Over 2,500 baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees will be conferred at UMass Boston’s 34th commencement. The commencement address will be delivered by honorary degree recipient Tim Russert, national political analyst and journalist.

Russert is the managing editor and moderator of “Meet the Press,” the most watched Sunday morning interview show in America. He is also chief political analyst for NBC’s “Nightly News with Tom Brokaw” and “The Today Show,” in addition to serving as vice president of NBC News and Washington Bureau Chief.

Famed basketball legend Bill Russell, internationally acclaimed Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, and healthcare entrepreneur Thomas Shields also will receive honorary degrees.

Of Russell’s many achievements, he is noted for his role as a key player on the Boston Celtics in helping the team dominate the league and win eight straight NBA titles and 11 championships in 13 seasons.

Achebe is one of Africa’s best known writers, ever since the publication of his first novel “Things Fall Apart.” His name has been in the forefront of modern African literature and his works have been translated into more than 50 languages.

Shields is the founder and chief executive officer of Shields Health Care Group, one of the nation’s top health care providers. He opened Massachusetts’ first independent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facility in 1986 and the Shields Health Care Group is now recognized as the Northeast’s leader in out patient MRI services.