George Washington University will finally hold an in-person graduation in October for the classes of 2020 and 2021 who graduated virtually, but talk of COVID restrictions will be far from over.
During the ceremony, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will be awarded the university’s President’s Medal, the “highest honor that can be bestowed by the University president.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren will be the keynote speaker at the commencement ceremony.
Dr. Anthony Fauci will receive the President’s Medal – the highest honor that can be bestowed by GW’s president – alongside Dr. Cindy Liu and professor Andrew Maurano, who have helped combat the COVID-19 pandemic at GW and in D.C.
— The GW Hatchet (@gwhatchet) August 12, 2021
“Warren, who attended GW from 1966 to 1968, will be recognized with an honorary Doctor of Public Service alongside former Board of Trustees Chair Nelson Carbonell, who received the honor virtually in May, on the National Mall during the Oct. 2 ceremony,” according to the GW Hatchet. “The rescheduled Commencement will take place as a part of a University-wide, weekend-long celebration marking the end of the bicentennial.”
In a May 2021 visit to GW’s campus, Fauci encouraged vaccine skepticism by wearing a mask outdoors even though he was fully vaccinated. CDC guidance at the time was “fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting.” Before the visit, Fauci said if you are vaccinated and outside you should not wear a mask.
“If you are vaccinated, you don’t have to wear a mask outside,” Fauci said, just days before he would wear a mask outside. “If you are vaccinated and you are outside, put aside the mask. You don’t have to wear it.”
George Washington University did not immediately respond to The Federalist’s request for comment.
