2025 Commencement

Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson

President & CEO,
Children’s Defense Fund

Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson is president & CEO of Children’s Defense Fund, the nation’s leading child advocacy organization, and CDF Action. Dr. Wilson’s public ministry engages philanthropy, faith, and community to achieve child well-being and racial justice. He currently chairs the board of trustees for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and board of visitors for Duke Divinity School.

Children’s Defense Fund builds community so young people grow up with dignity, hope, and joy. It pursues its mission through policy advocacy, community organizing, and a network of CDF Freedom Schools in 100 U.S. cities across 30 states. Since joining CDF in 2020, Wilson has sharpened its strategy and deepened its focus on leadership development and youth voice, including reactivating CDF Action for grassroots legislative advocacy and merging the American Youth Policy Forum into CDF.

Prior to CDF, Rev. Wilson was president & CEO of Deaconess Foundation, co-chair of the Ferguson Commission, and pastor of Saint John’s Church (The Beloved Community) in St. Louis. In these roles, he built the Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being, guided the region through the Ferguson uprising, and hosted the #BlackLivesMatter Freedom Rides.

Dr. Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Xavier University of Louisiana, Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary, and Doctor of Ministry from Duke University. His leadership has been lauded with three honorary doctorates, the Saint Louis Award, the ABFE James Joseph Lecture, NNPA National Leadership Award and induction into the MLK College of Preachers.

Dr. Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Xavier University of Louisiana, Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary, and Doctor of Ministry from Duke University. His leadership has been lauded with three honorary doctorates, the Saint Louis Award, the ABFE James Joseph Lecture, NNPA National Leadership Award and induction into the MLK College of Preachers.

Adele Diamond, PhD

Canada Research Chair Professor of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience,
University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada

Dr. Diamond’s early systematic body of work opened up an entirely new scientific field, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, marking a milestone in the integration of developmental psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience.

She is a world leader on “executive functions,” demonstrating that executive functions can be improved at any age, even in the very young. Her work has emphasized that addressing social and emotional needs, as well as physical needs, may be central to whether executive functions improve and whether those improvements last. Diamond’s work has fundamentally changed how people think about cognitive development by demonstrating the close link between motor development and cognitive development.

Dr. Diamond is the first in her family to graduate high school or go to college. She earned a PhD in Developmental Psychology from Harvard, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Yale Medical School, focusing on Neuroanatomy.

She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, was named one of the “2000 Outstanding Women of the 20th Century,” was listed as one of the 15 most influential neuroscientists alive today, and is the recipient of numerous awards including an Award for Lifetime Contributions to Developmental Psychology in the Service of Science and Society plus three honorary degrees.