TOMORROW: William Tong to address 100 graduates at Eastern commencement ceremony

AG Tong to receive first Distinguished Public Service Award

by Michael Rouleau

Willimantic, CT (05/16/2025) — Nearly 100 graduate-level students at Eastern Connecticut State University will receive master's degrees Saturday, May 17, at 11 a.m. in the Fine Arts Instructional Center Concert Hall. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong will address the graduates and receive the University's first Distinguished Public Service Award.

The graduates of Eastern's Graduate Division will receive advanced degrees in accounting, education (early childhood, elementary, secondary), management, applied data science, special education, and educational studies/technology. The ceremony will feature a hooding ceremony and a host of remarks from dignitaries.

Now in his second term as state attorney general, commencement speaker Tong is the first Asian American elected to statewide office in Connecticut and the first Chinese American to be elected attorney general in the United States. Previously, practiced as a litigator for 18 years and was a member of the Connecticut General Assembly for 12 years.

"I'm proud to honor Attorney General William Tong with the inaugural Distinguished Public Service Award," said Eastern President Karim Ismaili. "His tireless advocacy for Connecticut's citizens and leadership on issues of justice and equity have made a meaningful difference across our state and beyond. He sets a powerful example for our graduate students as they prepare to take on leadership and service roles in their communities and careers."

In addition to family and friends, graduating master's degree candidates will be cheered on by the graduate faculty. Speakers will also include Eastern President Karim Ismaili; Sophia Jappinen, representing the Board of Regents; Adam Joseph, vice chancellor of external affairs for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System; alumna Ellen Lang '81; and Shellena Pitterson M'25, who will give remarks on behalf of the graduate students.

Undergraduate Ceremony

On Tuesday, May 20, more than 900 undergraduate students in Eastern's School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education and Professional Studies will receive bachelor's degrees at the 135th Undergraduate Commencement Exercises at the XL Center in Hartford. The student processional begins at 3 p.m., and the formal ceremony begins at 3 p.m.

Mary Grant, president of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, will give the commencement address, and will also receive an honorary degree from Eastern during the ceremony. Grant is a long-time advocate of the liberal arts, having also previously been president of her alma mater, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and chancellor of the University of North Carolina-Ashville, both public liberal arts colleges similar to Eastern.

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.

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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.

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