Fauci to receive honorary degree from Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and chief medical adviser to the president, will deliver the 2021 commencement address for the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

The virtual ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, September 11, will be live-streamed to the entire Mayo Clinic community, including graduates and their loved ones, faculty, students, alumni, and staff.

The commencement marks the first time the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences has held its own ceremony — separate from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. More than 100 graduates will be recognized during the event, including members of the class of 2020.

Dr. Fauci, who has served as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, will also receive an honorary degree during the commencement. The recognition celebrates Dr. Fauci for “changing lives around the world with his ability to communicate about discovery, translation, and the application of science,” said Dr. Stephen Ekker, dean of the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

"When I think of the impact science is having on society, I cannot think of a more inspiring person than Dr. Fauci,” said Dr. Ekker. “He has brought medicine and science to the forefront of America by being an unwavering advocate for science and facts.”

Dr. Fauci will be joined by fellow keynote speaker, Dr. Franklyn Prendergast, emeritus professor of biochemistry, molecular biology, and pharmacology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Dr. Prendergast held a number of leadership roles at the Clinic up until his retirement in 2014, including as chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and director of the Center for Individualized Medicine. 

Cover photo courtesy the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases