Yale’s 323rd Commencement events to be held May 19 and 20

Yale’s 323rd Commencement will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 20. Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A. ’03, the United States surgeon general and a prominent advocate for mental health and well-being, will deliver the 2024 Class Day address on Sunday, May 19.

The 2022 Joint Military Commissioning ceremony honoring the graduates of Air Force and Naval ROTC will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, May 20 in Battell Chapel, 400 College St.

RSVP: All members of the media must register for Class Day and Commencement credentials. Media credentials will be available on a first come, first served basis. You will be notified via email from opac.media@yale.edu by Thursday, May 16 if you have been granted a media pass.

Only those with credentials issued by Yale’s Office of Public Affairs & Communications will be allowed access to Old Campus to cover these ceremonies. All members of the media must display Yale press credentials when covering Class Day or Commencement and must cover the ceremonies from the news media platform. Media are not allowed in front of or on the stage on Old Campus. OPAC staff will be available to escort members of the media during the events.

Due to expected high demand and limited space, we ask that media outlets send a maximum of one reporter or one photographer to the Commencement ceremonies. News crew video cameras will not be allowed inside Old Campus or on the media platform; instead, a live feed will be made available. A BNC video feed from Yale’s dedicated camera in front of the stage will provide a head-on camera angle.

Schedule of events:

Yale College Baccalaureate

Sunday, May 19, 10 a.m., Old Campus

The Baccalaureate service for Yale College seniors and their families will take place on Sunday, May 19. This one-hour ceremony will feature an address by President Peter Salovey and remarks by Dean of Yale College Pericles Lewis.

Class Day

Sunday, May 19, 2 p.m., Old Campus

Media Entrance: High Street gate, closest to Elm Street between Chapel and Elm streets. (This is the wheelchair access entrance.) Class Day events, highlighted by Murthy’s talk, will also include Yale traditions such as the planting of the Class Ivy, a recitation of the Ivy Ode, the awarding of student academic prizes, and the singing of Yale’s alma mater, “Bright College Years,” while waving a white handkerchief.

Commencement

Monday, May 20, 10:30 a.m., Old Campus

Media Entrance: High Street gate, closest to Elm Street between Chapel and Elm streets. (This is the wheelchair access entrance.)

Joint Military Commissioning ceremony

Monday, May 20, 4:30 p.m., Battell Chapel, 400 College St.

Watch the Baccalaureate Ceremony, Class Day events, and Commencement live on Yale’s YouTube channel. Visit the Yale Commencement page for a full schedule and more information.

Biography of Vivek Murthy

Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy is the United States surgeon general and a prominent advocate for mental health and well-being. Murthy, who earned his M.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Yale in 2003, is known in his current role as “the nation’s doctor.”

“As a proud Yale alumnus, and as the spouse of an equally proud Yale College alum, it is truly an honor to join Yale’s graduates on Class Day this year,” Murthy said. “Class Day is a time to celebrate the relationships you’ve built, the knowledge you’ve gained, and the dreams you have shaped and forged. It’s also a moment to express our gratitude to all those who made this journey possible.

“I hope this day will be full of joy, appreciation, and friendship for all our graduates.”

In March 2021, Murthy was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the 21st surgeon general of the United States. He previously served as the 19th surgeon general under President Barack Obama. As the nation’s top doctor, the surgeon general helps to advance the health and well-being of all Americans and works to address critical public health issues. Murthy has issued advisories on the youth mental health crisis and social media’s impact on youth mental health, the epidemic of loneliness and isolation, and burnout in the health worker community; he also is the creator of the Surgeon General’s “Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being,” a 30-page resource to help workplaces promote and support the mental health of all employees.

As vice admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, he oversees more than 6,000 dedicated public health officers serving underserved and vulnerable populations.

Murthy is the first U.S. surgeon general to host a podcast, “House Calls with Dr. Vivek Murthy,” in which he invites guests and listeners to explore how we can build more connected and meaningful lives. He is the author of “Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World” (2020), a New York Times bestseller that shines a spotlight on the consequences of loneliness not just as an individual affliction, but as one of the great public health challenges of the modern era.

“Whether helping President Biden to guide the nation through a pandemic or writing with eloquence on the power of community and connection, Dr. Murthy leads with humanity and a deep commitment to the greater good,” said Dean of Yale College Pericles Lewis. “He sets a vibrant example for our graduates as they prepare to embark on their own paths of leadership and service.”

Raised in Miami, he received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard before completing his medical and business degrees at Yale. His prior Yale engagements include delivering the Samuel O. Thier Lecture in Healthcare Policy at the School of Medicine in 2022 and appearing as a guest on the School of Management’s Yale Insights podcast in 2023.