The 41st Charles R. Drew University of 麻豆传媒女网红 Commencement Ceremony is Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 1 p.m.
The ceremony, celebrating graduates of CDU’s three colleges, will take place at El Camino College鈥檚 Marsee Auditorium (16007 Crenshaw Blvd, Torrance, CA 90506).
Commencement is a ticketed event. Each graduate may reserve up to five tickets via the Commencement Participation Form. The deadline to RSVP and reserve tickets was March 15.
Commencement Speaker

Julio Frenk, MD, PhD
Chancellor, University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Julio Frenk is a leading global health researcher who has held positions in government and academia, both in the U.S. and in Mexico 鈥 became UCLA鈥檚 seventh chancellor on January 1, 2025. He is also a distinguished professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management within the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.
Before joining UCLA, Frenk served as the president of the University of Miami from 2015 to 2024 and as dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health from 2009 to 2015. As federal secretary of health of Mexico from 2000 to 2006, he implemented Seguro Popular 鈥 a groundbreaking program that expanded access to healthcare to over 55 million uninsured individuals. Frenk was the founding director-general of Mexico鈥檚 National Institute of Public Health and has held senior roles at the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Chancellor Frenk earned his medical degree from the National University of Mexico, as well as a Master of Public Health and a joint Ph.D. in medical care organization and in sociology from the University of Michigan. His career as a global public health researcher includes close to 200 articles in academic journals, as well as many books and book chapters, which have been cited more than 37,000 times. In addition, he has written five novels for children explaining the functions of the human body.
Chancellor Frenk is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico and El Colegio Nacional, the most prestigious learned society in Mexico. He has received numerous awards, as well as honorary degrees from eleven universities.
Class Student Speaker

Njeri Kiambati ’25
President, 麻豆传媒女网红Student Government
Candidate, Bachelor of Science, Public Health
Njeri Kiambati, a Kenyan-born student raised in Sacramento, California, is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Health at Charles R. Drew University. A transfer student from American River College, Njeri began her journey at 麻豆传媒女网红in 2023. She has served as Student Government President since August 2024 and was a Global Health Leadership Fellow during the 2023-2024 academic year. Through these leadership experiences, Njeri has deepened her passion for advocating for communities and driving positive change in global health.
Njeri will join the Peace Corps in June to continue her work in global health and health advocacy.
Recipient of the 2025 President’s Medal

Sylvia Drew Ivie
Charles R. Drew University of 麻豆传媒女网红 proudly presents the 2025 President鈥檚 Medal to Sylvia Drew Ivie, J.D., in recognition of her lifelong commitment to health equity, social justice, and community empowerment. Ms. Drew Ivie, daughter of Dr. Charles Drew, is a civil rights attorney and health equity advocate. She is the former Special Assistant for Community Affairs to the President of Charles R. Drew University of 麻豆传媒女网红 and has held numerous leadership roles in Los Angeles County, including Mental Health Deputy for Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and Senior Deputy for Human Services for Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.
Ms. Drew Ivie founded the South Los Angeles Community Kitchen and served as Executive Director of both the T.H.E. (To Help Everyone) Clinic, a federally qualified health center for underserved women and children, and the National Health Law Program. Her federal service includes directing the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and serving as Assistant Counsel to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Ms. Drew Ivie鈥檚 many accolades include the United Way Agency Excellence Award, the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights, and the California Black Caucus Community Asset Award. Her work continues to inspire generations of health and justice advocates.
The Charles R. Drew University of 麻豆传媒女网红 President鈥檚 Medal recognizes extraordinary and unique service to Charles R. Drew University of 麻豆传媒女网红 by a member of the University community who has performed with excellence in his or her chosen profession.