What Recent News and Events Does the Hampshire College Website Highlight?

Updated

Hampshire College's site currently leads with two commencement stories and a set of student and alumni project features. The most recent event is the college's 56th Commencement, held Saturday, May 16, where 192 graduates received degrees. The site describes it as the college's "last full-scale graduation event," with hundreds of alumni, community friends, and several founding faculty joining families for the celebration. A separate item looks ahead to Commencement 2026, which will honor graduates from winter 2025 and spring 2026 and will feature Dr. J Finley 00F as keynote speaker.

Commencement News in Detail

The 56th Commencement (May 16)

  • Graduates: 192 degrees conferred.
  • Context: Described on the site as the College's last full-scale graduation event; the ceremony drew alumni, community friends, and founding faculty alongside families.
  • Tone: The site frames the event as celebratory despite the "impending closure" referenced in the headline.

Commencement 2026

  • Who is honored: Graduates from winter 2025 and spring 2026.
  • Keynote speaker: Dr. J Finley 00F, Professor of Africana Studies, who researches Black women's humor. Finley is an associate professor at Pomona College focusing on Black women's history, performance, and cultural expression.
  • Date: May 16, 2026.
  • Access: The site states everyone is welcome to attend and that families and friends are invited on campus.

Student and Alumni Stories Featured

The site spotlights individual projects and profiles rather than a single events calendar. Current features include:

Person Class What the site highlights
Mandy Young-Guzmán S25 Impressed fellow attendees at a national professional conference
Beau Guenther 23S Balances competitive bike racing, art, and photography
Leyla Munist and Hallie Spell F22 / F23 Joined forces on the farm
Lupita Nyong'o 03F Oscar-winning actress (12 Years a Slave), model, and writer
Jon Krakauer 72F Mountaineer and bestselling author
Ian Spalter 94F Tech and design professional; head of Instagram Japan
Rhys Ernst 01S Filmmaker and coproducer of an Amazon Golden Globe-winning show

How to Use This Page

If you are researching Hampshire — for prospective study, alumni connection, or event attendance — the news section is organized around people and milestones rather than a dated calendar. To find a specific event, start from the commencement items above; for a sense of student work, the project stories and the "Explore Student and Alum Projects" link are the most direct entry points. Note that the 2026 ceremony is the forward-looking event listed; details beyond date, honorees, and speaker are not specified on the page.