Convocation Speaker

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, MPH ’01, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will deliver the Convocation speech for the Class of 2026.

A distinguished infectious disease physician and a nationally recognized public health leader, Dr. Walensky has devoted her career to improving health care and policy both in the U.S. and around the world. Prior to her service as the 19th director of the CDC, she was chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, where her research focused on HIV/AIDS. Her work has significantly advanced our understanding of how to design and implement effective HIV prevention and treatment programs and has influenced U.S. and international policies in this area.

Dr. Walensky has deep and enduring ties to Harvard. As an alumna of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow, she has shown extraordinary commitment to our community. Her recent Winter Session course, Decision Making and Leadership in Public Health Emergency Response, co-taught with Dawn O’Connell, provided students with invaluable insight into the complexities of leading through crisis. In addition, her work across Harvard—including her role as professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School—has brought great distinction to the University.

Throughout her career, Dr. Walensky has championed evidence-based decision-making and clear, compassionate communication in the face of urgent public health threats. Her experience at the highest levels of government and in frontline medicine offers powerful lessons for our graduates as they prepare to take on pressing health challenges in communities all over the world.