Brown University’s 258th Commencement set for Sunday, May 24

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - Brown President Christina H. Paxson will preside over the University's 258th Commencement on Sunday, May 24, on the College Green. The ceremony concludes Brown's three-day Commencement and Reunion Weekend 2026, which will bring more than 10,000 people to College Hill.

Brown Commencements have been major events in Providence since the 18th century. For the first time - as part of an ongoing review of Brown's security systems and planning - the University is implementing a ticketing system that will include controlled access to the College Green, Simmons Quad and Front Green areas at specific times throughout the weekend. Details on access for participants, guests and media are included below.

A summary of the weekend's events follows, and additional details and updates are available on Brown's Commencement and Reunion websites. Many of the weekend's happenings - including the Baccalaureate service and Master's Ceremony on Saturday, the procession on Sunday and the Warren Alpert Medical School, Doctoral, College and University ceremonies on Sunday - will be livestreamed via Brown's Commencement website.

Graduates and guests can also download the BrownU mobile app to find information on the go during Commencement and Reunion Weekend, including events, campus maps, dining and parking options, locations of water stations and restrooms, and more. Users can log in with a Brown ID or as a guest.

Friday, May 22

Graduating Veterans and ROTC Recognition Ceremony 2:00 p.m. | Location TBA

Convened by the Office of Military-Affiliated Students, the annual ceremony will celebrate the success of graduating student veterans and the commissioning of graduating ROTC students as they begin their careers as U.S. military officers.

Class Reunions, Campus Dance

Brown schedules class reunions and Commencement on the same weekend, allowing alumni to welcome graduating seniors into the fold while also celebrating their lifelong connection to the University. Scheduled activities include receptions, forums, Bruno's Block Party for alumni and families, and prominent participation in the procession down College Hill. And, of course, there's Campus Dance (tickets required). One of Brown's best-loved traditions, the event brings more than 10,000 people to dance the night away under a sky lit with paper lanterns. The bash concludes with a festive Senior Sing at midnight on the steps of Sayles Hall.

Saturday, May 23

Forums

A Commencement and Reunion Weekend tradition for many decades, the forums include lectures, discussions and performances by faculty, alumni and guests who are nationally recognized authorities in their fields - with plenty of opportunity for audience questions and comments. This year's forums address timely and topical issues in events that range from a conversation with MS NOW political commentator Chris Hayes, a Brown Class of 2001 graduate; to separate forums on climate change, ocean health and medical education; to an exploration of what democracy in 1776 tells us about democracy in the year of America's semiquincentennial. Saturday's forums begin at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and full details and schedules are available on the Commencement website.

Baccalaureate Service 1 p.m. | Meeting House of the First Baptist Church in America

Brown's Baccalaureate tradition is a multifaith ceremony for undergraduates that incorporates the many spiritual and cultural traditions of the Brown community. Because the Meeting House can accommodate only the graduating class, the service will be livestreamed for family and friends, who can watch it from designated locations on campus or via Brown's Commencement website. This year's Baccalaureate address will be delivered by Xochitl Gonzalez, a Brown Class of 1999 alumna and the bestselling author of novels "Olga Dies Dreaming," "Anita de Monte Laughs Last" and "Last Night in Brooklyn."

Master's Ceremony 3:30 p.m. | College Green

The Master's Ceremony will be held on Saturday afternoon on the College Green. Sandra Smith, dean of the School of Professional Studies, will preside, along with other representatives from the School of Professional Studies, Graduate School and School of Public Health. Nearly 1,300 students will receive degrees, and the student address will be delivered by Kenia Collins, who will receive a master of science in healthcare leadership. On Sunday, master's and professional students will participate in the Commencement procession and the University Ceremony.

Sunday, May 24

University Commencement Procession 9:45 a.m. | Faunce Arch, Van Wickle Gates

The University's ceremonial Van Wickle Gates open for only two reasons: when new students enter campus to begin their studies and when new graduates depart for the world beyond Brown. The procession begins at 9:45 a.m. at Faunce Arch, and guests are invited to watch via livestream from seats on the College Green, at Pembroke Field or at the First Unitarian Church. In order to accommodate graduates, families and friends who wish to take photographs, the Van Wickle Gates will remain open until 6 p.m. on Monday.

Warren Alpert Medical School Ceremony 10 a.m. | First Unitarian Church

Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences Dr. Mukesh K. Jain will preside over the ceremony and will administer the Physician's Oath, a version of the Hippocratic Oath prepared by the M.D. Class of 1975, the school's first graduating class. This year's graduating class of nearly 150 will begin their practices with residency training. Dr. Louis B. Rice, a professor of medicine, will deliver the faculty address, titled "A Series of Moments: Reflections on Four Decades in Academic Medicine." Meylakh Barshay will present the student address, titled "Repairing the World."

Doctoral Ceremony 10:30 a.m. | Pembroke Field

David Lindstrom, dean of the Graduate School, will preside, and nearly 300 graduates will receive doctoral degrees. Melanie Ortiz Alvarez de la Campa, who will earn their Ph.D. in pathobiology, will deliver the student address. Highlights of the ceremony also include presentation of the Horace Mann Medal and the Joukowsky Family Foundation Outstanding Dissertation Awards.

College Ceremony 12:15 p.m. | First Baptist Church in America

The senior class assembles on the lawn of the First Baptist Church in America for the official conferral of undergraduate degrees. President Christina H. Paxson will greet the class, deliver remarks and confer bachelor's degrees. The ceremony will be livestreamed for family and friends to view via screens on the College Green.

University Ceremony 1:15 p.m. | The College Green

Graduating seniors walk back up College Hill to the College Green, where they join family members, friends and guests for the University ceremony, which includes:

Senior Orators

Since its founding in 1764, Brown has selected members of the graduating class to speak during the Commencement ceremony. Two members of the graduating class were chosen by a committee of students, faculty and administrators to deliver orations at Commencement:

• Zein Faheem, an applied mathematics-economics concentrator
• Caelle Joseph, an international and public affairs and business economics concentrator

Honorary Degrees

Honorary degrees are awarded by the Board of Fellows of the Brown Corporation and conferred by the University president on the College Green. The University will honor six candidates who have achieved great distinction in their fields:

• Joseph F. Dunford Jr. - Military and national security leader
• Richard A. Friedman - Business leader and champion of Brown
• Susan Pilch Friedman - Community leader and champion of Brown
• Peter Howitt - Nobel Prize-winning economist
• Sherrilyn Ifill - Civil rights lawyer
• Fei-Fei Li - Artificial intelligence pioneer

Awarding of Diplomas 2:30 - 4:45 p.m. | Various locations

Graduating seniors will be celebrated during nearly 50 departmental ceremonies following the University ceremony. Location information is available on Brown's Commencement website. Students should consult with their departments to learn what the ticketing requirements are for these events.

Access for Participants, Guests and News Media

Ticketing for Participants and Guests

By implementing a ticketing system for key Commencement and Reunion events, Brown will be able to better manage crowd sizes and authorized entry for invited guests. The University Commencement and Reunion Council was asked by Brown's senior leadership to begin exploring ticketing and other security measures for controlled access after the shooting at another university at a large outdoor gathering in Fall 2025. Plans for updated security for Brown's graduation weekend and reunions were accelerated in light of the Dec. 13 mass shooting at Brown and the University's current building security posture, which requires Brown ID for entry.

The ticketing system will involve a combination of wristbands, traditional tickets and access badges, based on the nature of access-control measures best suited to each event. All members of the community, including guests and vendors, will be required to show the appropriate identification to access the College Green area and other campus locations throughout the weekend. Graduating students request wristbands for themselves and their guests through an online portal, which opened in April; Brown faculty, staff members, nongraduating students and vendors working during the weekend received separate wristbands and/or access badges for event access, depending on their roles. Brown's Commencement website includes full details and FAQs on access and ticketing.

News Media Access and Credentials

Brown University-issued media credentials and entry wristbands are required for journalists seeking access to Sunday's procession route, Van Wickle Gates and media platform at the University Ceremony. Media credentials will be reserved exclusively for journalists working on assignment for credentialed professional news organizations. Space is limited and the University may limit the total number of credentials awarded.

Members of the media must request credentials by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20. Please email [email protected] and include the professional news organization's name along with the journalist's name, telephone number and email address. For requests that are granted, credentials will be made available for pickup on the Brown campus in advance of the weekend.