UMass Dartmouth Parents and Families

05/30/2026

Still reflecting on and celebrating our talented graduates!

One of the highlights of Commencement was the beautiful performance of the National Anthem by College of Visual and Performing Arts students, Isabella Calzini-Castro (vocals), Devon Fuentes (piano and arranger), Katie McGann (upright bass), and Syaer Webb (guitar). Their artistry, professionalism, and passion set the perfect tone for this special celebration.

We are incredibly proud of these musicians and all of our music and theatre graduates whose creativity, dedication, and talent have enriched our campus community. We look forward to seeing the impact they will make as artists, performers, educators, and leaders.

Congratulations, graduates! 🎓🎶✨

05/25/2026

Our fourth and final ceremony celebrated our UMass Law graduates, our future lawyers, judges, policymakers, and advocates emerging from a mission-driven law school rooted in public interest, access, and social justice. As the only public law school in Massachusetts, UMass Law is ranked #1 in the state for graduates entering government and public interest careers.

Congratulations, Class of 2026! Go forward and use your voices and legal education to strengthen communities and advance justice for all.

05/25/2026

05/24/2026

Our third Commencement ceremony was truly our most spirited celebration, honoring undergraduate and graduate students from the College of Visual & Performing Arts, College of Nursing & Health Sciences, and our largest college, the UMass Dartmouth College of Arts and Sciences.

One of the highlights of the ceremony was hearing from student speaker Angel Pelissari, a first-generation student graduating from the College of Visual & Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography. In addition to excelling academically, Angel studied abroad in Italy and made a lasting impact on campus through leadership and service as an Orientation Leader, Social Media Chair for the Lusophone Student Union, Social Media Manager for the International Programs Office, and a volunteer supporting Mental Health Day and College Positive Tours for local 7th-grade students through the Leduc Center for Civic Engagement.

Today’s graduates represent stories of resilience, determination, and hope. Many balanced leadership roles, family responsibilities, personal hardships, and unexpected life challenges, yet they finished strong. We know their stories, and we are incredibly proud of their perseverance and accomplishments.

Our graduates now join a powerful network of more than 60,000 alumni making an impact across the nation and around the world. Congratulations, Corsairs!

05/23/2026

Celebrating our doctoral students at our second commencement. Eman Khwaja, a PhD candidate in Integrative Biology and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow was our student speaker. Her research focuses on the behavior and ecology of humpback whales, examining how feeding and aerial behaviors vary across demographic groups to better understand the drivers shaping whale behavior and ecology. Wow!!!

We reflect on the incredible journeys behind every degree earned. No one truly sees all of the academic, personal, cultural, and financial struggles students experience along the way. The late-night research sessions at home, on campus, in corporate and university labs, or out on Buzzards Bay and/or the Atlantic Ocean all represent perseverance, sacrifice, and passion.

Our students are conducting phenomenal research and making meaningful contributions to the world around them. I am deeply appreciative of them, and moments like this remind me why this work matters so much. Super proud of Priya Sridharan, Ph.D, who graduated and is starting an awesome career!

My colleagues and I have received so many deeply personal and humbling messages of appreciation that remind us all that supporting students is more than a profession, it is a purpose. Congratulations to all of our graduate students. We are so proud of you and excited for all that comes next.

05/22/2026

I love this time of year as we celebrate Commencement and send off our graduates. Yesterday, we awarded degrees to students from the College of Engineering, the Charlton College of Business, and the School for Marine Science and Technology in the first of four ceremonies.

I love our students and am so proud of all they have accomplished. One of the most powerful moments was seeing the incredible display of stoles representing first-generation college students, academic organizations, military and veteran students, multicultural organizations, and athletics and recreation programs including esports, cheer, and band, all standing proudly together in celebration of their journeys and achievements.

What an amazing day for our graduates, their families, and the entire campus community. The future is bright, and these students are more than ready to lead it.

05/19/2026

The ALANA Celebration was a powerful celebration of perseverance, sacrifice, family, culture, and achievement.

For so many of our students, earning a degree represents more than personal success, it represents generations of hope, resilience, and opportunity. From first-generation students to multilingual and immigrant families who sacrificed so much, every cheer, tear, and applause told a story of determination and pride.

Cherish the friends you’ve made and the legacy left at UMASSD.

You belong in every room you enter. Walk boldly, lead confidently, and never forget that your voice, your presence, and your story matter. Congratulations to our incredible students and families. The future is brighter because of you. 💙💛

Thank you Chancellor Mark Fuller for always supporting our BIPOC students and their families, and our faculty and staff.

Special thanks to Attorney David Gomes, Chief Civil Rights Officer, Peggy Dias, MBA, Associate Vice Chancellor, CITS, Dr. Vivane Saleh-Hanna, Director & Professor Black Studies/Crime & Justice Studies, Gail Gonsalves, Office of Civil Rights, Erin Carter, Director of Counseling, Alda Freitas, Facilities & Administration and all of the faculty and staff volunteers who helped to make this a memorable celebration.

CorsairPride

05/16/2026

Another phenomenal class of nurses graduating from the UMass Dartmouth College of Nursing & Health Sciences!

I am so proud of all of our nursing graduates, especially the growing number of men and students of color who are choosing careers in health care and helping to shape the future of the profession.

Remember, you are among the very best. UMass Dartmouth’s undergraduate nursing program continues to be ranked among the top 9% of nursing programs in the United States.

Go forward and serve with compassion, leadership, excellence, and confidence. Your dedication, resilience, and commitment to caring for others will make a lasting difference in the lives of so many.

We are UMassD proud of you all! 💙

05/15/2026

Proud to celebrate the courage, authenticity, and impact of students who make our campus stronger simply by being themselves at our Lavender Celebration honoring the LGBTQIA+ community,.

There is power in community, the power of belonging. Our students are proud, brave, visible, and vibrant in a world that can sometimes feel diminishing, unkind, and overwhelming for them. They feel loved. supported, and celebrated exactly as they are at UMASSD.

They are heroes who make a difference through their courage to live authentically. They will continue to inspire others to find themselves, embrace their truth, and stand confidently in who they are even after graduation. They change the world through love, compassion, visibility, and authenticity.

Today we celebrated their eadership journeys, resilience and joy.

“I found a safe space that helped me realize I never had to feel alone and that it was okay to be different. I found my confidence and my voice. I became unapologetically me.”

- Complete Destruction, a trans/gender-queer, pansexual, multiracial drag artist and UMASSD graduatw from New England, who found meaning, purpose, and community at UMassD.

05/14/2026

The Arnie’s is more than an awards celebration — it’s a recognition of the incredible dedication, leadership, and excellence of our scholar-athletes both on and off the field.

We are so proud of these students for the commitment they show in competition, in the classroom, and throughout our campus community. Their hard work, resilience, and Corsair pride continue to inspire us all.

Congratulations to all of our award recipients and student-athletes for an amazing year!