Ed Catmull, co-founder and president of Pixar Animation Studios and president of Walt Disney Studios, will be the speaker at this year’s commencement ceremony on May 21. He will also receive an honorary degree from the University.
The nominees for commencement speaker were selected differently this year than in the past; this year’s process was designed to provide students with a stronger voice in the selection.
“This past year, for the first time, nominations were accepted online on the Commencement website,” Jill Williams, associate director of University events, wrote in an e-mail to The News-Letter. “A committee consisting of President [Ronald J.] Daniels, members of the Board of Trustees and University leadership reviews the nominations.”
Williams identified several criteria that influenced the committee’s decision to select Catmull.
“When selecting the speaker, the goal is to identify a leader who will inspire graduates from all nine schools. Ed Catmull, with his computer scientist’s problem-solving savvy, artistic sensibility and visionary leadership, will inspire members of the Class of 2015, and I look forward to hearing what he has to say.”
Williams also commented on the process through which an honorary degree recipient is chosen.
“The Commencement speaker selection process is closely connected to the Honorary Degree process in which the Johns Hopkins community — including students, faculty, alumni, staff and friends of the University — submits nominees,” Williams wrote.
Catmull is a pioneer in the area of computer animation. He has received five Academy Awards, including an Academy Award of Merit. In 2009, he received the Gordon E. Sawyer Award at the Academy Awards for his overall technical contributions to motion pictures. His productions are shown throughout the world. Catmull received his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Utah in 1974.
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