During Wellesley’s 148th commencement exercises on Friday, May 15, 2026, commencement speaker Ruth J. Simmons urged the class to “embrace the full humanity of others.” Student speaker Elise Christina Wilson ’26 reminded her classmates that “every piece—every person, every story, every voice—matters. Celebrate the differences that make our communities whole. Create space for those who have been denied.” And President Paula A. Johnson told the graduates, “I hope you never doubt that you were made for this moment. I hope you never underestimate your power to imagine new ways to move our country and world forward.”
Highlights
Senior class co-presidents Claire Schultz ’26 and Vivian Lee ’26 introduced the student speaker.
Mala Radhakrishnan, professor of chemistry; Jenny Musto, associate professor of women’s and gender studies; and Pat Giersch, Edith Stix Wasserman Professor in Asian Studies and Professor of History were awarded the Pinanski Prize for Excellence in Teaching.
Wellesley honored retiring faculty Kaye Peterman, Yue Hu, Joe Joyce, James Kodera, Neelima Shukla-Bhatt, and Kathryn “Cappy” Lynch, as well as Daniela Bartalesi-Graf and Ann Velenchik (not pictured).
