On Tuesday, the University named YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki as this year’s commencement speaker. Wojcicki has been named among Fortune’s “50 Most Powerful Women in Business,” Forbes’ “100 Most Powerful Women,” and Vanity Fair’s 50 “leading innovators [that] shake the foundations of their industries,” according to an article by The Hub. Prior to becoming CEO at YouTube, she served as senior vice president of advertising and commerce at Google after joining the company as its first marketing manager in 1999.
As this year’s speaker, Wojcicki follows Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, a Hopkins neuroscientist and neurosurgeon, who delivered the 2013 commencement address.
Many students eagerly awaited the announcement of this year’s speaker, especially those who participated in the online petition last spring in favor of a more transparent selection process and speaker compensation. That petition was posted on Change.org.
Ben Wasser, A Hopkins alum who graduated last year, decided to initiate the petition after hearing that Quiñones-Hinojosa, whom, he noted, had previously spoken on campus during that academic year, was announced as commencement speaker.
“I want to stress that the petition was not intended as a slight to Dr. Q. or to belittle his accomplishments, which are well-deserved, but instead to try and open communication between the University and the students on the matter of choosing a commencement speaker,” Wasser wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “Many [students] were upset at the choice based on his connection to Hopkins and his prevalence on campus that year.”
Nevertheless, many students seem pleased with this year’s speaker.
Junior Sophia Fleming-Benite, who supported Wasser’s petition last April, finds Wojcicki to be an excellent choice.
“An innovative leader at the forefront of the internet age, she’s relatively young, wildly successful and also a woman, which is always refreshing!” Fleming-Benite wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “I think that the speaker choice is definitely a good step in the right direction in terms of the school listening to the needs of undergraduates.”
Jill Williams, associate director of University events, shed some light on this year’s selection process in an email to The News-Letter.
“Members of the Johns Hopkins community, including students, faculty and alumni, nominate individuals to a committee, comprised of President Daniels, Trustees and University leadership,” Williams wrote.
While it has no student members, the committee welcomes input from student groups and individual students alike.
“Some student groups send in lists, and others provide informal recommendations. All of these recommendations are considered,” Williams wrote.
Lack of student input and also lack of funding, were Wasser’s main concerns at the time he launched his petition.
“I felt that if the student body had a say in the commencement speaker, or even if the process was more transparent, students would feel more connected to the speaker and involved in their last moments at Hopkins,” he wrote. “When the University appears to put minimal effort and resources towards the commencement speaker, the students feel slighted.”
The committee’s ultimate goal in choosing a speaker, Williams shared, is to identify a leader who can inspire Hopkins graduates from all nine schools.
“We think about the decision-making process a great deal, and then there is the logistical piece — who can come to Baltimore on May 22 to celebrate with the Class of 2014,” Williams wrote.
According to Williams, Wojcicki is not being compensated.
Regarding the impact of his petition, Wasser remains uncertain about the University’s awareness of students’ grievances.
“I can’t say whether the University paid any attention to my petition,” Wasser wrote. “I do not believe they made any visible changes to the process of choosing a commencement speaker. There is still no direct involvement from the student body, nor do we have any insight as to how the University chooses the speaker.”
Fleming-Benite, however, feels students’ voices were heard.
“I’m really glad that the school has seemed to understand what the student body wants in a commencement speaker,” she wrote. “I hope that in the future it won’t take lengthy petitions in order for the school to reach out to undergraduates about what they are looking for in their time at Hopkins.”
Wasser, likewise, believes the choice of Wojcicki as speaker reflects the increased attention on the University’s part to the event and expects her to be a well-received commencement speaker.
That enthusiasm is a goal of the selection committee, as expressed by Williams.
“We want all students to feel excited about Commencement and a great speaker is part of achieving that,” Williams wrote. “[Wojcicki] is a leader in an era of unprecedented innovation. She embodies creativity, courage and vision, and her message will be a powerful one as graduates prepare for their future beyond Hopkins.”
“We feel that we hit that mark with Susan Wojcicki,” Williams added, “and we look forward to hearing what she has to say on May 22.”
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