Commencement Speakers Announced: Catholic, Cornish, DePaul, East Central, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Unity, U of Denver, U of Mary Washington, U of Mississippi

The following colleges have announced their commencement speakers for spring 2016:

• Catholic University of America: Jim Gaffigan, the stand-up comedian, and his wife and creative partner, Jeannie Gaffigan.
• Cornish College of the Arts: Ben Vereen, the actor.
• DePaul University: Refugee advocate Edwin Silverman; NPR education correspondent Claudio Sanchez; theater scholar Todd London; Grammy Award-winning singer Lila Downs; social justice advocate Marty Castro; software architect Kerrie Holley; and Coca-Cola CFO Kathy Waller.
• East Central College, in Missouri: Rob Dixon, president/CEO of the Missouri Community College Association.
• Johns Hopkins University: Spike Lee, the filmmaker.
• Sweet Briar College: Leah Busque, founder and CEO of TaskRabbit.
• Tufts University: Hank Azaria, the actor.
• Unity College: Rue Mapp, the conservationist and activist.
• University of Denver: Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; Susana Cordova, acting superintendent of Denver Public Schools; and Rebecca Love Kourlis, former Colorado Supreme Court Justice and executive director of the university's Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System.
• University of Mary Washington: Richard V. Hurley, who in June is retiring as president of the university.
• University of Mississippi: Tom Brokaw, the former NBC News anchor.