2019 Commencement: Honorary Degree Recipients, Keynote Speakers, Livestream Details and More

This May, Johnson & Wales University confers 7 honorary doctorate degrees to industry luminaries and will award more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate degrees during its 2019 commencement ceremonies, to be held at all four of its campuses.

PROVIDENCE

All ceremonies take place at Dunkin’ Donuts Center, unless otherwise noted.

• Official website: https://commencement.jwu.edu/providence
• Livestream (morning): https://bit.ly/2w0YKDp
• Livestream (afternoon): https://bit.ly/2LPWbyw

Friday, May 3 / 11 a.m.
GRADUATE STUDIES 

Recipient + Keynote: Cynthia R. Bigelow, president and chief executive officer, Bigelow Tea, will receive an honorary Doctor of Business Administration.

Saturday, May 18 / 8:45am
UNDERGRADUATE (John Hazen White College of Arts & Sciences, College of Business, College of Engineering & Design and College of Hospitality Management)

• Recipient + Keynote: Nigel Travis, chairman, Dunkin’ Brands Inc., and chairman, Leyton Orient Football Club, will receive an honorary Doctor of Business Administration.

Saturday, May 18 / 1:45pm
UNDERGRADUATE (College of Culinary Arts, College of Hospitality Management (Food Service Management)

• Recipient + Keynote: Mehmet Gürs '93, chef-partner, Istanbul Food & Beverage Group, will receive an honorary Doctor of Culinary Arts.
• Recipient: Derek Wagner '99, chef-owner, Nicks on Broadway, will receive an honorary Doctor of Culinary Arts.

Tuesday, May 21 / 10am*
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES

*Schneider Auditorium (Xavier Academic Complex)

NORTH MIAMI

• Official website: https://commencement.jwu.edu/north-miami
• Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQs9yxlA6_o 

Saturday, May 18 / 10am
Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center

• • Recipient + Keynote: Dave Wilkinson, president and chief executive officer, Atlanta Police Foundation, will receive an honorary Doctor of Business Administration.

DENVER

• Official website: https://commencement.jwu.edu/denver

Saturday, May 18 / 10am
Boettcher Concert Hall at Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA)

• • • • Recipient + Keynote: Sean McNicholas, president, Service Systems Associates, will receive an honorary Doctor of Business Administration.

CHARLOTTE

• Official website: https://commencement.jwu.edu/charlotte
• Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/user/Wildcatscharlotte 

Saturday, May 18 / 10am
Spectrum Center

• • • • Recipient + Keynote: Gary Ward Guittard, president, Guittard Chocolate Company, will receive an honorary Doctor of Business Administration.

COMMENCEMENT BY THE NUMBERS

In 2019, JWU will award the following degrees:

• PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
  1,508 undergraduate degrees (B.S., B.S.B.A., A.S.)
  14 doctoral degrees (ED.D.)
  320 graduate degrees (MBA, M.A.T., M.S., M.ED., M.S.P.A.S.)
• NORTH MIAMI, FLORIDA
  266 undergraduate degrees (B.S., A.S.)
  22 graduate degrees (MBA)
• DENVER, COLORADO
  222 undergraduate degrees (B.S., A.S.)
  13 graduate degrees (MBA)
• CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
  340 undergraduate degrees (B.S., A.A.S.)
• ONLINE
  153 undergraduate degrees (B.S., B.S.B.A.)
  176 graduate degrees (MBA, M.S.)
• TOTAL 3,034 DEGREES

Visit JWU’s Commencement site for more detailed information about planning for and attending the 2019 ceremony at your campus.