Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, one of the country’s foremost science communicators and director of New York’s Hayden Planetarium, will give the keynote address for the Bronx Community College (BCC) 2024 Commencement. Dr. Tyson is a popular role model who dedicates himself to shaping and inspiring young learners’ interest in science and the universe and is a frequent guest on local, regional and national media.

“Dr. Tyson’s body of work, both scholarly and in his messaging as a cultural icon, aligns with Bronx Community College’s mission to prepare, inspire, and empower a diverse student body with a quality educational experience to facilitate social mobility, life-long learning and engaged citizenship,” Interim President Milton Santiago said. “I strongly believe the BCC community will be uplifted and empowered by a speaker with such deep roots in the Bronx and that Dr. Tyson will serve as a shining example of the transformative power of education and hard work.”

Dr. Tyson, a graduate of Bronx High School of Science, was born in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx and attended public schools in the Bronx Borough. His father taught Sociology and Contemporary Civilization in the Social Sciences Department at BCC.