TOMORROW: 900 Eastern students to receive bachelor's degrees at XL Center, spurred by keynote speaker Dr. Mary Grant

by Michael Rouleau

Willimantic, CT (05/19/2025) — Eastern Connecticut State University will graduate more than 900 undergraduates on May 20 during its 135th Commencement Exercises at the XL Center in Hartford at 3 p.m. Dr. Mary K. Grant, president of Massachusetts College of Art and Design, will be the ceremony's honorary degree recipient and keynote speaker.

The bachelor's degree recipients come from Eastern's School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education and Professional Studies. The ceremony will also stream live on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZRvnC70L6ec

For media:

Members of the media will have backstage access before the start of the ceremony, where graduates will be available for interviews and photos.
Several Eastern graduates advancing into prestigious graduate programs and career positions have already indicated their willingness to interview.
See photos and program booklet in URL attachments below.

Grant is a nationally recognized leader in public higher education, known for advocating access, equity, and the transformative power of public colleges and universities. With more than 30 years of leadership experience, she has previously served as chancellor of the University of North Carolina Asheville, as president of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), and chaired the board of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), among numerous other leadership roles in the community.

"Dr. Grant's passion for public higher education and her unwavering commitment to access, equity, and civic engagement have had a profound impact on the institutions she's led and the lives she's touched," said Eastern President Karim Ismaili. "We are honored to recognize her with an honorary degree and to have her share her insights with our graduates. Dr. Grant reminds us of the extraordinary good that can come from a life led with purpose. I can't imagine a more inspiring honoree to help send our graduates into the world."

Other speakers at the undergraduate commencement exercises include Marty Guay, chair of the Board of Regents, Aynsley Diamond, associate vice president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System, Eastern President Ismaili, and senior class president Felishka Ramirez '25, who will present the senior class gift and give remarks on behalf of the senior class.

Three changes to this year's ceremony include an early start time at 3 p.m., enhanced live production on the XL Center's jumbotron, and new commencement regalia - graduates will don ceremonial robes in the University's official colors: navy and burgundy.

Undergraduate ceremony website: https://www.easternct.edu/commencement-2025/
Schedule of events: https://www.easternct.edu/commencement-2025/schedule-of-events.html
YouTube livestream: https://youtu.be/ZRvnC70L6ec

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 25 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2024-25 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 15 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.