Humanitarian, Surgeon to Speak at Emory Graduation

Humanitarian and neurosurgeon Benjamin Carson will deliver the commencement address at in May.

Carson, a full-time professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, is a world-renowned humanitarian and doctor.

“Some of Carson's career highlights include the first and only successful separation of craniopagus twins joined at the back of the head in 1987, among other groundbreaking surgeries,” according to an article in the Emory Report. “He is well known for overcoming his troubled youth in inner-city Detroit, thanks to his mother's strong guidance and his own avid reading, to become a gifted neurosurgeon famous for his work separating conjoined twins.”

He has directed pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center for more than 25 years and is president and co-founder of the Carson Scholars Fund, a nonprofit that recognizes students for exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishments.  The group has awarded more than $4.5 million dollars to more than 4,500 students.

"Few men or women have demonstrated to so inspiring a degree the transformational effect of liberal learning and the humanities,” Emory President Jim Wagner said in a statement. “Dr. Carson has transformed lives both inside the operating room and beyond through his dedication to improve access to education. His story is one that will inspire and resonate with our students.”

In 2008, Carson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. He is the author of four books, and a fifth will be released later this year.

The graduation ceremony will be held May 14 on the quadrangle. The ceremony will honor 3,700 graduates. About 14,000 people are expected to attend.

For more information, visit the Emory University website.