Yesterday afternoon, campus media met with CCSC and ESC Senior Class Presidents, EGSC President, as well as members of the administration involved in planning Class Day, to discuss the two keynote speakers for this year’s CC and SEAS commencement ceremonies. Dean Baquet will address the graduating Class of 2016 at the Columbia College Class Day ceremony on May 17th. Jon Steinberg, BUS ’03, will address the undergraduate and graduate Class of 2016 during the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Class Day ceremony on May 16th.

Dean Baquet

Columbia College has just announced that Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet will serve as the keynote speaker for this year’s CC Class Day. Baquet studied English at the College from 1974 to 1978, before leaving to pursue a career in journalism. Baquet worked as managing editor and editor of the newsroom at the Los Angeles Times, before serving as managing editor and Washington bureau chief at The New York Times. Baquet is currently the first African-American to hold the role of Executive Editor at the NYT, the highest position in the newsroom.

From the press release:

“Columbia College announced today that the Executive Editor of The New York Times, Dean Baquet, will deliver the keynote address at the 2016 Columbia College Class Day ceremony. The annual event, which honors graduating seniors, will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, on the South Lawns of Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus.”

Jon Steinberg

The School of Engineering and Applied Science chose media entrepreneur and former president and COO of Buzzfeed Jon Steinberg, BUS ’03, to give the keynote address at this year’s SEAS undergraduate and graduate student Class Day ceremony. Steinberg received his BA from Princeton University in 1999 and his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2003. Steinberg is the founder and current CEO of Cheddar, a new video media company positioned at the intersection of business news and culture and the millennial demographic.

From the press release:

“The undergraduate and graduate student councils of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University are pleased to announce that media entrepreneur Jon Steinberg will give the keynote address for Columbia Engineering’s Class Day ceremony, to be held on May 16, 2016.”