COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

Tim Shriver Special Olympics International Chair and Dignity Index co-creator

Shriver leads the Special Olympics International Board of Directors, representing 6 million Special Olympics athletes in more than 200 countries— promoting health, education, and a more unified world through the joy of sport. Special Olympics was founded by his mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, in 1968. Shriver joined Special Olympics in 1996.

A former teacher, Shriver has led the field of study which focuses on the social and emotional factors in learning. He co-founded and currently chairs the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), the leading school reform organization in the field of social and emotional learning.

In 2018, Shriver founded UNITE, a think tank of national leaders working to “ease divisions, prevent violence, and solve problems in our country.” UNITE launched the Dignity Index Utah Demonstration Project last fall—the first public effort to refine the Dignity Index, a social science tool designed to show the contempt or dignity in the language people use when they disagree.

“I’m thrilled to have been invited to join the Class of 2023,” notes Shriver. “This is a generation that understands the urgency of choosing to include, of easing divisions, and of solving our country’s most pressing problems. I can’t wait to be a part of the movement they are creating to unite our country in common purpose.”

Shriver earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University, a master’s degree from Catholic University, and a doctorate in education from the University of Connecticut. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, co-chairman of the National Commission on Social and Emotional Learning, and a co-founder of Lovin’ Scoopful Ice Cream Company. He has produced six films, authored The New York Times bestselling book Fully Alive –Discovering What Matters Most, and has written for dozens of newspapers and magazines.