Fairfield University honors nearly 2,000 graduates at 76th commencement

Fairfield University 2026 graduation ceremony photo — Photo via Fairfield University

Fairfield University honored nearly 2,000 graduates this weekend during its 76th commencement exercises. The three days of ceremonies recognized students earning associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees across multiple academic programs.

The weekend also marked the graduation of the university’s inaugural Doctor of Business Administration cohort from the Charles F. Dolan School of Business.

The undergraduate ceremony took place Sunday morning on Bellarmine Lawn. It brought together students from the John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences, the Dolan School of Business, the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies, and the School of Engineering and Computing.

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The Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, delivered the invocation. He urged graduates to measure their lives by service and the love they give rather than just titles or applause.

Footwear designer and entrepreneur Stuart Weitzman delivered the undergraduate address and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Weitzman encouraged the graduates to maintain faith in themselves and to utilize their creative imagination. He noted that a creative imagination would prove to be their most useful asset.

The university also presented an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to Mary Frances Malone, PhD. Dr. Malone served as associate academic vice president from 1993 to 2018, guiding the institution through periods of significant growth.

Stuart Weitzman, footwear designer and entrepreneur, was the featured speaker at Fairfield University’s 76th Commencement on May 17, and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, addressed the families, stating that the world needs what the graduates do. He emphasized the institution’s commitment to being a values-based, student-centric, and outcomes-focused model.

On Saturday, advanced degree recipients from the university’s five schools gathered at the Leo D. Mahoney Arena for the graduate commencement exercises.

Global humanitarian and BlinkNow Foundation co-founder Maggie Doyne delivered the graduate address. Doyne, who received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, recounted how a gap year in Nepal at age 18 shifted her understanding of purpose. She encouraged the audience to stay compassionate and use the power of their privilege to improve the world.

Maggie Doyne, global humanitarian and CEO of the BlinkNow Foundation, delivered the Graduate Commencement address on May 16 and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

The commencement weekend began Thursday at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts with the Fairfield Bellarmine ceremony.

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Marcia Chatelain, PhD, delivered the address and received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Dr. Chatelain encouraged graduates completing associate degree programs to cultivate joy as a sustaining force in their lives and communities.

The Fairfield Bellarmine program offers associate degrees in business, computer science, health studies, and liberal studies. University officials noted that the program’s graduation rates significantly exceed statewide three-year community college graduation rates.

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Fairfield University honors nearly 2,000 graduates at 76th commencement