For the second consecutive year, Commencement took place at the iconic Radio City Music Hall, with 570 students receiving their diplomas. Keynote Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, received the Barnard Medal of Distinction at the May 18 ceremony and noted, “The world we live in can be tough. It can be unjust. But here’s the great news: each of you has the power to do something about it.” The Barnard Medal of Distinction was also presented to Mahzarin Banaji, social psychologist and professor of social ethics at Harvard University; Ursula Burns, chairman and chief executive officer of Xerox; and Patti Smith, acclaimed musician, poet, and artist, who capped off the day by singing the 2004 song “My Blakean Year” to thunderous applause.
