Commencement Speakers
Since 2004, a new commencement model was adopted which featured individual college commencements for the spring ceremonies. There was no general commencement speaker. In 2015, UIC began university wide fall commencement ceremonies in addition to the spring college ceremonies.
2018 (fall)
Ezekiel Emanuel
Vice Provost for Global Initiatives, the Diane v.S. Levy and Robert M. Levy University Professor, and Chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania
(graduate ceremony)
Eric Smith
Regional President, Fifth Third Bank (Chicago)
(undergraduate ceremony)
2017 (fall)
Suzet McKinney
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Illinois Medical District
(graduate ceremony)
David Simas
Chief Executive Officer of the Obama Foundation
(undergraduate ceremony)
2016 (fall)
Ivo Daalder
President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs
(graduate ceremony)
Oscar Munoz
Chief Executive Officer of United Airlines
(undergraduate ceremony)
2015 (fall)
Richard Lariviere
President and Chief Executive Office of the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History
(graduate ceremony)
Kevin Lynch
Vice President of Technology of Apple
(undergraduate ceremony)
2003
Felicia Middlebrooks
Morning News Anchor WBBM News Radio 780
2002
Connie Payton
Wife of the late Chicago Bear, Walter Payton
2000
James R. Thompson
Former Governor of the State of Illinois
1999
William Daley
Secretary, US Department of Commerce
1995
Stanley O. Ikenberry
Former President of the University of Illinois
(morning and afternoon commencements)
1994
Carol Moseley Braun
U.S. Senator, Illinois
(morning and afternoon commencements)
1993
Bernard Shaw
Cable News Network (CNN) Anchor
(morning and afternoon commencements)
1992
Dr. Louis Sullivan
Secretary, US Department of Health and Human Services
(Also received Honorary Degree at this commencement)
(morning and afternoon commencements)
1990
Donald Langenberg
Chancellor of University of Illinois at Chicago
(morning and afternoon commencements)
1989
Leon M. Lederman
Director of Fermi Laboratories
(morning commencement)
A. Leon Higginbothan, Jr.
Chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
(afternoon commencement)
1988
Earl Neal
President of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees
(morning commencement)
Williard L. Boyd
President, Field Museum of Natural History
(afternoon commencement)
1987
James R. Thompson
Governor of the State of Illinois
(morning commencement)
James Reilly
Lieutenant Governor of the State of Illinois
(afternoon commencement)
1986
John Corbally
President of the University of Illinois
(March commencement)
John Brooks Slaughter
President, University of Maryland at College Park
(June commencement)
1985
Robert Remini
Professor of History, University of Illinois at Chicago
(March commencement)
1984
John Cribbet
Chancellor of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
1983
Donald Riddle
Chancellor of the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle
1982
Joseph Begando
Chancellor of the University of Illinois Medical Center
1981
Timothy Healy
Author and President of Georgetown University
1980
Bayard Rustin
Activist
1979
John Corbally
President of the University of Illinois
1978
William Gerberding
Chancellor of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
1977
James R. Thompson
Governor of the State of Illinois