The health care leader will speak at the May 17 ceremony; other honorees include an acclaimed musician and a pioneering scientist
“Ken Frazier demonstrates leadership in every respect,” said Sunil Kumar, Tufts University president. “He is an exceptionally accomplished executive, attorney, and trailblazer who leads with moral clarity and vision.”
Ken Frazier, chairman of General Catalyst’s Health Assurance initiatives and former president, CEO, and executive chairman of Merck, will deliver the commencement address to the Tufts University Class of 2026 on Sunday, May 17.
Frazier will speak at the Class of 2026 all-university ceremony, which will also be streamed via the Tufts Commencement website.
Under Frazier’s leadership, Merck delivered innovative lifesaving medicines and vaccines. He substantially increased Merck’s investment in research—including early research—while refocusing the organization on the launch and growth of key products that provide far-reaching benefits to society.
Currently, Frazier guides strategy for General Catalyst’s Health Assurance initiatives, focusing on collaborative partnerships with health care companies and the pharmaceutical industry and investments in these areas, while providing mentorship to founders who are building companies positioned to transform the health-care industry through collaborative innovation. At General Catalyst, Frazier harnesses his deep passion for health equity, workforce transformation, and responsible innovation, partnering with General Catalyst to continue to drive necessary positive change and leadership in the industry and beyond.
Throughout his career, Frazier has committed himself to organizations dedicated to leading social change and equity. He serves on the boards of numerous organizations and holds several chairmanships, including as co-founder and co-chair of OneTen, a coalition of leading organizations committed to upskilling, hiring, and promoting people without four-year degrees into family-sustaining jobs.
He has received numerous awards, including the Penn State Alumni Fellow Award, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Excellence in Corporate Practice Award, and the Equal Justice Initiative’s Equal Justice Champion Award.
Frazier graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1975 with highest honors and earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1978.
“Ken Frazier demonstrates leadership in every respect. He is an exceptionally accomplished executive, attorney, and trailblazer who leads with moral clarity and vision,” said Sunil Kumar, Tufts University president. “We look forward to hearing from him as we bid adieu to the extraordinary Class of 2026.”
At commencement, which begins at 9 a.m. on the academic quad of Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus, Frazier will receive an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree.
Two other distinguished individuals will receive honorary degrees as part of the Class of 2026:
Terri Lyne Carrington, award-winning musician, producer, and educator. Celebrating 40 years in music, Carrington is a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and four-time Grammy Award-winning drummer. A native of Medford, Mass., she started her career at age 10 when she became the youngest person to receive a union card in Boston. Today Carrington serves as founder and artistic director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, as well as artistic director for the Next Jazz Legacy program, a collaboration with New Music USA. She has performed on more than 100 recordings, and has toured and recorded with Stan Getz, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding, and many others. Her work, inspired by the ever-evolving social and political landscape, furthers Carrington’s passion for using jazz as a tool for social activism. An author of two books and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Carrington holds honorary doctorates from York University, Manhattan School of Music, and Berklee College of Music. Carrington will receive an honorary Doctor of Music degree.
David Walt, scientist, educator, and entrepreneur. Walt will be returning to the Tufts campus, where he spent 35 years of his esteemed career and rose to the rank of University Professor. He is currently the Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Bioinspired Engineering at Harvard Medical School and professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Walt is also a core faculty member at the Wyss Institute at Harvard and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. His lab’s research focuses on creating and using novel technologies to solve unmet clinical diagnostics problems, applied to the early detection of cancers, tuberculosis, HIV rebound, and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS. Walt is the scientific founder or co-founder of multiple life-sciences startups, including Illumina Inc. and Quanterix Corp. He has received numerous national and international awards for his fundamental and applied work in the field of optical microwell arrays and single molecules. In 2025, Walt received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Joe Biden. Walt graduated from the University of Michigan in 1974 and earned his Ph.D. in chemical biology from Stony Brook University in 1979. Walt will receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
In addition, Alexis Abramson, dean of the Columbia University Climate School, will address graduates of the School of Engineering’s graduate programs on Saturday, May 16.
On Sunday, May 17, David Rosowsky, E85, EG87, nationally recognized leader in higher education innovation, will address graduates of the School of Engineering’s undergraduate programs. Curt Ellis, founder and CEO of FoodCorps, will address those gathered at the commencement ceremony for the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. The Honorable Shashi Tharoor, F76, F77, FG79, Indian statesman and diplomat, will deliver the keynote address at the commencement ceremony for The Fletcher School.
