Commencement Speaker
Cody Keenan
Keenan wrote alongside President Barack Obama for 14 years, rising from a campaign intern in Chicago to White House chief speechwriter and Obama's post-presidential collaborator.
Together, Keenan and Obama crafted some of the most unforgettable speeches of our time. From a sermon in Selma, Alabama, to Obama's farewell address, the two redefined the essence of the American creed and charted an inspiring, optimistic course for a new generation's active citizenship. Their collaborations have been compared to the works of Abraham Lincoln, described as the "I Have a Dream" speech for the 21st century and categorized even by prominent Republicans as "speeches every child should read in school."
Keenan got his start in public service as an aide to the legendary Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. He holds a master's degree from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University. He has appeared on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," "The Today Show," "Morning Joe" and Showtime's "The Circus" and is a frequent guest on "Pod Save America" and live television coverage of major presidential addresses.
Today, Keenan is a partner at Fenway, a leading speechwriting firm, and teaches a popular course on political speechwriting to undergraduates at Northwestern University. His first book, "GRACE: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America," became an instant New York Times bestseller.
Honorary Degree Recipients
Tiziana Dearing
Dearing is the host of WBUR's "Morning Edition." Prior to helping listeners start the morning with news from around the corner and around the world, she hosted "Radio Boston," WBUR's daily local magazine, for five years.
Dearing came to journalism after a career that spanned academia, nonprofit organizations and for-profit management consulting. She taught graduate students at the Boston College School of Social Work and co-directed its program in social innovation and leadership. Dearing ran a startup foundation focused on breaking generational cycles of poverty in Boston neighborhoods and was the first woman president of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Boston. Earlier in her work life, she ran a research center at the Harvard Kennedy School and worked in management
consulting.
She has been recognized with a number of awards in Boston, including a Pinnacle Award from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and Boston Business Journal's "40 Under 40." Salve will award Dearing an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Kasim J. Yarn
Kasim J. Yarn, retired lieutenant commander, is the director of the Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services. The first to hold the position, he was appointed in 2016 after 20 years of faithful service to the nation.
Yarn enlisted in the U.S. Navy from Jackson, Mississippi, the day after graduating high school. His first duty station was in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, which began his lifelong love affair with New England. A Boston University graduate and a commissioned naval officer, he was deployed in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf.
After his assignments at sea, Yarn became an instructor at the Surface Warfare Officers School at Naval Station Newport. He earned a master's degree in national strategic studies at the U.S. Naval War College.
Yarn was deployed with the Navy's Sixth and Fifth Fleets and returned to Rhode Island in 2013 to become a faculty member at the Naval War College. As a member of the governor's cabinet, Yarn is a key advisor to Gov. Dan McKee and helped lead the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He ensures that veterans, active duty, guard and reserve and military families are safe, healthy and able to reach their maximum potential. Salve will award Yarn an honorary Doctor of International Relations degree.