WORCESTER—The College of the Holy Cross is welcoming Laurie Leshin, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and former president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, to deliver the keynote address at this year’s commencement ceremony, the school announced today.
Holy Cross’s commencement takes place on Friday, May 24, at 10:15 a.m. at the DCU Center, celebrating the 178th graduating class.
A distinguished geochemist and space scientist, Leshin holds the distinction of being the first woman to lead JPL in its 87-year history. Additionally, she serves as vice president and Bren Professor of Geochemistry and Planetary Science at the California Institute of Technology, which manages JPL for NASA.
Leshin’s contributions extend to her role as a co-investigator for two instruments on NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover. At JPL, she directs Earth and Space science research, oversees space technology development, and supervises more than 40 active space missions spanning Earth Science, Astrophysics, and Planetary Science. These endeavors aim to enhance our understanding of Earth’s changing climate, expand knowledge about the solar system and beyond, and address profound questions such as the existence of extraterrestrial life.
Since joining JPL in May 2022, Leshin has overseen the launch of significant missions including the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, dedicated to studying Earth’s fresh water and sea-level changes, and the Psyche spacecraft, designed to explore a metal asteroid. In the upcoming year, JPL is set to launch the Europa Clipper spacecraft, aimed at assessing the potential for life on Jupiter’s icy moon, as well as the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) to monitor Earth’s land and ice surfaces, according to the announcement.
As the first woman president at WPI, where she served from 2014 to 2022, she helped the institution evolve from a regional engineering school to a globally recognized STEM school.
Leshin got the key to the city of Worcester in 2022, which was complemented by a proclamation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the State Senate, for her efforts in strengthening K-12 STEM programs, supporting innovation and career opportunities in Central Massachusetts, and her guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She’s also gotten NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal and Distinguished Public Service Medal, and the Meteoritical Society’s Nier Prize for outstanding research by a scientist under the age of 35. The International Astronomical Union named asteroid 4922 “Leshin” to honor her planetary science contributions, and Leshin served appointments by two U.S. presidents, according to the release.
Leshin earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Arizona State University and a master’s and doctoral degrees in geochemistry from the California Institute of Technology. She will also be given an honorary degree during commencement.
The College will also award an honorary degree to Admiral Michelle Howard and longtime member of the Holy Cross administration Rev. Paul F. Harman, SJ.
Retired United States Navy officer Michelle Howard is the first woman to become a 4-star admiral and the first African American woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy.
Howard will also deliver the 56th annual Hanify-Howland Memorial Lecture at the College on the evening of April 8. This lecture series recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves in the realm of public service, the speaker nominated annually by a committee of Holy Cross students.
Harman is a member of the USA East Province Society of Jesus, and was ordained as a priest in 1968. He was a key administrator at Holy Cross during the transition to coeducation and later served as the college’s vice president for mission from 2011 to 2017 and then director of projects in mission from 2017 to 2019, said the press release.
“We are thrilled to present honorary degrees to Dr. Leshin, Adm. Howard and Fr. Harman,” said Vincent Rougeau, president of Holy Cross, in a statement. “Both Dr. Leshin and Adm. Howard are inspiring role models with accomplishments that prove that social constructs—and glass ceilings—are meant to be broken. This year marks the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Holy Cross. We are proud to honor the many women who light the way at Holy Cross and around the world.
The hosts a reception and dinner for members of the Holy Cross community on Thursday, May 23, to celebrate the recipients of this year’s honorary degrees. Fr. Harman will deliver remarks.
For more information on this year’s Commencement events, visit the Commencement website.
Send news announcements to Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
As the Worcester Guardian marks six months of delivering free, independent digital news to our city, our dedication to this mission strengthens. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to support our ongoing commitment to providing hyperlocal news coverage to Worcester.
