2026 Commencement Speakers
About CUNY BA's Student Speaker
Victoria Farrell is a graduating senior pursuing a CUNY BA degree in Human-Centered Design & Media. Born and raised in Long Island, she is a first-generation Filipino American and the first person in her family to graduate from college. Victoria served as the Chairman of the Policy Board of Administration at her home college, Queens College. Before returning to school, Victoria worked in finance as a UX Designer where she served on her company’s DEI Committee and Employee Resource Group. Victoria is an advocate for community health; volunteering with Punk Rock Saves Lives where she registers people for the National Bone Marrow Registry and hands out harm reduction supplies at local concerts. Currently, she works as a legal assistant at an Elder Care law firm where she advocates for the rights of the elderly and disabled. In addition to this, Victoria is also a visual artist who recently launched her own design studio, Lazy Dawg Draws. She has used her artistic talents to design for organizations such as The New York State Bar Association and the North American Elder Law Committee. In her free time, she enjoys seeing live music, painting with friends, getting tattooed, and spending time with her two dogs, Charlie and Louie. After graduation, Victoria plans on pursuing her JD with the intention of becoming a public defender.
About CUNY BA's Alumni Speaker
Vasu Panicker is a turnaround and systems strategist who works on financially and operationally complex situations inside large, multi-layered institutions. These environments involve critical public services and multi-billion-dollar budgets, often serving millions of people. He traces how money and decisions move, identifies where they break down, and helps leaders act with clarity.
A native of New York City and proud product of its public school system, Vasu began his career as a musician, composer, and educator. He led a nationally recognized contemporary youth ensemble in NYC, where he expanded artistic programming and recruitment to reflect the cultural and creative tapestry of the city. His work focused on expanding young musicians’ engagement with—and understanding of—contemporary and experimental repertoire, particularly the work of living composers.
He helps large, public-serving organizations operate more coherently and deliver lasting outcomes.
Vasu serves on the Board of Directors of the Kronos Performing Arts Association and Kronos Quartet, where he chairs the Governance Committee and supports efforts to expand access to contemporary music and education for audiences around the world. He also maintains an active practice in music composition and production.
Vasu earned a B.S. in Contemporary Music Studies from the CUNY Baccalaureate for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies in 2010, where he designed his degree around music and social systems. He earned an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley — Haas School of Business, where he pursued management consulting and conducted independent research examining how revenue is generated, structured, and sustained across creative and cultural industries.
He is also a certified yoga teacher and meditation instructor.
About CUNY BA's Faculty Speaker
Eli Neugeboren is an award-winning artist, writer, and associate professor who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. His most recent work, the graphic novel, Whatever Happened to Frankie King, was named one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Top Picks of 2024. His work was also included in COVID Chronicles: A Comics Anthology (Graphic Mundi/Penn State Press) and Weapon ECCH! (100% Comics). He regularly collaborates with the streetwear brand Always Trophy Hunting and YouTube celebrity chef Michael Greenfield of Pro Home Cooks. His #drawingthenews body of work, with over 1800 drawings in it, has illustrations have won multiple awards and been included in numerous gallery shows around the United States.