Elms College to Hold 86th Commencement Exercises May 20

CHICOPEE — Elms College will present its 86th commencement exercises on Saturday, May 20 at 10 a.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. The keynote speaker will be Carolyn Jacobs, renowned social-work professor and spiritual director.

Jacobs’ work in religion and spirituality, social-work clinical practice, organizational behavior, and teaching has been recognized with extensive publication and presentation credits. She retired from Smith College in May 2015 after 34 years, 14 of which saw her serve as the dean of the School of Social Work and Elizabeth Marting Treuhaft professor.

Today, she continues to serve the greater good on the board of directors for the Mind & Life Institute in Charlottesville, Va., an organization co-founded by the Dalai Lama, together with contemplative neuroscientist Francisco Varela and entrepreneur Adam Engle. She also serves on the board of trustees not only for Elms College, but also for Naropa University in Boulder, Colo., as well as on the advisory committee for Montague Catholic Social Ministries.

This will be the final commencement ceremony led by Elms College President Mary Reap, who announced last year that she would retire this summer. The trustees’ search committee has selected Harry Dumay to be the college’s 11th president.