New Hampshire College & University Council Member Institutions
Prepare for Spring Commencement Ceremonies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Debby Scire
President & CEO, NHCUC
603.223.2302 x314
Date: May 18, 2023
Concord, NH – College campuses across New Hampshire are busy preparing for another spring of graduation ceremonies and celebrations. The New Hampshire College & University Council (NHCUC), a statewide consortium of public and private colleges and universities, estimates that thousands of proud parents, grandparents, friends, and relatives will gather in the Granite State during May and June to help acknowledge the academic accomplishments of graduates. Graduations are also a time for the campuses to invite important speakers to offer words of advice, encouragement, and wisdom. This year’s list of commencement speakers includes leaders from higher education, business, science, media, and entertainment. Ceremony dates, times, locations, and commencement speakers are listed below as provided by the institution at the time of publication. Many of the commencement ceremonies will also be livestreamed on the institution’s website.
About New Hampshire College & University Council
The NHCUC was founded in 1966. It is dedicated to the advancement of public and private higher education throughout New Hampshire. Through collaborative efforts between its member colleges and universities, the consortium enhances educational opportunities for thousands of students attending member institutions.
Commencement Dates, Times, Locations, and Speakers
| Institution Name | Date | Location | Time | Commencement Speaker |
| Antioch University New England | May 13, 2023 | Keene Middle School | 10:00am | N/A |
| Colby-Sawyer College | May 6, 2023 | College Quad | 10:30am | Professor Randy Hanson, School of Business & Social Sciences & David H. Winton Endowed Teaching Chair and Caleigh Dirks, ’23, will receive the Commencement Speaker Medal and will give the student address. |
| Franklin Pierce University | May 13, 2023 | Franklin Pierce University Rindge Campus | 10:15am | JerriAnne Boggis, writer, educator, and community activist |
| Great Bay Community College | May 13, 2023 | Pease Tradeport at GBCC’s Portsmouth Campus | 10:00am and 2:00pm | Noelle Lambert, US Paralympic National Team member, Survivor season 43 contestant, founder of The Born to Run Foundation and New Hampshire native. |
| Keene State College | May 6, 2023 | Fiske Quad | 1:00pm | U.S. Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster, D-NH, and Dr. Don Caruso, president and CEO of Cheshire Medical Center |
| Lakes Region Community College | May 13, 2023 | Bank of NH Pavillion | 11:00am | Edwin Smith, CCSNH Board of Trustees |
| Manchester Community College | May 23, 2023 | Northeast Delta Dental Stadium | 2:00pm | Oscany DeJesus, an MCC grad who received her bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from UNH and now teaches math at Spark Academy of Advanced Technology |
|
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences—Manchester |
May 11, 2023 |
DCU Center |
9:30am and 1:30pm |
Morning Ceremony: Sarah Das, ’23, receiving her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from MCPHS Boston. The alumni commencement speaker will be Michael Ku, ’96, who received his Doctor of Pharmacy from MCPHS Boston.
Afternoon Ceremony: Ellie Solitro, ’23, receiving her Doctor of Pharmacy from MCHPS Worcester. The alumni commencement speaker will be Jideobi Ezeonu, ’20, who received their Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from MCPHS Manchester. |
| Nashua Community College | May 19, 2023 | Nashua Community College | 10:00am | Student Speaker: Britany Boutin, Nursing, Class of 2023
Alumni Speaker: Danielle Smith, Class of 2005 |
| New England College | May 6, 2023 | The Simon Green on New England College’s Campus | 10:00am | Ron Chernow, Pulitzer Prize-winning author whose work inspired the hit Broadway musical Hamilton |
| NHTI, Concord’s Community College | May 19, 2023 | NHTI’s Dr. Goldie Crocker Wellness Center Gymnasium | 10:00am and 2:00pm | Professor Cynthia Lucero, winner of the 2022 Chancellors Award for Teaching Excellence and Lindsay Hobbs, President’s Award winner and 2023 Dental Hygiene Graduate |
| Plymouth State University | Graduate Ceremony: May 12, 2023 Undergraduate Ceremony: May 13, 2023 |
New Hampshire Field House in the ALLWell North Building | Graduate Ceremony: 6:00pm Undergraduate Ceremony: 10:00am | Graduate Ceremony: Anna Thomas, has been instrumental in tackling the challenge of rising mental health needs in New Hampshire Undergraduate Ceremony: Todd Angilly, ’99, national anthem singer for the Boston Bruins and a frequent visitor to PSU and Peter Bauer, CEO of Mimecast |
| River Valley Community College | May 12, 2023 | River Valley Community College Claremont Campus | 11:00am, 1:00pm, and 3:00pm | N/A |
| Rivier University | May 14, 2023 | Tsongas Center | 10:00am | Reverand Dennis H. Holtschneider, CM, Ed.D., President of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities |
| Saint Anselm College | May 20, 2023 | Saint Anselm College Quadrangle | 10:00am | Kenneth R. Feinberg, Esq., former chief of staff to the late Sen. Ted Kennedy and the Department of Justice’s designated Special Master of the Federal September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 |
| Southern New Hampshire University | April 29-30, 2023 | SNHU Arena | 9:30am and 2:00pm | N/A |
| University of New Hampshire Graduate School | May 19, 2023 | Whittemore Center Arena | 4:00pm | Ruth Varner, Professor of Earth Sciences |
| University of New Hampshire at Manchester & Granite State College | May 19, 2023 | Whittemore Center Arena | 7:00pm | Laura Knoy, New Hampshire Journalist, writer, speaker and former host of NHPR’s The Exchange and Alisbet Veras ’23, graduating senior in Accounting program |
| University of New Hampshire College of Life Sciences and Agriculture | May 20, 2023 | Whittemore Center Arena | 9:00am | Elle Purrier St. Pierre ’18, U.S.A. Track and Field Athlete |
| University of New Hampshire College of Liberal Arts | May 20, 2023 | Whittemore Center Arena | 12:30pm | Jackie MacMullan Boyle ’82, Journalist |
| University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law | May 20, 2023 | White Park, Concord, NH | 3:30pm | Dana Remus, former White House Counsel and Counsel at Obama Foundation, Lawyer for Covington & Burling. |
| University of New Hampshire College of Engineering and Physical Sciences | May 21, 2023 | Whittemore Center Arena | 9:00am | Denise Saltojanes, ’95, Managing Director at Golden Seeds |
| University of New Hampshire Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics | May 21, 2023 | Whittemore Center Arena | 1:00pm | Tim Collins, ’85, Founder and CEO of EBSCO Information Services |
| University of New Hampshire College of Health and Human Services | May 21, 2023 | Whittemore Center Arena | 4:00pm | Alyson McGregor, ’95, Associate Dean of Clinical Faculty Affairs & Development and Professor of Emergency Medicine at University of South Carolina and Co-Founder for the Sex and Gender Women’s Health Collaborative |
| White Mountains Community College | May 12, 2023 | White Mountains Community College Main Campus | 4:00pm | N/A |
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