Global Innovator Rashida A. Hodge To Address 2024 Graduates

NC State will celebrate the class of 2024 during its fall commencement ceremony in the Lenovo Center on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 9 a.m. Rashida A. Hodge, a global leader at the forefront of emerging technologies and two-time NC State alumna, will deliver the commencement address.

Hodge has spent more than 20 years pioneering the launch and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) for companies like Microsoft and IBM. She currently serves as the corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Customer Success Azure Data and AI team.

Prior to working with Microsoft, Hodge led the commercialization and global launch of IBM Watson to secure the organization’s position as a global thought leader in AI. Her background includes extensive work with international business in more than 70 countries and international assignments in Shenzhen, China, and Bratislava, Slovakia.

Hodge holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in industrial engineering from NC State. She also earned an MBA from Duke University. In 2012, she founded the Real Hope for NextGen Engineers Endowment at NC State to create new opportunities for the next generation of female and minority leaders. 

In 2020, Hodge was named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40 in technology. She was also named NC Tech Woman of the Year in 2021 and received the Triangle Business Journal’s Women in Business Award in 2022. She currently serves on NC State’s Board of Visitors.

Graduating students and university leaders will also share remarks during the ceremony. For more information on the ceremony, visit the university’s commencement website.