Spring commencement 2026 celebrates the achievements and dreams of graduating students at the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, UT Southwestern Medical School, and UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Throughout their training, students have made a meaningful impact by strengthening communities, improving patients’ lives, and driving positive social change. As they step boldly into this next chapter – ready to innovate and create lasting impact – there is no limit to the extraordinary things they will accomplish.

Each graduation ceremony will be livestreamed and recorded for later viewing. We wish our graduates every success as they embark on new opportunities and continue driving progress in science and medicine.

Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health

The Class of 2026, the second graduating class of the O’Donnell School of Public Health (OSPH), will be honored Wednesday, May 13, at 10 a.m. in the Tom and Lula Gooch Auditorium. The class of 36 graduates includes 22 Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) students, nine Master of Science in Health Informatics (M.S.H.I.) students, and five Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (M.S.C.I.) students. These professionals represent the next generation of leaders and changemakers dedicated to improving population health and well-being at local, national, and global levels.

“Public health remains highly relevant to the challenges of our time. OSPH’s emphasis on excellence for impact is very much in line with what is needed to address major public health issues in the United States and beyond,” said Saad B. Omer, M.B.B.S., M.P.H., Ph.D., founding Dean of the O’Donnell School of Public Health.

Ellen J. MacKenzie, Ph.D., Sc.M., an internationally recognized public health practitioner, will deliver the keynote address. From 2017-2025, Dr. MacKenzie served as Dean of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the world’s first and largest graduate school of public health. She is also an expert on trauma care systems and policy, and her election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2018 recognized her role in shaping the field of trauma services and outcomes research. In 2012, she was named one of 20 leaders and visionaries who have had a transformative effect on the field of violence and injury prevention.

UT Southwestern Medical School

On Friday, May 15, 242 medical school graduates will be honored at a commencement ceremony at 11 a.m. in the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. This milestone marks their transition into the practice of medicine, where they will step forward as physicians – entrusted with the lives of their patients, guided by compassion and skill, and dedicated to a lifetime of learning and achievement.

“It has been a true privilege to support the Class of 2026 through their medical education journey,” said Angela Mihalic, M.D., Dean of Medical Students, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, and Professor of Pediatrics. “Over the past four years, I have witnessed their transformation into caring, competent clinicians through diligent study, scholarly pursuits, dedicated clinical training, a passion for patient advocacy, and a commitment to underserved communities. We are thrilled to celebrate this incredible accomplishment with them. We firmly believe they are ready to face the challenges ahead and will use the knowledge and skills learned to improve the health and well-being of countless patients in the future.”

“The UT Southwestern community honors the Class of 2026, which has worked tirelessly to achieve this important accomplishment in their medical training,” added W. P. Andrew Lee, M.D., Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean of the Medical School. “Their selfless drive, enthusiasm, and compassion are inspiring. Wherever they go, our graduates will play a vital role in shaping the future of medicine in communities around the world.”

The conferral of degrees by Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern, will be followed by the presentation of graduates by Dr. Lee. Shaina Drummond, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesiology & Pain Management and Immediate Past President of the Dallas County Medical Society, will administer the Physician’s Oath, and Alfreda B. Norman, Trustee, Southwestern Medical Foundation, will present the Foundation’s Ho Din Award, the highest honor bestowed on a UTSW medical student.

John M. Zerwas, M.D., Chancellor of the University of Texas System, will deliver the keynote address. Since August 2025, Dr. Zerwas has led a system of public higher education composed of 13 academic and health institutions that serve more than 256,000 students, including leading research universities and nationally top-ranked hospitals. Prior to joining UT System in 2019 as Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, he served seven terms in the Texas House of Representatives, representing northwestern Fort Bend County.

UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

At 7 p.m. Thursday, May 21, 108 students from the Graduate School will be recognized in the Tom and Lula Gooch Auditorium. Backed by rigorous training in basic and clinical sciences, these emerging scientists are poised to push the boundaries of science and medicine and tackle some of the world’s most complex and pressing challenges.

“Our graduates receive degrees in basic biomedical sciences, biomedical engineering, organic chemistry, and clinical psychology,” said Andrew Zinn, M.D., Ph.D., Dean of the Graduate School. “They leave UT Southwestern with the skills needed to pursue careers in basic, translational, and applied biomedical research, medical physics, and clinical psychology, as well as science-related careers in education, industry, and professional services.”

Eric Olson, Ph.D., Chair of Molecular Biology and one of the world’s top researchers in regenerative medicine, will deliver the keynote address. Dr. Olson’s discoveries have profoundly influenced our understanding of the development and dysfunction of the cardiovascular and muscular systems and have provided new targets for therapeutic development. Most recently, he conceived a gene editing method to correct a majority of Duchenne muscular dystrophy mutations and demonstrated the effectiveness of this method, which is now being advanced toward clinical translation.

Dr. Olson is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has received numerous awards for his research, including most recently the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize (2025).