CDU Celebrates Class of 2025 at 41st Commencement Ceremony
On May 17, 2025, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science celebrated the Class of 2025 during its 41st Commencement ceremony.
The event honored this year’s graduates and their academic accomplishments, leadership, and commitment to health equity.
In his address to the graduates, CDU President and CEO David M. Carlisle, MD, PhD, praised the Class of 2025 for their dedication to service. “You have committed to give of yourselves in order to transform the lives of underserved and under-resourced communities; to provide healthcare with excellence and compassion; to work toward an end to health disparities, no matter where in the world you exist,” he said. “You have a fire inside that drove the thirst for knowledge that led you here. That same fire will now guide you forth to change the world, each in your own way.”
Board Chair John Baackes echoed that message in his opening remarks. “The world, and its many troubles, inequities, and disparities, is waiting for you,” he said. “People are hurting, and your healing hands are sorely needed today. You are healthcare practitioners and researchers, leaders who will meet the challenges that you will face in your careers. Go out and fight for social justice and health equity for underserved populations.”
This year’s Student Address was delivered by Njeri Kiambati, a Bachelor of Science in Public Health graduate and former Student Government President. Reflecting on CDU’s origins and values, she reminded her classmates that they “stand on paths paved by courage.”
“Let us not be overwhelmed by uncertainty but rather rooted in purpose,” she said. “We must be bold in the way we listen, courageous in the way we learn, and generous in the way we lead. As graduates of this university, we are not just stepping into careers. We are stepping into responsibility.”
Delivering the keynote address, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk, MD, PhD, encouraged graduates to face today’s rapidly changing world with resolve and compassion. “We are all in transit,” he said. “Carry with you the things that endure: kindness, service, the passionate leadership that can cut through the fog.”
Frenk, an internationally recognized leader in global public health and higher education, reminded the Class of 2025 of their place in the larger story: “You are the bridge to our future. And remember that wherever you go, Charles Drew University will be a part of you.”
The 2025 President’s Medal —the University’s highest honor—was awarded to Sylvia Drew Ivie, a lifelong advocate for health equity, social justice, and community empowerment. Drew Ivie, the youngest daughter of CDU’s namesake, Dr. Charles R. Drew, most recently served as Special Assistant for Community Affairs in the Office of the President until her retirement earlier this year.