“To my esteemed colleague and good friend Father McShane, Mr. Robert Daleo, Chair of the Fordham Board of Trustees, Fordham trustees, faculty, staff, students and members of the administration, my thanks for the honor of speaking at the 171st commencement of Fordham University.

“I also offer my heartfelt congratulations to the faculty and staff of Fordham University. It takes all of the creative and talented individuals who make up the community of a university to convey the information, support and spirit of academic pursuits and you at Fordham do it exceedingly well.

“I also now ask the graduates to join me in recognizing and thanking your family and friends. I know you will agree that we would not be here, celebrating today, if not for them.

“Look back on what you’ve accomplished and savor the present moment of recognition and joy. Look forward to your future and please be determined to make it a better future for us all. You are now among the best educated and informed generation ever, thanks to your dedication and hard work at this great university and to the longstanding emphasis on high quality higher education in the United States.

“Please recognize that earning a college degree is still a privilege—only 40 percent of Americans between 25 and 64 have graduated from a two- or four-year college. You have been particularly privileged to attend Fordham, a school where the curriculum is cutting edge and incredibly broad and, importantly, based in part on faith and service to others.

“At the same time, you are entering an increasingly uncertain and unpredictable world, a world still in the stubborn grip of economic turmoil and a world where our core values are being debated on college campuses, on the streets of our cities, and around the globe, as traditional democratic and humanistic ideals seem to be under siege.

“Every day we watch and listen as the conversations on the great issues of the day – from climate change, to income inequality, to race– are marked not by civility, cooperation, and consensus, but by vitriol, suspicion, and fear.

Despite the urgency to address these problems, concrete progress seems elusive and, at times, purposely frustrated. As a result, we begin to doubt the commitment of our leaders and the very institutions – of government, education, business, and community —on which our fortunes as a nation were built and now rest.

“The American success story is based on trust and on the notion that free speech and a free press will ensure the broadest possible public involvement in the direction our country takes. The effectiveness of our mechanisms for public input in charting the nation’s course is constantly debated. And the trust that our institutions will do the right thing is weakening. Noted Yale economist, Robert Shiller, was recently quoted as observing, “We’re just not in a trusting mood now.”

“Indeed. According to a 2015 Gallup Poll, seven in 10 Americans believe that the country is on the wrong track and eight in 10 are dissatisfied with the way the nation is being governed. This is not a partisan issue. Only one-third of Americans, 33 percent, have “a great deal” or a “lot of” confidence in the institution of the presidency. Thirty-two percent feel the same about the Supreme Court and just eight percent have confidence in the Congress as an institution. As the world’s greatest democracy, that more than two-thirds of the people do not trust our government should be a clarion call to us all.

“This crisis in trust affects every aspect of our society. Just last week, Time Magazine’s cover story cited a recent Harvard Institute of Politics survey concluding that “a majority of citizens [are]uncomfortable with the country’s economic foundation—a system that over hundreds of years turned a fledgling society of farmers and prospectors into the most prosperous nation in human history.” Gallup results underscored that finding– only 23 percent of Americans trust banks, and just 19 percent have confidence in big business. And newspapers and television news, a foundation for an informed electorate, average even less.

“Very profoundly, only 42 percent of the American public has confidence in organized religion.

“Unfortunately, we should not be too surprised that our trust in these institutions is falling. Public institutions thrive in part by promoting the common good. Over the past two decades, the public has had ample reason to question whether that is still the case. Perhaps this is a matter of perception. Whether it is or not, public perception is of great consequence and great concern.

“Endless wars, deep partisanship, and gridlock in Washington shake our confidence in government. We trust less our financial institutions following the events that led to the Great Recession of 2008. Instances of bias and fabrications in reporting lead us to question the media’s objectivity. And the recent problems surrounding the Church no doubt contribute to American’s declining confidence in organized religion.

“Despite the seemingly pessimistic picture I have just painted, I remain an optimist and hope that you share my optimism. Ways to increase our trust in our institutions and, frankly, in each other are well-known. Communication and education; laws and the enforcement of those laws in a way that strengthens community; intolerance of inequality, and promotion of shared understanding. A study on trust and inequality by three British economists concluded that good policy initiates a virtuous circle: policies that raise trust efficiently, improve living standards, raise civil liberties, enhance institutions, and reduce corruption, further raising trust. Trust, democracy, and the rule of law are the foundation of abiding prosperity.

“When our institutions are under siege, we turn to individuals, working together, to make the difference in this world. As Pope Francis advised us in his address before Congress last fall,

“Our response [to the issues of today]must be one of hope and healing, of peace and justice. We are asked to summon the courage and the intelligence to resolve today’s many geopolitical and economic crises. Even in the developed world, the effects of unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our efforts must aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments and thus promoting the well-being of individuals and of peoples, We must move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good.

“I am convinced that your education, your hard work, and your commitment to the values and traditions of this great and venerable university give you a special opportunity and obligation to answer Pope Francis’s call, whatever your religion or background.

“As a spiritual person, I recognize the value of the spiritual foundation Fordham has provided you. As a great Jesuit university, Fordham is a place where all religious traditions interact to strengthen one’s understanding of faith and the conviction of his or her beliefs.

“As Father McShane has said—or perhaps the word is “exhorted”—“if you have been at Fordham for any time at all, you know that I am tireless—some would say relentless—in advocating for the University’s mission, in urging our students, and indeed all of you, to be men and women for others. I have said, many times, that I hope our graduates leave the campus bothered. Bothered by injustice. Bothered by poverty. Bothered by suffering.”

“Fordham has taught you that education is not only a path to a more satisfying and secure future but as well a tool for the common good. And there is plenty for you to help fix. The lack of trust in our institutions is an easy invitation to withdraw from our communities and look inward. As Fordham graduates, I’m confident that this is an invitation you will not accept.

“As you enter the next phase of your lives and careers, please think beyond your own employment prospects and think about how you can lead in the rebuilding of our trust—in our governments, in our schools, in our business, in our churches, mosques and synagogues and in each other. Be part of the virtuous circle.

“And always be guided by the values your Fordham diploma represents. Honor them. Share them. And renew them by staying in touch with your mentors, your professors, your friends, your school.

“We are counting on you. Congratulations.”

Dr. Skorton will be awarded an honorary doctorate during the commencement ceremonies, as will eight other people who have distinguished themselves in business, law, the arts, or public service. See here for full details on Fordham’s commencement ceremonies.

Honorary doctorates of humane letters will be awarded to Dr. Skorton and to Judith Altmann, vice president of the Holocaust Child Survivors of Connecticut; Gregory Boyle, SJ, head of the gang-intervention group Homeboy Industries; Maurice “Mo” Cunniffe, FCRH ’54, a successful businessman and key supporter of Fordham; Patricia David, GABELLI ’81, global head of diversity for JPMorgan Chase; and Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

An honorary doctorate of laws will be awarded to Loretta A. Preska, LAW ’73, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Honorary doctorates of fine arts will be awarded to Robert Battle, artistic director for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and to Henry Cobb, founding partner at the architecture firm Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners and co-designer of Fordham Law School’s new building.

Cobb and Preska will receive their honorary doctorates at the law school’s diploma ceremony, to be held Monday, May 23, at the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan. All other honorary doctorates will be awarded at the main University commencement on May 21.

Preska will speak at Fordham Law School’s diploma ceremony. David will speak at the Gabelli School of Business’ diploma ceremony for master’s degree candidates, to be held May 23 at the Beacon Theatre. Father Boyle will speak at the diploma ceremony for the Graduate School of Social Service, to be held May 23 at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall.

David Skorton became the first physician to lead the Smithsonian Institution when he began his tenure in July 2015. He oversees 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoo, and various research centers devoted to astrophysics, tropical research, the natural environment, and other areas.

During his tenure, Dr. Skorton has made arts programming a priority at the Smithsonian, and he continues to advocate for a greater national commitment to arts and humanities education. In an address at the National Press Club in December, he called for reversing what he called our nation’s “disinterest and disinvestment in the arts and humanities” while also preserving the nation’s commitment to science.

As he put it, “This commitment must be based on an understanding that the arts and humanities complement science and that together they us make better thinkers, better decision makers, and better citizens.”

Dr. Skorton earned both his bachelor’s degree in psychology and his medical degree from Northwestern University before completing his residency and fellowship in cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1979. He then joined the faculty of the University of Iowa, where he held professorships in internal medicine, biomedical engineering, and other fields before serving as the university’s president from 2003 to 2006.

In 2006 he was named president of Cornell University, where under his leadership the university joined with Technion-Israel Institute of Technology to win a competition to develop a new campus, Cornell Tech, on New York City’s Roosevelt Island. He also won praise as a highly effective fundraising at both Cornell and the University of Iowa.

Dr. Skorton has also served as a professor in Cornell’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and in the departments of medicine and pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College. He is a pioneer in applying computer analysis and processing to improve cardiac imaging, and has published two major texts and numerous other writings on cardiac imaging and image processing.

He is also an amateur flute and saxophone player who once co-hosted a weekly Latin jazz program on the University of Iowa’s public radio station.

Other Honorary Degree Recipients:

Judith Altmann is a Holocaust survivor who shares her story widely in Connecticut and Westchester County schools as a way of encouraging young people to make a better world. Born in 1924 in Jasina, Czechoslovakia, she was confined in Nazi camps at Auschwitz, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, and Bergen Belsen in 1944 and 1945. She is a vice president of the Holocaust Child Survivors of Connecticut and recipient of the Anti-Defamation League’s Daniel R. Ginsberg Humanitarian Award for 2013.

Robert Battle is artistic director for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which offers a BFA in dance in conjunction with Fordham. Renowned for his challenging, athletic, and lyrical choreography, Battle was named one of the Masters of African American Choreography by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005, among his other honors. He established the Ailey company’s New Directions Choreography Lab to nurture emerging talents, and continues to expand the company’s community outreach and education programs.

Gregory Boyle, SJ, is executive director of Homeboy Industries, one of the nation’s largest gang-intervention organizations. Hundreds of former gang members have changed their lives by taking advantage of the organization’s work program and its services including education, legal help, and substance abuse counseling. Father Boyle is an internationally recognized expert on gang intervention approaches and author of The New York Times bestseller Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion (Free Press, 2011).

Henry N. Cobb is a founding partner at the award-winning architecture firm Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners. Along with his colleague Yvonne Szeto, he designed the new 22-story Fordham Law School and McKeon Residence Hall building at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. His many other distinctive projects include the iconic John Hancock Tower over Boston’s historic Copley Square, which earned the prestigious Twenty-Five-Year Award from the American Institute of Architects.

Maurice “Mo” Cunniffe, FCRH ’54, chairman and CEO of Vista Capital, is a successful engineer, businessman, entrepreneur, and Fordham trustee emeritus who is one of the University community’s most vital and longstanding supporters. He played a pivotal role in the expansion of Fordham Prep as one of its trustees from 1983 to 1995, and his extraordinary financial support for Fordham was recognized in 2013 with the renaming of the Administration Building at the Rose Hill campus in his honor. He served on the Fordham University Board of Trustees from 1995 to 2003.

Patricia David, GABELLI ’81, managing director and global head of diversity for JP Morgan Chase, has been widely recognized for integrating diversity efforts throughout the company over the past 15 years. With her help, the company was named to Black Enterprise’s 2015 list of the most diverse companies, and she herself has received honors including the YMCA’s Black Achievers in Industry award. She serves on the advisory board for the Gabelli School of Business and was named the school’s Alumna of the Year for 2015.

Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, is a passionate advocate for expanding health care access. Sister Carol was recognized by President Obama for helping to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, and Pope Benedict XVI bestowed on her the Cross for the Church and Pontiff to honor her humanitarian efforts. Since 2005 she has been president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, a membership organization comprising more than 600 Catholic hospitals and 1,400 other health ministries.

Loretta A. Preska, LAW ’73, is chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In more than two decades as a judge she has ruled on many high-profile cases, such as those involving computer hacking, sentencing of a Somali pirate involved in hijacking a U.S.-flagged cargo ship, and the parody of an Annie Leibovitz photograph. She is a steadfast and generous supporter of Fordham who received Fordham Law School’s Louis J. Lefkowitz Public Service Award and the Fordham Law Alumni Association’s Medal of Achievement. A member of the Fordham University Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2013, she is now a trustee fellow.