Cornell College will celebrate 261 members of the Class of 2025 as they complete their undergraduate careers on the Hilltop and receive their bachelor’s degrees at Commencement on Sunday, May 11.
The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. in the Richard and Norma Small Athletic and Wellness Center (SAW) Arena. This unticketed event will be live-streamed on YouTube. An American Sign Language interpreter will sign at Commencement and at the 3 p.m. Saturday Baccalaureate service.
Among Cornell’s commencement traditions are giving graduates the ability to sit by their friends rather than in alphabetical order, and for seniors to nominate their two speakers—a senior and a faculty member.
Savannah Sheffler was chosen as the senior speaker. She is a politics and kinesiology–exercise science major from Springfield, Illinois, and is deeply involved in the Cornell community. Sheffler was Student Senate vice president, a student orientation coordinator, a lacrosse team member, and a tour guide and tour guide manager. She participated in the Cornell Summer Research Institute team that created a plan for getting out the vote on campus.
Her faculty mentor for that team was Assistant Professor of American Politics Megan Goldberg, the Class of 2025 faculty speaker. Goldberg has taught at Cornell College since 2019 and is frequently sought out by news media to comment on a variety of political topics.
Three faculty members will receive emeritus status:
—W.F. Johnston Professor of Physics and Engineering Kara Beauchamp, who taught from 2001–2024
—Professor of Psychology Alice Ganzel, who joined the faculty in 1999
—Professor of Russian Lynne Ikach, who has taught at Cornell since 1992.
An inter-spiritual Baccalaureate ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 10, also in the SAW Arena. This Cornell tradition features playful and meaningful words of gratitude by graduating seniors; readings by members of the Class of 2025; and wisdom for the life journey, which includes a message by College Chaplain Melea White and a reflection from Ann Bradley ’25.
Other events are also scheduled throughout the weekend. Follow the events on social media with #CornellCGrad.