Dr. Anthony Fauci to give Hofstra commencement address
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s former top infectious disease adviser, will give the midyear commencement address at Hofstra University. Credit: AP/Jacquelyn Martin
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who rose to national prominence as he provided medical guidance to the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, will deliver the midyear commencement address Dec. 21 at Hofstra University.
University officials noted that Fauci, who served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institutes of Health for almost 40 years, also will receive an honorary degree when he speaks before about 600 undergraduate, graduate and law students at the Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex in Hempstead.
“Hofstra University is delighted to welcome Dr. Fauci to give the commencement address and receive an honorary degree,” Hofstra president Susan Poser said in a statement, adding: “His illustrious career in research and public service has had a global impact and will be an inspiration to the new graduates of Hofstra University.”
The Brooklyn-born Fauci, 82, joined the NIH in 1968 and in his role as director of the NIAID was a key adviser to seven U.S. presidents — from Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden — dealing with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and a host of other infectious diseases and immune-related illnesses. However, it was his televised news conferences during the COVID-19 pandemic during the Trump administration that cast Fauci into the national and global spotlight.
Among his accolades, Fauci has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by President George W. Bush in 2008 for his work as one of the principal architects of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. He also has been awarded 62 honorary degrees from universities in the United States and abroad. Earlier this week, it was announced Fauci would receive the 2024 Inamori Ethics Prize, awarded since 2008 by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, for his tireless leadership roles — especially his work during the pandemic.
In announcing Fauci as speaker, chair of the Hofstra Board of Trustees Donald Schaeffer said: "This commencement will be memorable. These students are among those whose schooling was interrupted by COVID-19, and Dr. Fauci’s address will undoubtedly bring their experience full circle. As a doctor and a medical scientist who has served with honor and distinction, he will help make this a special event for the graduates and their families.”
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
