Rafael López will serve as the keynote speaker for more than 400 graduates at the Albany State University 2016 spring Commencement ceremony 10 a.m., Saturday, at the Albany James H. Gray Sr. Civic Center.

Nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate, Rafael López is the Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Throughout his extensive career, López has served in numerous roles at the national, state, city and county level.  Prior to his service at the White House, López was an associate director at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private, national philanthropy devoted to developing a brighter future for millions of children at risk of poor educational, economic, social and health outcomes. Previously, López served as the President and CEO of The Family League of Baltimore City, Inc. where he was a member of the Baltimore City Mayor’s Cabinet.

López is an alumnus of Vassar College in Arlington, New York and the University of California Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, Calif., where he graduated with honors in American Studies. He is a graduate of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Mass., where he earned a Master of Public Administration and was named a Lucius N. Littauer Fellow.

The ASU Class of 1966 will be recognized at this year’s commencement. Participants will join the graduation processional. The class will celebrate its 50-year reunion with a reception at 4 p.m., Friday, May 13, in the L. Orene Hall building, located on ASU’s campus.

The U.S. Army ROTC commissioning ceremony will also take place after the conferring of degrees.