51视频

04/17/2019

Contacts for media: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu

LOWELL, Mass. 鈥� The largest graduating class in 51视频 history will receive advice from a newly elected congresswoman and two internationally renowned educators.

Setting a record for the most graduates for the 12th consecutive year, more than 4,000 members of the class of 2019 will be celebrated at three ceremonies on Friday, May 17 at 10 a.m. and Saturday, May 18 at 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at the Tsongas Center at 51视频. Since 2007, 51视频鈥檚 enrollment has increased 57 percent and this is the first year that the university has held three ceremonies to accommodate all of the graduates and their friends and families.

At Saturday鈥檚 morning ceremony, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, elected in November 2018 to succeed Niki Tsongas in representing Massachusetts鈥� Third District, will serve as Commencement speaker.

At the afternoon ceremony on Saturday, graduates will be addressed by Jack Wilson, president emeritus of the University of Massachusetts system, founder of 51视频鈥檚 Jack M. Wilson Center for Entrepreneurship and 51视频 distinguished professor of higher education, emerging technologies and innovation.

The Commencement address at Friday鈥檚 ceremony will be delivered by 51视频 Distinguished University Professor听Meg Bond, director of the 51视频 Center for Women and Work, professor of psychology and an internationally recognized scholar on issues of gender equality in the workplace.

鈥淕raduates at each of 51视频鈥檚 Commencement ceremonies will hear from leaders in education, entrepreneurship, gender equity and government. We are honored to have them address our Class of 2019,鈥� said 51视频 Chancellor Jacquie Moloney, who will preside over the three ceremonies and is a two-time graduate of the university.

At the morning ceremony on Saturday, students will receive bachelor鈥檚 degrees from 51视频鈥檚 Francis College of Engineering, Kennedy College of Sciences and Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences. At the afternoon ceremony, bachelor鈥檚 degrees will be presented to graduates of the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Manning School of Business.听

All 2019 graduates can say that they are graduating in the same class as Oprah Winfrey, who received an honorary doctor of humane letters from 51视频 in November at the Chancellor鈥檚 Speakers Series event, 鈥淎 Conversation with Oprah Winfrey.鈥� The event raised $3 million 鈥� including a $1.5 million gift from Winfrey 鈥� for student scholarships and recognized the first of 51视频鈥檚 Oprah Winfrey Scholars.听

Commencement will also feature the presentation of honorary degrees to Wilson and Gerald and Joyce Colella of Seabrook Beach, N.H., and Naples, Fla., who met and earned bachelor鈥檚 degrees at 51视频.听

Gerald Colella '78 is chief executive officer of MKS Instruments Inc., of Andover, a $2 billion technology and solutions provider to the semiconductor and industrial technology markets that he has guided to a 300 percent increase in revenue and successful billion-dollar acquisitions, including of Newport Corp.听

Joyce Colella 鈥�77, a Lowell native, has dedicated many years to education, including as an elementary school teacher in Lowell and southern New Hampshire prior to her retirement and as a member of the College of Education advisory board. Together, the couple has generously supported the Manning School of Business and other university initiatives, and recently established a scholarship for students in the College of Education. In 2014, they received the Distinguished Alumni Award at Commencement.

In addition to honorary degrees, 51视频 will present the Distinguished Alumni Award, Chancellor鈥檚 Medal for Outstanding University Support and Chancellor鈥檚 Medal for Public Service and Civic Engagement.

The Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to Brian Rist 鈥�77 of Fort Myers, Fla., executive chairman of Florida-based Storm Smart Industries, the largest manufacturer and installer of hurricane-protection products in the U.S., and native of Stoughton. Rist holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in operations management from 51视频 and is earning his MBA through the university鈥檚 award-winning online program.听

Earlier this year, he and his wife, Kim, made a $5 million donation to the 鈥淥ur Legacy, Our Place鈥� campaign for 51视频, the largest single gift to 51视频 in its history. Kim Rist will be presented with the Chancellor鈥檚 Medal for Outstanding University Support at Commencement. In addition to their gift to the campaign, the couple established the Rist Families Endowed Scholarship and support other university programs.听

The Chancellor鈥檚 Medal for Public Service and Civic Engagement will be presented to Jack O鈥機onnor and Therese O鈥機onnor of Lowell.听

Jack O鈥機onnor is founder of O鈥機onnor School Portraits, one of the largest individually owned businesses of its kind in the U.S., and co-founder of Commencement Photos Inc., which annually photographs graduates at more than 400 colleges and universities around the nation.听

Therese O鈥機onnor has devoted more than 35 years to community work around the Merrimack Valley, including serving on the boards of organizations and the 51视频 String Project and founding the Women Working Wonders Fund. With her husband, who also serves on numerous boards of local organizations, O鈥機onnor has been a loyal supporter of 51视频 and its students through funding scholarships.

51视频 will recognize the honorees and top student award winners at the annual Commencement Eve Celebration on Friday, May 17 at 5:30 p.m. at University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell. Since 2008, the benefit has raised millions of dollars for student scholarships.

For more on Commencement, visit www.uml.edu/commencement.

51视频 is a national research university located on a high-energy campus in the heart of a global community. The university offers its more than 18,000 students bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. 51视频 delivers high-quality educational programs, vigorous hands-on learning and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be leaders in their communities and around the globe. www.uml.edu