Pepperdine Honors Class of 2025 at Spring Commencements

Kevin D. McGowan

This spring Pepperdine University will celebrate the Class of 2025 with a series of commencement ceremonies held throughout April and May. Graduates of Seaver College, the Caruso School of Law, the Graziadio Business School, the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, and the School of Public Policy will each be recognized in dedicated events featuring distinguished speakers and accomplished alumni from a wide range of fields and industries. These honored guests will share their insights and advice, and mark the occasion with words of wisdom as graduates prepare to embark on the next chapter of their lives.

Ian V. Rowe

On Friday, April 25, at 10:30 AM, the School of Public Policy honored distinguished alumnus Kevin D. McGowan (MPP ’10), director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management. Leading an all-hazards emergency management program, McGowan is responsible for emergency preparedness, planning, coordination, training, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts for the largest county in the United States. 

Ian V. Rowe, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), delivered the School of Public Policy’s commencement address. In addition to his work at AEI, Rowe is the cofounder of Vertex Partnership Academies, a Bronx-based network of virtues-based International Baccalaureate high schools, and cofounder of the National Summer School Initiative. 

John G. Figueroa

On Saturday, April 26, at 10:30 AM, John G. Figueroa (MBA ’97), senior advisor to the secretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, will serve as the commencement speaker for the Graziadio Business School.  A visionary leader with 35 years of experience in healthcare, Figueroa specializes in pharmacy services, hospital supply chain logistics, and the broader healthcare ecosystem. He was the founder, CEO, and executive chair of CarepathRx, a company dedicated to innovative pharmacy solutions for hospital health systems, focusing on specialty, infusion, and home-based pharmaceutical care. 

Alan Beard

Seaver College will host its graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 3, at 10:30 AM, and feature Alan Beard ('94, MPP '99), the chief executive officer of Synonymous and a member of Pepperdine’s Board of Regents, as the event’s distinguished alumnus. A marketing strategy expert, Beard cofounded McBeard Media, where he served as chief executive officer until it was acquired by Fullscreen Media in 2015. He continued to lead the team at Fullscreen as chief marketing officer. When AT&T acquired it in 2018, Beard became chief brand officer at AT&T’s digital group, Otter Media. Beard has also served as the minister at Camarillo Church of Christ since 2011 and cofounded Waves Church on Pepperdine’s campus in 2023. He was recognized as Distinguished Alumnus at the School of Public Policy in 2009 and in 2017 was named one of Pepperdine’s “40 Over 40” alumni.

Seth Haye

Seth Haye (’02), managing director, financial advisor, and senior portfolio management director at global investment firm Morgan Stanley—where he leads the Oaks Group at the firm’s office in Westlake Village, California, as senior partner—will deliver the commencement speech for Seaver College. Haye’s team is currently rated number one by Forbes on its Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams list and is included in Barron’s Top 250 Financial Advisors in America list. In 2019 Haye was ranked as the Number One Next-Gen Wealth Advisor in America by Forbes. He has served on the Board of Regents at Pepperdine since 2018 and has been actively involved with his alma mater since graduating alongside his wife, Jolyn (’02), from Seaver College.

Ryan Dusick

The Graduate School of Education and Psychology will host two ceremonies. The first will be on Saturday, May 10, at 10:30 AM, honoring the graduates of the psychology program. Ryan Dusick (MA ’21), a licensed marriage and family therapist, a mental health advocate, author, speaker, and podcaster, is the event’s distinguished alumnus. Formerly the drummer for the band Maroon 5, Dusick earned his master’s degree and has devoted himself wholeheartedly to the field of mental health and serving the needs of those who are struggling to find direction or meaning in their lives.

Bernice L. Ledbetter

The second ceremony for the Graduate School of Education and Psychology will be on Saturday, May 24, at 10:30 AM, concluding the 2025 spring commencement ceremonies, and  will honor the graduates of the education program. The ceremony’s distinguished alumnus will be Bernice L. Ledbetter (EdD ’05), the dean of students and founding director of the Center for Women in Leadership at the Graziadio Business School. Ledbetter oversees three master of science programs at the school, including organization development, management and leadership, and human resources, and she teaches courses focused on organization theory and management. She also serves as co-chair of the Graziadio Diversity and Belonging Council. Ledbetter is a sought-after keynote speaker, and she has addressed audiences at such businesses as ESPN, AEG, Amgen, and Farmers Insurance, as well as many others. As a widely published researcher, her work has appeared in a number of academic journals and media outlets, including the Huffington Post, Business Insider, Reuters, and the Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics.

The Caruso School of Law commencement ceremony will take place on Friday, May 23, at 10:30 AM. More details about the distinguished alumnus and commencement speaker will be announced soon.

For more information on Pepperdine’s upcoming commencement ceremonies, visit the Pepperdine University Commencement 2025 website.