Against the backdrop of its Centennial year, Rutgers University–Camden celebrated the achievements, resilience, and ambitions of the Class of 2026 during a week of commencement ceremonies honoring more than 1700 undergraduate and graduate students.
The university-wide commencement ceremony, held May 19 at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, brought together graduates from across Rutgers University–Camden’s undergraduate and graduate programs in a celebration of academic achievement and Centennial pride. The ceremony featured the conferral of degrees and doctoral hoodings for Ph.D. and Doctor of Nursing Practice candidates.
Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis delivered keynote remarks reflecting on the significance of graduating during the university’s Centennial year and the responsibility graduates carry as future leaders and changemakers. He was introduced by graduating Ph.D. student Connor Pitman.
“I’ve been continually struck by how present and engaged the Rutgers–Camden leadership has been in student life,” Pitman said. “Throughout my time here, Chancellor Tillis has regularly attended departmental retreats and poster sessions. It means a lot when university leadership shows genuine interest in the work students and faculty do and is a testament to the community being built here.”
In his commencement address, Tillis reflected on his own educational journey as a first-generation college graduate while encouraging members of the Class of 2026 to embrace the opportunities and possibilities that come with their degrees.
As you begin life beyond Rutgers University–Camden, dare to elevate your dreams. Dream of becoming the next generation of educators who mold and challenge young minds, as your professors have challenged you. Dream of becoming local, national, and global leaders, shaping policies that reflect our shared humanity. Dream of becoming healthcare providers who develop cures for ailments that have long plagued our communities and our world. Dream to innovate—to create the ideas, inventions, and advancements that will shape and regulate technology and artificial intelligence well into the 21st century and beyond. Dream to make our world better for the generations that will follow.
Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis
In closing, he reminded the graduates that commencement is not an ending but a beginning, urging them all to leverage their education and talent to make the world a better place.
“We expect you to help create a more equitable democracy, ensuring that humility, inclusion, kindness, and respect remain cherished values that frame our civil society,” Tillis said.
Fast Facts: The Class of 2026
- Undergraduate degree recipients: 1,070
- Graduate degree recipients: 643
- Graduates came from 38 different states and 28 countries
- Youngest graduate: 19 years old
- Oldest graduate: 73 years old
Rutgers School of Business–Camden
On May 20, graduates of the Rutgers School of Business–Camden gathered at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion with family, friends, faculty, and staff to celebrate the culmination of their academic journeys during the school’s 2026 convocation ceremony.
Dean Monica Adya welcomed graduates and guests by encouraging members of the Class of 2026 to reflect on the qualities that will define them beyond their degrees, emphasizing that critical thinking, empathy, and ethical leadership in an era shaped by artificial intelligence and rapid technological change will be essential in the years ahead.
"The world is full of people who can prompt a machine," Adya said. "What the world needs are people who can lead with conscience. Who can walk into a room and not just solve the problem but ask whether it's the right problem. You are graduating from Rutgers School of Business–Camden. That is what your education here has prepared you to do. Not just to perform but to think. Not just to succeed but to matter. And you - with your mind, your heart, and your humanity - are ready."
Keynote speaker Christina Renna, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey, encouraged graduates to embrace uncertainty, setbacks, and unexpected turns as valuable parts of both personal and professional growth. Drawing from her career in business, government, and public affairs, Renna reflected on the importance of resilience, mentorship, authenticity, and relationships built on trust, reminding graduates that success rarely follows a straight path.
“The best opportunities in your life will often come right after something falls apart,” Renna said. “Not despite it – because of it. Failure shakes loose the plan you were way too attached to. It opens doors you weren’t looking at. And it tells you things about yourself that success simply never will.”
As she concluded, Renna offered the graduates this last piece of advice: “Disruption isn't the problem. It's where the next opportunity lives. It's where you find out what you're made of, what you want, and who shows up for you. When the next disruption comes – and trust me, it will come – remember: the story isn’t ruined. It’s just getting good.”
School of Nursing–Camden
In the afternoon of May 20, Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden celebrated their 2026 graduates with their own convocation. The ceremony recognized nursing students completing undergraduate and graduate degrees and marked the culmination of rigorous clinical preparation and academic study as they prepared to enter the healthcare field as practitioners, leaders, and caregivers.
Dean Donna Nickitas welcomed graduates and guests by recognizing the resilience, discipline, and perseverance the Class of 2026 demonstrated throughout their nursing education. She emphasized to the graduates that they are prepared to enter the profession with purpose and impact, ready to serve as clinicians, educators, researchers, and advocates committed to improving health outcomes and advancing equity in care.
"Today, you step forward into one of the most challenging, inspiring, and indispensable professions in the world: nursing," Nickitas said. "As graduates of the Rutgers School of Nursing, you carry with you the power of a distinctly Rutgers education—an education defined by academic excellence, social responsibility, and real-world impact. You have been prepared not just to enter the profession, but to shape it. Think critically, act courageously, and lead with purpose."
Keynote speaker, the Honorable Carol A. Murphy, deputy speaker and chair of the health committee in the New Jersey General Assembly, reflected on the historic legacy of nursing and the essential role nurses play in the healthcare system, from its early foundations to the profession’s evolution under pioneers such as Florence Nightingale and Mary Eliza Mahoney. She emphasized that today’s graduates are the next link in that legacy, having demonstrated resilience and commitment through their education and the COVID-19 era, and encouraged them to embrace their diplomas as lifelong opportunities for growth and service as they move throughout their nursing careers.
“As I look out at all of you today, I see the future of nursing,” Murphy said. “Nurses are the cornerstone of our healthcare system. The care you provide, the lives you touch, and the innovations you help bring forward will shape the future of medicine. Your impact will be felt in ways you may never fully see—but it will endure.”
School of Arts and Sciences–Camden
The School of Arts and Sciences–Camden celebrated more than 450 graduates Thursday at its commencement ceremony, which highlighted the values of service, connection, and involvement.
As the college’s selected student speaker, Joseph Lescht reflected on the concept of the American Dream and whether that notion might be an optimistic one given the hardships many face today. The political science and philosophy major, who plans to pursue a career in law and policy, then detailed the collective efforts and impact of Rutgers–Camden’s civic engagement, which reframed his whole idea of “success.”
“If the American Dream exists anywhere, it’s in institutions such as this: where the child of working-class parents can access an education and lay the groundwork for generational prosperity, while simultaneously realizing that the dream isn’t just about owning a house with a white picket fence,” Lescht said. “It’s about what we build with and for each other.”
He gave his classmates one bold, final assignment: “Class of 2026, don’t wait for the world to define the dream for you. Go out and build it: boldly, unapologetically, and together. Because the American Dream is not something you arrive at. It’s something you create. And now, it is our turn to bring it to life.”
Keynote speaker Admiral William J. Fallon, whose distinguished, 40-year military career grew from working-class beginnings in the Parkside neighborhood of Camden, urged the graduates to lead with integrity, confidence, and respect. The decorated U.S. Navy veteran encouraged the graduates to serve another: “Do something and take nothing in return. You will find you like it,” he said. He then borrowed President Theodore Roosevelt’s words, telling the class of 2026 to “dare mighty things.”
“Be bold. Make a difference!” Fallon said.
After the graduates moved their tassels from right to left, College of Arts and Sciences–Camden Dean John Griffin officially welcomed the new alumni. “I ask that you continue to be a part of our community,” he said. “Your involvement is important to the generations of students who will follow in your footsteps.”
Rutgers School of Law–Camden
Rutgers Law School–Camden capped off a week of commencement ceremonies by graduating its Juris Doctor candidates Thursday afternoon. The event was punctuated by several graduates who crossed the stage with family members to receive their diplomas and by speeches that evoked the support systems that helped shape each graduate's academic journey.
"Take a moment today to thank those who supported you—because no one reaches this milestone alone,” said Dean Johanna Bond in her opening remarks. “Many of you carried responsibilities beyond the classroom: caring for loved ones, working jobs, supporting communities, and navigating challenges we may never fully see. Your strength, resilience, and determination are an inspiration to us all.”
Student speaker Isabel Ballester, President of the Student Bar Association, also acknowledged those who helped along the way. “If you are in the audience, you played some part in getting us across the stage. And we could not have done this without you," Ballester said. She shouted out everyone from partners, siblings, chosen family, and friends, to "the parents who risked their lives to dream knowing that one day, their children or their children's children would walk across this stage to become the first in their family to earn a law degree."
Dean Bond then introduced keynote speaker and Rutgers Law alumnus James Maida RLAW'90, founder, president, and CEO of Gaming Laboratories International (GLI®).
Maida imparted four points of wisdom onto the Class of 2026, beginning with the importance of lawyers within the justice system. “You are entering the judicial branch, one of the three pillars of our government. You are now officers of the court. That means something,” he said. “Your duty is not just to your client—it is to the system of justice itself. Advocate strongly. Advocate passionately. But always act with integrity.”
He noted that true professionalism is more than being ethically compliant; character, competence, and civility are just as important. Maida also encouraged the graduates to treat their clients with empathy and care, but not to neglect themselves or their support system along the way. "They stood by you during late nights, stressful exams, and difficult moments. Stay connected to them. Be present with them. Support them as they supported you. At the end of the day, success is a lot more meaningful when you have people to share it with—those you hold most dear," he said.
The alumnus concluded with an appeal never to forget Rutgers Law, something he and his wife, Sharon, have achieved through the Maida Public Interest Fellowship Program, which has supported hundreds of students in providing more than 150,000 hours of pro bono legal services.
“Today is your achievement. Tomorrow is your opportunity. Now go make a difference,” Maida said.
Dean Bond told the Class of 2026: “You have created not just a cohort, but a community. Those relationships will endure long after today—as colleagues, as mentors, and as lifelong friends. Wherever your paths lead, you will always be part of this community, and this place will always be your home.”
