DANBURY, Connecticut — Western Connecticut State University will hold its 128th Undergraduate Commencement exercises on Monday, May 18, 2026, at the Total Mortgage Arena, 600 Main St. in Bridgeport. The ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. for 710 undergraduate degree recipients from the university’s Ancell School of Business, Macricostas School of Arts & Sciences, School of Professional Studies and School of Visual, Performing, and Communication Arts.
The 2026 President’s Award Honoree will be Richard Asselta, in recognition of his decades of engagement with WestConn, extraordinary service and leadership, and deeply student-centered commitment to the university’s mission. During his time as an adjunct Social Sciences instructor at WestConn, Asselta became a valued presence on campus, combining teaching with a wider commitment to environmental responsibility, global awareness, and community action.
Asselta’s connection to WestConn is especially evident in his longstanding work with Jane Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute. While teaching at the university, he developed a close friendship with Dr. Goodall and went on to help pioneer the Roots & Shoots youth program at more than 100 universities across the country, encouraging students to connect learning with service, environmental stewardship, and care for others. His work reflects a vision of education that reaches well beyond the classroom and invites students to see themselves as agents of positive change.
That same spirit has shaped his impact in Danbury and beyond. In the years following Hurricane Maria, Asselta worked with Danbury students to support families in Puerto Rico through seed collection, honeybee kits, and farming and reforestation efforts designed to help communities rebuild and grow food locally. In doing so, he challenged young people to understand that even small acts of service can nourish a family, restore a community, and change a life. His recognition reflects the true spirit of the President’s Medal, honoring an individual whose example has had lasting meaning for WestConn, its students, and the wider region.
The following day, on May 19, 2026, 191 Master’s degree candidates and 10 doctoral degree candidates will be celebrated at the Graduate Commencement exercises at 5 p.m. in Ives Concert Hall in White Hall on the university’s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury.
During the ceremony, WestConn will confer the Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters upon Robert J. Yamin, Esq., in recognition of his distinguished legal career, civic leadership, and enduring commitment to WestConn and the greater Danbury community. A proud multigenerational Danburian and member of Danbury’s Lebanese American community, Yamin has long been one of the university’s most visible and generous champions, consistently supporting WestConn and many other community-serving organizations across the region.
A proud WestConn alumnus, Yamin graduated summa cum laude with dual degrees in Political Science and History, completing a four-year course of study in just two years while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. He later earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he served as President of the Harvard Law School Student Bar Association. His career has included more than four decades in the legal profession, including founding and leading Yamin & Yamin, LLP, and 22 years of service as Corporation Counsel and Chief Legal Officer for the City of Danbury, making him the longest-serving Corporation Counsel in the city’s history.
Equally significant is his longstanding service to WestConn and the broader community through alumni engagement, Foundation leadership, civic involvement, and philanthropy. Yamin has served for many years on both the WestConn Alumni Association Board and the WestConn Foundation Board, including as Chair and now Vice Chair, and he has remained a passionate ambassador for the university in word and deed. His life and work reflect the highest ideals of leadership, service, gratitude, and devotion to the common good.
WestConn’s recently inaugurated 10th president, Jesse M. Bernal, Ph.D., will oversee the ceremonies. Also slated to address candidates at both events will be the Commencement Speaker, Anna Rathmann of the Jane Goodall Institute. Rathmann is the Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute USA, where she and her colleagues inspire hope through action to make a brighter future for our planet. Rathmann has spent her career in conservation, including roles at the National Park Service, National Geographic, and throughout Africa bridging science, education, and storytelling. She remains focused on initiatives that protect our amazing planet through science-based and community-led solutions.
There are two large outdoor lots and one parking garage at Total Mortgage Arena. Parking is first-come, first-served and will be free during the Commencement ceremony. Simultaneous events at adjacent venues will result in high demand for parking, so it is suggested that participants and their guests arrive early. Bridgeport Police will be stationed at the entrance and various arena locations to direct traffic and instruct visitors.
Parking for the Midtown campus is available in the 5th Avenue and White Street garages in Danbury.
Tickets are required to attend. The ceremony will be streamed live at www.wcsu.edu/live for those who are unable to attend.
For more information, visit www.wcsu.edu/commencement or contact pr@wcsu.edu.
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals, and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.