Award-winning journalist and “Dateline NBC” anchor Lester Holt to deliver keynote address, joined by leaders in law, health care, media, and business
–– Lester Holt, award-winning journalist and anchor of Dateline NBC, will deliver the keynote address at Pace University’s 2026 Commencement and will receive an honorary doctorate, the University announced.
Joining Holt as honorary degree recipients and Commencement speakers are Hon. Francesca E. Connolly '82, associate justice of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court, Second Judicial Department; Dr. Mitchell Katz, president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals; Judith M. Watson '94, RN, BSN, MPH, CEO of Westchester Community Health Center; Emmy Award-winning journalist Pedro Rivera '12; and Peter Muller, founder and CEO of PDT Partners.
All speakers will receive honorary degrees, including Doctors of Humane Letters, honoris causa, while Hon. Francesca E. Connolly will receive a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.
The University will celebrate its 2026 Commencement on May 20–21 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. The two-day celebration will include Undergraduate Day on Wednesday, May 20, and Graduate Day on Thursday, May 21, with a main ceremony followed by individual school and college ceremonies where graduates will cross the stage.
“This year’s Commencement speakers are leaders and changemakers across industries,” said Pace University President Marvin Krislov. “We are proud to celebrate the Class of 2026 with leaders who reflect the spirit of Opportunitas and inspire our graduates to lead with purpose and make a meaningful impact in the world.”
At Commencement each year, Pace also honors community members who exemplify the University’s motto of Opportunitas. This year’s Opportunitas in Action Award recipient is Cedric Bobo, founder of Project Destined, a nonprofit organization focused on financial literacy, leadership development, and expanding career opportunities for underserved youth.
Commencement Speakers and Honorees
Cedric Bobo
Bobo is the Founder of Project Destined, a leading social impact platform that provides training in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and real estate. Project Destined partners with corporations, schools, and non-profits to deliver training through its proprietary e-learning platform and live courses. To date, the organization has trained more than 30,000 students, including high school students, college students, and military veterans. Scholars emerge with the skills, confidence, experiences, and network needed to secure competitive entry-level careers and become stakeholders in their communities.
Under his leadership, Project Destined has partnered with more than 250 leading companies and institutions and has received national recognition for its impact, including being named to Commercial Observer’s Power 100 list.
Bobo earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee and his MBA from Harvard Business School. He previously spent more than 20 years as an investor and investment banker, including over a decade at The Carlyle Group.
Lester Holt
Holt will deliver the keynote address at the 1:00 p.m. Undergraduate Main Ceremony on Wednesday, May 20. Holt is an award-winning journalist at NBC News and anchor of “Dateline NBC.” Previously, he was the anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News” for a decade, leading NBC News’ coverage of major breaking news and political events, including presidential elections and debates. Holt has served as principal anchor of “Dateline” since September 2011 and joined NBC News in 2000.
One of Holt’s trademarks is his on-the-ground reporting and his deep commitment to providing viewers with first-person accounts when disaster and tragedy strikes. He has reported from around the world, including Israel, Ukraine, Iran, and across Europe following major international crises.
Throughout his tenure, Holt has conducted numerous headline-making interviews with world leaders and moderated the first presidential debate of 2016, the most-watched in American history. He has also led network coverage of major events, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Holt has been recognized with numerous honors, including multiple Emmy Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Honorable Francesca E. Connolly
Justice Connolly '82 will address graduates of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 21. Justice Connolly serves as an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court, Second Judicial Department—the busiest intermediate appellate court in the nation. She was appointed in 2016 and named to the Constitutional Bench in 2022, where she serves as a Justice Presiding. She is the first graduate of Pace Law School to be appointed to the Appellate Division.
In 2024, she served by designation as an Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. Justice Connolly was first appointed to the New York State Supreme Court in 2009 and has served in multiple judicial leadership roles, including Supervising Judge of the Matrimonial Part.
She began her judicial career as the first woman elected Ossining Town Justice and has held several public service roles, including serving on the Ossining Town Council. Before joining the bench, she practiced complex civil litigation for 27 years.
Justice Connolly earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from the State University of New York at Albany in 1979 and her J.D. from Pace University School of Law in 1982.
Dr. Mitchell Katz
Dr. Mitchell Katz will speak at the Lubin School of Business, College of Health Professions, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems Undergraduate Ceremony at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20. Dr. Katz is the president and chief executive officer of NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest municipal health care system in the United States, with 11 acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, and dozens of community health centers.
Since his appointment in 2018, Dr. Katz has significantly expanded access to care, including the creation of NYC Care, a universal health access program serving more than 100,000 uninsured New Yorkers. He has overseen major system improvements, including the implementation of a modern electronic health record system, expansion of the nursing workforce, and new outreach programs to improve care for homeless New Yorkers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Katz directed the public health system’s response at the height of the crisis, including tripling ICU capacity across 11 hospitals and leading the city’s Test and Trace operation while administering more than 1.3 million vaccines.
Previously, Dr. Katz led major public health systems in Los Angeles County and San Francisco, where he developed innovative care models and expanded access for underserved populations. He is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Medical School and continues to practice as a primary care physician in New York City.
Pedro Rivera
Rivera '12 will speak at the ceremony for Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Sands College of Performing Arts (undergraduate and graduate), and School of Education at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20. Rivera is an Emmy and LA Press Club Award-winning journalist who co-anchors Eyewitness News This Morning and Eyewitness News Mornings at 10 on WABC in New York City.
Prior to returning to New York, Rivera anchored KTLA 5 News in Los Angeles, where he reported on major national stories including the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and the Camp Fire in Northern California. He previously worked as a reporter and anchor in Sacramento, Arkansas, and Connecticut, covering stories such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy and the Boston Marathon bombing.
A proud New York City native, Rivera earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Pace University. He remains actively engaged with his alma mater, serving on the advisory board for Dyson College of Arts and Sciences and as co-chair of the Afro-Latino Task Force for the National Association for Hispanic Journalists.
Peter Muller
Peter Muller will speak at the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems and Lubin School of Business Graduate Ceremony at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20. Muller is the founder and CEO of PDT Partners, a global investment manager devoted to quantitative research and trading.
Muller’s life and work span the disciplines of finance, music, and mathematics. He is an accomplished musician, having released seven albums of original music, and a cruciverbalist, publishing crosswords in major publications. His philanthropic interests include music, education, and the environment, and he serves as founder and board president of the Live Music Society.
He received a B.A. in Mathematics with honors from Princeton University.
Judith Watson
Watson'94 will address graduates of Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, and the College of Health Professions. She is the chief executive officer of Westchester Community Health Center, where she leads a network of nine sites providing high-quality, accessible care to underserved communities across Westchester County.
Watson began her career at the organization in 1994 and has dedicated more than three decades to advancing community health, serving in multiple leadership roles before being named CEO. A Pace University alumna, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and later received a Master of Public Health from New York Medical College.
She immigrated to the United States from Jamaica and served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, achieving the rank of Sergeant. Watson is deeply active in the community, serving on numerous nonprofit boards, and was recently awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of her contributions to public health and community well-being.
About Pace University
Founded in 1906 and celebrating 120 years of preparing students for success in 2026, Pace University pairs real-life learning with strong academics to launch meaningful careers. With campuses in New York City and Westchester County, Pace serves 13,600 students across a range of bachelor, master, and doctoral programs through the College of Health Professions, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Lubin School of Business, Sands College of Performing Arts, School of Education, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.
