A Celebration of Our Extraordinary Community with Our 13th President
The Emerson College Board of Trustees invites our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends to participate in activities and events that celebrate our community with Dr. Jay M. Bernhardt as he is inaugurated as the College’s 13th President.
On March 20–22, 2024, we will showcase the creative talents and academic excellence of our community through a number of special events, including live performances and a film festival. We will also celebrate the beginning of the College’s next chapter under the leadership of 13th President Jay M. Bernhardt, with his formal inauguration taking place on March 22.
As a community, we are thrilled to come together to recognize our achievements and share our hope for the future, as we continue our mission to educate artists and communicators who will move the world forward.
Schedule of Events
Below is a list of inauguration events taking place March 20–22:
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Growing Up Roxbury: 150 Years of Community Luminaries
Open to the Emerson Community; RSVP not required
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. EST
Elma Lewis Center
148 Boylston Street, Boston
Visit a multimedia pilot inaugural exhibition of family archives as well as live interviews, music recording sessions, dance performances, and original art from more than 150 Roxbury- and Boston-area luminaries from the past two centuries.
Inauguration Kickoff Event: Southwick Oratory Recital
Registration is required to attend
2:00–3:30 p.m. EST
Robert J. Orchard Stage, Paramount Center
559 Washington Street, Boston
The Southwick Recital features staged readings of prose, poetry, and dramatic monologue. It both honors the tradition and embraces the future of oral communication through literature.
With Love, from the Margins: Students at Emerson Subverting Erasure
Open to the Emerson Community; RSVP not required
2:30–-4:30 p.m. EST
HIVE, Tufte PPC Entrance
10 Boylston Place, Boston
Visit an experiential college-pathway gallery that affirms our students’ right to exist, resists systemic erasure, and reimagines a culture where all have access to higher education. The gallery features work by students with the Emerson Prison Initiative and our free college-access programs, EmersonWRITES and EmersonTHEATRE. Contact: HIVE [at] emerson.edu (HIVE[at]emerson[dot]edu).
Gender-Affirming Voice (GAV) Experiential Panel
Registration is required to attend
3:45–4:30 p.m. EST
Bill Bordy Theater
216 Tremont Street, Boston
The Gender-Affirming Voice and Communication Program is housed in the Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) Department. This panel will discuss the inception of the program and its impact on the trans/non-binary and Emerson communities, as well as our CSD graduate students.
Emerson Prison Initiative (EPI) Alumni Panel
Registration is required to attend
4:45–5:30 p.m. EST
Bill Bordy Theater
216 Tremont Street, Boston
Hosted by the EPI, this panel will discuss the many positive impacts of expanding access to an Emersonian education to people incarcerated in Massachusetts.
23rd Annual Emerson Film Festival
Open to the public
7:00–11:00 p.m. EST
Robert J. Orchard Stage, Paramount Center
559 Washington Street, Boston
This year's program will start with a showcase of short work from alums the Daniels, Nathaniel Hansen, Mari Walker, and Georden West, followed by a 90-minute program of an array of stellar films made by students in the last two years. There will be a brief moderated conversation with filmmakers following the screening. A reception will take place in the Jackie Liebergott Black Box and will include a photo exhibition from Arthur Li and a video installation from Asma Khoshmehr as well as the winners of the Audience, Best of Fest, Singular Vision, and Outstanding Technical Achievement awards. View the full line-up of films.
Thursday, March 21
Growing Up Roxbury: 150 Years of Community Luminaries
Open to the Emerson Community; RSVP not required
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. EST
Elma Lewis Center
148 Boylston Street, Boston
Visit a multimedia pilot inaugural exhibition of family archives as well as live interviews, music recording sessions, dance performances, and original art from more than 150 Roxbury- and Boston-area luminaries from the past two centuries.
Artificial Intelligence, Communication, and the Arts Panel
Registration is required to attend
2:00–2:45 p.m. EST
Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre, Paramount Center
559 Washington Street, Boston
This panel will discuss the possibilities, opportunities, and challenges related to the use of AI in storytelling through communication and the arts.
Putting Arts to Work: Emerson as Laboratory for Artistic Innovation Panel
Registration is required to attend
3:15–4:00 p.m. EST
Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre, Paramount Center
559 Washington Street, Boston
Hosted by ArtsEmerson and HowlRound, this panel will explore Emerson programs that use performance as a tool to inspire conversation and change and to build community.
Choreography of Light Panel and Screening
Registration is required to attend
4:30–5:15 p.m. EST
Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre, Paramount Center
559 Washington Street, Boston
Emerson College is one of the few schools that supports a full analog and 16mm filmmaking curriculum. This panel discussion and short film screening will feature Emerson staff and faculty members who engage in the highly specialized process of analog filmmaking.
Lol @ Emerson: A Celebration of Comedy
Registration is required to attend
8:00–10:00 p.m. EST
Robert J. Orchard Stage, Paramount Center
559 Washington Street, Boston
A stand-up comedy showcase featuring sets from alumni Gabe Gibbs '14, Julie Goldman '94, Eddie Brill '80, Jamie Loftus '14 and Breanna Nesbith '23; current students Jack Reisman '25, Saskia Penning '25, Hannah Loeb '27; with remarks by Trustee Doug Herzog '81, LHD '08, Professor Martie Cook and President Bernhardt.
Friday, March 22
Guest Arrival at Investiture Ceremony
10:00–10:30 a.m. EST
Cutler Majestic Theatre
219 Tremont Street, Boston
Official Investiture Ceremony
Registration is required to attend
10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. EST
Cutler Majestic Theatre
219 Tremont Street, Boston
The official Investiture ceremony to install Dr. Jay M. Bernhardt as the 13th President of Emerson College.
Community Celebration Lunch Reception
Registration is required to attend
12:30–2:00 p.m. EST
Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym
150 Boylston Street, Boston
Join us for a celebratory lunch with our new President.
Delegate Information
Official delegates should arrive for breakfast, robing, and lineup at 9:00 a.m. at the Bill Bordy Theater, 216 Tremont Street, Boston. Please note that institutional representatives are asked to provide their own regalia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Planning Your Visit to Campus
About Jay M. Bernhardt
An internationally recognized leader in and scholar of health communication, Dr. Bernhardt assumed the role of President of Emerson College on June 1, 2023. He comes to Emerson College from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was Dean of the Moody College of Communication since 2016. He was previously an administrator and faculty member at the University of Florida, Emory University, and the University of Georgia. He also served as the Director of the National Center for Health Marketing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His bachelor’s and master’s degrees are from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and his doctorate is from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Contact Us
Questions? Email us at inauguration [at] emerson.edu (inauguration[at]emerson[dot]edu).
