Mei-Lee Ney to Deliver Otis College’s 2026 Commencement Address

The longtime Trustee and supporter of the College will receive an honorary degree.

Otis College of Art and Design has announced that Trustee Mei-Lee Ney will receive an honorary degree and deliver the commencement address on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the Long Beach Terrace Theater. The ceremony is the culmination of O-Launch Exhibition Weekend, the College’s annual celebration, which includes a fashion show, open studios, and a campus-wide exhibition of work by graduating BFA and MFA students.

A native of Shanghai, China, Ney is president of Richard Ney & Associates Asset Management Inc. and Chair of the Board of Trustees for Otis College. In 2020, Ney contributed $1 million in support of DEI and anti-racism initiatives at the College, including the creation of the Charles White Art and Design Scholarship. In 2021 the main building housing Otis’s Product Design program was renamed the Mei-Lee Ney Design Studio, in recognition of Ney’s $10 million gift. Ney’s gift was among the largest in the College’s history.

Beyond her involvement with Otis, Ney is a Trustee of The Huntington and has served as a member of the Board of Governors of Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California. She serves on the boards of councilors for both the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the Pacific Asia Museum, and is a member of the USC President’s Leadership Council. 

Ney is active in education, community, and arts organizations across Los Angeles, including Caltech Associates, the Music Center, and the L.A. Opera. Ney edited two books on the stock market and, from 1976 to 1999, was the co-creator and editor of The Ney Report, an investment newsletter.

“Mei-Lee’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to emerging creators has had a transformative impact on Otis College and the broader creative community,” says Otis College President Charles Hirschhorn. “Her work reminds us that art and design are powerful forces for change capable of shaping a more just and inclusive world. It is with deep admiration that we honor Mei-Lee with an honorary degree at Commencement, celebrating not only her extraordinary achievements, but the path she has paved for future generations of artists and designers.”

A Tradition of Excellence

Otis College has a long tradition of awarding honorary degrees to influential artists, designers, and thinkers. Special consideration is given to those whose work has had an impact within their field and who have a background and experiences that reflect the College’s mission and its programs. Recent recipients include Ann Philbin, Janet Marie Smith, Kulapat Yantrasast, Miky Lee, Evan Spiegel, Miranda Kerr, Bobby Berk, Lauren Halsey, and Enrique Martínez Celaya. Read the full list of honorary degree recipients.

About Otis College 

Established in 1918, Otis College of Art and Design is a nonprofit 501(c)3 institution that prepares students in the art and design capital of Los Angeles for a dynamic future in the creative economy. The College educates a diverse community of over 1,200 students in a supportive setting to become highly skilled professionals in established and emerging creative sectors. Alumni and faculty are Fulbright, MacArthur, and Guggenheim grant recipients, Oscar winners, legendary costume designers, leaders of contemporary art movements, entrepreneurs, and design stars at influential companies including Apple, Pixar, DreamWorks, Mattel, Nike, and Netflix. Since 2007, the College has commissioned the Otis College Report on the Creative Economy, an invaluable tool that assesses the tremendous influence and economic impact of the creative sector.

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