b'Commencement SpeakerAs the president of one of the worlds great public universities, Ana Mari Cauce has led the University of Washington in advancing its mission in four key areas: providing a leading-edge student experience, conducting research and scholarship that has a global impact, upholding the UWs dedication to its public mission and infusing the entire university with a commitment to innovation.A member of the UW faculty since 1986, Cauce previously served as provost and executive vice president.On Oct. 13, 2015, she was selected by the UW Board of Regents to become the UWs 33rd president.Throughout her career, Cauce has championed access to higher education, through the Husky Promise, which provides full tuition to eligible Washington students who otherwise could not attend college, by engaging students in honest discussions about race and equity, and through continuing efforts to create a more just and diverse community.The UW also views innovation as an imperative, and in June 2015 Cauce announced the launch of the Global Innovation Exchange. A partnership between the UW and Tsinghua University, with foundational support from Microsoft, GIX is educating the next generation of innovators through a project-based, globally focused curriculum available nowhere else.Raised in Miami after emigrating with her family from Cuba, Cauce earned a B.A. in English and psychology from the University of Miami and a Ph.D. in psychology, with a concentration in child clinical and community psychology, from Yale University.During the course of her career at the UW, Cauce has been appointed to various leadership positions, including director of the UW Honors Program, chair of American Ethnic Studies, chair of Psychology, executive vice provost and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In 2011 Cauce was named provost and executive vice president, responsible for overseeing the education, research and service missions of the universitys schools, colleges and other academic units.For her teaching, scholarship and advocacy, Cauce has received numerous awards, including the Dalmas Taylor Distinguished Contribution Award, the Luis Fernando Esteban Public Service Award, the James M. Jones Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Psychological Association, the Grace Hopper Exemplary Leadership Award and the Distinguished Contribution Award from the Society for Community Research and Action. In 1999 she was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award, the highest honor the University of Washington gives to faculty members for their work with students in and outside the classroom. In 2020, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2022, she was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in recognition of her leadership in health education, research and service systems as well as her own pioneering research in behavioral health.As a professor of Psychology and American Ethnic Studies, with secondary appointments in the Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies and the College of Education, Cauce has maintained an active research program, focusing on adolescent development, and advocated for women and underrepresented minorities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 12 '