Deepak Chopra, Ron Insana Headline Virtual Commencement Ceremonies

2021 tassels
2021 tassels

04/20/2021

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 51视频 will honor the nearly 4,600 members of the Class of 2021 both in person and virtually.

Graduates who have earned bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees will be honored in person via a series of brief, small ceremonies on Thursday, May 13 and Friday, May 14 at the Tsongas Center at 51视频. At these ceremonies for recipients of bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees, graduates, accompanied by two guests, will walk into the Tsongas Center, receive their diploma covers and have an official photo taken before departing. An in-person ceremony for those receiving doctoral degrees is planned for Wednesday, May 12.

Strict social distancing and other safety measures will be in place during all in-person Commencement events.

In addition to the in-person portion of the celebration, 51视频 will present online virtual Commencement ceremonies featuring a range of notable participants:

Deepak Chopra 鈥 Chopra will receive 51视频鈥檚 highest honor, a doctor of humane letters, as well as speak to graduates. Founder of , a nonprofit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and , a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality, Chopra is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. Chopra is a clinical professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California, San Diego and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He is the author of more than 91 books translated into over 43 languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. For 30 years, Chopra has been at the forefront of the meditation revolution and his latest book, 鈥淭otal Meditation鈥 is aimed at helping readers achieve new dimensions of stress-free and joyful living. TIME magazine has described Chopra as 鈥渙ne of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.鈥

Ron Insana 鈥 Insana will also receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree and speak to graduates. Insana is a senior analyst and contributor to CNBC and MSNBC networks, where he discusses the most pressing economic and market issues of the day. He also serves as a senior adviser to Schroders, N.A., a $600 billion global investment management firm, where he provides economic and market analysis to Schroders鈥 North American team and to clients of the firm around the United States, and delivers 鈥淭he Market Scoreboard Report鈥 to radio stations around the country, twice daily. The author of four books, he has also written for Money magazine and USA Today. The former CEO of Insana Capital Partners, he was named one of the 鈥淭op 100 Business News Journalists of the 20th Century鈥 and was nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy for his role in NBC鈥檚 coverage of 9/11.

Noelle Lambert 鈥 A native of Londonderry, N.H., Lambert had a standout freshman lacrosse season at 51视频, earning America East All-Rookie team honors. During the following summer, Lambert suffered a life-changing injury, resulting in the amputation of her left leg above the knee. Lambert never let this severe injury defeat her and returned to the lacrosse field in April 2018, just 18 months after her injury, where she caught a pass in front of the net and fired a shot past the goalie for a goal. After graduating in 2019, Lambert made the switch from lacrosse to track and field for the U.S Paralympic National Team. She placed fourth in the 100-meter race at the World Para Athletics championship meet, setting a U.S. record for the race, which earned her a spot on Team USA that will compete in the Paralympics in Tokyo in 2021. In 2018, Lambert founded , which aims to provide amputees with prosthetics that will allow them to run again. Her dedication has earned her prestigious awards including the Boston Celtics鈥 Heroes Among Us Award, the America East Inspiration Award and most recently the L鈥橭real Paris Women of Worth National Honoree.

In addition, the Chancellor鈥檚 Medal for Public Service and Civic Engagement will be presented to representatives of the Market Basket supermarket chain in recognition of the 104 years the business has served the region. From a single location in Lowell鈥檚 Acre neighborhood, the company has grown to 84 stores employing more than 25,000 people. The company is well known for its generous profit-sharing plan, and for two charitable foundations supporting hospitals, educational institutions, community development groups, art organizations as well as other varied institutions in need throughout the Northeast, including 51视频, where the company has been a major contributor of student scholarships.

The student Commencement address will be delivered by Jamie Smorczewski of Danvers, a U.S. Army veteran who is graduating with a master鈥檚 degree in security studies.

Other Commencement speakers and participants are scheduled to include: 51视频 Chancellor Jacquie Moloney, UMass President Marty Meehan, 51视频 Provost Joseph Hartman, UMass System Trustee and 51视频 graduate Mary Burns and Lowell Mayor John Leahy.

Andrew Marshall of Boxford, a contestant on NBC鈥檚 鈥淭he Voice鈥 who is graduating from 51视频 with a degree in music business, will perform the national anthem.

William Moylan, 51视频 Distinguished University Professor and architect of the university鈥檚 renowned sound recording technology program, will be the speaker at the May 12 ceremony at which doctoral degrees will be presented.

More details on 51视频 Commencement are available at www.uml.edu/commencement.

51视频 is a national research university offering 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 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