Orange Alert

Syracuse University, College of Arts and Sciences

A&S Celebrates the Class of 2026

A look back at a Commencement Weekend full of celebration, reflection and Orange pride.
Rows of graduates in caps and gowns sit facing the stage during Convocation, with an orange university banner hanging at the front of the arena.

The Hill came alive for Commencement Weekend as the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) sent its newest alumni out into the world. From the student procession that opened Convocation Saturday morning to the last toss of caps inside the JMA Wireless Dome on Sunday afternoon, the weekend was a celebration of years of late nights in Bird Library, breakthroughs in the lab, conversations in seminar rooms and friendships forged across the Quad.

A&S graduates represented every corner of the College — from biotechnology to writing studies, from neuroscience to philosophy — and cities and towns across the globe. For those who couldn’t be in the Dome or want to relive the moment, recordings of the A&S | Maxwell undergraduate Convocation ceremony, the A&S graduate Convocation ceremony and Commencement are available for viewing.

Scroll on for a few of our favorite moments from the weekend. Congratulations, graduates: your next chapter starts now!

A large jumbotron screen inside the JMA Dome shows a faculty speaker in academic regalia at a podium, with closed captions reading 'Good morning. I am Laura Machia, an associate.'
Master of Ceremonies Laura Machia, Associate Dean for Academic Initiatives and Curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences, welcomes the Class of 2026.
A speaker in maroon doctoral regalia addresses an audience from a podium on stage, with seated faculty in academic robes and a row of red flowers lining the front of the stage.
A&S Dean Behzad Mortazavi shares parting words with the College’s newest graduates.
A student in graduation regalia speaks at a podium, shown on a large jumbotron screen above a packed arena audience at the College of Arts & Sciences convocation.
“What these last four years at SU taught me is that gratitude isn’t a debt to be paid back. Instead, it’s an investment to be paid forward.” Senior speaker Jessica Anne Singh ’26, a biochemistry and communication sciences and disorders major and 2026 College Marshal, addresses her fellow graduates (as seen on the big screen).
A smiling graduate in cap, gown, and an orange 'Student Athlete' stole holds up an orange Syracuse University diploma folder inside a packed stadium.
Diploma in hand!
A graduate in cap and gown poses for a family photo while holding an orange Syracuse University diploma folder, with stone steps and tulips visible behind them.
Now, we celebrate (and take plenty of photos)!
A graduate in cap and gown shakes hands with a faculty member in doctoral regalia on stage during a commencement ceremony, with floral arrangements decorating the front of the stage.
Dean Mortazavi congratulates a graduate at the A&S Master's Convocation ceremony in Hendricks Chapel Saturday afternoon.
Graduates in caps and gowns process across a stadium floor during commencement, led by two Class Marshals wearing orange sashes and one carrying a Syracuse University banner.
A&S’ own Chidera Olalere ’26 and fellow Senior Class Marshal Silke Pion ’26 leads the Class of 2026 into the JMA Wireless Dome for Commencement on Sunday morning.
A graduate wearing a cap, gown, and orange Class Marshal sash speaks at a podium displaying 'Syracuse University 2026,' with orange school banners hanging behind her.
“That is what defines the Orange Mindset that our graduates hold so close. That quiet determination and that dedication are what makes Syracuse students truly extraordinary.” - Sadie Shaula Meyer ’26, mathematics major and Commencement student speaker
A smiling graduate adjusts her cap during a commencement ceremony, wearing an orange and blue Syracuse University stole over her gown.
Forever Orange.

Author: Casey Schad

Published: May 14, 2026

Media Contact: asnews@syr.edu