Senator Edward Markey and Former Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to Speak at 2026 UMass Boston Commencement
U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey will deliver the keynote address at UMass Boston鈥檚 58th undergraduate commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 28, on the Campus Center Lawn overlooking Dorchester Bay. The Honorable Anne Hidalgo, former mayor of Paris and a global leader in climate action and urban innovation, will deliver the keynote address at the graduate commencement ceremony on May 27.
Elected to the Senate in 2013, Markey previously served 37 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the course of his political career, Senator Markey has amassed an unparalleled record of consumer protection, clean energy, and environmental legislation and a deep commitment to improving the lives of the people of Massachusetts and our country.
Hidalgo served as mayor of Paris, France from 2014 to 2026, becoming the first woman to hold the office. During her tenure, she led transformative efforts to reduce car traffic, expand green space, and position Paris as a global model for climate-forward urban policy. Her leadership on sustainability, public health, and equitable city planning has earned international recognition.
“We are honored to welcome Senator Markey and Mayor Hidalgo to address our Class of 2026,” said Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco. “Both leaders have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to public service and to tackling the defining challenges of our time—from climate change to economic opportunity—making them powerful voices for our graduates as they embark on the next chapter of their lives.”
Senator Markey has consistently championed job creation in American clean energy while advocating for consumers facing rising gas prices and dependence on foreign oil. He was the principal House author of the 2007 fuel economy law, which increased fuel economy standards to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, and has been one of the leading voices for policies that ensure we are more resilient and sustainable. Markey also authored key Wall Street reforms, strengthening insider trading penalties and enhancing federal oversight of stock and futures markets. Markey was born in Malden, Massachusetts. Like many UMass Boston students, he was the first in his family to go to 天美传媒.
“It is a privilege to deliver the commencement address to the graduates of Greater Boston’s leading public research university,” said Senator Markey. “As an engine of economic mobility and access to academic excellence, UMass Boston plays a critical role in educating the future leaders of our country and training them to always push forward to expand boundaries, find solutions, and create change for the good.”
Hidalgo has played a prominent role on the global stage, including her participation in Pope Francis’s Climate Summit, From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience, at the Vatican in 2024, where international leaders convened to advance urgent climate action. In 2024, Time and Forbes magazines recognized her as one of the world’s most influential figures in the fight against the climate crisis. Through this and other high-level engagements, she has helped elevate cities as critical actors in addressing the climate crisis and fostering international collaboration on sustainability.
“I am honored to receive an honorary doctorate from Boston's premier public research university,” Hidalgo said. “Paris and Boston are both iconic cities with a rich history of academic excellence, cultural vitality, and a shared commitment to innovation, and both cities are leading the world in the urgent challenge of climate resilience.”
Degrees will be conferred to approximately 3,900 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in the Class of 2026. For more information on commencement, visit .