CJC Graduate Recognition Ceremony
Graduation Information:
- Ceremony Date & Time: May 3, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
- Location: Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
- Candidate Assembly: Gate 4 will open for candidates 90 minutes prior to ceremony start time. Candidates are required to wear regalia.
- Guest Admission: Gates 1 & 3 will open for guests 90 minutes prior to ceremony start time.
- Tickets: We will not ticket this recognition ceremony nor restrict the number of guests-per-candidate.
- Contact: CJC Ceremony Coordination Team, graduation@jou.ufl.edu
Speakers
Dean Hub Brown
As dean of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (CJC) since July 1, 2021, Hub Brown has established himself as a leading higher-education journalism and communication program administrator.
Juan C. Andrade
Juan C. Andrade serves as the president and chief executive officer of USAA. He brings significant private and public sector experience in senior leadership roles across multiple global organizations, a strong track record of driving operational excellence, innovation, and financial strength. Juan leads with a deep commitment to serving the military community and their families.
Beyond the private sector, Juan has a distinguished record of public service, with experience in national security, international affairs and drug enforcement. He has held key roles in the U.S. federal government’s Executive Branch, including the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. In recognition of his work in national security, he was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service.
Juan is a leader in the global insurance industry, serving as a member of the Geneva Association, the only international association of insurance companies and a leading think tank for the industry. He also serves on the board of overseers for the St. John’s University School of Risk Management and the board of trustees for The Institutes, an organization dedicated to advancing professional education in risk management and insurance. Additionally, he is on the executive committee and the board of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, the primary national trade association for the U.S. property and casualty insurance industry. He is also a member of The Business Council, a select group of CEOs from the world’s top companies who collaborate on issues shaping the global economy and business leadership.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in international economics and Latin American studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. In 2023 and 2025, he was recognized by The Wall Street Journal as one of the World’s Most Influential Decision Makers.
Halima Attah
Halima Attah is a fourth-year Journalism student at the University of Florida pursuing a minor in African studies. Since joining the UF College of Journalism and Communications in Fall 2022, Halima has immersed herself in the worlds of communication and inclusive leadership. These passions have strongly guided her experience at UF, where she has served as a Preview Staffer and a Journalism and Communications Ambassador. Halima currently serves as President of the Florida Cicerones, the official student ambassador organization at the university, and she sits on the UF Alumni Association Board of Directors as an ex-officio member. She also formerly served as Communications Vice President of the Florida Cicerones.
Through CJC, Halima has been a teaching assistant for Multimedia Reporting, a reporter for WUFT News — reporting on topics ranging from biosolids processing in St. Johns County to Gainesville dog owners’ legal responsibilities — and a university reporter for the Independent Florida Alligator. Prior to getting her start in reporting, Halima served as the Alligator’s opinion editor and contributed an op-ed to Teen Vogue’s political desk. Beyond the bylines, she recently wrapped up a summer news internship with Dateline NBC in Los Angeles, California. Halima remains interested in investigative and environmental journalism and, when not reading the news, can be found thrifting, walking the Gainesville-Hawthorne trail or listening to live music.