MCLA TO CELEBRATE 127th COMMENCEMENT ON MAY 16

April 7, 2026

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is pleased to announce the speaker for its 127th Commencement Exercises will be Michael J. Bobbitt, president and CEO of OPERA America and a nationally recognized arts executive, producer, and artist. This year's Commencement will be held Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 11 a.m., in the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium.

In addition, MCLA will confer honorary degrees upon three outstanding individuals: Commencement speaker Michael J. Bobbitt, Dr. Mary K. Grant, president of Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a proud MCLA alumna, and Mohan Boodram, former Chair of the MCLA Board of Trustees.

"This year's Commencement is a particularly meaningful one. We are proud to honor Michael Bobbitt, whose life's work demonstrates the transformative power of the arts, alongside two individuals who have given so much to this institution: Dr. Mary Grant, a beloved alumna and MCLA’s 11th president, and Mohan Boodram, whose years of service on our Board helped shape MCLA into the college it is today. I know Mr. Bobbitt's address will resonate deeply with our graduates as they prepare to make their own mark on the world," said MCLA President James F. Birge, Ph.D.

Michael J. Bobbitt

Doctor of Fine Arts

Michael J. Bobbitt is a nationally recognized arts executive, producer, and artist whose career bridges public policy, organizational transformation, and creative practice. He serves as president and CEO of OPERA America, the national service organization dedicated to supporting opera companies and artists across the country. Before joining OPERA America, Bobbitt served as executive director of the Mass Cultural Council, where he led strategy and operations for a $29.7 billion creative economy, secured more than $60 million in COVID relief funding for Massachusetts arts organizations, and successfully advocated for the arts to be embedded in statewide health, education, and economic policy.\

Prior to his public service, Bobbitt led two producing theaters, including New Repertory Theatre in Massachusetts and Adventure Theatre MTC in Maryland, where he commissioned more than 50 new works and pioneered sensory-friendly and autism-inclusive performances that became a national model. An award-nominated playwright, director, and choreographer, his work has been produced at the Kennedy Center, Ford's Theatre, Washington National Opera, La Jolla Playhouse, and the Shakespeare Theatre Company, among others. He is the recipient of the Kennedy Center Gold Medallion and has been invested in the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. He holds an M.B.A. in arts innovation and a B.A. summa cum laude in interdisciplinary studies, with executive education at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School. MCLA's conferral of the Doctor of Fine Arts continues an honor previously bestowed upon him by Dean College.

Mohan Boodram

Doctor of Public Service

Mohan Boodram has dedicated more than three decades to expanding access and equity in higher education, and his ties to MCLA run deep. He served as a Trustee of the College for thirteen years, including three years as Chair of the Board, and continues his engagement with the institution as a member of the MCLA Foundation Board of Directors. Throughout his tenure, he was a steadfast advocate for affordability, inclusion, and the enduring value of a public liberal arts education.

Boodram's professional career spans senior leadership positions at some of the nation's most distinguished academic institutions. He served as Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid at the Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Associate Dean for Enrollment and Student Services at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Harvard Medical School. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from Yale University and a Master of Arts in Statistics from Harvard University.

Dr. Mary K. Grant

Doctor of Public Service

Dr. Mary K. Grant is a nationally recognized leader in public higher education and a proud alumna of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, where she served as president for thirteen years. In that role, she advanced civic learning, student success, and institutional growth, leaving a lasting impact on the College and the North Adams community. She currently serves as president of Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), the nation's only independent public college of art and design, where she champions the essential role of creativity in education and civic life.

Dr. Grant has also served as chancellor of the University of North Carolina Asheville and as president and CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. A first-generation college graduate, she has spent her career expanding access and opportunity and is a passionate advocate for equity, inclusion, and the transformative power of public higher education. She holds a Ph.D. in Social Welfare Policy from Brandeis University and has received honorary degrees from Williams College and Eastern Connecticut State University.
For more information about MCLA's Commencement ceremony, visit mcla.edu/commencement.
 

About MCLA

At MCLA, we're here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive on every level of their lives. In every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 130-year commitment to public education, we have fortified our dedication to equitable academic excellence. MCLA has appeared on U.S. News & World Report's list of Top Ten Public Colleges for 11 consecutive years, earning the No. 6 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts Schools in the nation for 2026. The College's focus on affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in additional 2026 U.S. News rankings: No. 6 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for liberal arts colleges in the state and No. 4 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for public liberal arts colleges in the country. These rankings measure how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants.