Commencement 2011

Speaker Janet Napolitano, US homeland security secretary: "Today, we live in a world where change is a certainty—and where the pace of that change is growing ever faster. Past generations could not bank on the fact that the world would be all that different four, forty, or a hundred years in the future. But we can. This gives us greater opportunities, to be sure, but greater risks as well. Your challenge as graduates will be figuring out how to take advantage of the dynamism of today's world—and use your unique skills to make it better."

Pleasure of the president: James Wagner conducts his eighth Commencement ceremony at Emory.

Brittain Award: Silas Allard 11L 11MT earned Emory's highest student honor, demonstrating a deep commitment to human rights in the Center for the Study of Law and Religion joint degree program. Among many volunteer activities, Allard cochaired a conference honoring the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Teaching triumphs: Angelika Bammer, associate professor in the Graduate Institute of Liberal Arts, was among ten recipients of the Emory Williams Award for Distinguished Teaching.

McMullan award: Noor Najafi 11C (left) received one of the highest student honors and $20,000 for his leadership efforts, including founding an organization to reduce the stigma of mental illness, forming the Queer Students of Faith group, and starting a Quran and Bible study group for Christians and Muslims.

Keep in touch: Neza Sarkari 11C (left), a biology major from Wyoming, shares a moment with her friend Ameena Jiwami 11C, a neurology major from Dallas.

Eady Award: Susanna Brantley 11OX received the Eady Sophomore Service Award, presented by Joseph Moon, dean of campus life, during Oxford College Commencement.

Bright faces, bright futures: Graduates relish their big day at the main Commencement ceremony, about ninety minutes of formality with some fun mixed in.

oxford legacy: Former Emory President James T. Laney (above center) and his wife Berta were on hand at Oxford to congratulate their grandson, Johnson Thomas "J. T." Laney 11OX.

Giving blowhards a good name: The Atlanta Pipe Band has led the Commencement procession for twenty-five years.

Seen Chelsea lately?: Comedian and TV host Chelsea Handler joined Emory seniors for Class Day. "Every time you fail," she told them, "you're that much closer to getting your own TV show."