Kim Stanley Robinson, an award-winning American science fiction writer, will deliver the 2026 commencement address.
Robinson is best known as the author of the internationally bestselling Mars trilogy, a series that explores the terraforming of Mars and the political, scientific and ethical challenges of building a new society. His broader body of work — often described as “humanist” or “literary” science fiction — examines climate change, ecological sustainability and the role of technology in shaping collective futures.
Born in Waukegan, Ill., Robinson moved to Orange County, Calif., as a child, where he witnessed rapid suburban development reshape the natural landscape — an experience that would later inform his writing. He began writing fiction in the 1980s after discovering science fiction as a college student and has since been a prominent advocate for the genre, which he has described as one of the most powerful literary forms.
Robinson earned a bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of California, San Diego, in 1974 and later received a master’s degree in English from Boston University. He returned to UC San Diego to complete his PhD in English in 1982, writing his dissertation on the work of science fiction author Philip K. Dick, whose writing inspired the film Blade Runner.
Having published over 20 novels, he was awarded the acclaimed science fiction and fantasy Nebula Award for his 2013 novel, 2312. The novel focuses on a fantasy space society in which humans are spread throughout the solar system. The New Yorker has called him “one of the greatest living science-fiction writers and one of the most important political writers working in America today.”
His most recent novel, The Ministry for the Future, published in 2020, follows a fictional government body tasked with protecting the welfare of future generations, which often encounters climate change as the most significant challenge for this society.
His work often draws on personal experience and scientific collaboration. Robinson conducted field research in Antarctica through National Science Foundation grants, which informed his novel Antarctica, and his close relationships with scientists — including his wife, research chemist Lisa Howland Nowell — have shaped his nuanced portrayals of scientific communities.
Beyond his literary career, Robinson has been invited to speak at major international forums, including the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, the Summit of the Future and the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. His work has also been translated into more than 30 languages, and in 2016, asteroid 72432 was named in his honor.
Robinson will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters at Commencement.
Middlebury will also award honorary degrees to several individuals recognized for their contributions across education, medicine and journalism.
Among them is Shabana Basij-Rasikh ’11, founder of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), the first and only boarding school for Afghan girls. After the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Basij-Rasikh led the evacuation of her school community to Rwanda, where the school continues to operate and expand. Many SOLA graduates have enrolled at Middlebury College.
Andrea Green, a pediatrician and professor at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, will also be honored for her work supporting immigrant and refugee families through community-based health initiatives.
Additionally, Angelo Lynn, the owner, editor and publisher of the Addison County Independent, will receive an honorary degree for his leadership in local journalism and his contributions to the regional news landscape.
Commencement is scheduled for May 24 on McCullough Lawn.
Yuvraj Shah '26 (he/him) is a Managing Editor.
He has previously served as the Senior Opinions Editor. He is a joint major in History and English Literature. He was awarded a $5000 Mellon Humanities For All Times Grant through the Axinn Center for the Humanities and is conducting research about the citizenship rights of the British Kenyan Asian diaspora. He studied abroad at Keble College, University of Oxford. He is a Senior Fellow at Middlebury College Admissions, a Residential Advisor, and Arts Events House Manager. He is a member of Middlebury College’s new 10-year plan development committee. He has previously interned with the New England Review and the Middlebury Magazine. He is an international student from Nairobi, Kenya, and London, UK. He is a UWC Davis Scholar.
Mandy Berghela (she/her) is Editor-in-Chief
Mandy has previously served as the Managing Editor, Senior Local Editor, a Local Section Editor and Staff Writer. She is majoring in Political Science with a minor in History. She is the Co-President for the Southeast Asian Society and an intern with the Conflict Transformation Collaborative. Last summer, Mandy interned with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and participated in the Bloomberg Journalism Diversity Program.
