UMass Boston

Senator Edward J. Markey has a prolific legislative record on major issues across the policy spectrum. He is a consumer champion and national leader on energy, environmental protection, and telecommunications policy, as well as nuclear nonproliferation efforts. After serving for 37 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Markey was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2013.

Markey is a leading consumer champion against rising gas prices and foreign oil. He authored the law establishing the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve and the 2007 law to increase fuel economy standards. He has also been a leading voice for policies that promote resilience and sustainability.

He has been instrumental in breaking up monopolies in electricity, telephone service, cable television, and international satellite services. His pro-competition policies have directly benefited job creation in Massachusetts and throughout the country. He is also the author of some of the most important Wall Street reform laws since the Great Depression, strengthening penalties against insider trading, improving federal oversight of stock and futures markets, and reforming regulation of the government securities market.

Markey was also the leader of the national Nuclear Freeze movement and has been a congressional champion on nuclear nonproliferation. His amendment to ban all underground nuclear testing passed in 1986, and in the 1990s, he fought to tighten controls on global trafficking in nuclear technology.

Over his long career, Markey has played key roles on many committees both in the House and the Senate. In the House of Representatives, Markey served as the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee and was chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. He also served on the Energy and Commerce Committee and as a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee. In the Senate, he serves as a member of the Business and Entrepreneurship Committee (ranking member); the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; the Environment and Public Works Committee; and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

Markey holds a BA from Boston College and a JD from Boston College Law School. In honor of his decades of legislative work to achieve consumer and environmental protections, energy affordability, and global security, the University of Massachusetts Boston is pleased to recognize the outstanding accomplishments and dedication of Senator Edward J. Markey.

The Honorable Ana Maria Hidalgo is the first woman ever to be elected mayor of Paris. Serving as mayor from 2014 until March 2026, she pursued an ambitious agenda focused on housing for families and inclusive public services. She also worked to make Paris a model for environmental action, reducing car use, greening public spaces, and prioritizing pedestrian access in the city.

Born in Spain, Hidalgo was raised in France. Her historic tenure as mayor of Paris established several benchmark environmental initiatives during her two terms in office. She added more than 620 miles of bike lanes in the city, planted more than 155,000 trees, and closed the major road alongside the Seine to motor vehicle traffic. She sought to provide more green spaces, cleaner air, and a more walkable city. She was a proponent of the “15-minute city” concept, in which work, schools, health care, and other everyday necessities could be just a 15-minute walk or bike ride away. Under Hidalgo’s leadership, Paris successfully lobbied to host the 2024 Olympic Games, which became a major catalyst for urban and environmental transformation in Paris.

Prior to her entry into Parisian politics, Hidalgo served in numerous local and national positions. Among them, she served as an advisor to three different ministers under France’s Jospin government (1997–2002) and was elected to the Île-de-France Regional Council (2004–2014), helping to legislate affairs in France’s most populous region. Then, in 2001, she became first deputy mayor of Paris, serving in that role until 2014 when she successfully ran for mayor.

She holds a master’s degree in social law from Jean Moulin University Lyon 3 and a master of advanced studies in social and trade unionism from Paris West University Nanterre La Défense. In recognition of her tireless efforts to improve the environment and urban living, the University of Massachusetts Boston is pleased to honor Ana Maria Hidalgo.

The first White House national climate advisor and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, Regina (Gina) McCarthy is one of the nation’s most respected voices on climate change, the environment, and public health. As head of the Climate Policy Office under President Biden, McCarthy’s leadership led to the most aggressive action on climate in U.S. history, creating clean energy innovation and investments across the country. Her commitment to bold action restored U.S. climate leadership on the global stage.

Throughout her years of service in both Republican and Democratic administrations, McCarthy has been credited for her common-sense strategies and ability to work across the aisle to tackle our toughest environmental challenges in ways that spur economic growth and improve public health.

Before joining the Biden administration, McCarthy was president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the nation’s largest and most influential environmental advocacy organizations. Prior to that role, she was a professor of the practice of public health in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

From 2013 to 2017, McCarthy served as the EPA administrator under President Obama. McCarthy focused on broad external engagement to strengthen clean air standards, a new EPA Clean Water Rule, the first national standards requiring reductions in greenhouse gas emissions for energy plants powered by fossil fuels, and many other efforts. She spearheaded international engagements that resulted in the passage of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase out some chemicals contributing to global warming and facilitated the adoption of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Prior to her presidential appointment, she served as commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. She also held senior positions in the administrations of five Massachusetts governors.

McCarthy is currently chair of the America Is All In coalition and a senior fellow at The Fletcher School’s Climate Policy Lab at Tufts University. She is also an operating advisor at Pegasus Capital Advisors and a senior advisor at TPG Rise Climate Fund.

McCarthy earned a BA in social anthropology from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a joint MS in environmental health engineering, planning and policy from Tufts University. The University of Massachusetts Boston is pleased to recognize Regina (Gina) McCarthy in honor of her ongoing commitment to improving the environment and public health.

Charles John Hoff is a successful entrepreneur and visionary philanthropist whose scholarships have changed lives throughout the University of Massachusetts system. Over the years, Hoff has transformed several businesses on the verge of
financial ruin into successful enterprises. He credits his UMass education (UMass Lowell, class of 1966) with helping him achieve his success.

From a working-class upbringing in Medford, Massachusetts, Hoff went on to work for numerous Massachusetts corporations as an engineer, eventually working his way up to titles such as senior vice president and CEO. Later, he left the corporate ladder behind to try his hand at venture capitalism and entrepreneurship, investing in land, strip malls, and even an oil and gas company. Despite his success, Hoff has never forgotten his working-class roots and has repeatedly given back through various philanthropic efforts aimed at supporting causes and institutions dear to his heart, chief among them UMass Lowell and UMass Boston.

During the past 35 years, Charles John Hoff and his family have awarded over 3,000 scholarships to students from diverse backgrounds to all the UMass system schools, but he has a special closeness to UMass Boston. He has awarded more than 500 students a scholarship to attend UMass Boston. He is especially proud that UMass Boston students made him an honorary member of their International Honor Society. While interviewing many students during this period, Hoff would let them know how lucky they were to receive a unique and enriching education at UMass Boston with students from all walks of life.

Over the years, Hoff has received numerous honors, including the 1992 Distinguished Alumni Award from UMass Lowell, awarded to graduates who have made significant contributions to a field of knowledge or for exemplary public service, and in 2008, the President’s Medal, UMass Lowell’s highest honor. He has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Massachusetts, on the University of Massachusetts Foundation Board of Directors, and on the Board of Trustees of UMass Memorial Health Care and Northeastern University.

Hoff is a graduate of UMass Lowell and holds a master’s degree from Northeastern University. In recognition of his longstanding commitment to the University of Massachusetts and his ongoing efforts to improve the affordability of higher education in Massachusetts, we are proud to honor Charles John Hoff.

Martha Minow is a renowned expert in constitutional law and human rights. Throughout her prestigious career, her work has focused on issues confronting historically marginalized individuals and groups; legal responses to social, political, and religious conflict; and legal treatments of digital communications and technologies. She currently holds the 300th Anniversary University Professorship at Harvard University, and she has taught at Harvard Law School since 1981, serving as dean for eight years (2009–2017).

In addition, Minow has held numerous positions in the federal government and on international bodies. In 2010, President Obama named her to the Board of the Legal Services Corporation, which provides civil legal assistance to low income people, and she partnered with the Department of Education and the Center for Applied Special Technology to increase curriculum access for students with disabilities. Internationally, she served on the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Commission on Countering Violent Extremism and the Independent International Commission on Kosovo. Under the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, she helped launch the Imagine Co-existence program to promote peaceful development in post-conflict societies.

The author of many books, her titles include Saving the News: Why the Constitution Calls for Government Action to Preserve the Freedom of Speech (2021), When Should Law Forgive? (2019), and In Brown’s Wake: Legacies of America’s Constitutional Landmark (2010). Some of her recent articles include “Not Born a Democracy: Constitutional Preconditions,” published in the William & Mary Law Review (2025), and “Justice in Divided Societies” in the American Journal of Law and Equality (2024).

Minow is currently the chair of the GBH Board of Trustees, and she was previously chair of the Board of Trustees of the MacArthur Foundation and co-chaired the Access to Justice Project of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her contributions to society have been recognized by numerous honors, including the 2025 Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Social Sciences and Technology awarded by the Technical University of Munich, the 2025 Hon. Robert A. Katzmann Award for Academic Excellence, and the 2024 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lifetime Achievement Award.

Minow is a graduate of the University of Michigan, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Yale Law School. For her ongoing work to create a more just and equitable society and world, the University of Massachusetts Boston is pleased to honor Martha Minow.

Madeeha Syeda embodies the John F. Kennedy Award in every conceivable way. As a Resident Assistant at UMass Boston, she promotes student safety, well-being, and academic success while responding with professionalism to medical and mental health crises. Madeeha has held leadership positions with the Muslim Student Association, from which she fostered an inclusive environment, led initiatives centered on belonging, and organized culturally meaningful programs that strengthened community engagement. In her roles as a Student Nurse Mentor and Peer Tutor, she exemplifies academic excellence and service by supporting peers in developing clinical competence, confidence, and critical thinking skills. Madeeha’s extensive clinical experiences at major Boston hospitals, coupled with her work as a Medical Assistant in pediatric urgent care, reflects a strong commitment to compassionate, evidence-based, and family-centered care. Beyond campus, Madeeha’s global health service in India and dedication to supporting diverse learners highlight a deep commitment to equity, cultural humility, and social justice. After graduation, Madeeha plans to work as a nurse for Massachusetts General Hospital, and her long-term career goal is to continue working as a nurse globally and pursue her BSN-PhD at UMass Boston. The committee agreed that Madeeha demonstrated outstanding leadership, resilience, and genuine dedication to improving the lives of others and serving our university, our city, and our world. The JFK Award for Academic Excellence, first awarded in 1977, is the highest honor a UMass Boston undergraduate student can receive.

A PhD student in Applied Physics, Sachin Gupta has distinguished himself not only through his academic work, but also through his leadership, service, and dedication to building community among graduate students. As the founder and president of the Physics Graduate Club, Sachin took the initiative to create a stronger sense of connection and belonging in the Physics Department, bringing together professors and graduate students from UMass Boston and other universities in the Boston area to share their experiences. The Physics Graduate Club has won the Best Graduate Club award for two consecutive years. Described by colleagues as the most indispensable member of the Physics Department and someone who makes everyone in the room feel welcome, Sachin has been a steady, reassuring presence for many, building camaraderie and community in the department. In addition, his involvement in organizing departmental conferences, academic seminars, student meetings, and the Beacon Scholars stage reflects his dedication to recognizing student achievements and creating meaningful opportunities for others to be seen, acknowledged and celebrated. Sachin has devoted numerous hours teaching and mentoring students, even writing a textbook of practice problems to help students get through their physics exams. His service to UMass Boston has also included participation on several academic committees in the College of Science and Mathematics. Sachin has, as well, taught several semesters of OLLI courses to retirees, introducing them to the marvels of physics. At every opportunity, Sachin builds community, organizing BBQs on campus during the summer, including everyone on the department WhatsApp, and making sure that everyone has a place to go on Friendsgiving. In so many ways, Sachin represents the values that define UMass Boston: inclusion, collaboration, and service to the community.