Convocation is the formal welcome for all students entering the UMass Lowell academic community. This year we will be welcoming the first-year students on Tuesday, September 5 at 11 a.m. at the Tsongas Center.

Schedule of Events

Mascot Rowdy the River Hawk wearing a black gown and waving a UMass Lowell flag
  • Processional
  • Provost Joseph Hartman
  • Student Government President
  • Chancellor Julie Chen
  • Introduction of Deans
  • Induction of New Students
  • Keynote Speaker
  • DifferenceMaker
  • River Hawk Pride
  • Recessional to the Celebration & Engagement Fair

2023 Keynote Speaker: Matilda Matovu '16

Matilda Matovu wearing white and smiling at the camera

Matilda Matovu is a dedicated community builder passionate about the empowerment of young people, especially that of girls and women from the global majority. Inclusivity is more than having a seat at the table, it is being able to impact the decisions being made at that table as well. 

Matilda is currently working as a Program Administrator for the Office of Community Engagement, Equity, and Belonging at Harvard Law School. At HLS, Matilda oversees and supports over 100 student-led organizations. She serves as the primary contact for all student organization-related programming. 

In addition to this role, Matilda serves as the Director of Programs at Get Girls Going. GGG is a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to providing mentorship and sisterhood via youth and pair them up with dedicated college mentors to explore their ideas on how to improve their own communities. Matilda believes that creating real agency for young people is inclusive of education, but is also founded in establishing a community that allows everyone to rise, to their fullest potential. 

Matilda received her bachelor's as a biology and political science double major from UMass Lowell. She also has earned her master's in international relations with a focus on Human Rights and Education from the Harvard Extension School. In her free time, Matilda enjoys going to concerts, traveling and eating great meals with friends and family.