Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant to Speak at 2026 Commencement
Los Angeles, CA (April 24, 2026) — Wildlife ecologist Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant will deliver The Archer School for Girls’ Commencement address on May 22, 2026, at The Skirball Cultural Center.
“When we consider speakers for Archer’s commencement, what is most important is that she is a woman who, through courage, imagination, and purpose, has a story that will remind our graduates that there are no limits to what is possible for them,” says Head of School Elizabeth English. “Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant has ascended in a field where women are underrepresented, and has done it in a way that is fundamentally hopeful and inspirational.”
Dr. Wynn-Grant is a scientist, conservationist, equity and justice advocate, and storyteller whose career is defined by daring. With research focused on how human activity influences the behavior of wild animals, she spends long periods in the wilderness tracking and observing black and grizzly bears in the United States, and African lions in Kenya and Tanzania. Her wildlife exploration and media work has taken her to over 25 countries across six continents.
A native Californian, Dr. Wynn-Grant attributes her interest in wildlife and conservation from the nature shows she watched on television as a child. She now uses media to increase representation of Black scientists and explorers. She currently hosts the NBC series, Wild Kingdom, a new version of the iconic wildlife show that first aired in 1963. She is also the host of Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, a PBS podcast that takes listeners into the heart of the world’s most remote environments to study wild animals in their natural habitats.
In September 2025, Dr. Wynn-Grant released her memoir, Wild Life: Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World, which tells the story of her nearly twenty-year career in the wild—carving a niche and overcoming challenges while shedding light on our pivotal relationship and responsibility to the natural world.
Dr. Wynn-Grant received her PhD in Ecology and Evolution from Columbia University and is a faculty member at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at University of California, Santa Barbara. She envisions a near-future where the outdoors is a safe, equitably accessible, and positively transformative space for all people.
Dr. Wynn-Grant is expected to speak about her philosophies around personal adventure and exploration to support coming of age. She says, “Being a woman in this world today is a gift, yet no two paths into womanhood are alike. Now is a beautiful time to take notice of how journeys in the world and journeys in the mind and heart both shape us into the women we will become.”
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About The Archer School for Girls
The Archer School for Girls nurtures the fearlessness, compassion, and resilience girls need to pursue their brilliance. Backed by research and supported by expert faculty, Archer prepares girls to become confident, ethical leaders in the 21st century. Archer was founded in 1995 by three visionary women who believed that girls thrive in an environment of their own. Thirty years later, its tremendous growth to 500 students on a seven-acre historic Sunset Boulevard campus is a testament to its role as a model of the girls’ school renaissance.
For more information, follow The Archer School for Girls on LinkedIn and Instagram @archerschoolforgirls or visit archer.org.
The Archer School for Girls admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or other legally protected status to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or other legally protected status in its hiring or in the administration of its educational policies and programs, admissions policies, financial aid programs or other school-administered programs.
The Archer School for Girls’ mission is to educate students in an environment specifically designed for girls. As such, the school will consider any candidate for admission who identifies as a girl. Once admitted to Archer, all students in good academic standing who abide by Archer’s code of conduct and who meet requirements for graduation will be eligible to receive an Archer diploma, regardless of any change in sexual identity or other legally protected status.
