SMITHFIELD, RI—As Bryant University comes together to celebrate the Class of 2025 at Commencement, in addition to the 862 students receiving diplomas, Bryant will confer honorary degrees upon four outstanding leaders being recognized for their public service, entrepreneurial spirit, management skills, and innovation in the areas of business, health, and medicine.
David M. Beirne ‘85, General Partner & Co-Founder of X10 Capital and a member of the Board of Trustees and former chair, will receive an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration and deliver the undergraduate commencement address on Saturday, May 17 at 10:00 a.m. “It is a true honor to receive this recognition from the institution that I love so deeply. Bryant is a place where they are teaching what the world needs right now and graduating students who are ready to have a big impact. I’m thrilled to celebrate the Class of 2025 as they begin their journey of making a difference in the world.”
Sarah Frost is Chief of Hospital Operations for Brown University Health and President of Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s. She will receive an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration. “I am honored that Bryant University has chosen to recognize me with this degree. The distinction goes beyond celebrating past achievements; it signifies a commitment to shaping the future with integrity, innovation, and a dedication to empowering others on their journey to success.”
Bryant’s graduate degree commencement ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 15 at 5:00 p.m. Martha L. Wofford, President and CEO of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island will receive an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration and give the graduate commencement address. “I am deeply honored to receive this degree from Bryant University. Bryant’s development of healthcare programs, from Healthcare Informatics and AI to Actuarial Science to Innovative Healthcare Leadership, is filling a critical need for healthcare expertise. I’m thrilled to celebrate these important contributions and join Bulldog Nation!”
Jay Schachne, MD teaches cardiology at Bryant and cardiology and doctoring at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters and served as commencement speaker for the Physician Assistant Studies program commencement on Saturday, March 22. "To be able to teach our students to become competent and compassionate providers of care so that they may relieve pain and suffering for patients and their families is my greatest privilege."
“Every May, Bryant’s campus comes alive as we celebrate our graduates. We are honored that Dave Beirne and Martha Wofford will join us as Commencement speakers and honorary degree recipients this year,” says Bryant University President Ross Gittell, Ph.D. “In addition to celebrating our graduates, we are pleased to welcome a distinguished group of professionals to confer honorary diplomas for excellence in their fields. Congratulations to the Class of 2025 for their hard work and many accomplishments. With the knowledge, skills, and determination they have cultivated at Bryant, I am confident they will make a meaningful impact as purpose-driven leaders in their communities and the organizations where they will work.”
Full details for the 2025 Commencement celebrations are available bryant.edu.
Read more about the 2025 Honorary Degree recipients below.
David M. Beirne ’85, is a successful entrepreneur, investor and company builder and is Co-Founder of X10 Capital, a leading PE firm that invests in professional athletes. Prior to X10, David was a General Partner at Benchmark Capital, one of the leading high tech venture capital firms, where he was named to the Forbes Midas List of top VC’s. Prior to Benchmark, he was co-founder and CEO of Ramsey/Beirne Associates, the leader in executive search for hi-technology firms. He was named one of the top 25 Executives in Information Technology and one of the top 50 global executives in Vanity Fair’s “The New Establishment”.
Sarah Frost is the Chief of Hospital Operations for Brown University Health and President of Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s. Prior to coming to Brown University Health, Sarah was the Chief Executive Officer at Banner University Medical Center Tucson and South campuses where she worked for over 20 years. She has been recognized in several southwestern publications, most recently selected as one of the “Most Influential Women in Arizona Business” by AZ Business Magazine. She serves on the AAMC Council of Teaching Hospitals board.
Martha L. Wofford is the 8th President and CEO of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. She came to Blue Cross from DaVita, where she led commercial value-based care, patient experience and patient education. Prior to DaVita, Martha served in various leadership roles at Aetna for nearly a decade. She consulted at Booz Allen Hamilton and served in the Clinton Administration at The White House, U.S. Agency for International Development and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Martha earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and received a BA in history from Swarthmore College.
Jay Schachne, MD, FACC is originally from Brooklyn, NY where he graduated from New York Medical College. He completed his cardiology fellowship at Brown University and opened a cardiology practice in Fall River and served as Chief of Cardiology at Southcoast Hospitals Group. He retired after 37 years of practice and began teaching in the Physician Assistant Studies program at Bryant University and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He founded two free cardiology clinics in Providence, Clinica Esperanza and the Rhode Island Free Clinic, serving mostly immigrant Spanish speaking patients.
About Bryant University
For 160 years, Bryant University has been at the forefront of delivering an exceptional education that anticipates the future and prepares students to be innovative leaders of character in a changing world. The university delivers an integrated academic and student life experience with nationally recognized academic programs at the intersection of business, liberal arts, and health and behavioral sciences.
Located on a 465-acre contemporary campus in Smithfield, R.I., Bryant enrolls approximately 3,800 undergraduate and graduate students from 41 states and 50 countries. Bryant is recognized as a top 1 percent national leader in student education outcomes and ROI and regularly receives high rankings from U.S. News and World Report, QS Stars, Money, Bloomberg Businessweek, Wall Street Journal, and College Factual. Bryant.edu
