Arcadia University is proud to announce the Honorable Jackie Speier, a former U.S. Representative for California’s 14th Congressional District and current member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in California, and artist Kathleen Titus Faul ’68 will address graduates in the Class of 2026 on Thursday, May 14, and Friday, May 15, respectively. 

The Honorable Jackie Speier

Jackie Speier represents District 1 on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in California. Deeply committed to public service, her current focus is on addressing the high cost of living in the county, eliminating child poverty, and working toward universal childcare. Speier has represented the residents of San Mateo County for over 40 years on all levels of government, starting on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors in 1981, followed by her service in the California Assembly and Senate for 18 years, and in the U.S. Congress for almost 15 years. She notably suffered from five gunshot wounds in 1978 while working as an aide for Rep. Leo Ryan when he was assassinated during the infamous Jonestown massacre. 

During her career, Speier has taken on some of the most difficult and controversial problems with tenacity and courage. She was named one of the 150 most fearless women in the world by Newsweek and one of the 50 most influential members in the U.S. House by POLITICO for her work on the #MeTooCongress movement. She received the 2022 Distinguished Public Service Medal from both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy for her “unwavering advocacy for soldiers, sailors, civilians, and families.”

Speier’s long list of legislative achievements includes laws on sexual assault prevention in the military and on college campuses, suicide prevention, enforcement of child support orders, child abuse prevention, and financial privacy. Families have benefited from her work in areas such as pediatric cancer research, kids’ plate legislation, child safety laws, and the creation of the breast cancer postage stamp to fund breast cancer research. During her time in the legislature, Democratic and Republican Governors signed more than 300 of her bills into law. Speier also created the Professional and Business Women’s Conference (PBWC), which for 35 years was one of the largest in the nation and inspired and empowered tens of thousands of women.

Speier is the mother of two children, proud grandmother of two, and a best-selling author of two books. She resides in Hillsborough, Calif., with her husband Barry and their dog Emma.

Kathleen Titus Faul ’68

Born and raised in Swarthmore, Pa., Kathleen Faul (née Titus) enrolled at Beaver College in 1963 with plans to pursue a career in mathematics education. In October 1966, her path changed irrevocably when an automobile accident left her blind. Rather than stepping away from her ambitions, Faul returned to Beaver College alongside her first Seeing Eye dog, Kitty, and earned her degree in 1968 — a testament to her determination and strength of character.

Faul went on to study computer science in Pittsburgh before beginning a career as a computer programmer at a Philadelphia bank, placing her at the forefront of an emerging field. She later stepped back to raise her two children.

In 1993, following a cancer diagnosis, Faul turned to art — first as a self-taught practitioner, then with formal study at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Working in clay, mixed media, and stone, she has built a rich artistic practice that reflects the courage defining every chapter of her life. (You can read about this fearless visionary in the winter/spring 2019 issue of Arcadia magazine, page 38.) Decades after first walking these halls with Kitty by her side, Faul looks forward to returning to her Alma Mater with her seventh Seeing Eye dog, Innes.

Commencement

Arcadia University will award doctoral and master’s degrees to candidates on Thursday, May 14, and baccalaureate degrees to candidates on Friday, May 15. More information is available at arcadia.edu/commencement.