ATLANTA — Dr. Anthony Fauci will deliver the 2021 Commencement address for Emory College of Arts and Sciences and receive the Emory University President’s Medal, the institution announced on Wednesday.
The event will be virtual because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I cannot think of a more inspiring person than Dr. Fauci to address the Class of 2021, whose Emory experience has been so dramatically shaped by the pandemic, and whose resilience and determination have inspired us again and again,” Emory President Gregory L. Fenves said.
“During the past year, Dr. Fauci’s name has become synonymous with truth, clarity and medical expertise," Fenves added. "As chief physician to our country in the midst of a pandemic, he has become one of the most trusted voices in medicine for millions of Americans, and we are excited to honor him as part of Emory’s 176th Commencement.”
Facui, most recently known for his work with COVID-19, has served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the U.S. National Institutes of Health since 1984, advising seven presidents on domestic and global health issues, including the current pandemic.
According to a news release, Fauci will become only the sixth person to receive both of the highest honors awarded by Emory — the honorary degree and the President’s Medal, which is conferred upon distinguished university guests whose impact on the world has enhanced the prospect of peace or enriched cultural achievement.
Previous recipients of both honors include His Holiness the Dalai Lama; President Jimmy Carter; U.S. Rep. John Lewis; Ambassador Andrew Young; and epidemiologist Dr. William H. Foege.
The ceremony will take place May 16 at 10 a.m. Because of the pandemic, the nine schools and colleges that make up Emory University will hold individual, socially distanced ceremonies May 14-16 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
“Emory’s motto, ‘the wise heart seeks knowledge,’ is exemplified by Dr. Fauci’s many decades of public service,” Fenves said. “Indeed, it is his wise heart, and the knowledge he has provided, that have helped us get through a year like no other.”