FSU, FAMU announce commencement speakers to address the spring 2023 graduating class

Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat
·3 min read
Florida State University graduates are recognized as they walk across the stage during a fall commencement ceremony.
Florida State University graduates are recognized as they walk across the stage during a fall commencement ceremony.
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As loved ones make their way to the capital city for a weekend of pomp and circumstance, highly esteemed commencement speakers are also invited to town to address Florida State and Florida A&M universities spring 2023 graduating class.

While FSU will have three alumni speaking at its commencement ceremonies this semester along with former FSU women’s basketball head coach Sue Semrau, FAMU will have three speakers, including U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge.

“Over my 25 years serving FSU I’ve been able to enjoy many graduation ceremonies, but never from the stage,” Semrau told the Tallahassee Democrat. “Florida State is special, and the students who achieve the accomplishment of graduation from this fine institution should be commended.”

The ceremonies will be held Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, with FSU’s events taking place at the Tucker Civic Center as FAMU’s graduations will be held at the Al Lawson Center.

FAMU Spring Commencement on Friday March 29, 2022. Speaker Kenneth T. Welch, Mayor of St. Petersburg, FL.
FAMU Spring Commencement on Friday March 29, 2022. Speaker Kenneth T. Welch, Mayor of St. Petersburg, FL.

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At FSU, about 6,600 students are expected to be a part of the university’s six commencement ceremonies during the two days.

In addition to the traditional process that graduating students usually go through, a doctoral hooding ceremony will also be held for doctoral graduates for the first time at the university.

At FAMU, more than 1,200 undergraduate and graduate degrees will be awarded to students from the university’s 14 colleges and schools.

Here are the speakers for this spring’s ceremonies at FSU and FAMU.

FSU commencement speakers

From left: Jim Henderson, Nan Hillis, Jimmy Patronis, Dr. Joe Camps and Sue Semrau are the featured speakers for FSU’s Spring 2023 Commencement.
From left: Jim Henderson, Nan Hillis, Jimmy Patronis, Dr. Joe Camps and Sue Semrau are the featured speakers for FSU’s Spring 2023 Commencement.

Nan Hillis: Hills recently served as executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Prime Meridian Bank until her retirement in 2020. She will address FSU’s graduating students Friday at the 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. ceremonies.

Jimmy Patronis: Patronis, who serves as the state of Florida’s chief financial officer and state fire marshal, will speak during FSU’s Saturday morning ceremony at 9 a.m. He was also a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2014.

CFO Jimmy Patronis speaks to Seminole fans in Capitol courtyard for FSU Day at the Capitol on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.
CFO Jimmy Patronis speaks to Seminole fans in Capitol courtyard for FSU Day at the Capitol on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

Dr. Joe Camps: Camps is a urologist at the Advanced Urology Institute as well as vice president and chief academic officer at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. He will be addressing graduates during FSU’s Saturday ceremony at 2 p.m. He was also the captain of FSU’s football team in 1976 and is a former FSU trustee who was appointed in 2011.

Sue Semrau: Semrau, a former FSU women’s basketball head coach, will speak to the graduates during Saturday’s 7 p.m. ceremony. She became the all-time winningest coach in FSU history during her 24-season role before retiring in 2022 as the longest-tenured head coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

FSU honors former head coach Sue Semrau as FSU women's basketball faces Duke at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Fla. on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023.
FSU honors former head coach Sue Semrau as FSU women's basketball faces Duke at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Fla. on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023.

FAMU commencement speakers

Calvin Mackie: Founder of STEM NOLA — a nonprofit organization created to engage communities in the opportunities of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field — Mackie will deliver his keynote address to graduates during FAMU’s Friday ceremony at 6 p.m. Besides being an entrepreneur, he is also an award-winning inventor and author.

From left: Calvin Mackie, Marcia Fudge, and Harry Williams are the featured speakers for FAMU's Spring 2023 Commencement.
From left: Calvin Mackie, Marcia Fudge, and Harry Williams are the featured speakers for FAMU's Spring 2023 Commencement.

Marcia Fudge: Fudge, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will address graduating students of FAMU’s Saturday morning ceremony at 9 a.m. She is also a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Harry Williams: Williams is the CEO and president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which is one of the nation’s largest organizations to exclusively represent HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities). He was also president of Delaware State University for eight years, and he will be speaking to FAMU graduates during their Saturday ceremony at 2 p.m.

TMCF President and CEO Harry Williams addresses board members at a three-day retreat hosted by FAMU in March 2022.
TMCF President and CEO Harry Williams addresses board members at a three-day retreat hosted by FAMU in March 2022.

FSU’s schedule and FAMU’s schedule of commencement ceremonies by college can be found on their websites.

Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU, FAMU announce commencement speakers for spring 2023 semester