Spring commencement at UT Southwestern is a time to celebrate the hard-earned achievements of graduating students of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical School, and UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences as they take the next step toward shaping the future in their fields. This year is particularly significant, as it marks the first graduating class from the O’Donnell School of Public Health.

Each event will be available to watch live online and also will be recorded for later viewing. We wish the graduates success as they take on new roles and continue to advance science and medicine.

Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health

The graduation of its inaugural class of students is a major milestone for the O’Donnell School of Public Health (OSPH), which UT Southwestern established in 2022. These 33 graduates will be honored at a commencement ceremony at 10 a.m., Wednesday, May 14, in the NB2.EEF Auditorium.  The graduating class includes 28 Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) students, four Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (M.S.C.I.) students, and one Ph.D. in Public Health scholar.

“Some of the most significant issues of our time are public health challenges. Over the last couple of years, it has been gratifying to see our students develop skills to address these challenges. I am proud of our inaugural class as they commence the next phase of their public health journey and hope that they will continue to be inspired by our ethos of excellence for impact,” said Saad B. Omer, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., Ph.D., founding Dean of the O’Donnell School of Public Health.

Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison, who served as the Permanent Representative of the U.S. to NATO from 2017 to 2021, will deliver the keynote address. From 1993 to 2013, she was a U.S. Senator who gained extensive international experience and developed a deep understanding of NATO as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Ambassador Hutchison currently serves as a trustee of Southwestern Medical Foundation.

UT Southwestern Medical School

On Friday, May 16, a commencement ceremony for the Medical School’s 226 graduates will be held at 11 a.m. in the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. As the graduating students continue their training in residencies, they will go on to distinguish themselves at top medical facilities around the world and develop themselves as physician leaders.

“It has been an honor and joy to support the Class of 2025 through their medical education journey,” said Angela Mihalic, M.D., Dean of Medical Students, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, and Professor of Pediatrics. “Over the past four years, they have transformed into caring, competent clinicians through diligent study, scholarly pursuits, dedicated clinical training, a passion for patient advocacy, and a commitment to the underserved community. We are thrilled to celebrate this meaningful occasion with them. We have no doubt that they are ready to face the challenges ahead and will use the lessons learned to improve the health and well-being of countless patients in the future.”

“I am incredibly proud of members of the Class of 2025, who have worked hard to achieve this important milestone in their medical education,” added W. P. Andrew Lee, M.D., Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean of the Medical School. “Their selfless dedication, vitality, and compassion are inspiring. I am certain they will make noteworthy contributions to medicine wherever they go.”

Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern, will confer degrees on the Medical School graduates, followed by a presentation of the graduates by Dr. Lee. Shaina Drummond, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesiology & Pain Management and President of the Dallas County Medical Society, will administer the Physician’s Oath, and Charles Ginsburg, M.D., Professor Emeritus, will present Southwestern Medical Foundation’s Ho Din Award, the highest honor bestowed on a UTSW medical student.

Ross Perot Jr., a Dallas business leader and humanitarian, will deliver the keynote address. Mr. Perot is Chairman of The Perot Companies, which manages various Perot family interests, and Hillwood, a global real estate development company. He continues his family’s legacy of giving that spans generations and includes significant contributions to support UT Southwestern that have led to Nobel Prize-winning research and health care improvements. His family’s most recent gift to UT Southwestern endowed the Perot Family Scholars Medical Scientist Training Program.

UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

At 7 p.m. Thursday, May 22, 84 students from the Graduate School will be honored in the Tom and Lula Gooch Auditorium. Supported by rigorous UTSW training in basic and clinical science, they will go on to become leaders in biomedical research and education whose work will help translate discoveries into treatments to improve health globally.

“Students receiving degrees from the Graduate School pursue a variety of science-related careers,” said Andrew Zinn, M.D., Ph.D., Dean of the Graduate School. “Our Basic Sciences graduates work in a variety of settings, including academia, pharmaceutic and biotechnology industries, science policy and advocacy, scientific communication, scientific consulting, and entrepreneurship. Our Medical Physics Ph.D. graduates help administer radiation therapy to cancer patients, and our Clinical Psychology graduates become practicing psychologists, some of whom will also conduct research. Whatever their profession, our graduates use the knowledge and skills they gained from their UT Southwestern education.”

Zhijian “James” Chen, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology and Director of the Center for Inflammation Research at UTSW, will present the keynote address. Dr. Chen is one of the world’s leading researchers on innate immunity – the body’s response to pathogens and its ability to quickly identify and destroy cells and tissues that have been attacked. He is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and has been elected to both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Chen is a member of the Center for the Genetics of Host Defense at UTSW and the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Chen has been honored with many distinguished awards for his transformative work, including the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award (2024) for his discovery of cGAS, which triggers innate immunity. Other awards include Germany’s highest honor in the field of medicine, the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize (2025), the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize (2023), the William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic and Tumor Immunology (2020), the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2019), the Switzer Prize (2019), the Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences (2018), and the National Academy of Sciences Award in Molecular Biology (2012).