Commencement
March 17, 2022
Kunal Nayyar, UP Alum and Star of Award-Winning Comedy “The Big Bang Theory,” Returns to Campus as Commencement Speaker on Sunday, May 1
Following back-to-back years (2020, 2021) of virtual commencement ceremonies due to COVID-19 pandemic precautions, the University of Portland (UP) has announced plans to honor its graduating Class of 2022 with the school’s first in-person commencement since 2019. Three ceremonies will take place the weekend of April 30-May 1, highlighted by the return of UP alumnus and acclaimed actor Kunal Nayyar (’03) as commencement speaker on Sunday, May 1.
“We are thrilled to be hosting in-person commencement ceremonies for the first time since 2019,” said Dr. Herbert A. Medina, the University’s Acting President & Provost. “It will be such a treat to see smiling families and friends as our graduates walk across the stage. And we’ll be inspired by excellent commencement speakers and honorary doctorates who have made, and continue to make, a significant positive impact in our world.”
Here is the UP 2022 Commencement schedule and speaker information (all ceremonies at Chiles Center):
Saturday, April 30:
Sunday, May 1:
About Kunal Nayyar (’03); May 1 Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree – Humane Letters: On his way to earning a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Portland in 2003, Nayyar took up acting in UP theater productions and never looked back. In 2007, Nayyar landed a lead role in The Big Bang Theory, a CBS sitcom hit from 2007-2019. His recent on-screen credits include the TV series Suspicion and the title role in the upcoming film The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Through a generous gift, Nayyar and his wife, Neha, provide scholarships for UP students in Performing & Fine Arts and fund UP’s annual trip to the American College Theater Festival.
About Marla E. Salmon (’71, ’72, ’93, ’99), ScD; April 30 School of Nursing Commencement Speaker: A University of Portland alumna, Dr. Salmon serves as professor of nursing and global health at the University of Washington. She is former dean of both the UW and Emory University Schools of Nursing, with a career focused on health workforce policy and capacity building in both global and US contexts – working with governments, international agencies and health-related entities.
The following 2022 Commencement special honorees are also being announced by UP:
CHRISTUS MAGISTER MEDAL
Thomas M. Landy, PhD – Receiving the University’s highest honor, the Christus Magister Medal, Thomas M. Landy, PhD is a scholar in the sociology of religion, serving as director of the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J., Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture at the College of the Holy Cross. Dr. Landy is the founder of Collegium, a colloquy on faith and intellectual life, a consortium of 56 Catholic colleges and universities. In 2017, he received the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) Presidents’ Distinguished Service Award for personal service of exceptional quality to Catholic higher education.
HONORARY DEGREE – PUBLIC SERVICE
Rev. Richard F. Berg, C.S.C., (’54, ’69) PhD is former dean of the University of Portland College of Arts & Sciences and Founding Executive Director of the Maybelle Center for Community in Northwest Portland (previously the Macdonald Center).
Mary Boyle, a University of Portland Regent, is a community leader and philanthropist committed to the value of a Catholic education. Boyle and her husband, Columbia Sportswear Chairman, President and CEO Tim Boyle, care deeply about the arts, scientific research and medicine, supporting institutions that are working to make a positive impact on the fabric of Portland.
Winifred V. Quinn, PhD is a nursing advocate and Director of Advocacy and Consumer Affairs for the Center to Champion Nursing in America. Dr. Quinn co-leads The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, an initiative of AARP Foundation, AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a national campaign dedicated to improving health care and achieving health equity through nursing.
Melody L. Routley, a nursing industry leader in greater Portland, serves as a Registered Nurse Program Manager and Transition to Practice Program Manager for Kaiser Permanente. Routley has been an integral partner to the UP School of Nursing, working with faculty to create new education models based on the longstanding success of dedicated education units, and transitioning new graduates directly into ambulatory care practice.
HONORARY DEGREE – HUMANE LETTERS
Gloria Purvis is a Catholic media commentator, author, and the host and executive producer of The Gloria Purvis Podcast in collaboration with America Media. Through her media presence, she has been a strong Catholic voice for life issues, religious liberty and racial justice. Purvis is the inaugural Pastoral Fellow for the University of Notre Dame's Office of Life and Human Dignity at the McGrath Institute for Church Life.
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