OHIO Distinguished Professor Dr. Kevin Mattson to speak at Fall Commencement

Ohio University Distinguished Professor Dr. Kevin Mattson will deliver the keynote address at the Fall 2025 Commencement Ceremony on Dec. 13.

President Lori Stewart Gonzalez said the University is proud to recognize Mattson and his longstanding impact on OHIO. 

“We are honored to have Kevin Mattson delivering the Commencement Address for our Fall ceremony,” President Gonzalez said. “As a Distinguished Professor, historian, and mentor, Dr. Mattson’s leadership and scholarship serve as an inspiration to Bobcats near and far. I am grateful he has agreed to share words of wisdom with our Class of 2025.”

Mattson is the Connor Study Professor of Contemporary History in OHIO’s Department of History and a nationally recognized scholar of twentieth-century American ideas, culture, and politics. Named as a Distinguished Professor in 2025, Mattson has published widely in both academic and public outlets and serves on the editorial board of Dissent magazine.

Widely praised by students, Dr. Mattson is known for engaging lectures and thoughtful mentorship that foster critical thinking and meaningful dialogue.

Reflecting on the honor, Dr. Mattson said, “I’m deeply honored to be invited to celebrate this milestone with our graduates. Commencement is one of the most joyful traditions in academia, and I’m grateful to be a part of it.”

Dr. Mattson earned his bachelor’s degree from the New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. in American History from the University of Rochester. Before joining OHIO in 2001, he was a fellow at Rutgers University’s Walt Whitman Center for the Culture and Politics of Democracy and was a founding member of Positive Force DC.

Ohio University’s 2025 Fall Commencement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, Dec. 13, beginning at 2 p.m. in the Convocation Center on the Athens Campus. For additional information on the Fall ceremony, please see the Commencement website.