University of Virginia President Emeritus Jim Ryan will headline the Class of 2026 Valedictory Exercises on May 15, the first of three days of celebration that will end with about 8,000 students receiving degrees from 鶹ƽ 12 schools.
Kenyon Bonner, vice president and chief student affairs officer, will speak on May 16 to students from the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, and the School of Education and Human Development. About 4,200 students are expected to graduate on the first of two days of ceremonies on the Lawn.
The following day, McIntire School of Commerce associate professor Sherri Moore will address roughly 3,900 graduates from the schools of Architecture, Continuing and Professional Studies, Data Science, Engineering and Applied Science, Law, Medicine, Nursing, the Darden School of Business and the Commerce School.
Moore, a UVA alumna and a former trial lawyer who turned to teaching more than 15 years ago, has been described by the Cavalier Daily student newspaper as a “beloved commerce professor” and a “motivator for University students.” She was a 2021 recipient of the All-University Teaching Award.
“I can only say that I am extremely honored,” Moore said of her speaking role. “I also feel a huge responsibility to deliver.”
Bonner, who has presided as 鶹ƽ chief student affairs officer since 2024, served in a similar position at the University of Pittsburgh before moving to Charlottesville. A former collegiate basketball player, Bonner oversees an array of UVA departments and services that serve students.
“I’m humbled by the opportunity to address our fourth years at this defining moment – alongside their families, friends and our broader UVA community,” Bonner said.
