(AP) Dr. Nirav Shah will deliver the commencement address at the largest private university in the state.

The Maine CDC director is slated to speak to graduates of University of New England during the university’s May 15 and 16 commencement exercises. The university said Thursday Shah will deliver remarks via video at each of the university’s six individual college graduation ceremonies.

Shah has been the public face of Maine’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, and his regular briefings have earned him a following of admirers online. One such fan group, “Fans of Dr. Nirav Shah,” boasts more than 38,000 members on Facebook.

Shah became director of Maine CDC in June 2019. Shah said he extends “deep gratitude to the entire University of New England community for this honor.”

The university is scheduled to award more than 1,800 degrees this year. It’s home to the only medical school in Maine.