UCLA College Commencement 2025 Speakers
All across campus in June, our community — students, faculty, staff, alumni, family and friends — comes together to celebrate commencement.
Below, meet our UCLA College speakers.
Congratulations, all!
Victoria Will
UCLA College Commencement
Sara Bareilles ’03
“My time at UCLA held some of the most treasured years of my life. In many ways it still shapes the person I have become and am still becoming. I feel so honored to get to share in this deeply meaningful time of transition for all the graduates, and to celebrate all the hard work, creativity, dedication and resilience that helped them arrive at this very special day.”
Grammy Award–winning singer, songwriter, actor and UCLA alumna Sara Bareilles will deliver the keynote address at the 2025 UCLA College commencement ceremonies. Bareilles, who earned her bachelor’s degree in communication, grew up in Northern California. As a student, Bareilles performed with the campus’s Awaken a cappella group and competed as a solo act in the university’s annual Spring Sing showcase, which she won in both 2000 and 2003. She credits those early performances with helping her refine her goals as a musician and providing a platform to share her music with a broader audience.
Academic Advancement Program
Cinthia Flores ’10
“UCLA is an important part of my identity. UCLA as an institution, but most importantly, the people I met while at UCLA — mentors, classmates, professors, etc. — have shaped my values and understanding of the world. For that I am grateful.”
Cinthia Flores is a member of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board. Governor Newsom appointed her to this position in 2020. Flores formerly worked as an immigration lawyer, focusing on removal defense.
Flores is president of Latinas Lead CA, a political action committee dedicated to supporting Latinas to pursue elected and appointed office. Flores also serves as vice president of the UCLA Alumni Association, an organization representing over half a million alumni worldwide.
Flores is past president of the Latina Lawyers Bar Association, an organization dedicated to supporting Latinas in the legal profession. In 2022, the Hispanic National Bar Association recognized Flores as a “Top Lawyer Under 40.”
She earned her juris doctor at UCI Law and served as student regent on the University of California Board of Regents. Flores earned her B.A. at UCLA and served as the first Latina undergraduate student body president. She is the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants.
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Ross Hull
“To the graduates: Have confidence in your abilities and know that you will not always have all the answers to life’s questions. Embracing change, uncertainty and taking on new challenges can create opportunities that you never imagined possible.”
Ross Hull has a lifelong passion for atmospheric sciences and broadcast journalism. His wealth of experience includes bringing weather content and climate stories to audiences across the country and around the globe for close to two decades. Throughout his cross-country travels, Hull has reported on the most important weather stories in Canada. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Hull is a network meteorologist and host of Global News Morning for the Global News television and streaming network. Hull also started acting at a young age, appearing in various television series, including “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and “Student Bodies” before pursuing a career in meteorology. He is a graduate of the broadcast and operational meteorology program at Mississippi State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in radio and television arts from Toronto Metropolitan University. Hull enjoys staying active under all weather conditions with his partner and his dogs, the “Canadian Bros,” Jasper and Louie.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Jeffrey Edward Miller ’84
“The 11 years I spent studying and working in laboratories at UCLA were essential in ensuring my long-term success. Hands-on lab work taught me the skills required to identify opportunities and direct scientific projects. My time at UCLA also resulted in close personal relationships which I have enjoyed for almost five decades. Quite simply: UCLA changed the course of my life.”
Jeffrey Edward Miller is the founder and CEO of Invivoscribe, a global leader in molecular diagnostics and precision medicine. He has spent most of his career advancing diagnostics in the fields of oncology, specifically developing the standardized tests, bioinformatics and technologies used to identify and track hematologic malignancies. Under his leadership, Invivoscribe has assisted in getting multiple targeted oncology drugs approved and continues to develop cutting-edge technologies that improve cancer treatment outcomes worldwide. A proud UCLA alumnus, Miller has dedicated his career to translating innovative research into clinically impactful solutions. Recognized as a key figure in biotechnology, he continues to drive advancements in precision diagnostics, shaping the future of healthcare.
Department of Communication
Jennifer Wang Grazier ’99
“‘Education must not simply teach work — it must teach life.’ — W.E.B. Du Bois. UCLA taught me both — my Bruin experience provided the stepping stones for my adult self to arrive at a place of professional and personal happiness — and so I am eternally grateful.”
Jennifer Wang Grazier currently works at Apple, where she co-heads Apple TV+’s television business affairs and has helped to launch many beloved series on the premium platform, including “Severance,” “Slow Horses” and “Silo.” In her role, Grazier is also in charge of dealmaking for Apple Vision Pro content. Prior to Apple, she headed the TV business and legal affairs at Legendary Entertainment, where, notably, she helped to acquire the rights to the “Dune” series. Grazier also worked at NBCUniversal, where she started her entertainment career, after working as a corporate attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and O’Melveney & Myers.
Grazier serves on the UCLA Dean of Social Science’s advisory committee and the UCLA communication board of visitors and is a major sponsor of the Bruin AdTeam. After graduating from UCLA with the highest departmental honors, summa cum laude, with a B.A. in communication, she obtained her J.D., cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center.
Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences
Scott M. Johnston M.A. ’95
“UCLA gave me the opportunity to excel in academia with a focus on applied conservation that ultimately shaped my decades-long career. Without the guidance of my major professor and the department, I would not have developed and succeeded in the long career I have enjoyed.”
After graduating with a B.S. in wildlife management at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt), Scott M. Johnston began his career as a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the California Condor Project, based in Ventura. Transferring with FWS, he then led the re-introductions of the ʻalalā (Hawaiian crow), one of the most endangered species in the world.
Johnston then took on a position in the FWS headquarters in Washington, D.C. and helped finalize listing and downlisting documents for the Endangered Species Act, and also served a stint as the national ecosystem coordinator working for the director of FWS. Johnston then worked in Massachusetts and led the Northeast region work on a flyway approach for landbirds, shorebirds and waterbirds and also developed a program managing the effects of offshore wind on migratory birds. He finished his career back in HQ as the national lead for offshore wind.
Department of History
Valeria De Gonzalez ’06
Valeria De Gonzalez is a law partner at Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP. As an immigration attorney, she has provided advice and counsel to hundreds of families from around the world on U.S. immigration matters. De Gonzalez is a San Diego native and daughter of working-class immigrant parents. She earned her undergraduate degree in history from UCLA and received her law degree from Columbia Law School.
De Gonzalez began her legal career at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice, where she advocated for survivors of domestic violence. Currently, she represents hotel and restaurant workers throughout the L.A. area in their immigration matters. De Gonzalez specializes in complex adjustment of status, consular processing and naturalization cases. She is the proud mom to two young daughters who inspire her commitment to justice and to making the world a better place.
Department of Linguistics
Larry M. Hyman ’69, M.A. ’69, Ph.D. ’72
“I would be nowhere if it weren’t for UCLA, particularly my mentor Victoria Fromkin, who spotted something in me that she decided to nurture. UCLA graduate school was also a supportive environment where I made lifelong friends. From my admission to UCLA in the high school program in 1965, so many teachers, administrators and others also participated in supporting me, getting me special honors culminating in the Distinguished Service Award in the Humanities in 1972. Just when I thought it was over, the Linguistic Society of America awarded me the Victoria Fromkin Lifetime Service Award in 2021.”
Larry M. Hyman was both an undergraduate and graduate student at UCLA, receiving his Ph.D. in linguistics in 1972. Except for a two-year leave with a postdoctoral fellowship from the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science (U.C. Berkeley, 1973-75), he taught at the University of Southern California from 1971 to 1988. Hyman came to Berkeley’s department of linguistics in 1988, which he chaired from 1991 to 2002. Hyman has worked extensively on phonological theory, especially tone and other aspects of language structure, particularly as concerns the history, typology and description of Bantu and other Niger-Congo languages of Africa.
Hyman has written and edited several books, grammars and numerous theoretical articles in major journals and served as president of the Linguistic Society of America in 2017. Hyman has been director of the France-Berkeley Fund since 2010; has held visiting positions in Paris, Lyon and Toulouse; and was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques in 2022. He currently holds the title of distinguished professor of the graduate school in the department of linguistics, University of California, Berkeley.
Department of Mathematics
Lisa Markus ’89
“UCLA means opportunity and growth, both personally and professionally. As a student, it taught me how to learn and be a thoughtful problem-solver. As an adult, UCLA offers the opportunity to give back and continue to be part of the inspiring Bruin community.”
Lisa Markus is a proud UCLA alumna, graduating with a bachelor of science in mathematics-applied science with actuarial science as her focus. She enjoyed her time as a Bruin, especially her role as president of the Bruin Actuarial Society. She is thrilled to see the growth in the club today, along with the many benefits it provides to the members.
After graduation, Markus jumped into working as an actuary for a variety of companies, including Transamerica, EY, Pacific Life and now Corebridge Financial. She is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries and senior vice president and chief finance actuary for Institutional Markets and the chief actuary of Corbridge’s Bermuda subsidiary.
She is married to another UCLA graduate and proud mom of two children, one who graduated from CU Boulder and the other from UCLA this weekend! She enjoys running, wine tasting and being with family and friends.
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Michael S. Turner
“To the graduates: Stay idealistic, use everything you have learned while at UCLA — in and out of class — to change the world for the better, and have fun doing so.”
Michael S. Turner is a visiting professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles and the Bruce V. & Diana M. Rauner Distinguished Service Professor (emeritus) at the University of Chicago. Turner’s previous positions include scientist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, chair of the department of astronomy and astrophysics at UChicago, assistant director for the mathematical and physical sciences at the National Science Foundation, chief scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, president of the Aspen Center for Physics, president of the American Physical Society and senior strategic advisor at the Kavli Foundation.
Turner received his B.S. from Caltech and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Stanford, all in physics. His scholarly contributions include predicting cosmic acceleration and coining the term dark energy, showing how quantum fluctuations evolved into the seed perturbations for galaxies and other cosmic structures during cosmic inflation and several key ideas that led to the cold dark matter theory of structure formation. Through his scientific contributions, his students and his leadership, Turner played a major role in bringing together elementary particle physics and astrophysics/cosmology and he led the influential National Academies study “Quarks to the Cosmos” that laid out the strategic vision for the field.
He has been involved, as a member, chair or reviewer, in more than 20 National Academies studies as well as serving on advisory committees for NSF, DOE, NASA and the OECD. Turner is a Fellow of the American Astronomical Society, the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and was elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences in 1997 and the American Philosophical Society in 2017.
Department of Political Science
Scott H. Richland ’83
“UCLA will always be a special place for me. It’s where I met my wife 44 years ago. It’s where I fell in love with learning and it’s where I began to see and explore what the world had to offer.”
Scott H. Richland recently retired as the chief investment officer of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, which he joined in 2010. In his role he oversaw the investment of Caltech’s $4.2 billion endowment and $550 million capital expenditure fund and also oversaw the Institute’s insurance risk management and off-campus real estate acquisition and divestiture programs. Prior roles included president of Andell Holdings, managing director at AIG, executive vice president of SunAmerica Financial and senior associate at Citicorp North America. He now focuses his time on senior governance roles on for-profit and not-for-profit boards, including Jiko Group, Inc.; Pasadena Private Lending, Inc.; and Foldax Inc. In addition, Richland is currently a member of the investment committees of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles and John Muir Health System and serves as a senior advisor to Fin Capital.
Richland earned his MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, where he was designated an Arjay Miller Scholar (top 10%), and his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in political science from UCLA. He resides in Orinda, California, with Cathleen, his wife of 40 years, whom he met at UCLA as a sophomore. They have two adult sons who both live in the San Francisco area.
Department of Sociology
Ellen Goldsmith-Vein ’93
“The conversations and experiences I had with my fellow UCLA students and faculty still inspire me. Even today, when I walk across the main quad and pass Royce Hall and Powell Library, it reinforces my belief that together we can be exceptional. Go Bruins!”
Producer Ellen Goldsmith-Vein is the founder and CEO of The Gotham Group, a global entertainment company anchored by its literary management practice representing some of the most prolific, award-winning writers, directors, producers, publishers and authors in television, film, publishing, journalism and content creation across all genres. The Gotham Group has become a major force in film and television production and have been widely known as the “go to” for universally recognized and award-winning intellectual property. Gotham remains the only major management/production company in Hollywood owned solely by a woman. Goldsmith-Vein serves on multiple advisory boards, including the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA and was appointed by Mayor Karen Bass as the chair of the Entertainment Industry Council for the city of Los Angeles.
Goldsmith-Vein’s producing credits include films such as “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” the “Stargirl” franchise at Disney, “The Maze Runner” film trilogy, the NAACP and AAFCA award-winning “Wendell & Wild” for Netflix, the Clint Eastwood-directed “Juror #2,” and “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” based on the book by Warren Zanes about Bruce Springsteen and the making of his album “Nebraska” starring Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong. Her television and streaming credits include the multiple Emmy® Award-winning Disney+ series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” Roku’s Award-Winning “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” “WondLa” on Apple TV+ and the Hulu limited series “Washington Black” along with the Emmy®-nominated animated series “Creature Comforts.”
Department of Statistics and Data Science
Brian Kriegler M.S. ’04, Ph.D. ’07
“UCLA is where I began my journey as a statistician. I am forever grateful for the way the university — and especially the statistics department — supported and believed in me from day one. The technical knowledge and people skills I gained there will stay with me for life. I can’t imagine a better place to have attended graduate school.”
Brian Kriegler is managing director at Econ One Research in Los Angeles. He is one of the nation’s leading experts in wage and hour data analysis and damages calculations, having been retained in over 400 cases involving labor law compliance, class action claims and statistical modeling. He holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in statistics from UCLA.
Kriegler served as the damages expert in Senne v. Major League Baseball, a landmark class action lawsuit addressing unpaid wages owed to minor league players. To calculate the amount owed to each individual, he analyzed 15 years of player transactions, team schedules, rosters, payroll data, game information from the Minor League Baseball website, Google Maps and survey results.
Drawing on decades of experience as an expert witness, Kriegler founded EmployeeMetrics® to help restaurants reduce operational inefficiencies while staying compliant with complex labor laws. His innovative software enables owners and operators to boost profit margins and navigate today’s regulatory landscape with confidence, clarity and peace of mind.
He grew up in Los Angeles and is an avid Bruins, Dodgers, Kings and Rams fan. He lives in Studio City with his wife Kathy, daughter Jenna, son Matt and dog Emma.
Institute for Research on Labor and Employment
Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher J.D. ’98
“For me, UCLA meant a first-class legal education without having to go into debt. I received a law degree and could still pursue a career in public service and union organizing.”
A graduate of Stanford University, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher also holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University and a law degree from UCLA. Fletcher served as the political director and eventual secretary-treasurer of the San Diego Labor Council.
In 2013, Fletcher was elected to the California State Assembly, promising to fight for California’s working and middle classes. In 2019, Fletcher passed Assembly Bill 5, the strongest law in the country protecting workers against misclassification and wage theft. In 2021, Fletcher passed legislation to ensure employers in California can be criminally prosecuted and sent to prison for engaging in intentional wage theft and she authored the nation’s first law establishing worker protections against Amazon’s dangerous warehouse production quotas.
Fletcher was the first Latina to serve as chairwoman of a legislative appropriations committee and was the longest-serving chair in history.
Fletcher now serves as the first woman and first person of color to serve as chief officer of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO.
José Mandojana
Division of Humanities
Carribean Fragoza ’03
Carribean Fragoza is a fiction and nonfiction writer from South El Monte, California. She received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA with a double major in comparative literature and Chicana/o studies. She then earned her M.F.A. in critical studies and creative writing at California Institute of the Arts.
Her collection of stories “Eat the Mouth That Feeds You” was published in 2021 by City Lights and was a finalist for a 2022 PEN Award. Fragoza’s co-edited compilation of essays “East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte” was published by Rutgers University Press and her collection of essays “Writing Home: New Terrains of California” is forthcoming with Angel City Press. She has published in Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, Zyzzyva, Alta, BOMB, Huizache, KCET, the Los Angeles Review of Books, ArtNews and Aperture Magazine. She is the prose editor at Huizache and the creative nonfiction and poetry editor at Boom California, a journal of UC Press.
Fragoza is the founder and co-director of South El Monte Arts Posse, an interdisciplinary arts collective, along with her husband, Romeo Guzmán ’05, whom she met while they were both students at UCLA. She is a 2023 Whiting Literary Award recipient and creative writing faculty at California Institute of the Arts.
