Ashley Judd to Deliver NEIT 2026 Commencement Address - NEIT
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Archived: 2026-04-23 17:34
Ashley Judd to Deliver NEIT 2026 Commencement Address - NEIT
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Ashley Judd to Deliver NEIT 2026 Commencement Address
Ashley Judd to Deliver NEIT 2026 Commencement Address
April 1, 2026
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Actress, humanitarian, and author Ashley Judd will deliver the commencement address to New England Institute of Technology graduates on
Sunday, May 3, 2026
, in Providence, Rhode Island. Judd is a Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actress with a career spanning more than three decades starring in box-office hits and indie gems. She is equally well known for her global social justice work and is an outspoken advocate for the rights and protections of women, often lending her voice to influence policy and speak out for the most vulnerable.
Judd first gained recognition as an actress in the early 1990’s with her breakthrough role in the critically acclaimed film
Ruby in Paradise.
She quickly became a leading lady in Hollywood thrillers and independent dramas, known for portraying complex, resilient women. Her roles in
Kiss the Girls,
Double Jeopardy,
and
Heat
established her as a major box-office star. She earned Best Actress nominations for her roles in the movies
De-Lovely, Norma Jean & Marilyn
and the television series
Missing.
She has more than 40 movies to her credit including the family films
Dolphin Tale
and
Tooth Fairy
. She also starred in the popular young adult science fiction series
Divergent.
Judd’s latest movie,
21 Down,
will be released later this year.
Judd is the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country music singer Wynonna Judd. Growing up in a family of performing artists brought challenges. Judd attended 13 schools before college and often had to fend for herself. A bright and determined student, she graduated from the University of Kentucky honors program where she majored in French and minored in anthropology, art history, theater, and women’s studies. She later earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, receiving the Dean’s Scholar Award for her research on gender violence.
She encourages NEIT graduates to step confidently toward their future. “There can be a lot of indecision coming out of school or a sense of paralysis around making decisions,” Judd says. “Is it the right decision? Decision making is a self-correcting process. I make the best decision I can with the information I have now, and I can adjust.”
Judd is known for her resilience, compassion, and service to others. She believes in the intrinsic worth of each and every person on earth and chose to scale back her moviemaking to make more time for her humanitarian work. She is the longtime Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund, tasked with delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. She has traveled to 22 countries to promote policies that protect women and girls. She has spent time in refugee camps, hospices, and slums, learning from the most vulnerable about violence against women and how to overcome gender inequality, as she works to increase awareness and advocate for change. She chronicles these journeys and her own challenges in her New York Times bestselling memoir
All that is Bitter and Sweet.
She has spoken out fearlessly about women’s rights, exploitation, and mental health. In 2017, Judd was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year as one of the
Silence Breakers
who came forward with their stories about workplace harassment. Her activism was pivotal in sparking the #MeToo movement. Her courage inspired many others to make their own experiences public. In 2019 the United Nations honored her as Global Advocate of the Year.
“Overcoming challenges is really just about being with them and learning from them,” says Judd. “You have to build inner trust, inner resources and inner capacity.”
Judd is a sought-after public speaker and frequent Op-Ed author, writing on topics as diverse as conflict mineral mining and child marriage. She defines success by the laws and policies that have resulted from her advocacy, and by the heart-to-heart connections she’s made with the women and children she’s worked with around the globe. She characterizes success as “when a child knows that someone noticed and someone cares. When a child feels loved and cared for.”
Despite the heaviness of her humanitarian work, Judd is an advocate for joy in everyday life. She loves dancing, playing games, looking closely at flowers with a magnifying glass, going to museums and playing with animals.
“Wonder and awe are the real portal to learning. They spark curiosity,” she says.
In addition to promoting the release of her latest movie, Judd is spending time in Africa this spring, and Europe in the summer. In the fall she will be teaching a course at Harvard where she is Leader in Residence at the Women and Public Policy Program at the Kennedy School.
During New England Tech’s commencement Ashley Judd will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of her work to improve life for others.
The commencement ceremony will begin at 11 am on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at the Amica Mutual Pavilion which is located at 1 La Salle Square in Providence, Rhode Island.
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Ashley Judd to Deliver NEIT 2026 Commencement Address
Ashley Judd to Deliver NEIT 2026 Commencement Address
April 1, 2026
|
Share
Share
Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Request Info
Visit
Apply
Actress, humanitarian, and author Ashley Judd will deliver the commencement address to New England Institute of Technology graduates on
Sunday, May 3, 2026
, in Providence, Rhode Island. Judd is a Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actress with a career spanning more than three decades starring in box-office hits and indie gems. She is equally well known for her global social justice work and is an outspoken advocate for the rights and protections of women, often lending her voice to influence policy and speak out for the most vulnerable.
Judd first gained recognition as an actress in the early 1990’s with her breakthrough role in the critically acclaimed film
Ruby in Paradise.
She quickly became a leading lady in Hollywood thrillers and independent dramas, known for portraying complex, resilient women. Her roles in
Kiss the Girls,
Double Jeopardy,
and
Heat
established her as a major box-office star. She earned Best Actress nominations for her roles in the movies
De-Lovely, Norma Jean & Marilyn
and the television series
Missing.
She has more than 40 movies to her credit including the family films
Dolphin Tale
and
Tooth Fairy
. She also starred in the popular young adult science fiction series
Divergent.
Judd’s latest movie,
21 Down,
will be released later this year.
Judd is the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country music singer Wynonna Judd. Growing up in a family of performing artists brought challenges. Judd attended 13 schools before college and often had to fend for herself. A bright and determined student, she graduated from the University of Kentucky honors program where she majored in French and minored in anthropology, art history, theater, and women’s studies. She later earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, receiving the Dean’s Scholar Award for her research on gender violence.
She encourages NEIT graduates to step confidently toward their future. “There can be a lot of indecision coming out of school or a sense of paralysis around making decisions,” Judd says. “Is it the right decision? Decision making is a self-correcting process. I make the best decision I can with the information I have now, and I can adjust.”
Judd is known for her resilience, compassion, and service to others. She believes in the intrinsic worth of each and every person on earth and chose to scale back her moviemaking to make more time for her humanitarian work. She is the longtime Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund, tasked with delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. She has traveled to 22 countries to promote policies that protect women and girls. She has spent time in refugee camps, hospices, and slums, learning from the most vulnerable about violence against women and how to overcome gender inequality, as she works to increase awareness and advocate for change. She chronicles these journeys and her own challenges in her New York Times bestselling memoir
All that is Bitter and Sweet.
She has spoken out fearlessly about women’s rights, exploitation, and mental health. In 2017, Judd was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year as one of the
Silence Breakers
who came forward with their stories about workplace harassment. Her activism was pivotal in sparking the #MeToo movement. Her courage inspired many others to make their own experiences public. In 2019 the United Nations honored her as Global Advocate of the Year.
“Overcoming challenges is really just about being with them and learning from them,” says Judd. “You have to build inner trust, inner resources and inner capacity.”
Judd is a sought-after public speaker and frequent Op-Ed author, writing on topics as diverse as conflict mineral mining and child marriage. She defines success by the laws and policies that have resulted from her advocacy, and by the heart-to-heart connections she’s made with the women and children she’s worked with around the globe. She characterizes success as “when a child knows that someone noticed and someone cares. When a child feels loved and cared for.”
Despite the heaviness of her humanitarian work, Judd is an advocate for joy in everyday life. She loves dancing, playing games, looking closely at flowers with a magnifying glass, going to museums and playing with animals.
“Wonder and awe are the real portal to learning. They spark curiosity,” she says.
In addition to promoting the release of her latest movie, Judd is spending time in Africa this spring, and Europe in the summer. In the fall she will be teaching a course at Harvard where she is Leader in Residence at the Women and Public Policy Program at the Kennedy School.
During New England Tech’s commencement Ashley Judd will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of her work to improve life for others.
The commencement ceremony will begin at 11 am on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at the Amica Mutual Pavilion which is located at 1 La Salle Square in Providence, Rhode Island.
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Learn More
Nursing & Health Sciences
Always a growth track, these programs combine clinical skills with decision-making abilities for careers like nurse, paramedic, occupational therapist, respiratory care therapist, and more.
Engineering
This constantly changing field offers plenty of excitement, whether you're interested in renewable energy, drones and robotics, or mechanical engineering.
Cybersecurity
Shut down critical security threats while thriving in one of the country's fastest growing careers. You'll dive right in from the start, turning theory into practice in lab environments.
Request Info
Learn More About How NEIT Can Help You Achieve Your Goals
Request Info
.
More Stories from NEIT
NEIT Stories
New England Institute of Technology Reduces Criminal Justice Tuition by Nearly 50%; Expands Training Space at East Greenwich Campus
Learn More
NEIT Stories
New England Tech Grad Vincent A. Rossi III to be honored at 2026 Commencement
Learn More
NEIT Stories
New England Tech to Host 2026 SAM International Business Conference, Welcoming 300+ Attendees to Rhode Island
Learn More
NEIT Stories
New England Tech Announces $40 Million Innovation Center to Expand Access to Skilled Trades Education
Learn More