UTulsa celebrates Class of 2026 at commencement ceremonies

TULSA, Oklahoma, May 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Tulsa feted more than 1,100 graduates during 2026 commencement ceremonies in the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Friday and Saturday, May 15-16.

Of those, 706 bachelor's degrees were conferred upon undergraduate students who directly benefit from UTulsa's unique CaneCareers Job Placement Guarantee. Many graduates will soon start jobs with companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Koch Industries, Northrop Grumman, Saint Francis Health System, Ascension St. John Medical Center, Hillcrest Medical Center, Grant Thornton, EY (previously known as Ernst & Young), Bank of Oklahoma and the Colorado Rapids professional soccer team, to name a few. Others have been accepted into prestigious graduate programs, and a few are seeking additional training and experience before applying to medical school and law school.

Actor, producer and alumnus Julius Tennon delivered the keynote commencement address. Tennon began his journey at UTulsa as a student-athlete on the Golden Hurricane football team and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1978. He built a distinguished career in film, television and theater before founding JuVee Productions with his wife, actor Viola Davis, who has received Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards.

Tennon, who remains actively engaged with his alma mater through mentorship and experiential learning initiatives, encouraged the graduates to live their lives with intention and compassion.

"What the world needs now is love," he said. "We need you, the future leaders, who will do the hard work to inspire change. Ignorance aligned with power is the most ferocious enemy that justice can have. … You are the generation that's going to make us proud."

Tennon and Ellen Adelson, a former member of The University of Tulsa Board of Trustees, each received honorary doctorates at the Graduate School commencement Friday afternoon. During that ceremony, 242 students received their master's degrees and 78 received their doctorates. At Friday night's College of Law hooding ceremony, 81 degrees were conferred.

"Whether your path leads to a new career opportunity, continued study, research or service to your community, we are confident that your time at UTulsa has prepared you well," said Marcia MacLeod, who has served as chair of the board since 2022.

Watch the ceremonies in their entirety on YouTube through links found at The University of Tulsa's commencement page.

SOURCE The University of Tulsa