Coe College announces Commencement speaker
Coe College alumnus and leader in the COVID-19 response Matt Clark ’95 has been named the college’s Commencement speaker. He will address both the classes of 2020 and 2021 in separate ceremonies the first weekend in May.
Clark is a colonel in the United States Army and is leading in the fight against COVID-19 as a program manager for the Federal COVID Response, the group formerly known as Operation Warp Speed. The program is a public and private partnership within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is responsible for developing, manufacturing and distributing COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics for the nation.
Clark’s focus is on vaccine development. He leads other program managers and collaborates across coordinating teams at the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority in HHS. At Coe, Clark majored in psychology and was a member of the Army ROTC program, graduating magna cum laude as an ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate. He also currently serves on the Coe Alumni Council.
“Growing up, Coe College was a playground I always had but never recognized until I was in a time of need. Coe’s support of Army ROTC was how I finally noticed that Coe was where I belong. Coe embraced me, challenged me, trusted me and raised me intellectually while supporting a purpose-driven, service-oriented path,” Clark said. “Since then, a colleague taught me that to serve is to live; accordingly, I am humbled and extremely excited to serve the classes of 2020 and 2021. I will challenge them to live collaboratively through truth, purpose, character and with a bias for action. Together, we can make the world better.”
Coe’s Commencement ceremonies will be May 1-2 at Clark Field. Both the classes of 2020 and 2021 will be celebrated in separate ceremonies, as the 2020 ceremony was postponed due to COVID-19. This year, there will be a limited number of guests to maintain established social distancing measures. However, many of Coe’s beloved graduation traditions, such as the ringing of the Victory Bell, will return.
Both ceremonies will feature Clark as the Commencement speaker. In his address, he will ask critical questions like “Who cares about the future and making it a better place?” and “How can you develop yourself and the world at Warp Speed?” He will draw upon his experiences to explain how to convert a vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle.
Clark’s remarks at Commencement will be a family affair. He is married to fellow Coe grad Katie Kraft Clark ’95, and they will be in Cedar Rapids celebrating their son, Griffin Clark ’21, who will be participating in the Commencement ceremony as a graduating senior. Like his father, Griffin is also a Cadet in the Army ROTC program.