He urged UD’s newest alumni to stay authentic in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

“My advice is for you to ‘be you.’ If you’re good at doing something, do it. Find it. Do it. Do it more,” O’Donnell said. “I suspect you … will use all of these new tools of technology to disrupt, but also to improve. It seems logical to me, because we humans have always innovated ourselves out of the real problems of history … Be disruptive, because it is the only way to make progress.”

UD President Dennis Assanis shared a similar message. Technological innovations continue to change the world in myriad ways, he said, but the distinctive qualities of being human — creativity, curiosity, integrity, compassion, empathy and more — are irreplaceable.

“Harness the power of technology, understand its potential and shortfalls, and team up with it, while always keeping your humanity at the center of everything you do,” Assanis said. “And you, the Class of 2025, can bring tremendous value to our world. That’s because you can rely on all your experiences to understand and interpret complex situations. Your strengths are the ones that technology can never replicate.”

Assanis encouraged the graduates to be the lifelong learners, critical thinkers and trailblazers the world needs.

“Take all of the experiences you have had here at UD — all the knowledge you have gained, all the exploring and growing you have done, all the relationships you’ve made and, most importantly, all of the things that make you uniquely you — and apply them to ensure that our technological future is a human-centered one,” Assanis said.

The event was the last UD Commencement ceremony for Assanis, who announced earlier this month that he is stepping down from the presidency after leading the University since 2016.

“It has truly been my distinct honor and privilege to serve in this role over the past nine years,” Assanis told the crowd of about 20,000 in the stands and on the field. “I know I also speak for my wife, Eleni, when I say that every member of the UD community has filled our hearts with gratitude and pride, and for this, we will be eternally grateful. Over the years, we have been so impressed and so inspired by the drive, the dedication and the amazing talents of UD’s students. Thank you for the transformative and memorable time we have spent together.”

During the ceremony, six individuals were recognized with honorary degrees. The honorary degree, the University’s highest accolade, is reserved for individuals who reflect, in their personal and professional achievements, the University’s mission and who serve as exemplars for UD’s students, alumni, the University community and the world.

The group of honorees, approved by the Board of Trustees at its spring meeting, included O’Donnell, Assanis, John C. Carney Jr., John R. Cochran III, Robin Wilson Morgan and Lynnette Young Overby.

Saturday’s ceremony was the largest of several festive events on campus this week, including UD college convocations and the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony, all designed to celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2025.

During the Commencement ceremony, Assanis recognized all graduates, including those who studied abroad, Blue Hen student-athletes, students who participated in service organizations and those who graduated with honors.

Some 6,496 graduates earned degrees. Among them were Cornelia Meiss, who earned this year’s highest grade-point index; Isabella Haigney and Grace Mahony, the recipients of the Warner and Taylor Awards for outstanding seniors; a Fulbright English Teaching Award recipient; two National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows; and a Goldwater Scholarship recipient. Graduates spanned in age from 16 to 92 and hailed from 51 states and territories and 45 countries.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, alumnus Bill Luzier, president of the University of Delaware Alumni Association, congratulated the graduates on joining the more than 213,000 Blue Hen alumni around the world and encouraged them to wear the Blue Hen pin they received with pride. 

Jenna DeMaio, who earned honors degrees in public policy, economics and political science, said she’s proud to become a Blue Hen alumna.

“It’s been a great four years, and I’m so grateful and indebted to everyone who has helped me along the way,” she said. “It’s a debt I’ll never be able to repay in full, so I’ll definitely be an active alum and hope to give back in the future.”

Amanda Fede, who earned a bachelor of science in pre-veterinary medicine, is excited for her next chapter. She’ll be attending vet school at St. George’s University in Grenada. As a first-generation college student, Commencement was especially meaningful.

“It’s huge to be finally graduating after four years of a lot of hard work,” she said. “It’s a really big deal in my family to be the first one to be graduating. I’m really proud to be here.”

Graduates Irvin and Iyanna Favors, twins from Newark, sat side-by-side in the front row, soaking up their last couple of months together before Irvin heads to California to work as a software engineer for Google and Iyanna moves to New York City to begin work as an investment banking analyst for Bank of America.

“I’ve been looking forward to this day, but it’s also a moment to really take in. It’s a bittersweet moment,” Iyanna Favors said. “I’m excited for New York. I’ll definitely miss my family, but I know I can easily catch a flight or train to go see them. He’s doing great things, I’m doing great things, so I’m excited to see where we go in the future, and I know I can always call Delaware and UD home.”

An engaged alumnus, Commencement speaker O’Donnell also considers UD a second home. 

“My decision to attend the University of Delaware was among the best of my lifetime,” he said. “This place allowed me to flourish academically, it gave me the runway to start a long career in broadcast journalism, and boy, U of D was a lot of fun.”

For more information and coverage of UD’s Commencement and convocation ceremonies, visit udel.edu/commencement.