The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy will welcome U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) as the keynote speaker for its 2026 Spring Commencement ceremony, celebrating approximately 165 graduating BA, MPP, MPA, and PhD students.
The ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 3, at Hill Auditorium on the University of Michigan campus.
Senator Peters has served in public life for more than three decades, beginning with his election to the Rochester Hills City Council in 1991. He went on to serve in the Michigan Senate and later as Michigan's Lottery Commissioner in the administration of Governor Jennifer Granholm.
Peters volunteered for the U.S. Navy Reserve at age 34 and, during his service, earned a Seabee Combat Warfare Specialist designation and rose to the rank of lieutenant commander.
He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008, where he served on the Financial Services Committee and was on the conference committee that wrote and finalized the sweeping Dodd-Frank Wall Street and Consumer Protection Act.
In 2014, Peters won his seat in the U.S. Senate. His accomplishments include a long list of bills, including during the 117th Congress (2021-2022) when he authored and was the principal sponsor of 19 bipartisan bills signed into law – the most enacted into law by a U.S. Senator during a single Congress in over 40 years.
The non-partisan Center for Effective Lawmaking (University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University) and the Lugar Center (Georgetown University) have recognized Peters as among the U.S. Senate's most effective and bipartisan lawmakers.
"Senator Peters represents the best of public service for the Ford School community–dedication to the constituents he has served, a commitment to working across the aisle, and a deep connection to Michigan communities and values," says Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes. "We are honored that he will deliver the commencement address in his last year in the Senate as our graduates begin their next chapter of leadership and service."
"It is my honor to address the graduates of the University of Michigan's Ford School during this spring's commencement ceremony," said Peters. "These graduates represent the future of responsible policymaking, and I'm thrilled to celebrate their accomplishments as they get to work to address the serious challenges facing our state and country."
The Ford School commencement program reflects both school and student voices. While the dean selects the keynote speaker, graduating students elect the faculty speaker (this year, Lecturer and MPP/MPA program director Jonathan Hanson) and student class speakers (Breah Marie Willy, BA, and Elizabeth Mugo, MPP). This year's musical accompaniment will be provided by members of the Community High School Jazz Band.
The Ford School also will be hosting an Open House for graduates and their loved ones on May 1 at Weill Hall, from 2-4 pm.
For more information on the Ford School commencement please click here.
For more information on the Open House please click here.
