Boston College Commencement

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher

A native of Liverpool, England, Archbishop Gallagher was appointed by Pope Francis in 2014 as Secretary for Relations with States, the first native English speaker to hold the position. In this role, he serves as the voice of the Holy See on foreign affairs, advocating for humanitarian alternatives to war that promote “justice, dialogue, and the uplifting of the poor and of those most in need.”  His responsibilities include overseeing the Second Section of the Secretariat, which has the duty of attending to matters involving civil governments and international affairs, such as acting as the pope’s representative at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth in 2022 and helping to lead efforts in the Catholic Church’s rapprochement with Vietnam, which has had no ties with the Vatican since 1975.

Archbishop Gallagher graduated in 1985 from the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome, the training ground for Vatican diplomats. His first three postings took him to Tanzania, Uruguay, and the Philippines. He also has served as representative of the Holy See at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Titular Archbishop of Hode, and Apostolic Nuncio in Burundi, Guatemala, and Australia. Last October, Archbishop Gallagher was appointed a Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George by King Charles III, in recognition of his contributions to international diplomacy and interfaith dialogue.

Glori Alvarez  

Glori Alvarez ’88 is president of Logotique, a promotional marketing and advertising firm she founded in 1994, headquartered in Guaynabo in her native Puerto Rico. Its product specialties include technology accessories, apparel, executive gifts, bags, and travel items. She joined the Boston College Alumni Association Board of Directors in 2018, served as vice president from 2021-2024 and is now a board associate. A Council for Women of Boston College member since 2019, she spearheaded the creation of a BCAA chapter in Puerto Rico in 2014 and was its inaugural leader for nine years. Alvarez is now senior advisor to the chapter.  

Prior to Logotique, Alvarez—who earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from BC—worked in brand management for Elizabeth Arden and The Gillette Company. Among her professional areas of expertise are marketing strategy and communications, social media and digital marketing, advertising, event management, new business and brand development. She and her husband, Jorge Padial, are the parents of Eduardo and Sarah, a 2016  Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences graduate.  

At Commencement, she will be presented with an honorary Doctor of Social Science degree.

Joyce M. and William S. Cummings

Joyce M. and William S. “Bill” Cummings are the founders of Cummings Foundation, which has awarded more than $600 million to greater Boston nonprofit organizations, as well as New Horizons not-for-profit assisted and independent living communities in Woburn and Marlborough, Mass. In 2011, the Cummings became the first Massachusetts residents to join “The Giving Pledge,” a national philanthropic organization founded by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett.

Their philanthropy is deeply rooted in Cummings Properties, the company Bill founded, which has built or restored dozens of large, and sometimes historic, commercial structures, totaling more than 11 million square feet. Based in Woburn, Cummings Properties currently provides business homes to some 2,000 companies and organizations.

Joyce is a past president of Winchester’s En Ka Society, a women’s service organization, and is a former trustee of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. In addition, Joyce was a longtime trustee of Winchester Community Music School and VNA Hospice Care, Inc. of Woburn. Bill served 10 years as a charter trustee of his alma mater Tufts University and is a former overseer of Tufts Medical School and director of Winchester Hospital. He was chairman of Tufts’ property-holding corporation, as well as a bank director and elected member and chairman of the Winchester Planning Board. Bill is also the founder and former publisher of three community newspapers: the Woburn Advocate, Stoneham Sun, and Winchester Town Crier.  

Their joint honors include the 2013 “Solas Award” from the Irish International Immigrant Center, Edward H. Linde Public Service Award from the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, Justice and Compassion Award from Catholic Charities, and Friend of Israel Award from Lappin Foundation. In 2017, Joyce and Bill were inducted into the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Academy of Distinguished Bostonians.

Joyce and Bill Cummings will be awarded, respectively, honorary Doctor of Social Science and Doctor of Business Administration degrees.

Sister Jeanette Gaudet, M.F.I.C.

With more than six decades devoted to religious life, Jeanette Gaudet is a Missionary Franciscan Sister of the Immaculate Conception, an international religious community guided by the Franciscan values of simplicity, humility, and joyful service to go beyond boundaries to proclaim the Gospel, especially among the poor and marginalized. She has held several leadership positions within her order, including in Rome where she served on her congregation’s leadership council for 17 years and as the general superior for five years. She was also a provincial leader in the United States for four years.

Sister Gaudet served as a missionary in Papua New Guinea for eight years, and her vocation also has brought her to Egypt, Italy, Ireland, and Bolivia. She has taught in schools in Massachusetts and Georgia and conducted work in parish ministry, spiritual formation, and retreats. At a Mass marking her 60th Jubilee, Sister Gaudet traced her interest in religious life to her days as a student at Saint Clare High School in Boston’s Roslindale neighborhood where she “experienced the joy of the Franciscan Sisters. I felt called to be in a really vital community where everyone was respected, everyone was loved. Everyone was brothers and sisters everywhere.”

Boston College will present Sister Gaudet with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Mathias Kiwanuka

Having excelled on the gridiron for years, Mathias Kiwanuka ’05 is committed to addressing Ugandan health problems and pursuing economic opportunities for his ancestral home. A former Big East Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-American, he went on to play nine seasons for the New York Giants. He is now vice president of Global Health Initiatives & Programs at Ultimaxx Health, a nutraceutical company specializing in non-narcotic pain relief.

Born in Indianapolis, Kiwanuka is the grandson of Benedicto Kiwanuka, Uganda’s first prime minister, known as the “martyr of justice” for his unwavering commitment to the law, which cost him his life during the Idi Amin regime. Following his grandfather’s legacy, Kiwanuka is a board member for The Water Trust—a nonprofit that empowers rural Ugandan communities to access clean, sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene services—and Smile Train, which instructs Ugandan physicians on how to provide world-class cleft care in local communities. More recently, he has been involved in efforts for Uganda to become the fifth African nation to join the NFL Africa program, designed to build a pipeline of promising young athletes to the league.

Kiwanuka will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.