For over 25 years, Helen Caulton-Harris has been the leader of the health and human services infrastructure for the City of Springfield, MA.
Longmeadow, MA—Bay Path University will be holding its 126th Commencement on Sunday, May 7, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA. Approximately 700 students will be participating in the in-person ceremony, and they will be cheered on before 5,000 plus family and friends. At the Commencement, the University will be honored to bestow a doctor of humane letters to Helen Caulton-Harris.
For over 25 years, Helen Caulton-Harris has been the leader of the health and human services infrastructure for the City of Springfield, MA. Ms. Caulton-Harris is the Commissioner of the Division of Health and Human Services for the City of Springfield, and the first Black woman to hold the title of Commissioner of the Division of Health and Human Services. In that capacity, she is responsible for administrative oversight of four city departments including: Veterans, Elder Affairs, the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control Shelter, and the Libraries. She is also responsible for the direct supervision of the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services and Health Services for the Homeless, a 330 Federally Funded Health Center. She has played a prominent role in developing policy for the health and human services needs of underserved populations on the local and national level. As a testament to her public policy work, she has received numerous awards including the AIDS Action Award from the Action Committee and the Rebecca Lee Award from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Her exemplary efforts in response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, as well as her consistent communications and her collaboration across public health entities at the community, state, and national level, have earned her many accolades, including BusinessWest’s Lifetime Achievement award as part of their 2022 Healthcare Heroes.
For the complete bio of Ms. Helen Caulton-Harris and more information on Bay Path’s 126th Commencement click here.
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About Bay Path University
Bay Path University was founded in 1897. Today, Bay Path’s enrolled population of over 3,000 includes traditional undergraduates; adult women at The American Women's College, the first all-women, all-online accredited degree program in the country; and women and men master’s and doctoral students. Throughout Bay Path’s history, it has held true to the vision that “Every learner’s dreams of a better career, a richer life, and a brighter future will be realized.”
