Ladson-Billings is the current president of the National Academy of Education and is a professor emerita with the UW-Madison School of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She is also a faculty affiliate with the departments of Educational Policy Studies,Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, and Afro American Studies.

Ladson-Billings will speak during the first of six ceremonies from May 22 to 24. Towson University (TU) celebrates commencement with separate ceremonies for each of the six colleges, with the University Commencement Speaker title bestowed upon one speaker each year in a rotation among the colleges.

“We are deeply honored to have a scholar with Dr. Ladson-Billings’ reputation for excellence as our university commencement speaker,” Melanie Perreault, provost and executive vice president of academic affairs at TU, said in the news release. “Her work is transformative and stands as a model for all of us as we seek to make all levels of education inclusive.”