UMass Boston has tapped US Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rob Hale, a Quincy businessman and philanthropist, to deliver the commencement addresses to the class of 2023.
The ceremony is set for Thursday, May 25, at the harborside campus. More than 3,800 students are expected to get degrees.
Warren, a Cambridge Democrat, is serving her second term and this week announced she’s running for a third, with the election set for 2024. A Harvard University law professor, she was a candidate for president in 2020 and former head of the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
“I can’t wait to celebrate the graduates and their families at UMass Boston — an outstanding public research university that reflects the talent and diversity of our Commonwealth and our nation,” Warren said in a statement. “After years of hard work and perseverance, I look forward to recognizing their accomplishments and sharing a few words of advice for the Class of 2023.”
Hale is the co-founder and president of Granite Telecommunications, a $1.9 billion company based in Quincy. He is also a well-known philanthropist, making headlines last October when he said he and his wife Karen planned to give away $1 million a week for a year.
His company employs more than 200 UMass Boston graduates, according to Hale.
“Granite has also been lauded for its deep commitment to diversity,” UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco said in a statement. “As a major employer, Mr. Hale understands the importance of building a diverse workforce pipeline, one of the signature priorities of UMass Boston’s strategic plan.”
