Matt O’Donnell, co-anchor of “Action News Mornings in Philadelphia,” will return to his alma mater to deliver the University of Delaware Commencement address to the Class of 2025, UD President Dennis Assanis announced today.

“We are thrilled to welcome back to campus a proud UD alumnus who is an accomplished broadcast journalist covering the latest news,” Assanis said. “Having interviewed dignitaries, celebrities, professional athletes and so many other notable personalities for nearly 30 years, Matt has embodied the highest journalistic standards as he has reported on engaging stories locally, nationally and internationally. The wisdom, insights and perspectives he has gained are sure to inspire the members of the Class of 2025 at this important moment in their lives.”

The University’s 175th Commencement ceremony, scheduled at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, May 24, in Delaware Stadium on the University’s Newark campus, is a ticketed event, open only to graduating students and up to four guests. An estimated 4,000 graduates are expected to attend, with approximately 16,000 family and friends. The ceremony also will be livestreamed.

About Matt O’Donnell

A 1994 UD graduate, O’Donnell is an engaged alumnus, serving on the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Council, which advises and assists the dean on matters related to nurturing relationships between the college and its graduates and the wider community.

At UD, O’Donnell earned his degree in English/journalism, with a minor in political science. He was news director of WVUD-fm and also worked as a reporter for The Review.

In addition to anchoring “Action News Mornings,” O’Donnell is co-host of the Sunday political show “Inside Story,” where panelists debate important issues we face and newsmakers who make the decisions are challenged. He also hosts and produces the True Philadelphia Podcast, discussing what is great about the Philadelphia region with local celebrities, athletes, journalists, activists, political leaders and others.

Since joining Action News as a general assignment reporter in December 1996, O’Donnell has reported on news in virtually every community in the Delaware and Lehigh valleys, and he has tackled assignments that took him across the country and around the world. He has covered three political conventions, interviewed three presidents and covered countless pivotal stories that have shaped the region.

His career has included joining the Air Force National Guard on a trip to England shortly after 9/11; flying supersonic with a member of the Blue Angels over Atlantic City; living in the Brazilian rainforest for four days with experts from the Philadelphia Zoo to help protect the golden lion tamarin; interviewing everyone from Barack Obama, John McCain, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump to Kevin Bacon, Morgan Freeman, Naomi Judd and James Brown; spending two days along the Jersey Shore awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Irene; joining the Eagles on a playoff run; and covering the Eagles and Phillies championship parades. 

O’Donnell began his career in upstate New York just after graduating from UD, serving as a do-it-yourself news reporter at WICZ-TV in Binghamton, where he covered local news and politics. He then moved to WSTM-TV in Syracuse, New York, where he tracked down an accused murderer for an exclusive interview, visited a community that saw 300-plus inches of snowfall in one season and provided daily coverage of a gruesome series of deaths that would become the basis of the cable series "Village of the Damned."

O’Donnell lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with his wife, two children and dog Bailey. He plays drums in a local rock band and competes in a number of local golf tournaments. He says he still hopes to be the first reporter to do a live shot from Mars.

For more information on UD’s Commencement ceremony, visit udel.edu/commencement.