Commencement

Evangelos M. Marinakis is an international businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He first made his name in the shipping industry but has since invested in sports, media, consumer services, green energy, and real estate. Evangelos M. Marinakis is the founder and Chairman of Capital Maritime & Trading Corp. The Capital Group currently controls a fleet of 130 vessels, with an overall tonnage of 12.5 million tonnes (dwt) approx., across the tanker, container, LNG, LPG/Ammonia, LCO2, offshore, and dry bulk segments. The fleet under management includes the vessels of Nasdaq-listed Capital Product Partners L.P. (‘CPLP’). Mr. Marinakis has a successful track record of more than 30 years in shipping and capital markets having completed two IPOs and two major M&A transactions in the US markets and having grown the Capital companies throughout the shipping cycles. As the owner of Olympiacos FC and Nottingham Forest FC, Mr. Marinakis has left an indelible mark in European football history with great Olympiacos victories, winning the UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA Youth League titles. Mr. Marinakis is also active in the media sector. Alter Ego Media is the largest media group in Greece, fully integrated, with a leading presence across all markets: TV channels, websites, radio, magazines, newspapers, and audiovisual productions. Mr. Marinakis actively supports several charitable and cultural causes both in Greece and around the world, such as the "Miltiadis Marinakis Endowed Professorship for Modern Greek Language and Culture" at Ohio State University, the Kazantzakis Museum in Crete, UNICEF, a wide range of community and infrastructure projects across the port city of Piraeus and Crete.

State Senator Michael Rodrigues has served the First Bristol and Plymouth District of Massachusetts since 2010. In the 2017-2018 session, he served as Senate Majority Whip, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, and Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Redistricting. For the 2019-2020 legislative session, Senator Rodrigues was appointed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, as well as the Vice Chair of the Steering and Policy Committee. As Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Senator Rodrigues championed improved access to justice within the Commonwealth. Specifically, bills supporting improved courthouse technology, increasing the number of judges for the Probate and Family Court, and increased allocations for civil and legal aid programs. Senator Rodrigues also sponsored a bill requiring Holocaust and Genocide education in all public middle and high schools in the Commonwealth. In recent years Senator Rodrigues has been instrumental in the restoration of art and culture both locally and in the Azores. He led the effort to bring the work of Azorean painter Domingos Rebêlo to the New Bedford Whaling Museum. He has worked with Jewish and non-Jewish Americans and Azoreans to restore the Sahar Hassamian Synagogue in Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Portuguese Azores. He has been the recipient of numerous awards from local charitable organizations and was honored earlier this year as “Legislator of the Year” by the Massachusetts Bar Association. The Academy is proud to confer Senator Michael J. Rodrigues, the degree Doctor of Public Administration, honoris causa.

​After graduating from Massachusetts Maritime Academy as a Marine Engineer, Mr. Topalian joined Nucor in 1996 as a project engineer and was promoted to Production Supervisor in 1998. From 2002 to 2019 he held various leadership positions throughout Nucor’s global operation. In September 2019 Mr. Topalian was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Nucor Corporation, and on January 1, 2020 he became President and Chief Executive. He assumed the additional role of Chair of the Board of Directors on September 15, 2022. As CEO during the pandemic he challenged the company’s then-28,000 teammates to make Nucor the World’s Safest Steel Company. As a result, the Nucor team’s vision of a safe work environment now includes the health and well-being of every team member. And in the wake of increased racial unrest, Mr. Topalian has initiated dialog to ensure every team member feels safe from any type or mark of discrimination. This commitment to “listen, learn, understand and grow” will continue to shape the decisions that the company makes today and tomorrow. In addition to his role as Chair of Nucor’s Board of Directors, Mr. Topalian is currently Chairman of the World Steel Association’s Executive Board of Directors and serves on the Board of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation. He previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), on the Boards of Nucor-Yamato Steel Company and the American Institute of Steel Construction. The Academy is proud to confer upon Mr. Leon J.Topalian, the degree of Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa. ​

​Boston native Brigadier General Enoch “Woody” Woodhouse II has had a varied and distinguished career. After enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944, he was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group, better known as the famed Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of roughly 16,000 service members who served as the first Black aviators and support staff in U.S. military history. He and the other Tuskegee Airmen received the Congressional Gold Medal  for distinguished achievements and contributions, from President George W. Bush in 2006. As a husband,  father, and alumnus of Yale and Boston University he practiced law in Boston for over 40 years. He further distinguished himself as a Department of State Diplomatic Courier in Europe, the Middle East, and was on the last flight out of Havana in 1959. In 2022, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker appointed him to the State Militia with the rank of Brigadier General. Woody has been a longtime champion and advocate for veterans and military families throughout his life. His story transcends his remarkable military service, embodying inspiration in corporate leadership and selfless community service. His courage, perseverance, and dedication serve as a beacon of hope and motivation for future generations. The Academy is proud to confer upon Brigadier General Enoch “Woody” Woodhouse II, the degree of Doctor of Public Administration, honoris causa.