Matthew Slater, New England Patriots star and humanitarian, to speak at Providence College commencement
Matthew Slater, the former New England Patriots wide receiver and special teams player who established a foundation in his retirement to support the arts, culture, humanities, and recreation, will be the featured speaker at Providence College’s 108th commencement exercises.
The undergraduate ceremony for the Class of 2026 will take place at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in downtown Providence on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 11 a.m.
A separate commencement ceremony for graduate and continuing education students will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in Peterson Recreation on campus. The featured speaker will be Donna Cupelo ’78, an executive with Verizon New England for 23 years, who retired in 2021 as vice president of public policy–Central-New England regions.
Honorary degrees will be presented at the undergraduate commencement ceremony to Slater, Cupelo, and three other distinguished individuals:
- MaryBeth Canavan, a philanthropist and advocate for medical ethics and rare disease research who supported scholarships, athletics, and academic initiatives at the college with her late husband, former college trustee M. Joseph Canavan ’65.
- Richard Gotham ’86, a business executive who has been president of the Boston Celtics since 2007, including the NBA championship seasons of 2008 and 2024, and a former college trustee.
- John F. Killian ’77, retired executive vice president and chief financial officer of Verizon Communications, who served as chair of the college’s Board of Trustees from 2013–2018.
Slater, a three-time Super Bowl champion, is considered one of the best special teams players in National Football League history. He was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and a 13-year team captain. He retired in 2023 after 16 seasons with the Patriots and worked for a year as a special assistant on the coaching staff.
His legacy of leadership extends to his commitment to changing lives and strengthening communities. In 2020, Slater and his wife, Dr. Shahrzad Ehdaivand Slater, founded the Slater Family Foundation. His work on and off the football field exemplifies character, selflessness, and the importance of being a good teammate. He was recognized numerous times by the Patriots, the NFL, and other organizations for community service.
Slater received the Bart Starr Award, which recognizes outstanding character and leadership in the NFL, and the Art Rooney Award, which recognizes outstanding sportsmanship on the playing field. The Patriots honored him with the 11th Ron Burton Community Fundraiser Award in 2013 for his commitment to community service. Among his notable initiatives was a 2016 “pop up” fundraiser that raised more than $60,000 for Samaritan’s Purse to assist victims of Hurricane Matthew in the Carolinas and Haiti. Slater also took part in Compassion International’s “Fill the Stadium” initiative in 2021 to support children impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Slater was born in Long Beach, California, to parents who grew up in Mississippi. His father moved to California to play for the Los Angeles Rams. Slater played college football for the University of California at Los Angeles and was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
In January 2025, he was the featured speaker at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at PC.
