Media Releases
Dr. Michael Lamb, a Scholar on Virtues in Public Life, to Address North Central College’s 2026 Graduating Class
Mar 17, 2026
Scholar, educator, author, and speaker Michael Lamb, Ph.D., will address the graduating class at North Central College’s 161st Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 3, in the Hal and Benna Wilde Residence Hall and Recreation Center.
A recipient of teaching awards from Princeton University, the University of Oxford, and Wake Forest University, Lamb is a moral and political philosopher whose teaching and research focus on leadership, character, and the role of virtues in public life.
Lamb holds multiple roles at Wake Forest, including the F. M. Kirby Foundation Chair of Leadership and Character, senior executive director of the Program for Leadership and Character, and associate professor of interdisciplinary humanities. In addition, he is an associate fellow of the Oxford Character Project and previously served as dean of leadership, service, and character development for Rhodes Scholars. As a principal investigator on major grants from multiple foundations – including the John Templeton Foundation, Kern Family Foundation, and Lilly Endowment Inc. – he helps lead the Educating Character Initiative, which builds the capacity of colleges and universities to provide character education. North Central College received a capacity-building grant in 2025 from the Educating Character Initiative, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.
In addition to delivering the Commencement address, Lamb will be awarded an honorary degree from North Central College in recognition of his scholarship and influence.
“North Central College awards honorary degrees to exemplary leaders,” said Dr. Abiódún Gòkè-Paríolá, president of North Central College. “Dr. Lamb leads by challenging us to consider how we, as citizens, can unite in common hope. His message is consistent with that of North Central’s founding president, A.A. Smith: that a college should be a ‘great moral lighthouse.’ Dr. Lamb’s Commencement address will provide a fitting, final lesson as our graduates go out into the world after pursuing an education rooted in the liberal arts.”
Lamb holds a Ph.D. in politics from Princeton University, a B.A. in political science from Rhodes College, and a second B.A. in philosophy and theology from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He also holds an honorary degree from Maryville College.
“Several faculty from North Central are leaders in the field of character education, so I have long admired the College for its focus on educating ethical citizens and purposeful leaders,” said Lamb. “I am so grateful to receive this honor and to have the opportunity to address students, faculty, and staff at Commencement.”
Lamb is the author of “A Commonwealth of Hope: Augustine’s Political Thought.” He is also co-editor of “The Arts of Leading: Perspectives from the Humanities and the Liberal Arts,” “Cultivating Virtue in the University,” and “Everyday Ethics: Moral Theology and the Practices of Ordinary Life.” His work has been published in numerous academic journals, including the American Political Science Review, Review of Politics, Journal of Religious Ethics, Journal of Moral Education, and Journal of Character Education.
Information about North Central College’s 2026 Commencement is available at northcentralcollege.edu/commencement. Tickets are required. Doors open for guest seating at 8:30 a.m. The processional begins at 9:40 a.m. with the Commencement Ceremony starting at 10 a.m.
Media Contact
Jeremy Borling, Senior Director of Communication
North Central College
