Commencement 2026 Recap
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The Riccio College of Engineering Class of 2026 was honored with commencement ceremonies and activities on May 9, May 15, and May 16. Below are just some of the highlights from the weekend of festivities.
On Saturday, May 9, the campus-wide Doctoral Hooding ceremony was held in the Mullins Center. During the ceremony, graduating Chemical Engineering PhD student John Arigbede was honored with the Commitment to Diversity Award. Additionally, Ogechi Vivian Nwadiaru, who is graduating with her doctorate in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, was selected to serve as the ceremony's speaker.
On Friday, May 15, the campus-wide Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony was held in McGuirk Alumni Stadium. During this ceremony, graduating Biomedical Engineering major Gessica Bonheur was honored with a 21st Century Leader Award, and Tre-Allen Robinson was honored as a 2026 Jack Welch Scholar. In addition, Electrical and Computer Engineering PhD student Abu Bony Amin was honored as a recipient of the 2026 UMass Amherst Distinguished Teaching Award. Notable engineering alumni were also recognized during the ceremony: Eric Swanson ’82 was bestowed an honorary degree, and Michael G. Hluchyj ’76 and Theresa M. Hluchyj ’77 received Distinguished Achievement Awards.
The Riccio College of Engineering Senior Recognition Ceremony was held on Saturday, May 16 in the Mullins Center, preceded by a reception on the Engineering Quad. Kayla Soraia Monterio, a graduating Chemical Engineering major, was the student speaker. The ceremony was live-streamed, and a replay of the ceremony can be seen here.
