Henry A. Giroux
Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient
Henry A. Giroux, born in Providence, RI, is the McMaster University Chair for Scholarship in the Public Interest in the Department of English and Cultural Studies and serves as the Paulo Freire Distinguished Scholar in Critical Pedagogy. He is also the director of the Center for Scholarship in the Public Interest.
A University of Southern Maine alumnus, Giroux earned a Bachelor of Science in junior high education from Gorham State Teachers College in 1967.
Giroux was named by the Toronto Star in 2007 as one of the “12 Canadians Changing the Way We Think.” Over the course of his prolific career, he has authored or coauthored over 65 books, many of which have been translated into multiple languages. His work has appeared in journals including Social Text, Third Text, Cultural Studies, Harvard Educational Review, Theory, Culture & Society, and Monthly Review, and his books have been translated into multiple languages.
His recent books include “Pedagogy of Resistance: Against Manufactured Ignorance” (2022), “Insurrections: Education in the Age of Counterrevolutionary Politics” (2023), “Fascism on Trial: Education and the Possibility of Democracy” (2024), and forthcoming titles through 2026.
Giroux has also contributed to media outlets including The New York Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, Salon and Truthout.
Najmo Ahmed ‘26
Student Commencement Speaker
Najmo Ahmed, who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences, will deliver the student address at the University of Southern Maine’s 2026 Commencement Celebration.
Driven by a desire to support vulnerable children and families, Ahmed has shaped her academic journey around public health and social services. Born in Kenya, she moved to Maine as a young child and was raised in Lewiston. After graduating from Lewiston High School, Ahmed initially arrived at USM to pursue a degree in Political Science in hopes of becoming an immigration attorney. Over time, however, her passion for working with children shifted her academic and career interests.
A first-generation student, Ahmed has been part of the TRIO program at USM. As part of her academic work, she conducted research on Black maternal health mortality rates and interned with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services in the Child Protective Services unit.
Her graduation today does not mark the end of her time at USM. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public health, which she expects to complete in the spring of 2027. Ahmed hopes to continue her work with DHHS and make a meaningful difference in the lives of families across Maine.
“I hope to make a huge impact on children and support families who are vulnerable. Through public health, I want to focus on prevention and making sure communities have access to the resources they need to stay healthy and safe.”