Office of the President
Campus Messages

Announcing our 2023 Commencement speaker

By Darryll J. Pines

My fellow Terrapins,

I am already looking forward to one of the greatest honors I have as president of this university: celebrating the tremendous accomplishments of our graduates at our campuswide commencement ceremony. This year's campuswide ceremony will take place on May 22, 2023, honoring our summer 2022, fall 2022 and spring 2023 graduates.

And today, I could not be more thrilled to announce that our 2023 Commencement Ceremony speaker is journalist Gayle King '76.

headshot of Gayle King on left | Gayle King '76 | Journalist, 2023 Commencement Speaker | commencement.umd.edu | #UMDgrad | University of Maryland

Since the early days of my presidency, it has been my privilege and priority to get to know Gayle and convey the pride her Terrapin community feels in recognition of her many accomplishments. I am honored that our graduates will have the opportunity to learn from her journey, spanning her time as a Terp to becoming an award-winning, world-renowned journalist. We are fortunate she will share her wisdom with us.

An award-winning, hall of fame journalistAn accomplished broadcast journalist, Gayle interviews top newsmakers and delivers original reporting for "CBS Mornings" and all CBS News broadcasts and platforms. She is editor-at-large of Oprah Daily and hosts a live, weekly radio show titled "Gayle King in the House" on SiriusXM.

Gayle, who Time has listed among the most influential people in the world, was born in Chevy Chase, Md., and graduated from the University of Maryland in 1976 with a degree in psychology.

She has received numerous awards for her extensive work as a journalist, including three Emmys. In 2018 she was inducted into the Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame and in 2023 was the 39th recipient of the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Commencement ceremoniesI look forward to seeing all of our graduates at SECU Stadium on Monday, May 22, 2023 at 7 p.m. for the campus commencement ceremony. Individual school and college ceremonies will be held on Monday, May 22, Tuesday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 24. The Commencement website has additional information about tickets, ceremony schedules, regalia and answers to frequently asked questions.

We are so fortunate to welcome Gayle back to campus for this annual celebration of Terrapin excellence.

Sincerely,

Signature of President Darryll Pines

Darryll J. Pines
President, University of Maryland, College Park
He/Him/His