Commencement 2023

We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our September 2022 through April 2023 graduates at this year's Commencement.

Date: Friday, June 2, 2023

Location: David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center

Time: 1:30 p.m.

View 57th Commencement Program (2023)

Guests should plan to arrive at David Geffen Hall, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza by 12:30 p.m. to retrieve their tickets for entry. All tickets will be held in the name of the graduate. Doors for the Wu Tsai Theater open at 1 p.m. If any guests need additional time to get to their seats, please let the ushers know before 1 p.m.

Graduates, faculty, and staff should review the Participants Information page for entrance information.

Honorary Degree Recipient and Speaker

George Takei

“Some know me as Mr. Sulu but I hope all know me as a believer in, and a fighter for, the equality & dignity of all human beings.” — George Takei, Facebook

Known worldwide for his portrayal of Mr. Sulu in the Star Trek television series and films — and still mobbed by Star Trek fans — George Takei has become equally distinguished for his bestselling books, his social media presence, and his social justice activism for LGBTQ rights.

Takei’s acting career of more than 60 years includes more than 40 feature films and hundreds of guest-starring roles on television. He made his Broadway debut at the age of 78 in the musical Allegiance, which was inspired by his family’s experience during World War II.

Born in Los Angeles, Takei was a child when he and his family were among the more than 125,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned in internment camps by the United States government. Takei has said that his “experience in the camps gave me my identity.” He documented that time in his autobiography, To The Stars, and in his graphic memoir for young adults, They Called Us Enemy, which The New York Times noted, “should prove the most potent introduction for younger readers to this ignoble chapter in our history.”

He has spoken widely on the history of Japanese American internment and testified before a Congressional commission in support of reparations. He has also become a notable voice on contemporary politics and human rights, including marriage equality. With 3.4 million Twitter followers and close to 9.5 million Facebook fans, Takei has been called a social media superstar. He is the author of two bestselling books focusing on his involvement with social media and the internet, Oh Myyy! There Goes The Internet and its sequel Lions and Tigers and Bears: The Internet Strikes Back. In 2015, he created the YouTube series, “It Takeis Two,” about daily life with his husband Brad Takei.

A community activist, Takei has served as chair of the council of governors of East West Players, one of the leading Asian American theater companies in the United States. He is a member of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender political organization, and was the spokesman for its Coming Out Project. He was also the cultural affairs chairman of the Japanese American Citizens League. He is chair emeritus and a member of the Japanese American National Museum’s board of trustees; a former member of the United States-Japan Bridging Foundation board of directors; and he served on the board of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission under President Bill Clinton. In 2004, in recognition of his contribution to the Japan-United States relationship, Takei was conferred with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, by His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan. In 2016, Takei was inducted into the California Museum’s California Hall of Fame.

Takei received both his bachelor’s and Master of Arts degrees from UCLA (’60, ’64). In June 2019, Takei received the Distinguished Alumni Award in Theater from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

Student Speaker

Junghoon Park

Junghoon Park is a Ph.D. candidate in Business with a concentration in strategy and business sustainability. Later this year, he will join the faculty of Loyola Marymount University College of Business Administration as a tenure-track assistant professor of strategic management. He is interested in how business strategies help address intractable sustainability issues, such as climate change and public health deficiencies. Prior to coming to the Graduate Center, he earned an M.S. and a B.A. from Kyung Hee University in Korea.