Robert Hitchcock
Download High Resolution Photo HERE
May 20, 2025 – Orange, CA – Chapman University is proud to announce that two-time Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning actress and producer Hilary Swank will deliver the keynote address at the university’s 2025 Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 23, on the university’s Wilson Field at 7 p.m.
Chapman University’s 2025 Commencement Weekend will take place May 23-25, honoring more than 2,600 graduates, including 750 earning advanced degrees across the university’s 11 schools and colleges. This year’s ceremony also marks a historic moment for Chapman – a nationally ranked comprehensive university with top programs in film, business, the health sciences and more – as it will feature the final Commencement address from President Daniele C. Struppa. President Struppa is retiring from the presidency in September and returning to the mathematics faculty after 19 years of leadership at Chapman.
Struppa will share the stage with Swank, who is known for her powerful and transformational roles. She rose to prominence in 1999 with her Oscar-winning portrayal in Boys Don’t Cry and then earned a second Academy Award in 2004 for her role in Million Dollar Baby. Swank is celebrated for her emotional depth, physical commitment to roles, and strong presence in both independent films and major studio productions.
Off camera, Swank is an advocate for various social causes and uses her voice to amplify underserved and under-represented groups. She believes in empowering youth and has built a charity, The Hilaroo Foundation, with a vision to connect abandoned animals with foster children and give them both the tools they need to thrive.
“Hilary Swank embodies the resilience, integrity and transformative spirit we strive to instill in our students,” said Struppa. “Her extraordinary career, dedication to meaningful storytelling, and commitment to making the world a better place make her an ideal voice to inspire our graduates as they step into the next chapter of their lives. I am immensely proud of our graduating students and the members of our campus community who educated and helped to shape their educational and career paths.”
During the ceremony, Swank will be awarded an honorary Doctor of the Arts degree (honoris causa) in recognition of her contributions to the arts and community. This won’t be Swank’s first visit to campus as she previously visited in May 2017 to support her niece, Eleni Swank (née Watts), who graduated magna cum laude and with additional honors from the Dale E. Fowler School of Law.
Swank joins an esteemed list of past Chapman commencement speakers that include comedian, actor, writer and director Bill Hader, award winning actress, director and executive producer Angela Bassett and Nobel Peace Laureate Nadia Murad. With the No. 4 film school in the country, Chapman frequently attracts top talent in the entertainment industry to its Orange campus.
Media interested in covering Chapman University’s Commencement must contact the Strategic Marketing and Communications team at pr@chapman.edu no later than 12 p.m. on Friday, May 23 to request access to cover the event.
Broadcast quality video and high-resolution photos will be made available following the ceremony on Friday, May 23.
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About Chapman University
Founded in 1861, Chapman University is a nationally ranked private university in Orange, California, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles. Chapman serves nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, with a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Students can choose from over 100 areas of study within 11 colleges for a personalized education. Chapman is categorized by the Carnegie Classification as an R2 “high research activity” institution. Students at Chapman learn directly from distinguished world-class faculty including Nobel Prize winners, MacArthur fellows, published authors and Academy Award winners. The campus has produced a Rhodes Scholar, been named a top producer of Fulbright Scholars, and hosts a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honor society. Chapman also includes the Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus in Irvine. The university features the No. 4 film school and No. 66 business school in the U.S. Learn more about Chapman University: www.chapman.edu.
Media Contact:
Bob Hitchcock, Director of Strategic Communications | rhitchcock@chapman.edu | Mobile: 407-388-4657
