Kean Names Pulitzer-Prize Winning Journalist Jodi Kantor, Acclaimed Actress and Alumna Holly Taylor as 2023 Commencement Speakers

Author and investigative reporter Jodi Kantor, of The New York Times, and critically acclaimed actress and Kean alumna Holly Taylor ’21 will be the featured speakers at Kean University’s graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies in May.

Kantor, whose pioneering reporting with colleague Megan Twohey on the Harvey Weinstein Hollywood sexual abuse scandal launched the #MeToo movement, will address the Graduate Commencement ceremony at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on Tuesday, May 16. She and Twohey also authored the book about the Weinstein story, She Said, which was turned into a major motion picture.

Taylor is best known for her starring role as Paige Jennings in the Emmy/Golden Globe/Peabody-winning FX series The Americans. Taylor currently stars as Angelina Meyer in one of Netflix’s most streamed series, Manifest. Prior to this, Taylor starred in the action thriller film Rogue Hostage as well as the Dolly Parton/Netflix anthology series Heartstrings. She also had a recurring role on ABC’s The Good Doctor. Outside of acting, Taylor is a dancer who appeared in Billy Elliot on Broadway for two years. She will speak at Kean’s Undergraduate Commencement at the Prudential Center in Newark on Thursday, May 18. 

“Kean University is proud to name two women who are leaders in their respective fields as our 2023 commencement speakers. Holly Taylor, who we are also thrilled to claim as a Kean graduate, and Jodi Kantor each have powerful messages to share,” said Kean President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D. “We know these speakers will add to the spirit of achievement and celebration for our graduates at both ceremonies.”

Kean University Board of Trustees Chair Steve Fastook ’06H said each of the Commencement speakers stands as an impressive role model for Kean’s graduating class. 

“At Commencement we celebrate our students and the hard work it took for them to achieve this important milestone in their lives,” Fastook said. “The professional dedication and excellence of our speakers stand as an inspiration to the Class of 2023 as they pursue their professional and personal goals.”

In addition to her work on the Weinstein investigative story, Kantor has reported on detrimental employee scheduling and work issues at Starbucks and Amazon. She also wrote about Harvard Business School’s attempt to change its climate for women, prompting a nationwide discussion about women in business schools.

In addition to her impressive acting credits, Taylor is a talented graphic designer, who graduated summa cum laude from Kean’s Robert Busch School of Design in 2021 with a degree in Graphic Design: Advertising. While at Kean, she balanced her acting career with her studies. After graduation, Taylor designed the cover and inside illustrations for Distinguished Professor Robin Landa’s latest book, The New Art of Ideas: Unlock Your Creative Potential. Taylor’s oil paintings were recently displayed in her first solo gallery show at Urbana Gallery in New York City.