School of Social Work Summer 2024 Commencement

The School of Social Work Summer Commencement for Master of Social Work students will be held in person at Hill Auditorium and livestreamed on the SSW website. Hill Auditorium doors will open for guests and graduates starting at 9:00am.

A light reception will be held at the School of Social Work in the lower level atrium immediately following commencement.

Please email [email protected] with any questions.

The SSW Commencement will be livestreamed on this page and on the front page of the U-M School of Social Work website.

Speakers

Keynote Harry Cohen, MSW ’80, PhD ’88

Harry Cohen is a psychologist, author, restaurateur, public speaker, blogger and podcaster. He graduated from Cornell University with a BS in psychology and received both his MSW and a Joint PhD in Psychology and Social Work from U-M. He worked in clinical practice for a decade until he shifted his focus to corporate training and executive coaching. His 2015 TEDx talk on heliotropic leadership — which focuses on the benefits of compassion, gratitude and forgiveness — inspired his book, “Be the Sun: Not the Salt.”

In 2008, he opened the Black Pearl restaurant in Ann Arbor. As a psychologist who travels the country giving talks to executives on leadership, customer service and personal development, launching the Black Pearl was a perfect opportunity to create an environment that embodies the essence of what he talks about: welcoming people with love, creating a great place to work, and delivering a memorable experience.

In 2020 he became the founding board chair of Friends of the Children - Detroit, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for children born with the deck stacked against them.

Photos from the Ceremony