It's happening again: New England colleges and universities are assembling the academics, business gurus, heads of state and, of course, celebs, who make the region's spring college commencements the world's best regional lecture series. Some stars of this year's commencement season so far (in order of appearance) ...

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Marc A. Nivet, the chief diversity ...]]>

It's happening again: New England colleges and universities are assembling the academics, business gurus, heads of state and, of course, celebs, who make the region's spring college commencements the world's best regional lecture series. Some stars of this year's commencement season so far (in order of appearance) ...

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Marc A. Nivet, the chief diversity officer at the Association of American Medical Colleges who is known for his work to eliminate racial disparities in health care, will keynote MGH Institute's 31st commencement ceremony on Friday, May 13.

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New York Times best-selling author Luanne Rice will speak at Saint Joseph College’s 76th commencement exercises on Sunday, May 15, at 10 a.m. under the tent on the south lawn of the college’s West Hartford campus.

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U.S. Rep. Michael H. Michaud (D-Maine) will address the 2011 University of New England commencement exercises on Saturday, May 21, at 10 a.m. at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland.

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Former tennis champion and women’s sports pioneer Billie Jean King will address the University of Vermont 2011 commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 22.

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Actress Jane Alexander, former chair of the National Endowment of the Arts, will be College of the Atlantic’s commencement speaker for its 39th graduation exercises on Saturday, June 4.