Aakash Shah, M.D., believes deeply in bringing your head, heart, and hands together to make a difference in the lives of others. An addiction and emergency room doctor at Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH), Dr. Shah has done just that through roles that have helped to shape national healthcare policy and increase access to care.

Dr. Shah will deliver the address at the 146th commencement of Centenary University at two ceremonies on Saturday, May 8, University President Bruce Murphy, Ed.D., announced last week.

The university will also present Dr. Shah with a Doctor of Science, honoris causa, to recognize his extraordinary contributions to public health.

Last year, Dr. Shah helped diagnose the earliest confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey. As the pandemic began to surge, he put in long hours in the emergency room, while also assisting nonprofits in the area to adapt their operations to rapidly changing guidance on the pandemic.

A member of the transition team for New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Dr. Shah was also honored at the White House during the Obama administration with Be Jersey Strong, a grassroots effort he founded to increase accessibility to coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Reflecting on the pandemic and other challenges that face the nation, Dr. Shah said that young people, like the students at Centenary University, have the power to affect positive change.

“The student volunteers at Be Jersey Strong found a way to make the world measurably better, and I think the ripple effect of those actions was significant. Today’s students—and indeed, every one of us—can also find ways, big or small, to make an impact, whatever your calling happens to be.”