Commencement Ceremony 2024

BSE's Commencement takes place on Friday, May 17, 7:00 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall.

Distinguished keynote address: Dr. Mae Jemison, engineer, physician, educator, retired NASA astronaut

collage of Mae Jemison inside shuttle formal portrait in orange nasa space suit and at podium

Dr. Mae Jemison made history on Sept. 12, 1992, as the first woman of color to travel to space, when she and her six crewmates on the Space Shuttle Endeavor (STS-47) launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. She was a science specialist on the shuttle, which made 127 orbits around the Earth in eight days.

“We are truly honored to have Dr. Jemison deliver our commencement keynote address,” said BSE Dean Michelle D. Young. “Both her educational and professional journeys are as extraordinary as they are inspiring. Dr. Jemison is renowned for delivering captivating and thought-provoking presentations and we are delighted to offer our graduating class the invaluable opportunity to glean wisdom and insight from her.”

BSE’s commencement will be held Friday, May 17, 7:00 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall.

“Our commencement also falls on the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that made it unconstitutional to separate public schools by race. It will be a momentous day,” Young said.

Since kindergarten, Dr. Jemison knew she wanted to be a scientist, and by age 10 had her sights set on being an astronaut. She graduated high school at age 16 and attended Stanford University, where she double-majored in chemical engineering and African and African-American studies. She went on to earn a medical degree from Cornell University.

Olufemi “Femi” Ogundele (he/him/his), EdD

In his capacity as UC Berkeley's Associate Vice Chancellor of Admissions & Enrollment, Femi provides vision, strategy and leadership in the recruitment and evaluation of California's public flagship. For the last decade, Femi has been a vocal thought leader in the college access and college admission industry. He is a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet and oversees the Office of Undergraduate Admission; the Financial Aid Office; the University Registrar; the Visitor’s Center; and the Center for Educational Partnerships, which provides college access support in high schools and community colleges across the state of California.

His vision and leadership in undergraduate admissions outreach to the state’s underrepresented, undocumented, underserved and first-generation students have resulted in four consecutive years of the most ethnically and geographically diverse classes of students to Berkeley in three decades. Prior to Berkeley, Femi has been successful at building outreach and evaluation processes that have resulted in greater diversity at Stanford University; Cornell University; University of Delaware; and Ithaca College. He sits on national college access boards and has done work to establish higher education pipelines for students, educators and refugees throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

In his role as Associate Vice Chancellor of Enrollment, Femi has been committed to lowering the cost of higher education and closing the graduation gap among diverse communities. With degrees from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, Ithaca College, and now, UC Berkeley's School of Education, Femi remains committed to the scholarship of equity in education and college access.

Aimee Eagle, MA plus teaching credential

Aimee Eagle is from Santa Rosa, Calif. She comes from a family of educators and has worked in schools in San Luis Obispo, Mexico, New York City, San Diego and Oakland. She loves the joy and curiosity that students bring to her life and envisions working with children for a long time. She values culturally responsive teaching practices and bringing silly summer camp traditions to her future classroom.

In her free time she enjoys spending time with friends and family outside, reading fantasy novels, and trying new things. Aimee is committed to working with multilingual students and their families with integrity and authenticity.

She continues to look for opportunities of radical transformation in order to grow within her teaching practice and beyond. She hopes to create a classroom space where students feel held, represented, and inspired to make change. Next fall, Aimee will be teaching in a bilingual elementary school in the Mission district of San Francisco.

Berkeley School of Education 2024 Commencement

This event will be livestreamed and recorded. The livestream starts Friday, May 17, 7:00 p.m. Pacific time.

Additional questions about commencement? Send an email to bsecommencement@berkeley.edu.

Check this webpage for Information about commencement event logistics.