Graduation season is upon us.
Among the speakers who will address college undergraduates this year are Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, and former New Jersey governor and presidential candidate Chris Christie.
Grads will also hear from renowned musical artists; presidents of prominent companies; and writers, doctors, and activists who have had an international impact after graduating from their alma maters.
With ceremonies kicking off soon at various universities throughout Massachusetts, here’s your full guide to the notable names delivering keynote addresses at commencement ceremonies throughout May and June.
Anna Maria College
Who’s speaking?
Dr. Eric W. Dickson, president and CEO of UMass Memorial Health, the largest nonprofit health care system in central Massachusetts.
Advertisement
When: 10 a.m. Monday, May 13
Where: DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester
Assumption University
Who’s speaking?
Aaron Dominguez, a particle physicist who currently serves as the provost at the Catholic University of America. Dominguez will discuss how a variety of academic disciplines, including the natural sciences, contribute to the university’s Catholic mission.
When: 10 a.m. Sunday, May 12
Where: DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester
Click here to view the livestream.
Babson College
Who’s speaking?
Arthur Blank, cofounder of The Home Depot and owner of PGA Tour Superstore, the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, and MLS’s Atlanta United FC.
When: 9:45 a.m. Saturday, May 11
Where: Babson College’s upper athletic fields
Click here to view the livestream.
Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology
Who’s speaking?
Joyce and Bill Cummings, cofounders of the Cummings Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in New England providing grants to local nonprofits for a broad range of causes, including human services, education, health care, and social justice.
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: Franklin Cummings Tech auditorium, 41 Berkeley St., Boston
Click here to view the livestream.
Bentley University
Who’s speaking?
Advertisement
Joe Preston, president and CEO of New Balance. Preston also serves on the boards of the Sports Museum, the American Apparel & Footwear Association, and the Retail Industry Leaders Association.
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: Peter Yetten Football Stadium
Click here to view the livestream.
Berklee College of Music
Who’s speaking?
Ledisi, Q-Tip, and Gilberto Santa Rosa, Grammy Award–winning artists and international music stars. Ledisi has been known to redefine the soul and R&B genres and for her chart-topping singles such as “Pieces of Me.” Q-Tip is famously known for cofounding the hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Santa Rosa, a prominent popular music figure, is a highly successful Latin music vocalist.
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 11
Where: Agganis Arena, 925 Commonwealth Ave., Boston
Click here to view the livestream.
Boston Architectural College
Who’s speaking?
Tatiana Bilbao, a renowned Mexican architect who is committed to “incorporating culture, people, and thoughtful design methods into her work,” according to the BAC website.
When: 11 a.m. Friday, May 24
Where: Berklee Performance Center, 136 Massachusetts Ave., Boston
Click here to view the livestream.
Boston College
Who’s speaking?
Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., bishop of Hong Kong and a proponent of closer ties between the Vatican and China.
When: 10 a.m. Monday, May 20
Where: Alumni Stadium, 2604 Beacon St., Chestnut Hill
Click here to view the livestream.
Boston University
Who’s speaking?
David Grann, best-selling author of “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
When: 1 p.m. Sunday, May 19
Advertisement
Where: Nickerson Field, 1010 Commonwealth Ave., Boston
Brandeis University
Who’s speaking?
Ken Burns, the award-winning documentary filmmaker. His films have been honored with 17 Emmys, two Grammys, and two Oscar nominations.
When: 9 a.m. Sunday, May 19
Where: Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, 415 South St., Waltham
Click here to view the livestream.
Bridgewater State University
Who’s speaking?
Jay Ash, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership.
When: 10 a.m. (colleges of business, education and health sciences, and science and mathematics) and 4 p.m. (college of humanities and social sciences) Saturday, May 11
Where: Gillette Stadium
Click here to view the livestream.
Bunker Hill Community College
Who’s speaking?
Maura Healey, governor of Massachusetts. In 2022, Healey became the state’s first woman and first openly LGBTQ person elected to the position.
When: 11 a.m. Thursday, May 23
Where: MGM Music Hall at Fenway, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston
Clark University
Who’s speaking?
Dr. Robert Bullard, the distinguished professor of urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University, where he founded and directs the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. He is also cofounder of the HBCU Climate Change Consortium and the National Black Environmental Justice Network, and in 2021 he was appointed by President Biden to serve on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council.
When: 10 a.m. Monday, May 20
Where: DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester
Click here to view the livestream.
College of the Holy Cross
Who’s speaking?
Laurie Leshin, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and former president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Advertisement
When: 10:15 a.m. Friday, May 24
Where: DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester
Click here to view the livestream.
Curry College
Who’s speaking?
Adrianne Haslet, a survivor of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing who was previously a full-time professional ballroom dancer. Haslet lost her left leg in the attack and has previously documented her journey navigating life as an amputee.
When: 10 a.m. Sunday, May 19
Where: Xfinity Center, 885 S Main St., Mansfield
Click here to view the livestream.
Dean College
Who’s speaking?
Michael J. Bobbitt, a theater director, choreographer, and playwright and the executive director of the Mass Cultural Council.
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: The front lawn of Dean Hall, along Awpie Way, Franklin
Click here to view the livestream.
Emerson College
Who’s speaking?
Randy Barbato, director, producer, and cofounder of the multiplatform entertainment company behind the Emmy Award-winning show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
When: 10 a.m. Sunday, May 12
Where: Agganis Arena, 925 Commonwealth Ave., Boston
Click here to view the livestream.
Emmanuel College
Who’s speaking?
Jack Connors, Jr., a business leader and philanthropist who is a founding partner of Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos Inc., a full-service marketing communications company. Connors has been active in the philanthropic scene in Boston, serving on boards and leading civic campaigns.
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: Emmanuel College’s Fenway campus
Endicott College
Who’s speaking?
Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor and presidential candidate. As a lawyer, Christie served on the presidential campaigns of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. He was then appointed US attorney for the District of New Jersey. The Republican was elected as New Jersey governor in 2009, remained in office until 2018, and ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 and 2024.
Advertisement
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: Hempstead Stadium
Click here to view the livestream.
Fisher College
Who’s speaking?
Sal Lupoli, founder and CEO of Lupoli Companies and Sal’s Pizza. Lupoli first opened the local chain in Salem, N.H., in 1990, and has grown it into one of the largest retail franchise and wholesale operations nationwide with more than 100 locations and products in 2,000 schools and grocery stores, MassLive reported.
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 11
Where: Back Bay Events Center, 180 Berkeley St., Boston
Fitchburg State University
Who’s speaking?
Yla Eason, founder of Olmec Toys, a multiracial toy company dedicated to fighting the racial imbalance in toys and superheroes that has reached over $5 million in sales. Eason is also an assistant professor of professional practice at the Rutgers University Business School in New Jersey.
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: The campus’s main quadrangle
Click here to view the livestream.
Framingham State University
Who’s speaking?
Dr. Alisha Moreland-Capuia, a physician, author, researcher, and trauma expert who founded and directs McLean Hospital’s Institute for Trauma-Informed Systems Change. Moreland-Capuia is also an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, and author of “Training for Change: Transforming Systems to be Trauma-Informed, Culturally Responsive, and Neuroscientifically Focused” as well as “The Trauma of Racism: Exploring the People and Systems Fear Built.”
When: 10 a.m. Sunday, May 19
Where: DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester
Click here to view the livestream.
Hampshire College
Who’s speaking?
Chelsea E. Manning, a technologist and author known for her role as an intelligence analyst for the US Department of Defense when she disclosed classified documents that revealed alleged human rights abuses and corruption connected to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through op-ed columns for the Guardian and The New York Times, Manning has discussed the social, technological, and economic ramifications of artificial intelligence, and advocated for government transparency and queer and transgender rights.
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: The campus’s library lawn
Click here to view the livestream.
Harvard University
Who’s speaking?
Maria Ressa, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and free-speech advocate who faced multiple prison terms while documenting humanitarian abuses by the Philippine government. Ressa covered Southeast Asia for CNN for two decades, then founded the online news site Rappler in 2012.
When: 9:30 a.m. Thursday, May 23
Where: Tercentenary Theatre in Harvard Yard, 1 Church St., Cambridge
Click here to view the livestream.
Lasell University
Who’s speaking?
Deborah B. Goldberg, Massachusetts state treasurer and receiver general. Before becoming state treasurer, Goldberg was a member and chair of Brookline’s Board of Selectmen.
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 11
Where: Taylor Field, 200 Woodland Road, Auburndale
Click here to view the livestream.
Lesley University
Who’s speaking?
Sy Montgomery, a naturalist and author of 34 books for adults and children.
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: Leader Bank Pavilion, 290 Northern Ave., Boston
Click here to view the livestream.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Who’s speaking?
Elisa Hamilton, a Boston-based multimedia visual artist.
When: 1 p.m. Thursday, May 16
Where: Leader Bank Pavilion, 290 Northern Ave, Boston
Click here to view the livestream.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Who’s speaking?
Shannon Holsey, three-term president of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, on whose ancestral land the MCLA sits, its website said. Before becoming president, Holsey served eight years as a member of the tribal council.
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, May 11
Where: Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium, 375 Church St., North Adams
Click here to view the livestream.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Who’s speaking?
Noubar Afeyan, inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who has cofounded and developed over 70 life-science and technology startups, including Flagship Pioneering and Moderna, which invented and produced an effective COVID-19 vaccine.
When: 3 p.m. Thursday, May 30
Where: Killian Court, 222 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Click here to view the livestream.
Montserrat College of Art
Who’s speaking?
Nontsikelelo Mutiti, a visual artist, assistant professor, and Director of Graduate Studies in Graphic Design at the Yale School of Art.
When: 10 a.m. Friday, May 17
Where: The Cabot Performing Arts Center, 286 Cabot St, Beverly
Click here to view the livestream.
Mount Holyoke College
Who’s speaking?
Suchi Saria, an associate professor of computer science at the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering and of statistics and health policy at the university’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. She directs the Machine Learning and Healthcare Lab and is the founding research director of the Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare.
When: 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 19
Where: Pageant Green
Click here to view the livestream.
New England Conservatory
Who’s speaking?
Paul Simon, songwriter, aritst, and philanthropist of the musical duo Simon and Garfunkel.
When: 2 p.m. Sunday, May 19
Where: Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough St, Boston
Northeastern University
Who’s speaking?
Pam Melroy, a deputy administrator for NASA, astronaut who traveled to space three times, and one of only two women to command a shuttle mission.
When: 10 a.m. Sunday, May 5
Where: Fenway Park
Regis College
Who’s speaking?
Alix Dorsainvil, a New Hampshire nurse who serves as a community health care nurse at El Roi Haiti, a Christian humanitarian aid organization in Haiti. Dorsainvil and her young daughter were kidnapped during the summer of 2023 and released after 13 days in captivity.
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 11
Where: Leader Bank Pavilion, 290 Northern Ave., Boston
Click here to view the livestream.
Roxbury Community College
Who’s speaking?
Latoyia Edwards, Emmy award-winning NBC10 Boston and NECN anchor.
When: 1 p.m. Friday, May 17
Where: Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont St., Boston
Click here to view the livestream.
Salem State University
Who’s speaking?
Patrick Tutwiler, Massachusetts secretary of education, will address the the McKeown School of Education and certain programs in the College of Arts and Sciences. Brian Kelly, owner of Kelly Automotive Group, will address the Bertolon School of Business and the remaining programs in College of Arts and Sciences.
When: 3 p.m. Friday, May 17 and 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: The Richard B. O’Keefe Complex, 225 Canal St.., Salem
Click here to access a link to the livestream.
Simmons University
Who’s speaking?
Dr. Meredith Woo, an academic and author who the university said is a “stalwart in championing women’s education.” Woo served as the president of Sweet Briar College and Dean of Arts and Science at the University of Virginia, and is now on the faculty of Arizona State University.
When: 9 a.m. Friday, May 17
Where: MGM Music Hall at Fenway, 2 Lansdowne St., Boston
Click here to view the livestream.
Smith College
Who’s speaking?
Smith’s commencement will feature five speakers: María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado, poet laureate and feminist intersectional educator; Ruth E. Carter, two-time Academy Award winning American film costume designer; Ertharin Cousin, CEO & managing director of Food Systems for the Future; Jill Lepore, award-winning academic, journalist, and writer; and Reeta Roy, CEO of Mastercard Foundation.
When: 10 a.m. Sunday, May 19
Where: The Quadrangle on Smith’s campus.
Click here to view the livestream.
Springfield College
Who’s speaking?
Martin Dobrow, a Springfield communications professor, author, and national-award-winning journalist with interests in civil rights, sports, and social justice.
When: 9:30 a.m. Sunday, May 12
Where: The MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield
Click here to view the livestream.
Stonehill College
Who’s speaking?
Ed Cooley, head coach of the Georgetown University men’s basketball program. Cooley previously served as an assistant coach at Stonehill College, Boston College, the University of Rhode Island, and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
When: 10 a.m. Sunday, May 19
Where: The campus’s main quadrangle
Click here to view the livestream.
Suffolk University
Who’s speaking?
Robert Wolf, presidential adviser and former CEO of UBS Americas, will address both undergraduate and graduate students of the Sawyer Business School. Kimberly Budd, chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, will address undergraduates and graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences.
When: 9 a.m. (business school) and 1:30 p.m. (college of arts and sciences) Sunday, May 19
Where: Leader Bank Pavilion, 290 Northern Ave., Boston
Tufts University
Who’s speaking?
Fiona Hill, foreign intelligence adviser and author. Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, served in three different US presidential administrations, both Democratic and Republican, providing expertise on Russian-American relations.
When: 9:30 a.m. Sunday, May 19
Where: The Green between Ballou Hall and Bendetson Hall
Click here to view the livestream.
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Who’s speaking?
Colson Whitehead, author and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner whose 2016 and 2019 novels “The Underground Railroad” and “The Nickel Boys” received widespread acclaim.
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Stadium Drive, Amherst
Click here to view the livestream.
University of Massachusetts Boston
Who’s speaking?
Kim Driscoll, lieutenant governor of Massachusetts. Before becoming lieutenant governor in 2023, Driscoll served as the mayor of Salem since 2006.
When: 9:30 a.m. Thursday, May 23
Where: Campus Center Lawn, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston
Click here to view the livestream.
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Who’s speaking?
UMass Dartmouth’s commencements will feature student speakers. Alexis Petty, an honors student graduating with a bachelor of science in physics, will address the undergraduate class. Petty has juggled medical conditions as a student, and aspires to become a radiation therapy medical physicist focused on pediatric care, the UMass Dartmouth website said.
When: 10 a.m. Thursday, May 16
Where: Cressy Field, 285 Old Westport Rd., North Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Who’s speaking?
The speakers at UMass Lowell’s undergraduate ceremonies will be graduating students who exemplify the university’s experience, a college spokesperson said. This year’s student speakers are Archange Lombo, a computer science major and native of the Democratic Republic of Congo who served as president of the university’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, and Cassidy DeMalia, a criminal justice major who founded and served as president of the university’s Legal Studies Society.
When: 9 a.m. (colleges of engineering, sciences, and health sciences) and 2 p.m. (colleges of fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and business) Saturday, May 11
Where: Tsongas Center, 300 Arcand Drive, Lowell
Wellesley College
Who’s speaking?
Michelle Au, a member of the Georgia House of Representatives and a physician, author, and gun safety advocate.
When: 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 17
Where: Severance Green
Click here to view the livestream.
Western New England University
Who’s speaking?
Latoyia Edwards, Emmy award-winning NBC10 Boston and NECN anchor, who is also speaking at the Roxbury Community College commencement.
When: 10 a.m. Sunday, May 19
Where: MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield
Click here to view the livestream.
Westfield State University
Who’s speaking?
Mary Louise McDonald, president of Ireland’s Sinn Féin political party and leader of the opposition in the national parliament. McDonald has served on committees for public expenditure and reform, and on the future of mental health, according to Westfield State’s website.
When: 12 p.m. Friday, May 17
Where: MassMutual Center, 1277 Main St., Springfield
Click here to view the livestream.
Wheaton College
Who’s speaking?
Dr. Carol Samuels-Botts, a retired award-winning pediatrician who has cared for thousands of patients and families, promoting healthy living principles and treating childhood illness, according to Wheaton’s website. Also speaking are Lawrence S. Bacow, former president of Harvard and Tufts Universities, and Mónica Guzmán, journalist and author of I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times.
When: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 18
Where: the Dimple, the campus’s central green
Click here to view the livestream.
Williams College
Who’s speaking?
Lonnie G. Bunch III, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Bunch oversees 21 museums, 21 libraries, the National Zoo, numerous research centers and several education units and centers. He was previously the founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and has been named one of the 100 most influential museum professionals of the 20th century by the American Association of Museums, according to the Williams website.
When: 9:30 a.m. Sunday, June 2
Where: Williams Quad, 26 Hopkins Hall Drive, Williamstown
Click here to view the livestream.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Who’s speaking?
Nancy Pimental, an award-winning television producer and writer for the hit Showtime series “Shameless.” Pimental has written more than 20 television and movie scripts and was nominated for Emmy awards for her work as a co-host of the game show “Win Ben Stein’s Money” and as a writer on the hit animated television series “South Park.”
When: 2 p.m. Friday, May 10
Where: DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester
Click here to view the livestream.
Globe correspondent Ava Berger contributed to this report.
Madeline Khaw can be reached at maddie.khaw@globe.com. Follow her @maddiekhaw.