Caps, gowns and confetti: Spring Commencement 2026
91原创 honored the graduates of the Class of 2026 on May 1 and 2 for all they have accomplished, while also giving them advice as they begin the next steps in their journeys.
Photos by Eli Burris, Rich-Joseph Facun and Ben Siegel | May 6, 2026
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Large crowds of family members and friends filled the Convocation Center on Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2, for the graduate and undergraduate Commencement ceremonies. More than 4,500 students took part in the three ceremonies, making it one of OHIO鈥檚 largest Commencement weekends in recent history.
In addition, OHIO鈥檚 regional campuses each held Graduation Recognition Ceremonies on Thursday, April 30, and the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 9 at the Convocation Center.
Prepared to lead
The Graduate Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 1 honored 840 master鈥檚 and doctoral students for their accomplishments, while also presenting special awards to alumni and faculty.
鈥淲hile today is about honoring what you鈥檝e accomplished, it鈥檚 also about what comes next,鈥 President Lori Stewart Gonzalez told the graduates. Today鈥檚 world is constantly changing, but the OHIO graduates are prepared and ready to engage and lead.
鈥淐ongratulations Class of 2026,鈥 President Gonzalez said. 鈥淕o forward and continue the work you鈥檝e already begun. Continue to lead, to learn and to make a difference. And wherever your path leads, know that you will forever be a part of 91原创.鈥
Awards and accolades
Also during the Graduate Commencement ceremony, the 91原创 presented an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree to OHIO alumnus Larry Connor. An entrepreneur and private astronaut, Connor also served as the Commencement Speaker for the Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies.
A nationally recognized real estate entrepreneur, Connor is the founder and managing partner of The Connor Group, a real estate investment firm with billions in assets under management and a reputation for disciplined growth and a high-performance culture. You can read more about Connor here.
President Gonzalez also announced that Dr. Brian Clark has been named as 91原创鈥檚 2026 Distinguished Professor. A professor of physiology and neuroscience in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Clark is the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Harold E. Clybourne, D.O., Endowed Research Chair.
As the director of the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute, Clark leads both basic and clinical research focused on pain disorders and healthy aging.
Executive Vice President and Provost Donald J. Leo announced during the ceremony that Dr. Mary Kate Hurley, associate professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been named as the winner of the 2026 Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award.
The Commencement Speaker for the ceremony was Dr. Paul Shovlin, assistant professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences and the 2025 recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Award. An OHIO graduate, Shovlin told the students that he once sat in their seats and that he even lived in a residence hall room in the Convocation Center as a student.
At the same time, each student is on a separate path, Shovlin said. The graduates will move into jobs and careers to pay their rents and mortgages, and he encouraged the graduates to find meaning in their work wherever their paths take them.
鈥淚 see the ability to solve the many problems we are faced with today. The world desperately needs you,鈥 Shovlin said. 鈥淕ood luck with that rent, find your meaning, solve those problems.鈥
Pomp and circumstance: Scenes from Spring Commencement 2026
2026 Spring Commencement Speaker Larry Connor reminded graduates that they will make mistakes. "We all do," he said. "But if you live with belief, resilience and the courage to keep going, you will build a meaningful life with few real regrets."
"The first step to success"
More than 3,240 students were honored during the two Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies on May 2. In 2027, OHIO will hold three Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies.
Commencement Speaker Connor encouraged the students to understand that they do not need to be perfect to succeed in the world.
鈥淟ife will not go according to plan,鈥 Connor said. No matter what happens in life, though, he reminded the graduates that they are always in control of four things: their attitude, effort, choices and how they spend their time.
鈥淒o not be afraid to fail. Failure is the first step to success,鈥 Connor said.
鈥淪how me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I will show you someone who has overcome failure, obstacles and adversity,鈥 Connor said. 鈥淎nd remember you are a work in progress.鈥
He encouraged the students to believe in themselves and said they should each strive for their own meaning of success.
鈥淵ou will make mistakes, we all do, but if you live with belief, resilience and the courage to keep going, you will build a meaningful life with few real regrets,鈥 Connor said.
Parting words
President Gonzalez also congratulated the graduates and said they are ready to take the next steps in their lives.
鈥淐ongratulations Class of 2026. Go forward and build something meaningful and something lasting and something that reflects who you are and what you value,鈥 President Gonzalez said. 鈥淭he future is not something you wait for, it鈥檚 something you create, and we cannot wait to see what you do.鈥
