2022
Commencement
Celebration

Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson

Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, the 13^th chair of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), will deliver the keynote address at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music 2022 commencement celebration, which will be held in Dixon Court North on Friday, June 10 at 4 p.m. PT.

Born and raised in South Los Angeles, Dr. Jackson is the nation’s first African American and Mexican American woman to be appointed as chair of the NEA, an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson will be participating in The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s 2022 commencement celebration,” said Eileen Strempel, the school’s inaugural dean. “Dr. Jackson understands that the arts are a transformative force in our communities. Her tireless commitment to attracting national attention to the value of the arts and broadening accessibility to the arts is inspiring, as is her desire to share words of encouragement with our students and provide a guiding light as they reach this critical milestone.”