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Abraham Verghese named Harvard commencement speaker
Verghese currently serves as a professor of medicine at Stanford University, focusing on patient-centered care and medical humanities through teaching and research.
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Abraham Verghese / Harvard University
Indian American physician and author, Abraham Verghese will deliver the principal address at Harvard’s 374th Commencement on May 29. The speaker will also receive an honorary degree during the ceremony.
Verghese, a professor of medicine at Stanford University, is known for his work in humanizing the physician-patient relationship and championing empathy in healthcare. His career has spanned both medicine and literature, producing memoirs and novels that explore the intersection of illness, healing, and human connection.
Born to Indian parents in Ethiopia, Verghese emigrated to the United States in 1974 amid political unrest. He pursued his medical education in India before completing a residency in Tennessee, where he encountered the early impact of HIV/AIDS in rural communities. His memoir, My Own Country: A Doctor’s Story, chronicles his experiences treating patients affected by the epidemic and has been adapted into a film.
Verghese’s contributions to medicine extend beyond clinical practice. At Stanford, he founded Presence, an interdisciplinary center focused on patient-centered care, and Stanford Medicine 25, an initiative dedicated to reviving the art of bedside diagnosis.
In addition to his medical practice, Verghese has written two novels, Cutting for Stone and The Covenant of Water, along with another memoir, The Tennis Partner. His literary works have been critically acclaimed for their depth and insight into the medical profession. A recipient of the National Humanities Medal, Verghese has been recognized by the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Harvard president Alan M. Garber praised him as an individual whose career exemplifies creativity, service, and leadership, calling him an inspiration for the class of 2025. “ He has pursued excellence across disciplines with an intensity surpassed only by his humanity, which shines brilliantly through his works of both fiction and non-fiction, as well as his work as a clinician and teacher.”
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