2023 Commencement and Baccalaureate speakers announced

Kathy Killian Noe, author, pastor, community builder, visionary and founder of Recovery Café and the Recovery Café Network, will deliver Wake Forest’s commencement address on Monday, May 15.

Recovery Cafés, started by Killian in 2002, offer spaces where those who have suffered homelessness, addiction and other mental health challenges can experience a sense of belonging and an opportunity to contribute to the community. Killian’s life and career reflect well the University’s commitment to selecting speakers whose lives and careers demonstrate Pro Humanitate.

The author of two books: “Finding Our Way Home” (2004) and “Descent Into Love” (2015), Killian is also part of the national non-profit, Unite, committed to healing divides in our nation and world.

A 1980 Wake Forest graduate, Killian received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2015. The award recognizes alumni who reflect the spirit of Pro Humanitate through their service to community and alma mater. Wake Forest Magazine published an article on Killian, “Living in a Broken World,” in 2017.

“Given the complex challenge of homelessness in our country, it is especially timely for our graduates to hear from a leader who embodies service and care for humanity in her career,” said University President Susan R. Wente. “Wake Foresters are called to embody Pro Humanitate at home and in the world. Killian’s commitment to this calling is inspiring and we are fortunate to have her join us.”

The baccalaureate speaker will be Bishop Kym Lucas (‘92), the 11th bishop of the Episcopal Church in Colorado and the first woman bishop as well as the first African American bishop in the diocese’s 132-year history.

The graduation ceremony and baccalaureate service are ticketed events reserved for graduates, their families and guests. Livestream webcasts of both events will be available on the University’s commencement website, and recordings will be posted after the events.

More information about the commencement speaker is available on the Wake Forest News website. 

Details on commencement weekend can be found on the 2023 Commencement website.