Here's Every Columbia 2026 Class Day Speaker We Know (So Far)
With graduation and Commencement festivities around the corner, here's who we expect to speak to our graduates in celebration of their accomplishments.
Believe it or not, graduation season at Columbia University is right around the corner in May, and with it comes the special school-specific celebrations known as Class Days or school graduation ceremonies. #Columbia2026!
Schools across Columbia will host ceremonies and speakers of their own. We're keeping track of those speakers, as they are announced, in the running list below.
The list will be updated as we hear more throughout April and May!
Andrés Jaque
Andrés Jaque, Dean and Professor at Columbia GSAPP, will speak at the school's graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 6:00 PM on South Lawn.
Shirin Neshat
Shirin Neshat, award-winning artist, will address graduates at the School’s convocation on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 6:30 PM in Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall.
Jennifer Finney Boylan
Jennifer Finney Boylan, acclaimed author, activist, and current Anna Quindlen Writer in Residence at Barnard College, will deliver the keynote address at the College’s 134th Commencement ceremony on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 4:00 PM at Radio City Music Hall, 1260 6th Ave.
Deepak Narula
Deepak Narula (BUS'89), Founder, Managing Partner, and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Metacapital Management, will speak at the school's MS & PhD candidates ceremony on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 8:00 AM on South Lawn.
Cyrus Massoumi
Cyrus Massoumi (BUS'03), Founder and CEO, Dr. B, and Founder & Former CEO at Zocdoc, will speak at the school's Executive MBA and MBA candidates ceremony on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM on South Lawn.
Melanie Nakagawa
Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer at Microsoft, will address the school’s graduates on Friday, May 15, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway.
Sara Just
Sara Just (CC'88), Senior Executive Producer of PBS News and Senior VP of WETA, will give the keynote at Columbia College’s Class Day ceremony on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 9:30 AM on South Lawn.
Rena D’Souza
Rena D’Souza, Visiting Professor, Section of Oral, Diagnostic and Rehabilitation Sciences, Division of Periodontics, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, will speak at the school’s predoctoral ceremony on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 10:00 AM at The Armory, 216 Fort Washington Ave.
Angeliki Frangou
Angeliki Frangou (SEAS’88), Chairwoman and CEO of Navios Maritime Partners L.P., has been chosen to address Columbia Engineering's Undergraduate Student Class Day on Monday, May 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM on South Lawn.
Thomas Caulfield
Thomas Caulfield (SEAS’82,’84,’86), Executive Chairman of GlobalFoundries, has been chosen as Class Day Speaker for Columbia Engineering Graduate Class Day on Monday, May 18, 2026 at 5:15 PM on South Lawn.
Larry J. Lawrence
Larry J. Lawrence (GS’69, BUS‘71), Marine Corps veteran, accomplished financial and investment expert, and longtime supporter of Columbia School of General Studies (GS) will deliver the keynote address at GS Class Day on Monday, May 18, 2026 at 8:00 AM on South Lawn.
Peter S. Bearman
Peter S. Bearman, Jonathan R. Cole Professor of Sociology at Columbia University and Director of the Incite Institute, will be the speaker at the MA convocation for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences on Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 8:30 AM on South Lawn.
Eleanor Johnson
Eleanor Johnson, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, will be the speaker at the PhD convocation for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences on Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 12:30 PM on South Lawn.
Eric Garcetti
Eric Garcetti, who previously served as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles and as U.S. Ambassador to India and is a distinguished alumnus of both Columbia College ('92) and Columbia SIPA ('93), will be the featured speaker at SIPA’s graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM on South Lawn.
Chao Xiong and Julie K. Brown
Chao Xiong, Director of Editorial at Sahan Journal (2026 Columbia Journalism Award Recipient), will give the keynote address, and Julie K. Brown, investigative reporter for the Miami Herald (2020 Columbia Journalism Award Winner), will address graduates at the School of Journalism’s graduation ceremony on Tuesday, May 19 at 3:00 PM in Roone Arledge Auditorium in Alfred Lerner Hall.
Donald B. Verrilli
Donald B. Verrilli Jr. (LAW’83), who served as the 46th U.S. Solicitor General from 2011 to 2016, will address the Class of 2026 at Columbia Law School’s graduation ceremony on Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 4:30 PM on South Lawn.
Cheryl Pegus
Cheryl Pegus (MPH’92), CEO and Board Chair of FlyteHealth, will deliver the Mailman School of Public Health Class Day keynote address on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 4:00 PM at The Armory, 216 Fort Washington Ave.
Eric Horvitz
Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer, Microsoft, will address School of Nursing graduates at their graduation ceremony on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 10:00 AM at The Armory, 216 Fort Washington Ave.
Mary Sormanti
Mary Sormanti, Narrative Medicine Program Director & Lecturer and Professor of Professional Practice, will be the speaker for the School of Professional Studies’ morning graduation ceremony on Friday, May 15, 2026 at 10:30 AM on South Lawn.
Scott Rosner, M.S. in Sports Management Program Director and Professor of Professional Practice, will be the speaker for the School of Professional Studies’ afternoon graduation ceremony on Friday, May 15, 2026 at 3:00 PM on South Lawn.
Loretta Ross
Loretta Ross, author of Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You’d Rather Cancel and Associate Professor of the Study of Women & Gender at Smith College, will speak at the school's ceremony on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 4:00 PM on South Lawn.
Prudence Carter
Prudence Carter (TC’95), Sarah and Joseph Jr. Dowling Professor of Sociology at Brown University, will receive Teachers College's Medal for Distinguished Service, and will speak at the Teachers College convocation ceremony for the departments of Counseling & Clinical Psychology and Human Development. which will be held on Monday, May 19, 2026 at 11:00 AM at United Palace Theater, 175th and Broadway.
Wanda Marie Holland Greene
Wanda Marie Holland Green (TC’92, TC’21), Head of the Hamlin School in San Francisco, will receive Teachers College's Medal for Distinguished Service and will speak at the Teachers College convocation ceremony for the departments of Biobehavioral Sciences, Health Studies and Applied Educational Psychology, and International and Transcultural Studies, which will be held on Monday, May 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM at United Palace Theater, 175th and Broadway.
Kate McKenzie
Kate McKenzie (TC’02), Executive Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, will receive Teachers College's Medal for Distinguished Service, and will speak at the Teachers College convocation ceremony for the departments of Biobehavioral Sciences, Health Studies & Applied Educational Psychology, International & Transcultural Studies, Education, Policy, & Social Analysis, which will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 11:00 AM at United Palace Theater, 175th and Broadway.
Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland, renowned American ballet dancer, best-selling author, educator, and philanthropist, will receive Teachers College's Medal for Distinguished Service, and will speak at the Teachers College convocation ceremony for the departments of Arts & Humanities and Curriculum & Teaching on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 5:00 PM at United Palace Theater, 175th and Broadway.
Joia S. Mukherjee
Joia S. Mukherjee, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Global Health Equity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Associate Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, will speak at the school's ceremony on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 3:00 PM at The Armory (216 Fort Washington Ave). Specific graduate programs within VP&S have their own speakers as well, and they can be found here.