UPDATED COMMENCEMENT DETAILS AS OF MAY 6, 2026:

Commencement Weekend ceremonies (Baccalaureate Mass/Hooding, Master’s Commencement at 10 am and Bachelor’s Commencement at 1 pm) previously set to take place on St. Anne’s Lawn have been moved to the Caparso Field. This move allows us to accommodate the maximum number of guests. Please note, there will not be a tent on the field, and all events are rain or shine. Please dress for the weather and bring an umbrella/rain gear if needed.

Tickets/Extra Seating

• Tent tickets will be honored for priority seating on the field (chairs provided). A tent ticket will guarantee seating in this section but seats will not be reserved. Seating for guests with limited mobility will be available (see below for additional parking info).

• Zecco tickets will be honored outside for the priority field seating or inside Zecco Auditorium for the livestream.

• Guests without tickets are welcome to join us in the bleachers or on the lawn adjacent to the field (bring your own chair or blanket). Tailgating will not be permitted, however. This seating is first-come, first-served.

•  Students who were notified about extra tickets must pick them up at the Student Life Office or email commencement@annamaria.edu by May 4^th .

• Tickets for online students and August/December graduates will be held at the will call table at the main entrance to the football field.

Parking

•  All traffic enters through the main college entrance – Public Safety and college staff will direct students and guests as they arrive. Please allow extra time for parking and walking to ceremony locations.

•  A drop-off area and designated parking will be available for guests with limited mobility for each ceremony. For field seating, the drop-off will be at the entrance to the Miriam lot and a golf cart will bring guests to the field. For Zecco seating, the drop-off will be behind Foundress Hall. Please ask for assistance upon arrival.

Ship-to-Home Caps & Gowns

•  We are aware there is a delay with the delivery of Graduate and Online students’ cap & gown orders. We are working with Balfour and will  share updates as they become available.
•  Please rest assured all graduates will be able to participate in the commencement ceremonies!

Edward M. Augustus, Jr.
Doctor of Public Administration

Former Secretary Ed Augustus was appointed by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey in June 2023 to lead the newly created Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

An experienced, results-driven executive, Augustus has spent more than 35 years in public service, building effective teams and bringing people together to have a positive impact on communities.

As the secretary of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, Augustus led the state’s mission to create more homes and lower housing costs for Massachusetts residents. The executive office also distributes funding for community development initiatives, oversees the state’s public housing and operates homelessness prevention and housing stabilization programs.

Before joining the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Augustus served as city manager of Worcester, where he led the state’s second-largest city through a revitalization that became known as the Worcester Renaissance. Under his administration, the gateway city saw a wave of new development, infrastructure improvements and new housing that attracted statewide attention and restored pride to residents.

As city manager, Augustus also spearheaded the $240 million landmark redevelopment of Worcester’s Canal District and Kelley Square, including leading negotiations to relocate the Boston Red Sox AAA affiliate (now the WooSox) to the city and construction of the multi-use Polar Park stadium.

Before joining the city of Worcester, Augustus served as director of Government & Community Relations for the College of Holy Cross, state senator for the 2nd Worcester District, chief of staff for Congressman Jim McGovern, and chief of staff to the assistant secretary for Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education under President Clinton’s administration.

Augustus currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of UniBank, the largest mutually-owned Bank in Central Massachusetts with $3 Billion in Assets, headquartered in Whitinsville, Massachusetts.

Honorary Degree Recipient

Michael Angelini

Michael Angelini is a senior partner of the law firm of Prince Lobel and has been a practicing trial and business lawyer in Worcester since 1968.

He is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Duke University School of Law.

His experience includes being a Director and former Chair of the Board of Directors of the Hanover Insurance Group and a director of several financial institutions, including local banks and as chair and director of various local charitable and civic organizations, including the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, the United Way of Central Massachusetts, Community Legal Aid Association and the Worcester County Bar Association.  His public service includes being a Director of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and Chairman of the Massachusetts Port Authority.  He most recently served as Chair of the Worcester Redevelopment Authority and is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Patricia Zillian Eppinger
Doctor of Human Service

Patty Eppinger is a distinguished business leader, educator, and civic advocate whose career reflects a deep and enduring commitment to leadership, education, and community service.

Ms. Eppinger began her professional career as a consultant with McKinsey & Company, where she advised organizations on strategy and organizational effectiveness. She later brought her expertise to the classroom, serving as a Lecturer at both the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

A graduate of the College of William & Mary where she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and government, she went on to receive her MBA from the Tuck School of Business, building a strong foundation for her professional and civic leadership.

For more than two decades, Ms. Eppinger has been a tireless champion for education and community engagement in Worcester. As a founder and former Chair of the Worcester Education Collaborative, she helped build and lead an organization dedicated to advancing excellence and equity in education—bringing together educators, families, and community leaders to drive meaningful, systemic improvement for Worcester’s students.

As Co-Chair of the One City, One Library Initiative, Ms. Eppinger played a pivotal role in a transformative public-private partnership that brought libraries into Worcester’s elementary schools and neighborhoods—an enduring contribution to literacy, equity, and community connection. This innovative collaboration was recognized with the Award for Excellence in Collaboration from the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, underscoring its impact as a model for cross-sector partnership.

Ms. Eppinger’s commitment to educational equity has extended to the state level through her service on the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, where she co-chaired the development of the Strategic Plan for Racial Equity, helping to shape a more inclusive and just future for public higher education in the Commonwealth.

The breadth and depth of her impact have been recognized through some of the region’s highest civic honors. She has been celebrated for distinguished community service, transformative support of education, and her ability to mobilize public and private partners in service of the common good—receiving honors such as the Isaiah Thomas Award, the United Way Alexis de Tocqueville Award, the Worcester Public School’s Thomas Jefferson Award, the Worcester Public Library Foundation’s inaugural Dr. Richard E. Greene Award, the Women’s Initiative Lois B. Green Award, and the Museum of Worcester’s Harvey Ball Smile Award. Reflecting the profound and lasting nature of her contributions, Ms. Eppinger has twice been presented with the Key to the City of Worcester.

Patty and her husband Fred reside in Grafton, MA, and have three adult children: Katie (28), and twins Lauren and Andrew (24) – as well as a menagerie of four-legged family members. They love to travel together and are all diehard Boston sports fans.

We will celebrate the Baccalaureate Mass on campus on Friday, May 8th, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Baccalaureate Mass is a Catholic liturgy, celebrating the Sacrament of the Eucharist and graduating students.  All members of the Anna Maria College community and their guests are invited to attend the Mass, regardless of faith.  

The Hooding Ceremony will immediately follow Baccalaureate Mass. The hooding of the Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree Recipients by faculty recognizes your academic success.  Your hood (the scarf-like part of your academic regalia) represents the degree that you have earned, and will be placed over your shoulders by a faculty member or department chair in your field of study. 

 A reception will be held in the Bishop Flanagan Campus Center for graduating students and guests, faculty, and staff immediately following the hooding ceremony.  

Class of 2026 News

• For on-campus students, we are busy planning Senior Week events for the spring – watch for exciting announcements!
• Email questions or ideas to SeniorClass@annamaria.edu
• To donate directly towards the class gift, please click here

• Full-time Bachelor’s degree – order by February  20

• Part-time/Online Bachelor’s and all Master’s degrees – order by April 5