’s Wounds”
June 6
Roger J. Bulger, MD
“Healing Persons, Therapeutic Institutions”
June 14
Rev. Harold Henry Wilke
“Angels on Our Shoulder and Muses at Our Side”
June 1
Julie G. Madorsky, MD, Physical Medicine/Rehabilitation Physician and Educator
“Forging the Future Together”
June 10
Honorable George E. Brown, Jr., Congressman
“Look to the Mountain: A Broader View of Health”
June 12
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Dick Beals, Radio Actor & Author
“Think Big”
- School of Allied Health Professions
David Werdegar, MD, Director, Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development
“The Importance of Allied Health Professionals in Health Care Reform”
June 13
Fitzhugh Mullan, MD, Assistant U.S. Surgeon General
“A Manifesto for the Medical Generalist”
June 14
Edward E. Rosenbaum, MD, Physician and Author
“Humanism in Medicine”
June 9
Norman Gevitz, PhD, Professor, University of Illinois
“The Reason to Be”
June 10
Ron Lapin, MD, PhD
“Medicine: The Lost Art”
June 11
Michael Josephson, President, The Josephson Institute
“Ethics is More Than Good Business”
June 12
Murray Goldstein, DO, Assistant U.S. Surgeon General
“Facts and Fictions”
June 14
A. Mark Novitch, MD, Sr. Vice President, Upjohn Pharmaceutical
“The Future of Medicine – Who’s In Charge?”
June 8
Ambassador L. Bruce Laingen, Vice President, National Defense University
“The Health of Our National Spirit”
June 9
Astronaut Wally Schirra, Captain, USN (Ret.)
“The Greatest Obstacle to Being Heroic”
June 10
Rear Admiral Almon C. Wilson, MD, MC, USN, Deputy Director, Naval Medicine
“Patients, Physicians and New Technology – A Fine Blend”
June 12
Captain (Commodore – Selectee) Louis H. Eske, DO, MC, USN Commanding Officer, Naval Regional Medical Center, Long Beach, California
“The Health Care Profession – In Revolution or Renaissance?”
June 13
Dixon Arnett, Deputy Regional Director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
“The Celebration of Achievement”