Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will preside and speak at BYU’s commencement exercises on April 22, the university announced.
Elder Gong is a former Asia Area Presidency and Presidency of the Seventy member. He was also special assistant to both the U.S. undersecretary of state and U.S. ambassador to Beijing, China.
He served as assistant to the president for planning and assessment at BYU, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Asian and university studies. He also holds a doctorate in international relations from Oxford University.
“The genius of the modern piano” Marcus Roberts will also receive an honorary doctorate degree from BYU at the ceremony. Roberts is a composer and pianist known for blending jazz music with classical idioms. He has received commissions to compose for various orchestras and events and owns his own record label, J-Master Records.
Roberts previously received an honorary doctorate in music from The Julliard School and the Helen Keller Award for Personal Achievement from the American Foundation for the Blind.
The commencement exercises will take place April 22 at 10 a.m., and college convocations will follow on April 22 and 23. All commencement exercises and convocations will be held virtually.
