SCAD Announces Rob Lowe as 2024 Commencement Speaker
Award-Winning Actor and The New York Times-Bestselling Author to Speak at Savannah and Atlanta Ceremonies June 1 and June 2
SAVANNAH and ATLANTA — May 8, 2024 — The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is delighted to announce award-winning actor and The New York Times-bestselling author Rob Lowe as the university's 2024 commencement speaker at its locations in Savannah and Atlanta. Lowe will address the largest class in university history of more than 3,700 total graduates. SCAD's 2024 graduates represent more than 40 top-ranked majors, including animation, fashion, film and television, interior design, and user experience (UX) design.
SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace will confer degrees to SCAD Savannah and SCADnow graduates Saturday, June 1, at Enmarket Arena. The Presidential Conferment of Degrees for SCAD Atlanta graduates will take place Sunday, June 2, at the Georgia World Congress Center.
This year’s commencement also marks a university milestone: This academic year, SCAD is celebrating 45 years of star power. Talented students from an array of programs will deliver inspiring speeches and be celebrated by fellow students, family members, faculty, staff, and acclaimed industry leaders.
"I am honored to serve as SCAD’s commencement speaker for the Class of 2024 in Savannah and Atlanta," Lowe said. "I'm especially humbled to play this role during SCAD’s 45th anniversary year. What a milestone!"
Since 1978, the university’s mission has been to prepare talented students for creative professions. Today, SCAD’s success rate is unmatched. A 2023 study found that 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. SCAD alumni have found fulfilling careers at Adobe, BMW, Delta Air Lines, Disney, Google, Hasbro, Microsoft, NASA, Ralph Lauren, and more.
About Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe’s iconic career spans 4 decades in film, television, and theater. He is also an acclaimed author. Rob has been nominated for two Emmys, six Golden Globes, and four Screen Actors Guild awards in which he won two. He has starred in the ‘80s classics St. Elmo’s Fire, About Last Night, and The Outsiders, as well as television classics such as The West Wing and Parks and Recreation. Rob’s incredibly diverse career also includes scene stealing work in Behind the Candelabra, Austin Powers, and Tommy Boy. His two memoirs, Stories I Only Tell My Friends and Love Life are both New York Times Best Sellers. He has taken his first memoir and made it into a touring show called Stories I Only Tell My Friends: Live! which has received rave reviews throughout the country and sold out in London.
In 2020, Lowe launched his podcast Literally! With Rob Lowe. A podcast of irreverent yet thoughtful conversations with leaders in the world of business and entertainment like Oprah, Chris Pratt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Aniston, Magic Johnson, and others. After continued success, it is currently in its fourth season.
Lowe recently wrapped season 2 of his Netflix comedy series Unstable, inspired by his and his son, John Owen Lowe’s social media relationship, in which John Owen often humorously trolls his dad. Lowe is currently starring in and producing season 5 of FOX’s highly acclaimed 911 Texas-set spinoff 911: Lone Star, which has been consistently one of the top-rated shows in all of television.
SCAD: The University for Creative Careers
SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls more than 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students from 114 countries. The future-minded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university’s renowned research lab and prototype generator.
SCAD is No. 1 in the U.S., according to Art & Object’s 2023 Best Art Schools ranking, with additional top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. A 2023 study found that 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more.
Media Contacts:
Savannah
Michelle Gavin
SCAD Executive Director of Communications
mgavin@scad.edu
Atlanta
Wendy Gardner
SCAD Senior Director of Public Relations
wgardner@scad.edu