Baruch College to Graduate more than 5,600 Students in 2021 Virtual Commencement Experience on May 27

May 13, 2021

The Baruch College community will once again come together virtually to celebrate the impressive achievements and future success of the Class of 2021. The College’s schools, departments, and programs eagerly offer their congratulations and best wishes to all graduates.

Here’s what to expect for this year’s virtual ceremony:

Baruch Virtual Commencement Experience: Thursday, May 27

Baruch College will hold its 2021 Virtual Commencement Experience on May 27, conferring degrees to more than 5,600 undergraduate and graduate students from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, and the Zicklin School of Business. The virtual experience, live at 10a.m., can be viewed on the College’s homepage, www.baruch.cuny.edu.

President S. David Wu, PhD, will preside over the virtual experience, his first commencement ceremony since he began his term in July 2020. Interim provost Myung-Soo Lee, PhD, interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, will serve as the master of ceremonies.

The virtual celebration will include a keynote address and an honorary degree recipient, in addition to the traditional conferring of degrees.

To close the commencement experience, President Wu will instruct students to move their tassels and join the entire Baruch community in congratulating the Class of 2021.

Keynote Speaker

Honorable Karinés Reyes, Assembly Member for the 87th District of New York, will deliver the keynote address.

Karinés Reyes has been a Bronxite for nearly 20 years. Born in the neighborhood of Los Minas, Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic, she relocated to Fajardo, Puerto Rico until she was 6 years old. Her family then moved to Queens, New York.

Assemblywoman Reyes attended CUNY Baruch College studying Communications, and returned to school to pursue a career in nursing. As a student nurse, Karinés volunteered in Haiti after the earthquake and participated in numerous community health fairs in the Bronx. She earned her Nursing degree from Bronx Community College, and became a registered nurse in the Oncology Department at Montefiore Albert Einstein Hospital, thereafter. Karinés also joined the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and served as Vice Chair of the Bargaining Unit at Einstein Hospital.

The Assembly Member is one of many Baruch alumni currently serving as an elected official.

Reyes currently lives in Parkchester with her two sons, Alexander and Sebastian. She is serving her first full term as Member of Assembly for her district, covering the Castle Hill, Parkchester, Van Nest and West Farms sections of the Bronx. Read more about her background and accomplishments here.

Honorary Degree Recipient

Raj Chetty, PhD, will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, in recognition of his exemplary accomplishments in economics and his dedication to ensuring access to economic equity and equality. His work on tax policy, unemployment insurance, and education has inspired policies and initiatives that ensure the social mobility of today’s generations – embodying the historical and continuing mission of Baruch College and The City University of New York.

Dr. Chetty is the William A. Ackman Professor of Public Economics at Harvard University and Director of Opportunity Insights. Chetty’s research, for which he has won numerous awards, including a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, combines empirical evidence and economic theory to help design more effective government policies. His current focus is on equality of opportunity, asking: how can we give children from disadvantaged backgrounds better chances of succeeding?

Chetty earned his AB summa cum laude from Harvard College in 2000 and his PhD from Harvard University in 2003. At the age of 23, Chetty became a professor at the University of California at Berkeley until 2009, when he returned to Harvard as one of the youngest tenured professors in Harvard’s history. Chetty joined Stanford University as a faculty member from 2015 – 2018, and in summer 2018, he returned to Harvard where he rejoined the Economic Department. To read more about Dr. Chetty’s career accomplishments, please see here.

Valedictorian and Salutatorian

Baruch College named Alyssa Fuchs and Chiandredi Johnson, respectively, as the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2021. Both students were selected for their academic excellence, engagement in on-campus activities and clubs, and community efforts through volunteerism.

Fuchs will deliver the valedictory address during the College’s Virtual Commencement Experience taking place on May 27. Johnson will be the featured speaker for the College’s Student Achievement Awards being held online on May 26.

To read more about these students’ backgrounds, accomplishments, and plans for the future, please see here.

Student Achievement Awards

Baruch continues the time-honored tradition of recognizing its most outstanding students—those who have achieved academic excellence and community engagement beyond the norm—and have earned Student Achievement Awards. At this year’s event, 227 students will receive 256 awards. In lieu of an in-person ceremony, these exemplary students will be recognized virtually on May 26th at 3pm. Art King, Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students, will serve as the master of ceremonies, which will take be hosted live on Zoom. Pre-register for the event here.

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