The first Black woman to be Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Kimberly S. Budd encouraged graduates at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s 156^th Undergraduate Commencement today to keep moving forward, take chances and persevere whenever they face opportunities or challenges in the years to come.

Image

“Look at where you are right now. Your possibilities are limitless. When you see an opportunity ‘one that will cause you to stretch, to grow’ I hope you will think to yourselves, ‘Why not me?’,” asked Justice Budd, who was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, for her long and distinguished career of public service to the commonwealth before she spoke to the approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 20,000 family, friends and faculty assembled at the Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium.

“I hope that you will learn to believe in your ability to tackle problems you don’t yet know how to solve, and to fill roles that you’re not yet sure how to handle,” she said. “I hope that you will be willing to take some chances and bet on yourselves. The problems that confront us today are grave, and we will need all the courage and creativity that each of you can muster to solve them.”

The Undergraduate Commencement was one of many special events this weekend, which also included the Master’s and Education Specialist Ceremony,  Doctoral Hooding Ceremony, the Stockbridge School of Agriculture associate’s degree ceremony, and school and college Senior Recognition ceremonies.
 

University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan told the Undergraduate Class of 2026 “We have entered an era of what I call ‘the post-truth era’; when people think they can create their own truth regardless of facts, regardless of science, regardless of evidence and regardless of data.”

“I believe universities have an obligation to deal with this post-truth crisis head on,” continued Meehan. “Facts are important; data is important; discovery is important; science is important. I urge you¾we all have a responsibility to make it a point to show people that facts matter, that data matters, evidence matters, and science matters. You graduated from a great public research university. Take that with you and you can change the world.”

José M. Delgado ’18MBA, a member of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees, joined the distinguished guests at McGuirk and urged the newly minted graduates to believe in themselves.

“As new UMass graduates, you represent hope and the future,” he said. “You are the commonwealth’s future. Remember that UMass is better and stronger when we work together. So, stay engaged in your communities. Be the leaders who show up and listen. Keep working for positive change. And stay in touch with fellow alumni and the role models who made your undergraduate experience here so rewarding.”

Image

Before instructing students to turn their tassel, Provost Fouad Abd-El-Khalik, asked those gathered to take a moment of silence to honor the tragic loss of a member of the UMass community, Emma, a beloved dining team member, cherished mother, and friend to all who knew her. He then encouraged graduates to embrace this time of transition and transformation.

“You are giving up your identity as undergraduate students to become the leaders the world needs,” Abd-El-Khalik said. “You are superbly prepared with a perspective that is informed, thoughtful, curious and engaged. May your perspectives be ever expanding, and may you never stop challenging the world to expand our perspectives with you.”
 

Student Speaker

Image

Shhreya Anand, of Bangalore, India, who graduated with dual degrees in computer science and math, represented the undergraduate Class of 2026 as student speaker and suggested her classmates carry the resilience, curiosity and grit they built at UMass into whatever comes next.

“Don’t let the world tell you something is too big for you to handle…It’s okay to be nervous about what comes next. Take the grit you learned from 8 a.m. classes in the middle of a New England winter, and make sure your ambition always has a louder voice than your doubt,” said Anand, whose earned the Undergraduate Academic Achievement Award and Outstanding Leadership Award in 2025 and ranked in the top 10 percent of her class.
 

Honorary Degrees

Image

In addition to Justice Budd, UMass Amherst also conferred an honorary degree upon another illustrious alumnus at the Undergraduate Commencement ceremony. Eric Swanson ’82, was recognized for his innovations and contributions to the landmark discovery of optical coherence tomography (OCT), now a worldwide standard in medical imaging; pioneering advanced communication technologies, including inter-satellite laser communications and high-speed optical networks; and for translating laboratory research into real-world impact as the co-founder of five major technology ventures.
 

Distinguished Achievement Awards

The university also recognized three individuals with Distinguished Achievement Awards at the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony.

Andrew G. Barto, professor emeritus of computer science at UMass Amherst, was honored for his contributions during his decades-long tenure as a postdoctoral research associate, professor, and co-director of the Autonomous Learning Laboratory, which produced many notable machine learning researchers. Barto was co-recipient of the 2024 Association for Computing Machinery’s A.M. Turing Award—considered the “Nobel Prize in Computing”—for developing the conceptual and algorithmic foundations of reinforcement learning.

Michael G. Hluchyj ’76 and Theresa M. Hluchyj ’77 were recognized for providing foundational support needed to launch a groundbreaking initiative uniting nursing and engineering students and faculty around health care innovation; for supporting the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing and the Riccio College of Engineering, accelerating its capacity to serve as a national model for cross-disciplinary problem solving and for catalyzing new philanthropic interest and strengthening the university’s momentum around research partnerships.

21^st Century Leaders

Eleven of the university’s most talented and accomplished undergraduates were honored for their strong academic records and exemplary achievements with awards naming them as 21^st Century Leaders. Receiving $1,000 honorariums from the UMass Amherst Alumni Association were:

Eva Alexandra Bergloff, of Holliston, a Commonwealth Honors College (CHC) student, graduated with a degree in sustainable community development. Her leadership has been recognized with multiple awards and grants, including the 2024-25 Gerald F. Scanlon Student Employee of the Year Award, the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning’s Go Get the Sustainable World Scholarship, and the Office of Equity and Inclusion’s Campus Climate Improvement Grant.

Gessica Bonheur, of Holbrook, graduated with a degree in biomedical engineering. A first-generation college student and daughter of Haitian immigrants, Bonheur was co-president of the UMass Amherst Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), president of the Rho Kappa Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a 2024-25 Institute of Diversity Sciences Student Fellow, and worked as an intern in oncology research and development with the Pfizer Futures program in California.

Image

Connor Casey, of Leominster, a member of CHC, graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance, a Bachelor of Science in applied physics, and a Bachelor’s degree with Individual Concentration in quantum science and engineering. His research has taken him around the U.S. and abroad. He presented a first-author paper at the 76th International Astronautical Congress in Sydney, Australia studied the philosophy of physics at the London School of Economics.

Joanne Charland, of West Springfield, graduated from the University Without Walls (UWW) Department of Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in applied psychology. Charland is deeply involved with Pedal Thru Youth—a nonprofit founded and run by her husband—that fixes and donates bicycles to underprivileged populations, provides adaptive bikes, supports previously incarcerated individuals returning to the workforce, and distributes supply-filled backpacks for the unhoused.

Danish Humayun, of Belchertown, a CHC student, graduated with dual degrees in economics and public health sciences and a minor in biology. He received a 2024-25 Gerald F. Scanlon Student Employee of the Year Award and worked as a medical assistant with University Health Services, where he provided direct patient care. As president of the Pakistani Students Organization, he organized Chaand Raat, a large-scale Ramadan celebration and community-building event co-hosted with the Muslim Students Association in 2025.

Margaret Nikolay Lepeshkin, of Westford, earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in design and technology. An artist and designer at heart, she helped create a bird-friendly window retrofit on the facade of the UMass Studio Arts Building—a collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the UMass Bird-Friendly Project. She also was commissioned to design and produce a three-panel mural featuring illustrations of native plants and seed-dispersal modes for the Mass Aggie Seed Library and worked as a scientific illustrator for the Figueroa Lab in the Department of Environmental Conservation and as a digital print lab technician in the Department of Art.

Marielsa Will McBride, of Lexington, a CHC student, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. McBride worked at the Stonewall Center, founded the UMass Amherst chapter of Athlete Ally and later joined the e-board of UMass Students for Justice in Palestine. An NCAA Division I student-athlete on the Women’s Track & Field team, McBride received the Kenneth L. O’Brien Scholarship and finished third in New England in the women’s collegiate high jump.

Aaria Prakash, of Lexington, graduated with dual degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology and psychology. She is the co-founder and co-president of MedConnect, a healthcare-focused nonprofit organization that offers pre-health students hands-on experience in the medical field. She has served as a patient advocacy volunteer at Tapestry Health and as a resident coordinator at Carleton-Willard Village, a continuing care retirement community in Bedford. Outside of direct patient care, she has contributed to studies on rare diseases at Mass General Hospital and investigated how hormones influence physiology and behavior through lab research at UMass.

Jimena Pueyo-García, a CHC student, was born in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, and raised in Salem. Graduating with dual degrees in political science and legal studies and a minor in Spanish, she has completed internships with the Hampshire County Jail and House of Correction, Governor Maura Healey’s Office, and the Massachusetts Trial Court. Since February 2026, Pueyo-García has been a legal assistant at the UMass Amherst Student Legal Services Office, serving as a primary point of contact for clients with active legal cases.

Marcos Genao Sánchez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and grew up in Lynn. A first-generation college student, Genao Sánchez graduated with a degree in pre-veterinary science and is the founding president of the Arcane Kavari Chapter of Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc., UMass Amherst’s only Latino-based fraternity. In addition to his studies and on-campus activities, Genao Sánchez is a certified veterinary assistant providing seasonal help to North Shore Animal Hospital in Lynn and a volunteer with the New England Wildlife Center in Weymouth.

Charles Elijah Walker-Hoover, of Springfield, graduated with a degree in Afro-American studies after qualifying for the dean’s list since his very first semester at UMass. He has served as a senator in the Student Government Association and president of the university’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and has been an undergraduate peer advisor in the W. E. B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies. In 2025, he was one of 55 students nationwide to be selected for an internship with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in Washington, D.C. 
 

Jack Welch Scholars

Two graduates were Jack Welch Scholars, chosen for their academic achievements, social responsibility and leadership by a faculty and staff committee during the admissions process to receive scholarships funded by a gift from the GE Foundation in honor of former GE CEO and UMass Amherst alumnus John F. “Jack” Welch ’57, ’82H. The scholarships provided full funding for undergraduates throughout their years at UMass Amherst, including support for summer research and study abroad. 

Image

Tre’ Allen-Robinson, of Boston, a CHC student earned a degree in electrical engineering. Beyond his academic work, Allen-Robinson was involved in the National Society of Black Engineers, the Film Production Club, and the Archery Club over the past four years. He will return to UMass Amherst to study electrical and computer engineering through the university’s 4+1 accelerated master’s degree program before beginning his career as an engineer.

Andrew Silva, of Somerville, graduated with a degree in accounting. He participated in the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program as an administrator, providing free tax preparation services to qualifying students and local families. Since his second year on campus, Silva has been an active and dedicated member of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF), where he engaged in regular faith-focused and community-building events, including church carpools, guest lectures, festivals, dinners and hikes. He completed an internship with KPMG, one of the “Big Four” accounting firms, during the summer of 2025.

Master’s Ceremony

Earlier in the day, the Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts Amherst conferred 2,274 master’s degrees and 20 education specialist degrees in a 9 a.m. Commencement ceremony at the William D. Mullins Memorial Center.

Image

Presiding over the celebration, Interim Dean of the Graduate School Elizabeth Jakob reflected on the diversity of the Class of 2026, noting that degree recipients include 650 international students from more than 60 countries.

Class members are “people who carried out public health internships in the community and in prisons… computer scientists building the systems, tools and technologies that shape how we solve problems for the common good… students who translate engineering theory into practice at the cutting edge of technology through projects, research and industry internships…and scientists working in labs and in partnerships with industries and government agencies to map the world, understand genetics, and address climate change,” Jakob said.

Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, extended congratulations to the Class of 2026, celebrating not only their academic accomplishments but their sense of purpose, drive, determination and perseverance.

Speaking on behalf of her class was Mansi Maheshwari of Gwalior, India, who graduated with a master’s degree in computer science. The first in her extended family to study abroad, she earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington and worked for two years as a software engineer in Seattle before beginning her graduate studies.

Maheshwari, will pursue a doctorate at Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, home to the world’s largest academic concentration of deep learning researchers, encouraged her classmates to recognize and celebrate “the sheer audacity” of taking the step to pursue their graduate degrees. 

“You began not because you were sure, not because you were ready, but in spite of it,” she said. “You applied with questions in your chest and hope in your hands. And us sitting here today is proof that we kept choosing that same courage again and again.”

She also encouraged them to have courage in the face of uncertainty. “This degree is not only proof of intelligence, it is proof of endurance. It is evidence of discipline and growth. As we figure out what comes next, new jobs, new cities, new research, new dreams, and maybe even new disappointments, I hope we trust ourselves enough to keep choosing rooms that demand more of us,” Maheshwari said. “That we choose to sit through the self-doubt, the fear, and do it anyway. As Emily Dickinson wrote, ‘We never know how high we are till we are called to rise.’”

Alumni Association President Michelle-Kim Cohen’s welcome of the graduates into the global UMass Amherst alumni family was followed by the presentation of the degree candidates from the Marieb College of Nursing, College of Natural Sciences, College of Humanities and Fine Arts, the College of Education, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, Riccio College of Engineering and the Isenberg School of Management.