New York’s Capital Region Announces Graduation Speakers

We're getting into late spring, which means it's time for school to let out. This will be a permanent change for some, who are finally concluding their educational journey and graduating college.

Those graduations need commencement speakers, and the 2026 lineup for the Capital Region has just been announced:

• Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

  • Albany Capital Center
  • Saturday, May 16th at 10 a.m.
  • Speaker: David Stack (Former CEO and Chairman of Pacira Biosciences)

• Albany Law School

  • Saratoga Performing Arts Center
  • Friday, May 15th at 10 a.m.
  • Speaker: Rowan Wilson (Chief Judge of the State of New York and the New York Court of Appeals)

• Albany Medical College

  • Saratoga Performing Arts Center
  • Thursday, May 7th at 1 p.m.
  • Speaker: Dr. David Langer (Chair of neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City)

• Hudson Valley Community College

  • McDonough Sports Complex (HVCC Campus)
  • Saturday, May 16th
    • School of STEM at 9 a.m.
    • School of Health Sciences at 11:30 a.m.
    • School of Business and Liberal Arts at 2 p.m.
  • Multiple Speakers will be attending these ceremonies as follows:
    • Michael Brophy (Hudson Valley Community College President)
    • Neil Kelleher (Hudson Valley Community College Board of Trustees Chairman)
    • Steve McLaughlin (Rensselaer County Executive)
    • Héctor Rodriguez (School of STEM Dean)
    • Patricia Klimkewicz (School of Health Sciences Dean)
    • Tyler Kessel (School of Business and Liberal Arts Dean)
    • Caris Kraty (Student Senate President)

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  • East Campus Athletic Village Stadium
  • Saturday, May 16th at 8:30 a.m.
  • Speaker 1: Darío Gil, Ph.D. (Under Secretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy)
  • Speaker 2: Christine Ann Miller (President and CEO of Melinta Therapeutics)

• Russell Sage College

  • MVP Arena
  • Saturday, May 16th at 1 p.m.
  • Speaker: Dr. Steven Hanks (President and CEO of St. Peter’s Health Partners in Albany and St. Joseph’s Health in Syracuse)

• Siena University

  • Graduate: UHY Center
  • Undergraduate: MVP Arena
  • Graduate: Saturday, may 16th at 9:30 a.m.
  • Undergraduate: Sunday, May 17th at 10 a.m.
  • Speaker (Graduate): Marcelo Modico (Coursera Chief People Officer)
  • speaker (Undergraduate): Debbie Antonelli (ESPN and CBS college basketball analyst)

• Skidmore College

  • Saratoga Performing Arts Center
  • Saturday, May 16th at 10:40 a.m.
  • Speaker 1: Kay Olan (Mohawk Educator & Skidmore’s 2025-26 Indigenous Elder-in-Residence)
  • Speaker 2: JoAnn Manson (Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women’s Health at Harvard Medical School)
  • Speaker 3: Beau Breslin (Skidmore Professor of Political Science & Joseph C. Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government)

• SUNY Cobleskill Ag & Tech

  • Neal Robbins Field House
  • Saturday, May 9th at 10 a.m.
  • Speaker: Jan Brett (New York Times #1 Bestselling Author)

• University at Albany

  • Entry Plaza Lawn
  • Undergraduate: Saturday, May 16th at 10 a.m.
  • Graduate: Saturday, May 16th at 2:30 p.m.
  • Speaker (Undergraduate): Dr. Dorcey Applyrs (Mayor of the City of Albany)
  • Speaker (Graduate): Joachim Frank (Nobel Prize Winning Biophysicist)