Commencement is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health graduates, who enter a world with much need for their skills, creativity, and commitment to creating healthier, fairer, and more just communities. Because we need public health leaders now more than ever.

Commencement 2025

Save the date for commencement! 

The Dornsife ceremony will take place on Thursday, June 12, 2025 at 8:30 am (ET) at Miller Theater (formerly Merriam Theater, at 250 S. Broad St.) in downtown Philadelphia.

The University-wide commencement will take place on Thursday, June 12, 2025 at 5:00 pm (ET) at Citizens Bank Park (home of the Philadelphia Phillies).

Both ceremonies will be live-streamed and available for viewing afterwards for those who cannot attend in person.

A full schedule of Drexel ceremonies and other details can be found at Drexel Commencement.

About the Keynote Speaker for Dornsife Commencement

Drexel Dornsife's 2025 commencement speaker is Palak Raval-Nelson, PhD '08, MPH '02, the Health Commissioner for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and this year's Distinguished Alumni Awardee.

Palak Raval-Nelson is the Health Commissioner for the Department of Public Health. She has worked for the department since 1996 when she began her career as a public health sanitarian. Since then, she has served as a supervisor, manager, administrator, and director of Environmental Health Services, as well as Deputy Health Commissioner.

Raval-Nelson also serves as adjunct faculty for Drexel University’s School of Public Health and Temple University. She teaches environmental and occupational health, as well as vulnerable populations and the environment. She has presented many papers at NEHA, PPHA, and APHA, and has had several publications in the National Journal of Environmental Health. In 2008, she published her first book, Breast Cancer Politics: An Evaluation of the Current Funding Policies. She graduated from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Environmental Public Health Leadership Institute. She recently completed a Certificate of Public Sector Leadership from Cornell University with a concentration in Leading Government Organizations.

Raval-Nelson has her B.S. in Biology from Temple University, her M.P.H. from MCP Hahnemann University (graduating with the distinguished Hiega Society Award), and her Ph.D. in environmental health and policy from Drexel University.

Raval-Nelson is deeply committed on working with vulnerable populations and being a voice for marginalized communities to ensure equity and environment justice. She has been a civil servant for 29 years and believes in helping people.

Commencement 2024

The Drexel community was honored to celebrate our Class of 2024 over three days in June.

The Dornsife School of Public Health commencement ceremony was held on Thursday, June 13th at the beautiful Academy of Music in downtown Philadelphia. 

Commencement '24 Photo Album

Watch the ceremony:

Drexel's University-wide commencement ceremony was held on Friday, June 14, 2024 at Citizens Bank Park. Sheryl Lee Ralph, award-winning actress and producer, spoke at the University-wide commencement.

View the 2024 commencement program (pdf)

For more on commencement, visit the Drexel Commencement website.

About the 2024 Keynote Speaker for Dornsife Commencement

Drexel Dornsife's 2024 commencement speaker was Frank A. Franklin, PhD, JD, MPH, Interim Health Commissioner for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

Dr. Frank Franklin trained in Injury Epidemiology and Injury Prevention at The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, Center for Injury Research and Policy, where he received his Ph.D. He received an MPH from the Morehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Franklin has post-graduate training at the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, the University of Michigan, the David Satcher Health Leadership Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. Franklin also holds a Juris Doctor from Drexel University, Kline School of Law.

His research and practice interests include injury and violent crime, forensic epidemiology, and medicolegal investigations. Dr. Franklin is currently the Interim Health Commissioner and previously served as Deputy Health Commissioner for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health; was a former member of the Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and currently serves as a member of the International Advisory Council of Monell Chemical Senses Center and the Health Innovation Council at the University City Science Center in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Franklin is also a Fellow of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

Commencement 2023

The Dornsife School of Public Health ceremony was on held Thursday, June 15, 2023, at the Academy of Music. Congratulations to our #foreverdragons!

Watch the ceremony:

Dornsife's 2023 commencement speaker was Valerie A. Arkoosh, MD, MPH, Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.

The University-wide Commencement ceremony at the Phillies' Citizen's Bank Park was on Friday, June 16. Globally acclaimed Philadelphia Orchestra Music and Artistic Director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin addressed graduates.

View Commencement Photos

View 2023 End of Year Celebration Photos

Commencement 2022

Drexel's university-wide Commencement ceremony was held at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, June 9, 2022. The keynote speaker was Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, an educator, author, civil rights advocate, mathematician, and president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

The Dornsife School of Public Health held its own ceremony for our Class of 2022 on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, in the Drexel Recreation Center Gym at 3301 Market Street.

Watch the ceremony:

The Class of 2022 consisted of 19 undergraduate students, 189 master’s students, and 11 doctoral students!

View the Commencement Photo Album

"Congratulations for all you have accomplished during this truly unprecedented time," said Dean Ana Diez Roux to graduates.

"The intersecting crises—the pandemic; historical, pervasive, and persistent racial injustice; climate change; gun violence; and war (sadly now as well)—have cracked the door open just enough for us to glimpse a world of new possibilities. A world where things could be organized differently, where we as humans could leverage all of our potential together to create, enjoy, and live our lives to fulfillment. The door is open just a crack, so stick your foot in it and don't let it close."

Dornsife's commencement speaker was Saleem Chapman, MPA, who became Philadelphia’s inaugural chief resilience officer in September 2020. Chapman spoke about advancing equity amidst climate change.

Visit Drexel Dornsife's graduation playlist on YouTube for past commencement videos.