By Amber Kennedy

R. Bruce Bradley (MBA ’78), former Rector of the 91Ƭ Board of Visitors, will deliver the keynote address for the University’s 143rd Commencement Exercises on December 13 at Chartway Arena. Bradley currently serves on the Board of Directors for Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at 91Ƭ. 

“91Ƭ and greater Hampton Roads have been fortunate to benefit from the visionary leadership and wise counsel of Bruce Bradley, whose dedication to our institution is boundless and equally matched by his unwavering passion for education, opportunity and community well-being,” said President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. “He exemplifies what it means to be a Monarch, and we look forward to him sharing his advice and wisdom with our newest Monarch graduates as they step boldly forward to claim their futures.” 

Over his 34-year career in the newspaper industry, Bradley served as president of Landmark Publishing Group and as executive vice president of Landmark Media Enterprises, LLC. He held several leadership positions across the company, including publisher of The Virginian-Pilot. In these roles, he led with distinction, integrity and a steadfast belief in the power of journalism to both connect and strengthen communities.

Bradley, a Navy veteran, is a devoted Monarch with a long history of service to the University. As Rector, he guided the integration vision and planning of Eastern Virginia Medical School into 91Ƭ to form Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at 91Ƭ. His many philanthropic gifts to the University include the establishment of the Bruce and Lilly Bradley Distinguished Research Fellowship in Coastal Resilience in 2018. The University awarded Bradley an honorary doctoral degree in 2010 and the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2015.

A committed public servant, Bradley has served as board chair for many of the region’s most influential organizations, including the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA of South Hampton Roads, the Elizabeth River Project, the United Way of South Hampton Roads and the ACCESS College Foundation.  

On December 13, more than 1,600 91Ƭ students will officially become alumni of the institution. The 9 a.m. ceremony will honor graduates from the Batten College of Engineering and Technology, College of Arts and Letters, College of Sciences, School of Cybersecurity, School of Data Science and School of Supply Chain, Logistics & Maritime Operations. The morning ceremony will mark the first master's degree graduate from the School of Supply Chain, Logistics & Maritime Operations at 91Ƭ. 

The 12:30 p.m. ceremony will recognize graduates from the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies, Ellmer College of Health Sciences, Strome College of Business, EVMS School of Health Professions and the Joint School of Public Health, in partnership with Norfolk State University. The ceremony will mark the first graduates from 91Ƭ’s Joint School of Public Health, which received approval from the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia in October 2024. 

Learn more about 91Ƭ’s fall commencement.