Saturday evening’s ceremony will feature students from the College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities. Austin, the first African American to head the Defense Department, will also officiate at the commissioning ceremony for FAMU’s largest Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) graduating class in decades.
“Florida A&M University is honored to have Secretary Austin address our graduates. His life and career have been an inspiration to us all. He is part of an impressive lineup of speakers who have agreed to celebrate our graduates with us,” said President Larry Robinson, Ph.D.
Secretary Austin, grew up in Thomasville, Georgia, will headline a group of four speakers for the University’s first in person commencement ceremonies since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 1,000 students have applied for spring graduation.
A native of Mobile, Alabama, Austin retired in 2016 as a four-star Army general after 41 years in uniform. On January 22, 2021, he was sworn in as the 28th secretary of defense.
His four-decade Army career included command at the corps, division, battalion, and brigade levels. Austin was awarded the Silver Star for his leadership of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In 2010, he became commanding general of U.S. Forces – Iraq, overseeing all combat operations in the country.
Former state Senator Arthenia Joyner, Florida Board of Governors Vice Chair Brian Lamb and media entrepreneur Keith Clinkscales are on tap to speak to graduates at the other three in-person ceremonies. “Commencement is an important ritual in the life of our University. We are delighted to host in-person ceremonies again and urge all attendees and participants to adhere to health guidelines to ensure a safe commencement season,” said Robinson.