Commencement Information

three women stand with their arms around each other in graduation caps and gowns

Commencement 2027

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CLASS OF 2026!!!

2027 Commencement Ceremonies are scheduled to be held on Saturday, May 8, 2027 at the Thomas M. Menino Convention and Exhibition Center and will recognize all students graduating in 2027.

CEREMONY SCHEDULES FOR 2027:

  • Ceremony for the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences - begins at 10:00 a.m. (procession and live broadcast begins at 9:45 a.m.)
    Graduating Student report time: 8:30 a.m.
    Doors open to guests with tickets: 9:00 a.m.
     
  • Ceremony for the School of Nursing - begins at 2:00 p.m. (procession and live broadcast begins at 1:45 p.m.)  
    Graduating Student report time: 12:30 p.m.
    Doors open to guests with tickets: 1:00 p.m.

The dates represented below are the officially published graduation dates for each graduation period.

For students completing 
all course requirements in:		Date your Degree
will be conferred		Commencement
Ceremony
October (Fall 2026)
PA Students Only		October 16, 2026Saturday, May 9, 2026
December (Fall 2026)January 8, 2027Saturday, May 8, 2027
April (Spring 2027)May 8, 2027Saturday, May 8, 2027
August (Summer 2027)September 10, 2027Saturday, May 8, 2027
October (Fall 2027)
PA Students Only		October 15, 2027Saturday, May 8, 2027

 

little blue robot made of circles wearing a graduation cap

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Logistics for both Ceremonies

The 2027 Commencement Ceremony

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences - May 8, 2027 - 10:00 a.m. (Broadcast begins at 9:45 a.m.)
Link will be made available in late April 2027.

School of Nursing - May 8, 2027 - 1:00 p.m. (Broadcast begins at 1:45 p.m.)
Link will be made available in late April 2027.

Links to previous broadcasts can be found below.

EventTimeLocation/Event Notes
Graduates Report8:30 amNorth Lobby - Level 1
Graduates report to the Convention Center and check in at the North Lobby- Level 1.  You will be directed to your preparation and line-up area from there.
Line-up and Preparation9 - 9:40 amRoom 104ABC
Program Staff will prepare all School of Nursing students for the lineup in room 205ABC.   Please make sure that you have your Grad Pass from the Marching Order system available as that QR code will trigger the system to read your name as you cross the stage.  Your program staff will review the seating and stage instructions with you.  Please follow the directions of your program staff member.
Procession Begins9:45 amLevel 1
The academic procession begins, moving from Level 1 up to the Ballroom East/West on Level 3.  Please follow the directions of your Program Staff and Faculty Marshals.
Ceremony Start10:00 am sharpBallroom East/West - 3rd Floor
Commencement Ceremony begins.
Ceremony EndApproximately
12:00 Noon		Ballroom East/West - 3rd Floor
Commencement Ceremony ends.  After the stage party, directors, and faculty have recessed, graduates will recess from the ballroom, at the direction of the Faculty Marshals, and return to the preparation rooms on Level 2 to pick up personal belongings.  Please remove any personal items left in room 104ABC and clear the space by no later than 12:15 pm.
EventTimeLocation/Event Notes
Graduates Report12:30 PMNorth Lobby - Level 1
Graduates report to the Convention Center and check in at the North Lobby- Level 1.  You will be directed to your preparation and line-up area from there.
Line-up and Preparation1 - 1:40 pmRoom 104ABC
Program Staff will prepare all School of Rehabilitation Sciences graduates for the lineup in room 205ABC.   Please make sure that you have your Grad Pass from the Marching Order system available as that QR code will trigger the system to read your name as you cross the stage.  Your program staff will review the seating and stage instructions with you.  Please follow the directions of your program staff.
Procession Begins1:45 pmLevel 1
The academic procession begins, moving from Level 1 up to the Ballroom East/West on Level 3.  Please follow the directions of your Program Staff and Faculty Marshals.
Ceremony Start2:00 pm
sharp		Ballroom East/West - 3rd Floor
Commencement Ceremony begins.
Ceremony EndApproximately
4:00 pm		Ballroom East/West - 3rd Floor
Commencement Ceremony ends.  After the stage party, directors, and faculty have recessed, graduates will recess from the ballroom, at the direction of the Faculty Marshals, and return to the preparation rooms on Level 2 to pick up personal belongings.  Please remove any personal items left in room 104ABC and clear the space by no later than 4:15 pm.

All parking for the event will be in the BCEC South Parking Lot (see map below):

If you are carpooling and want to drop folks off before parking, you will be able to make a quick stop at the North Lobby entrance and then proceed to the South Lot to park. The cost for parking in the South Lot for 2026 is $35.

To self-park in the BCEC South Lot, from Summer Street, turn onto East Side Drive and continue straight along the side of the building. At the end of the building, make a right and go down the ramp. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left and you will see the entrance to the South Parking lot in front of you.

Regular shuttles will transport all guests from the South Lot to the North Lobby entrance.

 

Commencement Student Speakers

Information about the application process for the 2027 Student Commencement Speaker will be made available in the Fall.  

Please contact Ronan Campbell (rcampbell [at] mghihp.edu (rcampbell[at]mghihp[dot]edu)) for more information.

tiffany vassell masters in nursing graduate

 

Tiffany Vassell
Master of Science, Leadership in Nursing Education, Class of 2026

Tiffany Vassell, MS, RN is a maternal health advocate, equity leader, and nurse educator serving as Director of the Healthy Baby Healthy Child program at the Boston Public Health Commission. With nearly a decade of experience as a labor and delivery nurse, she has also worked as a substance use recovery nurse in Boston, demonstrating her deep commitment to patient-centered, community-rooted care.

A proud double alumna of the MGH Institute of Health Professions, Tiffany earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2014 and now her Master of Science in Leadership in Nursing Education. She also serves as a clinical nurse instructor at the Institute, supporting the next generation of nurses, and as a Health Equity and Leadership Fellow, working with faculty and staff to advance engagement and integrate health equity into the curriculum.

Tiffany is a passionate advocate for reproductive justice, bodily autonomy, systems and policy transformation in maternal and infant health. She is co-author of the award-winning book Preparation for a Hospital Birth, recognized by the National Black Nurses Association for advancing maternal health equity.

She is a 2025–2026 Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Fellow, continuing to deepen her leadership in quality improvement, innovation, and health equity. Tiffany serves as Vice President of the Bay State Birth Coalition and Co-Chair of Birth Equity & Justice Massachusetts (BEJMA), and contributes nationally through her work with her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. She is also a proud member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Her leadership has been widely recognized, including honors from the Boston Public Health Commission, Urban League of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Nurses Association, and Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Above all, Tiffany is a proud mother of two, Amelia and Kash, whose lives continue to shape her commitment to equity and justice.


 

 

lauren kemmer, an occupational therapy graduate, by the seashore

Lauren Kemmer 
Entry-Level Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Class of 2026 

Lauren Kemmer began her professional journey with a deep commitment to the arts, pursuing a professional ballet career prior to her undergraduate studies. It was through this experience that she began volunteering for adaptive dance classes and discovered a passion for working with individuals of all abilities. Lauren graduated magna cum laude from Towson University, earning her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Disability Studies. Her curiosity for analyzing physical function and cognitive capabilities, coupled with her love of creative connection, led her to pursue her doctorate in occupational therapy at the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Throughout her time at the IHP, Lauren enjoyed contributing to her academic community through leadership and service. She served on the SHRS Dean’s Student Advisory Council and as a class representative for the Student Government Association. She is also a proud member of Pi Theta Epsilon, the scholastic honor society of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation.

Lauren discovered her love for complex-care during clinical rotations at the Mayo Clinic and Seattle Children’s Hospital and cultivated a specialized interest in neurorehabilitation as a research assistant with the Spaulding-Harvard Traumatic Brain Injury Model System. Looking ahead, Lauren desires to practice in a variety of settings, from infant to adult care and hospital-based to community-based practice. Coming from a military family, she is especially interested in working with active duty and veteran service members. She aims to empower her patients to participate most fully in their lives, providing them with the appropriate tools to gain independence, increase their sense of self-determination, and take control to pursue their aspirations.

Academic Regalia

All graduating students in any given year will order regalia when applying for graduation. We value the centuries-old decorum and proud traditions associated with academia regalia. The cap, gown, and hood are international symbols of learning and accomplishment. With their unique heraldry and degree-specific designs, these regalia are long-standing emblems of our higher education culture.

Regalia will be delivered directly to you based on the information provided at the time of your order when you applied for graduation. If you have not ordered, please do so by visiting University Caps and Gown, INC. Orders attempted after posted deadlines will need to be done directly through our //steve.erickson [at] balfour-rep.com (Balfour - University Cap and Gown representative). Please indicate that you missed the order deadline when contacting our representative.

We recognize, while promoting an inclusive, welcoming Commencement experience for all, that there are traditional regalia and ceremonial garments of similar importance associated with other cultures. Students who wish to substitute the regalia of their family heritage in place of the IHP regalia, should request an exemption from the IHP specifications by emailing commencement [at] mghihp.edu.

Honor cords for the School of Nursing Sigma/Upsilon Lambda Chapter can be obtained by contacting //cdonati [at] mghihp.edu (Carla Donati) in the School of Nursing.

Note, the Institute will review and make a decision on all such requests in order to ensure the formal nature of Commencement. Requests must be submitted by April 1 in any given calendar year to be considered for the May ceremony.

Important note: Caps, Gowns, and Hoods (If applicable) are yours to keep after the Commencement Ceremonies.

  1. Adjust the gown so that is sits comfortably on your shoulders. It should fall below your knee, but not so low that it is a tripping hazard.

  2. Put the hood on over your head with the velvet side up and the small tapered end in front. Be sure to drape your hood around your neck with the largest portion of the hood hanging down your back.

  3. Let your colors show! Turn the IHP colors out on your hood and roll the velvet edge out to show the teal and silver inside colors. When you're done, the end of the hood will look somewhat like a fin.

  4. For four-sided mortarboards (caps), place the cap on your head so the point is lined up with the middle of your forehead. Adjust the mortarboard so that it's parallel to the ground. Don't wear it to the side or back. You may need some bobby pins or clips to keep it securely on your head.

  5. For soft tams (Doctoral Students), place the tam on your head with the adjustment tab in the back. Do not wear it to the side or back. You may need bobby pins or clips to keep it securely on your head.

  6. Fasten your tassel to the button on the top of your mortarboard or tam. Put the tassel on the left side to show that your degree has been conferred.

commencement photo examples

Starting in 2026:

  • PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences and PhD in Health Professions Education candidates will be individually hooded on stage by faculty mentors selected by their programs. For faculty who will be hooding PhD students at Commencement, this video provides a great view of how hooding should be done.
     
  • All Clinical Doctoral and Master’s candidates will participate in a coordinated group hooding within their seating areas.

While individual hooding by faculty is a longstanding tradition symbolizing entry into a profession, this revised approach also reflects a central principle of interprofessional education: meaningful care is delivered through collaboration. Throughout their academic journeys, our graduates have learned with, from, and alongside one another across disciplines, building the skills necessary for effective teamwork in today’s complex healthcare environment.  The group hooding model honors this shared experience and underscores the collaborative spirit that will continue to shape their professional lives.

During this part of the ceremony, faculty will be invited to rise so that we may recognize their essential role as they bear witness to and oversee this meaningful moment.

We are excited to introduce this new tradition and proud to align this important ceremony more closely with the values and mission of the Institute and its commitment to interprofessional practice. The hooding moment will be fully captured on the live broadcast and preserved in our archives, providing graduates with a lasting and shareable memory of their achievement.

Authentic IHP Doctoral Regalia - Ordering Process

The MGH Institute offers an option for PhD and other Doctoral Faculty and Students to purchase authentic IHP Doctoral Regalia to own.  Authentic IHP Doctoral Regalia is a great option for those IHP faculty or Alumni who received a Doctoral degree from the IHP and may require regalia for future academic events.

Authentic IHP regalia can be ordered directly through Balfour, University Cap and Gown by downloading the order form.

Contact our representative at Balfour with any questions:  steve.erickson [at] balfour-rep.com (steve[dot]erickson[at]balfour-rep[dot]com).  You can also call 603-491-4944.

Historical Commencement Awards

2026 - Ellen M. Zane (Doctor of Humane Letters)
2025 - Peter Richard Brown (Doctor of Humane Letters)
2024 - Tedy Bruschi (Doctor of Humane Letters)
2024 - Heidi Bruschi (Doctor of Humane Letters)
2023 – None Awarded
2022 – Peter L. Slavin (Doctor of Humane Letters)
2021 – Ann W. Caldwell (Doctor of Humane Letters)
2020 – Bette Ann Harris (Doctor of Humane Letters)
2019 – George E. Thibault (Doctor of Humane Letters)
2018 – E. Lorraine Baugh (Doctor of Humane Letters)
2017 – Charles A. Sanders (Doctor of Science)
2016 – Matina S. Horner (Doctor of Humane Letters)

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