Announcing our 2023 Commencement keynote and student speakers
April 24, 2023
We are pleased to announce the keynote and student speakers for our 2023 commencement ceremonies.
Graduate Commencement Ceremony | Saturday, May 6, 2022 at 1 p.m. | Ted Mann Concert Hall
Keynote Address | Peter Moe (BS ’75 Horticulture, MS ’82 Agriculture) retired this year as director of the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (fondly referred to as the “Arb”) after almost 50 years with the organization. During Moe’s tenure, the Arb expanded to 1,200 acres and experienced significant growth in membership, attendance, earned income, and philanthropy. His expertise working in rare plant conservation and the evaluation and selection of plants for the northern U.S. has been invaluable to the Arb’s growth and success.He has positioned the Arb to provide enjoyment, excitement, and education for generations of Minnesotans to come.
Graduate Student Speaker | Grace Dewi (BS ’16, MS ’18, PhD ’23 Animal Sciences) was selected as student speaker for CFANS Graduate Commencement. Grace was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, but stayed in several different countries growing up before settling in Minnesota. She earned a BS and MS from the University of Minnesota with research investigating the potential of lemongrass essential oil against multidrug-resistant Salmonella in broilers. Building on this work, she is completing her PhD in Animal Science with a minor in Food Science in Dr. Anup Kollanoor Johny's lab. Dewi’s research investigates pre- and post-harvest strategies for controlling Salmonella in turkey production using probiotics and plant-derived extracts.
Undergraduate Student Conferral Ceremony | Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 1 p.m. | Huntington Bank Stadium
Keynote speaker | Stéphane Bancel, the founding CEO of the American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna. Bancel has served as Moderna's CEO since October 2011 and as a member of Moderna’s board of directors since March 2011. He received a master of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota.
