The Community College of Rhode Island will award honorary degrees for the first time at its 2026 commencement in May, honoring the late Judge Frank Caprio and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Dan Barry. The college said Caprio will receive a posthumous honorary Associate in Arts degree, while Barry will also receive an honorary Associate in Arts degree and deliver the commencement address to the Class of 2026.
CCRI said Caprio is being recognized for lifelong public service, leadership and a commitment to opportunity and education. Barry is being honored for his work in journalism and storytelling. The ceremony is set for Tuesday, May 12, at the Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Caprio died last year after close to 40 years on the bench, and CCRI said the choice reflects the compassion that made him known around the world. Barry worked at the Providence Journal when the paper won the Pulitzer Prize in 1994 and has spent more than 30 years with. Rosemary A. Costigan, CCRI’s president, said commencement is a moment to honor graduates and those whose impact aligns with the college’s mission and exemplifies what is possible through education, service and a commitment to the common good.
Read Also: Trump News Conference Today Trump Sets Tuesday 8pm ET Deadline
The college said its Honorary Degree Committee recommended Barry and Caprio as the inaugural recipients, a pairing that links public service and storytelling to the school’s first such awards. The decision makes CCRI’s May ceremony more than a graduation rite: it is also the first time the college is formally placing two widely recognized Rhode Islanders on its commencement stage, one in person and one posthumously, as part of a program it is only now beginning.
Read Also: Ashland High School Instruments Stolen Before Disney World Performance
Costigan said Barry’s career in journalism and belief in storytelling make him a strong choice for one of the inaugural honors, while Caprio’s dedication to expanding educational opportunities and his compassionate approach to justice remain an inspiration to the community. That is the answer buried in the announcement: CCRI is not using honorary degrees to broaden a tradition, but to define one, starting with a judge whose kindness became his legacy and a reporter whose work turned Rhode Island life into national news.
