University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Doctoral Student Ceremony

UMass Board of Trustees

• Stephen R. Karam, Chairman
• Mary L. Burns, Vice Chair ’84, Lowell
• Bethany C. Berry '26, Chan Medical School
• David M. Brunelle
• Gerald G. Colella ’78, Lowell
• Abigail E. Cooper '26, Lowell
• Gina M. Cuba '26, Dartmouth
• Jose M. Delgado ’18, Amherst
• Kenneth Fiola, Jr., JD, '95, Dartmouth
• Ava C. Marino, '26, Amherst
• Juana B. Matias ’09, Boston
• Michael V. O’Brien ’88, Amherst
• Noreen C. Okwara, M.D., ’12, Boston; ’17, Chan Medical School
• Imari K. Paris Jeffries, PhD, BA, MEd, MA, PhD ’97, ’99, ’03, ’23, Boston
• Julie M. Ramos Gagliardi, MBA, ’87, Dartmouth
• Abigail Raymond ’26, Boston
• Elizabeth D. Scheibel, JD
• Joseph C. Sullivan ’81, Amherst
• Steven A. Tolman ’99, Boston
• Marcellette Gaillard-Gay Williams, PhD
• Charles F. Wu, MBA
• Stephen K. Zrike, Jr., EdD

UMass Dartmouth Mission

UMass Dartmouth distinguishes itself as a vibrant, public research university dedicated to engaged learning and innovative research resulting in personal and lifelong student success. The University serves as an intellectual catalyst for economic, social, and cultural transformation on a global, national, and regional scale.

UMass Dartmouth Vision

UMass Dartmouth will be a globally recognized premier research university committed to inclusion, access, advancement of knowledge, student success, and community enrichment.

Land Acknowledgement Statement

UMass Dartmouth acknowledges the land that we occupy and on which we sit today as the traditional and ancestral home of the Wampanoag nation, including: the Mashpee, Nauset, Nantucket, Pennacook, Pokanoket, Pocasset, Seaconke, and other indigenous nations of Southeast Massachusetts. Without them, we would not have access to this gathering and to this dialogue. We take this opportunity to thank and honor the original caretakers of this land.

History of the University

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth traces its roots to 1895 when the state Legislature chartered the New Bedford Textile School and the Bradford Durfee Textile School in Fall River.

As the region’s economic base shifted from textiles to more diverse manufacturing and service industries, the colleges adapted by diversifying their curricula to respond to the needs of new generations of students. By the middle of the 20th century, the colleges grew rapidly, spurred by the GI Bill and the emerging economic and social advantages of a well-educated citizenry. They evolved into multipurpose institutions that prepared engineers, healthcare workers, teachers, and business leaders.

In 1962, the Legislature created Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute (SMTI) by merging the New Bedford Textile School and the Bradford Durfee Textile School. The 710-acre campus in Dartmouth, located between the urban centers of New Bedford and Fall River, was created in 1964. The dramatic campus design was the work of renowned architect Paul Rudolph, then Dean of the Yale University School of Art and Architecture.

The public demand for a comprehensive university provided the momentum in 1969 to transform SMTI into Southeastern Massachusetts University. In 1988, the Swain School of Design merged with the University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, strengthening programs in art and artisanry. In 1991, Southeastern Massachusetts University and the University of Lowell joined the University of Massachusetts, which already had campuses in Amherst, Boston, and Worcester. Thus, Southeastern Massachusetts University became the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Then, in 1994, UMass Dartmouth received approval to offer its first Ph.D. In 2010, the University opened its School of Law, Massachusetts’s only public law school. The school has since earned national American Bar Association accreditation.

Throughout its history, the University has been a national leader in civic engagement. In 2013, it earned a national top 20 ranking among nearly 800 institutions ranked by the Corporation for National Community Service. In 2016, the University achieved formal doctoral institution status when the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education designated the University as a "Doctoral University–Higher Research Activity." The University remains the only Massachusetts research university located south of Boston.

After achieving "Doctoral University– Higher Research Activity" in 2016, UMass Dartmouth’s research enterprise saw continued growth in high-growth areas like marine technology, cybersecurity, STEM education, offshore wind impacts, big data, and climate change. In recognition of the University’s mission fulfillment, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University #102 in the nation and the second highest-ranked University among public universities in New England on their 2025 Top Performers on Social Mobility list. The ranking analyzes institutions that are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of low-income students awarded Pell Grants.

Academic Regalia

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and other institutions of higher learning evolved from the great medieval universities in Europe, such as those in Bologna, founded in 1088, Oxford in 1167, and Cambridge in 1209. At that time, everyone wore long gowns and full-flowing robes. After 1600, these apparel were rarely worn in common life, but the tradition continues during Commencement ceremonies.

Gowns are of three basic patterns: (a) the Bachelor’s gown, of unadorned black and with long pointed sleeves; (b) the Master’s gown, unadorned black but with an oblong sleeve, open at the wrist, square cut with an arc cut away; and (c) the Doctor’s gown, velvet-faced, with bell-shaped sleeves and bars of velvet on each sleeve.

In today’s academic procession, the regalia not only contribute pageantry and color but denote the academic status of their wearers. The cap, or mortarboard, is worn by all academics upon occasion. Only those with an academic degree wear the tassel to their left, and only those with a Doctor’s degree are permitted tassels of gold.

The Mace

The mace, once a terrible instrument of medieval close combat, has come to symbolize the power and authority of an appointed or anointed leader. Many universities, eager to engage in the medieval pageantry reflecting the origins of our earliest universities, have adapted the mace as a ceremonial staff borne at the head of processions traditionally marking the beginning of convocation and commencement.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Mace, created by Richard Creighton, Professor of Fine Arts, is the gift of the late Vice Chancellor for Student Services Emeritus, Celestino Macedo, and the late Special Assistant to the President, Norman Zalkind, LHD ’81.

Student Speaker

Eman Khwaja ‘26

Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Biology

Eman Khwaja is a PhD candidate in Integrative Biology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. 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.

Across her work, Eman is committed to advancing equity and access in marine science through community engagement, inclusive science communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She has extensive experience as a naturalist with Boston Harbor City Cruises and the New England Aquarium, educating whale-watch passengers and contributing to long-term behavioral datasets in the Gulf of Maine.

Eman is also an active science communicator, engaging global audiences through digital platforms, with over 30 million views since 2023. As a member of the inaugural Digital Science Communication Fellowship at the Museum of Science, she develops content to expand public understanding and scientific literacy. She has collaborated on outreach initiatives locally and internationally, including with Women in Ocean Science, the New England Aquarium, and Northeastern University, as well as with local non-profit and education groups. Eman also works with Ma'wa Collective, a community focused on increasing the representation of Muslim women in outdoor spaces.

Honorary Degree Recipients

Richard Lafrance, Chairman of Lafrance Hospitality

Richard Lafrance is Chairman of Lafrance Hospitality, a Westport-based company founded in 1946 by his parents, Aime and Rita Lafrance, who purchased a small diner in Fall River. Lafrance Hospitality is a multi-generational family business that develops and manages multi-brand hotels throughout New England and Florida. The hotel brand partners include Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Choice properties. Lafrance Hospitality also owns and operates several independent restaurants, catering services, and function facilities in and around the SouthCoast of Massachusetts. White's of Westport, the company's flagship restaurant, has been hosting meetings and events since 1955.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame in 1968, Richard has been blessed with the opportunity to serve in leadership roles in the Greater Fall River and New Bedford communities. Some of these roles have included Chairman of Bank Five, board member of United Way, Nativity School, Bishop Connolly High School, Steppingstone Inc, St. Anne's Hospital, and the Diocesan Catholic Foundation. Also, he has been a member of Southcoast Hospital's President's Council advisory board, the UMass Dartmouth Charlton College of Business advisory board, and the UMass Dartmouth Chancellor's Council.

Richard has been honored to receive awards from the area Chamber of Commerce and several community organizations. He was also a torchbearer for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

As a growing four-generation family business, Richard delights in mentoring his family members, who now hold key roles in the company. Along with his wife, Muriel, he cherishes his time with their ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Nishita Roy-Pope, CEO of Courage Builder

Nishita Roy-Pope is an award-winning leader, entrepreneur, former corporate leader at a Fortune 50 global tech company, speaker, and author. Nishita is currently the CEO of Courage Builder, a company focused on workforce development, innovation, and leadership. Courage Builder has impacted thousands of professionals and students through its proven portfolio of programs and services, which strategically focus on high-growth, emerging fields such as tech, life sciences, entrepreneurship, and the blue economy. In her corporate career at Fortune 50 company Dell Technologies, Nishita's impact included launching a global innovation program, creating an industry-recognized early-career talent program, and serving on the founding leadership team of a $150 million global sales-leads program.

Nishita has had a tremendous impact at UMass Dartmouth, starting with her work with Dell-EMC back in 2018, which exposed hundreds of students to tech-sector opportunities and resulted in over 40 hires for the company. She has continued her impact at UMass Dartmouth through her work at Courage Builder, where she has engaged 500+ students through dynamic career conferences, externships, internships, workshops, and industry-led experiential learning. Her work at UMass Dartmouth includes leading blue economy workforce programs, supporting a wide array of students, and collaborating with cross-university and regional industry organizations.

Nishita is a recognized leader and winner of the Providence Business News 40 Under 40, Woman to Watch in Tech, and Citizens Bank Small Business Champion awards. Nishita is a Board Member of Social Enterprise Greenhouse and Times2 Academy in Rhode Island. In her leisure time, she enjoys spending time with her partner, David, and their two energetic, curious kids.

Jacqueline G. Somerville, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, NEA-BC, Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer, Southcoast Health

Jacqueline G. Somerville, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, NEA-BC, is an accomplished nurse executive with over 30 years of progressive nursing and healthcare leadership experience. Previously the Chief Nursing Officer at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, she now proudly serves as the system Chief Nurse for Southcoast Health in New Bedford, Massachusetts, bringing her passion for the communities’ and patients’ experiences of health and illness. A graduate of Boston College with her BSN in nursing, she received her MSN in Nursing Administration from Boston University and her Ph.D. in nursing at Boston College. Her dissertation described and quantified the phenomenon of patients feeling “known” by their nurses. Dr. Somerville is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, the American Organization of Nurse Leaders, a certified Caritas Coach in the Watson Caring Science Institute, and a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. She is also on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Greater New Bedford.

Welcome to the Alumni Association!

Congratulations from the UMass Dartmouth Alumni Association! As you determine where the next steps lead you—whether you remain in the SouthCoast, relocate for your dream job, or take some time to decide—a network of 60,000+ UMass Dartmouth alumni worldwide are here to support you. There are many ways for you to be an active and engaged UMassD alum starting today!

Keep in touch through the Blue & Gold Network

Sign up for the Blue & Gold Network where you can connect with UMass Dartmouth alumni for career mentoring, job openings, and more. Create a profile with your updated contact information, including your post-graduate job, to ensure that you receive the latest news for alumni. 

Save the date for Blue & Gold Weekend

Return to UMassD for Blue & Gold Weekend in October to celebrate Corsair pride! Join alumni, students, families, faculty, and staff for events across campus, including the Alumni Awards, Corsair Athletics Hall of Fame, tailgate, and more!