More than 600 degrees to be awarded during Spring 2026 commencement ceremonies beginning Thursday

More than 600 degrees to be awarded during Spring 2026 commencement ceremonies beginning Thursday

More than 600 students are preparing to participate in Spring 2026 Commencement ceremonies at Southern University and A&M College in the F.G. Clark Activity Center. The graduate ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 14 at 2 p.m. and the undergraduate ceremony will be held on Friday, May 15 at 10 a.m.

The speaker for the graduate ceremony is Harry L. Williams, Ph.D., who serves as the chief executive officer and president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the nation's foremost organization exclusively representing the Black college community.

Under Williams' leadership, TMCF has experienced more than 250 percent revenue growth while expanding its reach across 57 publicly supported historically Black colleges and universities, historically Black community colleges and predominantly Black institutions, which collectively educate the majority of HBCU students nationwide. He has strengthened TMCF's national presence through strategic partnerships with major corporations and by advancing initiatives that position the organization as a key pipeline for diverse talent and a leading voice on equity, access and inclusion.

The speaker for the undergraduate ceremony is Paula A. Shepherd, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Banner Plans and Networks, which serves more than 1 million people across six states.

A Southern University alumna, Shepherd has more than 25 years of leadership experience in health care coverage, and is responsible for advancing the organization's mission to transform health care delivery through coordinated care. Shepherd serves on the boards of Capital Area United Way, and Louisiana Center for Children's Rights. In addition to her professional work, she co-founded Philadelphia Christian Ministries in Baton Rouge with her husband and remains active in service to her community and family.

During the undergraduate ceremony, two posthumous degrees will be awarded to students who tragically lost their lives. Caleb Wilson, a mechanical engineering major from New Orleans, and Kavon Barnhill, a nursing major from Shreveport, will be honored. Their degrees will be awarded in recognition of their academic achievements and accepted by their families.

Both ceremonies are open to the public. Tickets are not required. For more information, go to subr.edu/sucommencement.