May 15, 2025 - Education
Commencement season brings prominent speakers to Boston campuses
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Spring in Boston means college commencement and graduation ceremonies around every corner.
- For students, it's the culmination of years of hard work. For the rest of us, it means restaurants full of proud families, traffic headaches and clogged sidewalks.
Here's a rundown of upcoming commencement ceremonies and speakers so you can join in the revelry — or just stay well away from campus chaos that day.
Friday
- Bentley University: Outgoing Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao.
- New England Law Boston: Former Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis, who led the Boston Marathon bombing response.
- UMass Amherst: David Korins, the set designer behind "Hamilton" and other Broadway productions.
Saturday
- Babson College: Alum and Boston Globe Media CEO Linda Henry.
- Bentley University: CEO of Delaware North and alternate governor of the Bruins Jerry Jacobs Jr.
- Endicott College: Sully Sullenberger, pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, "the miracle on the Hudson."
Sunday
- Boston University: Actor, producer and director Emily Deschanel, from "Bones."
- Stonehill College: Red Sox radio announcer Joe Castiglione.
- Tufts University: Former University of Maryland, Baltimore County president Freeman A. Hrabowski III.
Monday, May 19
- Boston College: Carnegie Corporation of New York president Louise Richardson.
Thursday, May 22
- Bunker Hill Community College: Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll.
May 28
- Harvard University: Basketball legend and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will speak at Class Day.
May 29
- Harvard University: Physician and author Abraham Verghese is Harvard's commencement speaker.
- UMass Boston: Attorney General Andrea Campbell.
- MIT: YouTube educator Hank Green.
Came and went:
- Berklee College of Music honored André 3000 and Sara Bareilles with honorary Doctor of Music degrees May 10.
- Emmanuel College: Alum Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan on May 10.
- Fisher College: Boston Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez delivered the commencement address May 10.
- Emerson College: The pride of Norwell, actress Jennifer Coolidge, spoke at her alma mater May 11.
- Northeastern University: Atlantic Music Group CEO Elliot Grainge spoke May 11.