Two Visionary Leaders to Address 2025 Graduates at Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
The Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine is honored to welcome two trailblazing public health leaders as keynote speakers for its 2025 commencement ceremonies, both taking place on Saturday, May 17, at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in New Orleans.
Shalanda Young, MHA ’01, to Address Undergraduate Ceremony
Delivering the undergraduate ceremony address will be Shalanda Young, a Tulane alumna and former director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Biden Administration. Young, who earned her Master of Health Administration from Tulane in 2001, made history in 2022 when she became the first Black woman to lead the OMB—a critical agency responsible for crafting the federal budget and overseeing regulatory and procurement policies across the executive branch.
A native of Clinton, Louisiana (born in Zachary), Young began her federal career as a Presidential Management Fellow and rose through the ranks to become staff director for the House Appropriations Committee before her appointment to the OMB. Known for her pragmatic leadership and deep knowledge of government processes, she has been consistently recognized for her bipartisan approach to policymaking and her ability to navigate complex fiscal challenges. She was the 2024 recipient of the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine Outstanding Alumni Award.
Her return to New Orleans to address graduating undergraduates is a homecoming that underscores the power of public service and the far-reaching impact of a Tulane public health education.
The undergraduate ceremony begins at 8:30am.
Garth Graham, MD, MPH, to Speak at Graduate-Level Ceremony
Master’s and doctoral graduates will hear from Dr. Garth Graham, a leading voice at the intersection of medicine, technology, and public health. Currently director and global head of healthcare and public health at Google and YouTube, Graham is helping to shape how trusted health information is delivered in the digital age.
A cardiologist, researcher, and former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Graham has dedicated his career to closing health disparities and advancing community health. His previous roles include president of the Aetna Foundation, vice president and chief community health officer at CVS Health, and assistant dean for health policy at the University of Florida School of Medicine.
Graham is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and serves on several influential boards, including the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Advisory Council and the Institute of Medicine Board on Population Health. His academic training includes degrees from Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Public Health, with clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Johns Hopkins Hospital.
The master’s and doctoral ceremony begins at 12:30pm.
Together, Young and Graham represent the power of public health leadership across sectors—from the highest levels of government to the evolving landscape of digital health.
