HFA Alumni Honored at UMass Amherst’s 2025 Commencement Ceremony
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The College of Humanities and Fine Arts is proud to recognize two distinguished alumni—David Korins ’99 and the Hon. Stephen P. Driscoll ’73, ’75—who will be honored at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s 155th Commencement ceremony on May 16, 2025.
David Korins ’99: Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient
David Korins is the founder and creative lead of his New York City-based studio, is recognized as a powerhouse in immersive storytelling and design and has been named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company magazine. With nearly three decades of experience, Korins has captivated global audiences by collaborating with influential brands, corporations and artists to bring their stories to life through innovative and meaningful experiences.
At the core of Korins’s career is his belief in storytelling and collaboration. His extensive body of work spans various media – from stage to screen, museums to hospitality, and exhibitions to live events. He has become a trusted partner for organizations such as Disney, Coca-Cola and Sotheby’s, helping them redefine their visions and communicate their stories in groundbreaking ways.
Korins is perhaps best known for his theater work, having designed over 25 Broadway shows, including Tony Award-winning hits “Hamilton,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” and “Beetlejuice,” earning him four Tony Award nominations and industry-wide recognition.
Following the success of “Hamilton,” he served as creative director and designer of “Hamilton: The Exhibition,” a 30,000-square-foot immersive experience chronicling Alexander Hamilton’s life.
Additional large-scale exhibition design work includes serving as global creative director and designer of “Van Gogh Exhibit: The Immersive Experience” and “Immersive Disney Animation,” along with creating “Coca-Cola Stories” – a permanent walk-through experience at the World of Coca-Cola which celebrates the brand’s 139-year history.
In television, Korins has twice been the production designer for the Academy Awards broadcast, and was designer for “Grease: Live!,” winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Production Design.
He created over 100 museum installations for the University of Southern California’s Shoah Foundation, and he is currently crafting experiences for the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. At Sotheby’s, Korins created several exhibitions and reimagined their global auction experience.
Additionally, Korins has collaborated with artists including Bruno Mars, Andrea Bocelli and Lady Gaga; designed the Drama Bookshop as well as several restaurants; and was lead creative at Bonnaroo and Outside Lands music festivals. He had residences with TED Conferences and Twitter, is designing an arts center in Millbrook, New York, and is the director of renowned illusionist David Blaine’s live show.
Stephen P. Driscoll ’73, ’75: Honored for a Lifetime of Impact
The Hon. Stephen P. Driscoll is a 1973 graduate of UMass Amherst with a bachelor’s degree in theater from the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Democratic Party and was co-chair of its LGBT Caucus for 25 years.
With former Congressman Barney Frank, Driscoll co-founded the National Stonewall Democrats in 1996 and served as its board chair for 10 years. He was also the first openly gay member of the Electoral College. In addition to his career in politics, Driscoll taught dance and weight training at MIT for 15 years and, concurrently, was associate director and resident choreographer of the Opera Company of Boston and Opera New England. A proud member of Actors Equity Association, he returned to the UMass campus in 2014 to play Shylock in the Department of Theater’s production of Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” a role he first played at age 14. For a decade, he was resident photographer at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, to which he recently gifted funds to construct an archive that now bears his name. Driscoll was also a professional wrestler and wrestling promoter and is credited with developing an international community of gay wrestlers, for which he was honored in 2024.
After many years of generous support to the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, Driscoll established the Stephen P. Driscoll Musical Theater Endowment. The endowment will help fund the production of musical theater at UMass and prioritize collaborative productions with the Department of Music and Dance and the Department of Art. Driscoll is also on the British American Drama Academy’s board and funds a scholarship that assists theater students in attending its Midsummer in Oxford program.
In addition, the Hon. Stephen P. Driscoll Collection of Political Americana and Popular Culture is an endowment in support of his life-long collection, which includes thousands of election-related items from George Washington to Donald Trump, pro and con, as well as hundreds of frames of buttons regarding the Vietnam War, women’s issues, militaria, the environment, religion, the arts, social causes and more. Many pieces were on display in UMass Amherst’s Old Chapel in 2023–24.
Driscoll resides with Robert Tocci, his spouse of 46 years, in Pembroke, Massachusetts, and in Wilton Manors, Florida, where he grows a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. He continues his cancer battle, which began in 2008.
Both alumni exemplify the creativity, civic engagement, and leadership that define an HFA education. The College is honored to celebrate their achievements at this year’s Commencement.
Read more about the honorary degrees and distinguished achievement awards to be conferred by UMass Amherst at the undergraduate Commencement.