Bucknell Set to Celebrate 175th Commencement

More than 900 students representing 36 states and 22 countries from Bucknell University's Class of 2025 will be awarded degrees during the University's 175th Commencement on Sunday, May 18, beginning at 10 a.m. on Malesardi Quadrangle. Jessica Livingston '93 — a trailblazing tech entrepreneur, investor and co-founder of Y Combinator — will deliver the keynote address.

The University is scheduled to confer 937 degrees — 916 bachelor's degrees and 21 master's degrees (subject to final counts). The College of Arts & Sciences will award 570 undergraduate degrees, the College of Engineering will confer 164, and the Freeman College of Management will graduate 182 students.

Gabby Diaz '25, a political science and education double-major from Rockville, Md., will deliver the student address. Juliana Capizzi '25, a biomedical engineering major from Chevy Chase, Md., will perform the national anthem. || Read more about Diaz and Capizzi

Bucknell will also honor Doris Fischer Malesardi S'45 with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree during the ceremony in recognition of her extraordinary commitment to the institution.

As in past years, the ceremony will be livestreamed on Bucknell's Commencement website and Facebook page.

Commencement Speaker

Jessica Livingston ’93 will deliver this year's Commencement keynote address. Photo by Harry Crowder

Livingston is one of Silicon Valley's most influential investors and a founding force behind the global startup movement. She co-founded Y Combinator in 2005, Silicon Valley's premier startup incubator, having funded more than 5,500 startups — including Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase, Reddit, Dropbox and DoorDash — with a collective value of over $700 billion.

She is renowned for her extraordinary ability to assess character, a critical skill in early-stage investing when a founder's potential often outweighs tangible results. Her sharp intuition and extensive experience have earned her the nickname "the social radar" among her peers.

While at Y Combinator, Livingston established Startup School, an annual conference for aspiring founders that has become a cornerstone event in the entrepreneurial world. Over the years, it has hosted notable business leaders such as Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Steve Wozniak of Apple, and Sam Altman of OpenAI.

A 1993 Bucknell graduate in English, Livingston also authored the best-selling Founders at Work and helped launch the Startup School conference. She is co-host of The Social Radars podcast and was an early supporter of OpenAI.

Student Speaker & National Anthem Performer

Gabby Diaz '25. Photo by Emily Paine, Marketing & Communications

A Posse Scholar, Diaz has actively shaped campus life through roles as president of the Latinx Alliance for Community and Opportunity for Students, peer mentor in the TEAM program, Writing Center consultant, and undergraduate researcher.

A member of the Silhouettes a cappella group and cadet in Bucknell's ROTC program, Capizzi will also be commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army on Commencement Day.

Juliana Capizzi '25. Photo by James T. Giffen, Marketing & Communications

Honorary Degree Recipient

Doris Fischer Malesardi S'45. Photo by Emily Paine, Marketing & Communications

Together with her late husband, Robert Malesardi ’45, P’75, P’79, P’87, G’08, Doris Malesardi has contributed more than $30 million to support financial aid at Bucknell — an investment that generated matching funds totaling more than $75 million for the University’s endowment, securing scholarships for generations of Bucknellians to come.

Bob Malesardi, who served as a Bucknell trustee from 1972 through 1988, was a generous benefactor whose gifts supported scholarships, the Ellen Clarke Bertrand Library and campus facilities. In recognition of his philanthropy, the University named one of its Gateway Residence Center buildings Malesardi Hall in 1988.

Bob's impact continued in 2016 with an historic $20 million pledge to support a financial-aid endowment, then the largest pledge in Bucknell's history. Building on their legacy, the Malesardis established the Malesardi Match, a program matching gifts of $100,000 or more to new or existing endowed scholarships with an additional $50,000, further amplifying their impact. Commencement holds particular meaning for Doris as it takes place on Malesardi Quadrangle — named in 2016 in honor of the couple's transformative generosity.

The new Malesardi Arts & Sciences Merit Scholars Program, one of Bucknell's most prestigious scholarships, stands as the latest recognition of her generosity to the institution. Providing $40,000 annually to student recipients in the College of Arts & Sciences, the program fosters academic curiosity, exploration and leadership both in and out of the classroom.

In addition to her philanthropic leadership, Doris serves on the Bucknell President's Advisory Council, a volunteer advisory group of Bucknell supporters that offers strategic guidance to the University. Her leadership extends beyond Bucknell, with a record of service in civic, cultural and educational organizations.

Weather Updates
If severe weather is expected — including thunderstorms, lightning, high winds or prolonged rain — the Commencement ceremony may be delayed or moved indoors. The decision will be made by 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 18. Updates will be shared via campus email, posted online, and displayed at the entrances to Malesardi Quadrangle and the Elaine Langone Center.

If moved indoors, the ceremony will be held in Gerhard Fieldhouse at 10 a.m. Attendance will be limited to graduates and ticket holders. A live broadcast will be available in multiple campus locations, including the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, Trout Auditorium, and selected classrooms. A full campus map is available on the Commencement website.

For More Information
Visit bucknell.edu/commencement for a complete schedule of Commencement Weekend events, registration details, and general information.