10 things to know about Emory’s 2026 Commencement

By Leigh DeLozier May 1, 2026

Emory will celebrate the Class of 2026 with the university’s 181st Commencement ceremonies May 7-11 at Gas South District Arena and Convention Center and on the Atlanta and Oxford College campuses.

As the time draws near, here are 10 things you need to know ahead of the festivities.

1. Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian is this year’s Commencement speaker and one of three honorary degree recipients.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian will deliver the keynote address at Emory University’s 181st Commencement, scheduled for Monday, May 11. As CEO, Bastian leads a global workforce of more than 100,000 employees, including almost 40,000 in Georgia. He will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree during the ceremony in recognition of his exceptional contributions to business and society.

Emory will also award honorary degrees to education pioneers Ruth J. Simmons and Susan E. Stone.

Simmons, a groundbreaking higher education leader for decades, is president emerita of Prairie View A&M University, Brown University and Smith College. She will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree, making her only the seventh person in Emory’s history to receive both of the university’s highest honors: the honorary degree and the President’s Medal, which she was awarded in 2006.

Stone is a certified nurse-midwife and nationally recognized nursing leader who served for more than 20 years as president of Frontier Nursing University in Kentucky, home to the nation’s oldest and largest continually operating nurse-midwifery education program. She will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in recognition of her transformative contributions to midwifery, advanced practice nursing and the improvement of health care for families.

2. Three Emory biomedical researchers will receive the President’s Medal.

The Emory University President’s Medal honors individuals “whose impact on the world has enhanced the dominion of peace, service to humanity, or has enlarged the range of cultural achievement.” It was first presented in 1995 to Nobel Laureate His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

At Commencement, Interim President Leah Ward Sears will award the President’s Medal to the three Emory biomedical researchers who co-developed the antivirals that transformed HIV from a fatal disease into a manageable chronic condition: Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Chemistry Dennis Liotta, an academic drug discovery expert; Frances Winship Walters Professor of Pediatrics Raymond Schinazi, an infectious disease and antiviral expert; and former Emory post-doctoral research associate Woo-Baeg Choi.

In the early 1990s, Liotta, Schinazi and Choi announced the discovery of an unusual molecule, FTC (emtricitabine, sold alone as Emtriva, with the "Em" standing for Emory) and a chemically similar compound, 3TC (lamivudine, sold alone as Epivir). Both drugs are in the class known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, which work against the enzyme that copies HIV RNA into new viral DNA.

It’s estimated that more than 90% of people in the U.S. living with HIV — and millions more around the world — have taken at least one of the drugs they discovered, alone or as key components in combination therapies, saving and improving countless lives.

3. Professors and other special guests will also be honored.

Commencement will pay tribute to several individuals and groups in addition to the graduates and honorary degree recipients.

The Exemplary Teacher of the Year Award and the Thomas Jefferson Award, which honor faculty or staff who have significantly enriched the intellectual and civic life of the Emory community, will be presented during the May 11 ceremony. Other honors presented to faculty and staff during Commencement events include:

Members of the Society of Corpus Cordis Aureum — alumni celebrating 50 or more years since graduation — will also be honored during the May 11 Commencement ceremony. Members of this special group are easily recognizable in their distinctive gold Commencement robes.

4. Bachelor’s degree ceremony guests need tickets for the in-person program.

The main Emory University ceremony on Monday, May 11, is at Gas South Arena at 10 a.m. The ceremony is in-person for all bachelor’s degree candidates and virtual (via live webcast) for associate’s, master’s and doctoral degree candidates.

All bachelor’s degree candidates and their ticketed guests are invited to enjoy the pomp and circumstance of Emory’s processional march, the keynote address, honorary degree and President’s Medal presentations, Interim President Leah Ward Sears’ address to the graduating class and the formal group conferral of all student degrees earned. Registration and tickets are required.

School diploma and graduate program recognition ceremonies are hosted by each school’s dean. Times and locations can be found on the Commencement schedule of events, and additional details can be found on the individual schools’ websites.

5. Attendees must follow safety protocols.

All graduates, guests and others at the Commencement ceremonies should follow any applicable safety protocols.

The Gas South Arena and Convention Center have security guidelines in place, including a clear bag (maximum size 12” x 12” x 6”) or small clutch (maximum size 6½” x 4½”) policy. Review the list of prohibited items (including common graduation items like balloons and signs larger than 8½” x 11”) prior to arriving at the Gas South Arena or Convention Center.

6. Be aware of parking and transportation situations.

When traveling to the Gas South District, take I-85 to the Sugarloaf Parkway exit. Parking begins two hours before the scheduled event time and is free for all Emory Commencement event guests.

Those attending events at the Gas South Arena should park in Lot A and Deck 2. For Convention Center events, park in Deck 1 and Deck 2. Accessible parking is available at each area. See the Gas South District map for parking area locations.

Check the Commencement website’s Planning Your Visit page and click on Gas South District Details for more about transportation and parking. Emory shuttles will not be traveling from campus to the Gas South District.

Information about events happening on the Atlanta campus will be provided by those schools. Visit that school’s Commencement website for times, locations, parking information and more.

7. Anyone can watch the ceremony or volunteer to help.

Members of the Emory community who are not graduating students or their guests can also join the celebration. Faculty can participate in the procession and staff members can fill a variety of volunteer roles.

You can also watch online. The May 11 ceremony will be livestreamed on the Emory Commencement 2026 website. Soon after Commencement, the event video will be available for archival viewing.

8. Numerous celebrations will occur before Commencement.

From Class Day Crossover and activities on the Quad to school diploma ceremonies, a full slate of events surround Commencement for the Class of 2026.

Class Day Crossover, a student-organized event for those receiving undergraduate degrees, will be Thursday, May 7, at 6 p.m. The evening will include a student reception, inspiring remarks from actor and singer Elizabeth Gillies and Emory leaders, as well as the presentation of senior awards (including the Boisfeuillet Jones Medals). The Candlelight Crossover tradition continues when graduating undergraduate students cross as a group from the Emory Student Center to the Quad for a party in their honor.

Emory alumni, faculty, staff and trustees are invited to cheer on the graduates during the Candlelight Crossover. Candles will be provided, and attendees are encouraged to sport their Emory gear. Advanced registration is requested.

The Baccalaureate Luncheon for the Class of 2026 will be Friday, May 8, at 11:30 a.m. in Brooks Commons at Cannon Chapel. The Baccalaureate Luncheon is an opportunity for the Emory University Chaplaincy to honor graduating students who have been leaders in spiritual, religious and interfaith life during their time at Emory. It is also a time to reflect on and give thanks for students’ journeys as they become alumni. Student awardees are invited, and other graduates are welcome to join. The Oxford College Baccalaureate Ceremony will be at Old Church on Friday, May 8, at 5 p.m., followed by the Baccalaureate Dinner for students and their parents at 6:30 p.m.

9. Check out the bookstore’s pop-up shop at the Gas South District.

Pop-up shops that include Emory brand apparel, gifts and more will be at the Gas South District on Monday, May 11, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. to enhance celebrations. The shop also offers a great way for family members or other guests to purchase gifts for their graduates — or Emory merchandise for themselves.

10. Join the celebration with #Emory2026.

Use #Emory2026 to join the Commencement celebration through social media posts. You might even see your post shared on the university’s social media accounts.

Emory University 2026 Commencement schedule

Thursday, May 7

Goizueta Business School Evening MBA Program Diploma Ceremony: 6:30 p.m., Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Emerson Concert Hall

Friday, May 8

School of Medicine, Doctor of Medicine: 10 a.m., Glenn Memorial Auditorium
Baccalaureate Luncheon for the Class of 2025: 11:30 a.m., Cannon Chapel, Brooks Commons
School of Medicine, Doctor of Physical Therapy: 2:30 p.m., Glenn Memorial Auditorium
Goizueta Business School, EMBA and MBV: 4 p.m., Emory Student Center, Multipurpose Rooms

Saturday, May 9

Candler School of Theology: 9 a.m., Glenn Memorial Auditorium
Rollins School of Public Health: 9 a.m., Gas South Convention Center
Oxford College: 10 a.m., Oxford Quadrangle
Laney Graduate School: 11 a.m., Gas South Convention Center
School of Medicine, Genetic Counseling Training Program: 11 a.m., School of Medicine, Room 110

Sunday, May 10

School of Law: 11 a.m., Gas South Convention Center
Goizueta Business School, MBA, MF, MiM and MSBA: 2 p.m., Gas South Convention Center

Monday, May 11

Emory University Commencement Ceremony: 10 a.m., Gas South Arena
Emory College of Arts and Sciences: 11:30 a.m., Gas South Arena
Goizueta Business School Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Diploma Ceremony: 12:15 p.m., Gas South Convention Center
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing Diploma Ceremony: 12:30 p.m., Gas South Convention Center
School of Medicine, Medical Imaging Program: 12:30 p.m., Gas South Convention Center

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