2024 Commencement Speakers

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,  

As we congratulate our law students who graduated last month, we look ahead to celebrating the undergraduate and graduate students of Seattle University’s Class of 2024 this Sunday at Climate Pledge Arena. Today I am pleased to announce our speakers and honorary doctorate recipients. 

Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director of the National Science Foundation, will speak and receive an honorary doctorate at our undergraduate ceremony. A computer scientist and engineer with three decades of leadership in academia and government, Dr. Panchanathan has committed his career to scientific and technological advancements that contribute to the greater good. Among other recognitions, he has received the Governor’s Innovator of the Year for Academia Award, the Washington Academy of Sciences Distinguished Career Award and the IEEE-USA Public Service Award. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Dr. Panchanathan was appointed by President Barack Obama to the U.S. National Science Board for a six-year term in 2014, making him the first Indian American to serve in this capacity. 

Virginia Cross will also receive an honorary doctorate at our undergraduate commencement. Ms. Cross has been a leader in the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe for more than four decades, including a record 19 years as Tribal Chair. A champion of education, she served as the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe’s first Head Start Director in the 1960s and the Director of Indian Education for the Auburn School District for 22 years and has actively shaped many programs for Native American students in Washington state. Among the many awards and accolades Ms. Cross has received, she was the first Indigenous person inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame in 2022.  

Tod Leiweke, who has had a long and successful track record of leadership in professional sports, will speak and receive an honorary doctorate at our graduate commencement ceremony. Mr. Leiweke has served as COO of the National Football League, CEO of the Seattle Seahawks, President and CEO of the Seattle Sounders FC and is currently the CEO and minority owner of the Seattle Kraken. Under his leadership, the Kraken have made a deep commitment to their fans, the community and diversity, equity and inclusion. In addition to other professional awards and recognitions, Mr. Leiweke has received the 2024 Seattle King County First Citizen Award from the Seattle King County Realtors.

We look forward to honoring these individuals for lives and professional endeavors that resonate with the Jesuit mission and values of Seattle University and to celebrating this special occasion with our graduates and their families.  

Respectfully,  

Eduardo M. Peñalver
President