Data Intensity CEO to Deliver Address at Bay Path Commencement

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University will hold its 119th commencement on Saturday, May 14, at 3 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. More than 730 graduates will receive bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and more than 940 graduates in total will receive degrees, making this the largest graduating class in the university’s history.

Kirk Arnold, CEO of Data Intensity, will be the commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient. As leader of a high-growth, cloud-based services and data-analytics provider, she is a role model for women in the exploding market of data analytics. For more than 35 years, Arnold has been an active member of the technology and business community of Greater Boston. She sits on the boards of digital-marketing service provider Cramer Marketing; EnerNOC, a leading provider of energy-intelligence software; and the Commonwealth Institute. Arnold and Data Intensity were recognized among the Boston Globe’s “Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts” last fall. She was also inducted into Bay Path’s 21st-Century Women Business Leaders Hall of Fame in 2004, its inaugural year.

In addition, Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook, will be presented with an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree for his accomplishments as an author, educator, and passionate champion of reading aloud to children. Trelease dedicated much of his career to leading seminars and lecturing school groups, parents, teachers, and librarians in all 50 states on the fundamental importance of youthful reading. He was one of the most sought-after speakers on the subject of education in the U.S., a frequent keynote speaker at educational conferences, and is credited with sparking read-aloud movements across the nation. Early in his career, Trelease was also a writer and staff artist for the Springfield Daily News (now known as the Republican).

The commencement is open to the public and is handicap-accessible.