Renowned journalist, presidential historian to deliver HWS Commencement address

GENEVA — Nancy Gibbs, a renowned journalist, presidential historian and Harvard professor who made history as the first woman to serve as editor in chief of TIME magazine, will be the keynote speaker at Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ Commencement ceremony May 18.

In recognition of her influential contributions to media and public discourse, the Colleges also will present the prestigious Elizabeth Blackwell Award to Gibbs that day.

Gibbs currently serves as the director of the Shorenstein Center and the Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice at Harvard Kennedy School. Her teaching and research focus on the evolving media landscape and its impact on democracy and public policy.

Gibbs spent more than three decades at TIME, covering presidential campaigns and writing more cover stories than any other journalist in the magazine’s history. A best-selling author and sought-after commentator, she has interviewed five U.S. presidents, world leaders, and top industry executives, offering unparalleled insight into the forces shaping our world today.

“We are honored to welcome Nancy Gibbs as our 2025 Commencement speaker and Elizabeth Blackwell Award recipient,” Colleges President Mark Gearan said. “Her extraordinary career in journalism, public policy and academia embodies the values of critical inquiry, leadership and global engagement that we strive to instill in our students. As a trailblazer in media and a distinguished historian, her insights will undoubtedly inspire our graduates as they embark on their own journeys.”

The HWS Commencement ceremony for the Class of 2025 will begin at 9 a.m. on the Quad.

In addition, the HWS Board of Trustees unanimously voted to recognize the achievements of Gibbs and five distinguished community advocates with honorary degrees. Along with Gibbs, honorary degree recipients are:

• Patrisha Blue (’77), director of the Martin Luther King Memorial Choir and a longtime Geneva community leader.
• Geoffrey Herd, world-renowned musician and founder of the Geneva Music Festival.
• Mary Jane M. Poole (P’91), steadfast supporter of Hobart and William Smith whose engagement and philanthropy has shaped our campus and the lives of HWS students.
• Stephen Wyckoff and Janet Wyckoff, dedicated philanthropists with a special focus on Geneva’s children.

Here is more information about Gibbs and others:

Nancy Gibbs

As editor in chief from 2013-17, Gibbs guided TIME through a rapidly changing media environment, expanding its digital presence and launching new initiatives such as Red Border Films, a documentary film unit and interactive digital platform. Under her leadership, the magazine built a global, 24/7 news operation and won a Primetime Emmy for the PBS documentary “A Year in Space.” Her tenure solidified the magazine’s reputation for in-depth, high-impact journalism. She remains an editor at large.

Gibbs also has served as a consultant to CBS News and an essayist for the “News Hour” on PBS. A best-selling author, she co-wrote “The President’s Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity,” which spent 30 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, as well as “The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House.” Recognized for her eloquent political analysis, Politico dubbed her “The Poet Laureate of Presidents.”

She has interviewed five U.S. presidents and multiple other world leaders, and lectured extensively on the American presidency at places like the Bush, Reagan, Carter, Johnson and Truman libraries, the Aspen Institute, the Dallas World Affairs Club, the Commonwealth Club and the National Archives. She is a Senior Fellow at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy.

Gibbs graduated from Yale summa cum laude, with honors in history, and has a degree in politics and philosophy from Oxford, where she was a Marshall scholar. She has twice served as the Ferris Professor at Princeton, where she taught a seminar on politics and the press. She has lectured at institutions such as Princeton, Yale and the Aspen Institute.

Patrisha Blue

Since graduating from HWS, Blue has dedicated her life to community activism in Geneva.

For nearly 40 years, as founder and director of the Geneva Martin Luther King Memorial Choir, an interdenominational group, she has delivered uplifting and energetic gospel music at annual events honoring the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Through this work, she unites singers and musicians from diverse backgrounds, fostering cultural connections through joyful and harmonious messages of hope and perseverance.

For more than 30 years serving as executive director of Community Unified Today, Inc., she transformed several Geneva neighborhoods by developing subdivisions for first-time homebuyers and supportive housing for homeless families. With the Geneva City School District, Blue founded the LEAP program to support the academic performance and college readiness for at-risk students.

Since 2022, Blue has continued her own passion for learning as a seminarian at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, pursuing a Master of Divinity degree with an emphasis on biblical languages. As a student at HWS, Blue earned a B.A. in modern languages.

Dr. Geoffrey Herd

Herd leads a dynamic career as a violinist, chamber musician, artistic director and educator. He has performed across the U.S., Latin America and Asia, appearing at venues such as the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.

As founder, CEO, and artistic director of the Geneva Music Festival, Herd developed the organization into a nationally recognized presenter of classical chamber music, jazz and other genres. The Festival is at the forefront of innovative programming and receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts and other competitive granting programs. Herd is also the CEO and co-artistic director of ATX Chamber Music and Jazz, a prominent chamber music and jazz presenter based in Austin, Texas, that features an innovative presentation format synergistically combining social experiences with performances by acclaimed chamber music and jazz artists. He is also the Co-Director of the Knoxville Suzuki Academy.

An avid chamber musician, Herd has collaborated with renowned artists such as Clive Greensmith, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Ettore Causa, Jinjoo Cho and Ani Kavafian. He has performed concertos with orchestras ranging from the Rochester Philharmonic to the Thailand Philharmonic.

Herd is the assistant professor of violin at the University of Louisville School of Music, attracting students worldwide. He earned a D.M.A. from Rice University and previously studied at the Yale School of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Mary Jane Poole

A philanthropic leader of the Poole Family Foundation, Poole has dedicated years of engaged volunteer service to her community and to HWS, her husband’s alma mater. Her contributions at HWS have been instrumental in major campus projects, including the renovation and design of the Poole Family Admissions Center, where her design acumen has informed every aspect of this flagship building. She has been involved in the creation of the Tom Poole ’61 Soccer Team Room, construction of the Thomas B. Poole ’61 and Family Sports Dome, and the endowment of the Hobart head soccer coach position. She is a founding member of Hobart and William Smith’s Seneca Society.

Beyond HWS, Poole has supported her alma mater, Adelphi University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English. She founded and endowed the Poole Family Broadway Series at the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center, which brings both renowned and rising Broadway artists to its Concert Hall, and is a founding member of the Nassau County Museum of Art Board of Trustees.

Through the Poole Family Foundation, her philanthropic efforts extend to healthcare and community initiatives. The Peconic Bay Medical Center Foundation honored Poole for her longstanding support of the hospital, including adding 6,000 square feet to the medical facility’s emergency department.

After graduating from Adelphi, Poole worked as a teacher Norfolk, Va.

Stephen and Janet Wyckoff

Active and engaged community members, the Wyckoffs have dedicated their time and resources to supporting children in Geneva through initiatives in health, education and the arts for more than three decades. The Wyckoff Family Foundation Inc. established by Stephen’s mother, Margaret Humphrey Wyckoff, is committed to early childhood education and the well-being of Geneva’s children. Stephen serves as the foundation’s president, while Janet holds the roles of treasurer and board member. Through their care, attention and philanthropy, they have provided critical resources for children in Geneva, continuing Margaret’s legacy by supporting innovative and creative initiatives that enhance young lives.

Many of their grants have directly benefited programs also supported by Hobart and William Smith, including Geneva 2030 — a collective impact initiative that leverages resources from the entire Geneva community, such as nonprofit organizations, businesses and individuals, to enhance educational opportunities for children. The Wyckoffs also fund programs connecting Geneva middle and high school students with HWS resources at the Finger Lakes Institute and the Environmental Studies Summer Youth Institute. The foundation has been a key supporter of Geneva Reads, a community-wide literacy initiative launched in 2007.

Stephen, a Geneva native, earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a B.E. in mechanical engineering from its Thayer School of Engineering. He is secretary and treasurer of Datu Inc., a scientific instruments company, and holds three U.S. patents. He has volunteered with organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club of Geneva and the Geneva Board of Education.

Janet, originally from New York City, attended the Brearley School and graduated cum laude from Dartmouth. In the Chicago area, Janet worked in commercial leasing and municipal finance before the couple moved to Geneva in 1995. She has held many volunteer positions in the community, including as tutor and mentor for the Teamswork Program. In the Geneva City School District, she has served as a substitute teaching assistant at North Street School and West Street Elementary School.