The president of the largest philanthropic trust in the United States, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, will be the commencement speaker at St. Edward’s University’s upcoming graduation ceremony.

The university has announced that Vartan Gregorian, 77, a long-time educator and president of Brown University from 1989–1997, will address graduating St. Edward’s students on May 14 at the Frank Erwin Center.

The Iranian-born Gregorian, who earned his Ph.D in history and humanities from Stanford University in 1964, will also receive an honorary degree from St. Edward’s. He has already received more than 60 honorary degrees in his career.

Gregorian could not be reached for comment as he was traveling outside of the country, his staff said.

St. Edward’s spokeswoman Mischelle Diaz released the citation that will be read before Gregorian’s speech. The citation explains Gregorian’s selection for the honorary degree. A portion of it reads, “Today, it is our privilege to honor Vartan Gregorian, who embodies the mission of St. Edward’s University and the legacy of Holy Cross. It can genuinely be said that the impact of his life and work on higher education has transformed the hearts and minds of students around the world and is testament to the words of Father Basil Moreau: ‘The future is entirely in the generation beginning today.'”

In addition to his presidency at Brown, Gregorian was the president of the New York Public Library and a professor at San Francisco State College, the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Texas at Austin. He was also a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he later became the university’s provost.

No stranger to speaking to large crowds of students, Gregorian will give his speech in front of a record number of St. Edward’s graduates. The university expects to confer 686 degrees to undergraduate, graduate and New College students. There are 600 students expected to walk the stage at the ceremony.

The last three speakers at May graduation ceremonies were Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, International Court of Justice Judge Thomas Buergenthal and ABC News commentator and journalist Cokie Roberts.

Unlike at last year’s graduation, students will not use social media platform Whrrl to document photos and comments during the ceremony.

“The inclusion of real-time social media at last year’s commencement was something special we planned to help celebrate the 125th anniversary,” university spokeswoman Mischelle Diaz said. “It was never intended to be a permanent addition to graduation.”