<p>NYU SPS announced two keynote speakers for the School’s 2026 graduation ceremonies, which occur May 14 and 15 at NYC’s famed Radio City Music Hall.</p> <p>Jonathan M. Tisch, retired executive chairman of Loews Hotels &amp; Co., will address the Division of Applied Undergraduate Studies (DAUS), the Tisch Center for Hospitality, the Tisch Institute for Global Sport, and the Schack Institute of Real Estate graduates on the evening of May 14. Heidi Richter, vice president and executive director of publicity for the William Morrow Group at HarperCollins Publishers, will address the Center for Global Affairs, the Center for Publishing, Writing, and Media, and the Division of Programs in Business (DPB) graduates on the evening of May 15.</p> <p>Tisch served on the Loews Board of Directors from 1986 to 2024, including as co-chairman from 2006 to 2024. At Loews Hotels &amp; Co., he served as executive chairman from 2023 to 2025, after previously holding the role of chairman and CEO. He was an officer of the company from 1986 to 2025. In 2017, he was honored by NYU SPS with the naming of the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, of which he has been a driving force for years.</p>

<p>Richter has been behind some of the most talked-about releases over the last ten years with notable authors such as Cher, Bunnie Xo, Jada Pinkett Smith, Dave Grohl, Gabrielle Union, RuPaul, Jose Antonio Vargas, and Samantha Power. She holds an MS in Publishing from NYU, where she has also served as an adjunct professor for the SPS Publishing program since 2022.</p>