Yale School of Nursing (YSN) is delighted to announce US Treasurer and Chief of the Mohegan Tribe Lynn Malerba ’15 DNP as the 2023 Commencement speaker. Dr. Malerba made history in the fall of 2022 as the first Native American to serve as Treasurer, and her signature on the nation’s currency is the first inked by a Tribal leader and a Native American woman.
Dr. Malerba’s autograph is accompanied by the personal script of US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen ’71 PhD, marking the first time in history that the signatures of two women have appeared on American monetary notes. The first bills, in denominations of $1 and $5, entered circulation earlier this year.
“Dr. Malerba has been a trailblazer throughout her nursing and her federal service career,” said Interim Dean Holly Powell Kennedy. “When she became the 18th Chief of the Mohegan Tribe in 2010, she became the first female leader in the Tribe’s modern history. There have been many times that she was the only indigenous person in the room, or the only woman in the room, or the only nurse in the room where decisions are being made. And she understands both the power and the responsibility of being a member of the nation’s most trusted profession. I eagerly look forward to her remarks.”
During the fall semester, as part of a broader conversation on nursing and healthcare topics, Dr. Malerba encouraged nurses, students, and healthcare providers to keep talking, keep asking questions, and keep learning.
“I’m so proud of all the Yale Nursing students,” Dr. Malerba said. “They engage with the global community. They’re not insular—they’re really looking at how do we improve life and how do we improve health for everyone.”
Commencement will take place on May 22. For more information on university ceremonies and celebrations, visit commencement.yale.edu.