Five to receive honorary degrees for 2026 Commencement
By Joe Della Posta
Director of College and Presidential Communications, Le Moyne College
Kerry Alys Robinson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), will deliver the commencement address at Le Moyne College’s 76th Commencement, which will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, in the Exposition Center at the New York State Fairgrounds. Beginning this year, Le Moyne is combining its graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies into one.
A passionate advocate for the renewal and vitality of the Catholic Church, Robinson has championed philanthropic innovation, ethical leadership, and inclusive collaboration across faith and civic communities. Named to lead Catholic Charities of USA in 2023, Robinson oversees one of the nation’s largest networks dedicated to advancing social justice, promoting human dignity, and serving those most in need. Before her role at CCUSA, Robinson served as founding executive director and global ambassador of Leadership Roundtable, which, in the wake of the abuse crisis, fostered greater transparency, accountability, and lay partnership in Church leadership.
As a teenager, she joined the Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities, an organization founded in 1945 by her great-grandparents, renowned philanthropists John and Helena Raskob. She has been an adviser to and trustee of more than 25 grantmaking foundations, charitable nonprofits, and family philanthropies, and served 15 years on the national committee for the USCCB’s Catholic Campaign for Human Development.
A lifelong proponent of laity in more leadership roles in the Catholic Church, she was invited by the Vatican to advise on how to better empower and engage women leaders. In addition to being a sought-after speaker, Robinson is the author of “Imagining Abundance: Fundraising, Philanthropy and a Spiritual Call to Service” and founding editor of “The Catholic Funding Guide.” In 2025, she was presented with the University of Notre Dame’s 2025 Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics.
“Kerry’s work embodies the Jesuit ideal of faith that does justice — uniting compassion with courage and service with purpose,” said Linda LeMura, president of Le Moyne College. “Her lifelong service to the church is inspiring, and her visionary guidance and moral clarity have strengthened Catholic institutions nationwide.”
Robinson is one of five individuals who will be awarded an honorary degree by the College. Others who will receive 2026 honorary doctorates are:
Dr. Mary Lynn Collins, who launched Le Moyne’s Master of Science for Teachers and Master of Science in Education degrees in 1995 and served as chair of the College’s Education Department for 19 years
William Watters, S.J., founder of three scholarship-supported Jesuit schools for underprivileged Baltimore City children
Wright Lassiter, III ‘85, who is the president and chief executive officer of CommonSpirit Health, the largest Catholic hospital system and the second largest non-profit health system in the U.S.
Dr. Ruth Chen, an environmental toxicologist and professor of practice at SU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. She previously served on the faculty at the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis.
