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Memorial Day is this Monday, May 25. In observation of the holiday, university offices and select dining services will be closed and will reopen Tuesday. |
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Commencement 2026: Congrats Graduates!
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Pictured above, Law Professor David Grenardo hooded graduates from the School of Law during their May 16 commencement ceremony at the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena. Law students graduate a week earlier than the other schools and colleges at St. Thomas. (Mark Brown / University of St. Thomas) |
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For the first time, commencement will be held in the new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena on the St. Paul campus. All students participating in commencement will receive five tickets to share with guests. Live streaming of the ceremonies will be available through the commencement website.
Commencement Mass and March Out of the Arches
Friday, May 22, 2026
4 p.m. – March Out of the Arches; meet by the Arches
5:15 p.m. – Commencement Mass and Blessing of the Graduates at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena
Undergraduate Commencement
Saturday, May 23, 2026
9 a.m. – Opus College of Business
12:30 p.m. – College of Arts and Sciences
3:30 p.m. – Morrison Family College of Health, School of Education, School of Engineering
Graduate Commencement
Sunday, May 24, 2026
9:30 a.m. – Morrison Family College of Health, Opus College of Business
12:30 p.m. – College of Arts and Sciences, School of Divinity, School of Engineering, School of Education
Dougherty Family College (DFC) Commencement
Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 3:30 p.m.
Learn more about commencement ceremonies |
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Meet the 2026 Commencement Speakers
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GRADUATE SPEAKERS
College of Arts and Sciences, St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, School of Engineering and School of Education:
Emma Chaplin earned a master's degree in theology from the School of Divinity. Following graduation she will be walking the Camino de Santiago across Europe.
School of Law:
Jacob Fate earned his Juris Doctor (JD) from the School of Law. After the bar exam, he will be working as a public defender in Hennepin County.
Morrison Family College of Health and Opus College of Business:
Amanda Rose Thooft received her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) from the Morrison Family College of Health. She plans to continue to create spaces, in practice, supervision and teaching, where people feel truly seen.
UNDERGRADUATE SPEAKERS
Opus College of Business:
Ilham S. Mohamud is a business law and compliance major and the outgoing president of the Undergraduate Student Government. This summer, she will be working at the United States Senate on Capitol Hill.
College of Arts and Sciences:
Olivia Ann Keller is a neuroscience major with minors in biology and science, medicine and society. After graduation, she plans to compete at the next level in track and field while working in cardiology research at the Minneapolis Heart Institute.
Morrison Family College of Health, School of Education and School of Engineering:
Priya Devi Sanicharra is getting her degree from the Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing. She plans to work with children, provide family-supportive trauma-informed care and further her education.
Dougherty Family College:
Mai Vang earned an associate degree from Dougherty Family College. He plans to continue his education while gaining hands-on experience in marketing through internships
Read their full bios
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May 22: Celebrating First-Gen Graduates at Ceremony
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Celebrate with first-generation students at a special pinning ceremony as they prepare for graduation. Participants will receive a commemorative pin to wear, recognizing their achievements and resilience. This event will be on from 3-3:40 p.m. Friday, May 22, in the Iversen Center for Faith.
Learn more |
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May 22: March Out Of The Arches
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Line up on the Summit Avenue side of the Arches by 3;45 p.m. Friday, May 22, to cheer on graduating Tommies as they March Out of the Arches at at 4 p.m. Afterward, there will be refreshments and photo ops on the John P. Monahan Plaza.
Learn more |
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May 22: Mass at L&P Anderson Arena After the March
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See video from Father Chris Collins
All graduates, along with their families and guests, are invited to attend a special Commencement Mass and Blessing of the Graduates. This celebration will take place at 5:15 p.m. on Friday, May 22, in the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena located on south campus in St. Paul. Doors will open to the arena at 4:45 p.m.
Learn more |
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Nursing School Graduates Prepare for the Future
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Kaija and Melija Vijums are identical twins who are among the inaugural class of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The Susan S. Morrison School of Nursing is welcoming all nursing graduates and their families, including those in the MSN program, to pinning ceremonies on May 21. The master's degree nursing students ceremony (above right) was held at 10:30 a.m. May 21. The bachelor's degree pinning ceremony will begin at 3:30 p.m. in Woulfe Alumni Hall. |
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Parking During Commencement Ceremonies
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Guests are being directed to park in all ramps for complimentary parking during the upcoming commencement ceremonies. Please plan accordingly if you are on-site for graduation ceremonies. See: Graduation Ceremony Directions, Parking and Weather.
High School Graduation Ceremonies and Parking
Eight high school graduation ceremonies have been scheduled in the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena (LPA) between May 27 and June 3. Guests will be parking across campus in all ramps/garages approximately 1 hour before the scheduled graduation starts (the exception is Morrison R2 and R3). Faculty, staff and students on-campus during these events are requested to park primarily in surface lots and the lower level of Anderson Parking Facility (APF).
Learn more |
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School of Law Celebrates 2026 Commencement
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The University of St. Thomas School of Law conferred degrees to 172 students on May 16. Among them, 162 students earned their Juris Doctor (J.D.), six earned an LL.M. in U.S. law and four earned a master's degree in organizational ethics and compliance. Professor David Grenardo, who was elected professor of the year by the…
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15 DFC Graduates Earn Full-Ride Scholarships to Continue at St. Thomas
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Fifteen graduates of the Dougherty Family College at the University of St. Thomas have been awarded the DFC Excellence Scholarship, a full-tuition award that allows them to continue directly into bachelor's degree programs at St. Thomas. "Being selected as a DFC Excellence Scholar is truly meaningful to me," said Daniel Akinola. "This scholarship not only…
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Ben Barrett '26: Music as a Shared Experience
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The sound of "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd flows into the hall outside of Benjamin Barretts' room. The music doesn't come from a speaker, but from Barrett playing the guitar. A senior at the University of St. Thomas, he grew up listening to Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin with his dad, who has a collection…
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Seniors Partner with SPPD to Analyze Violence Statistics
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Five statistics and data science seniors worked with the St. Paul Police Department (SPPD) during the spring 2026 semester to analyze the effectiveness of the department's non-fatal shooting unit. The non-fatal shooting unit is a two-year old organization within SPPD that focuses strictly on solving crimes that involve gun-shot wounds that do not result in a fatality. The team of students found that the establishment of the unit resulted in a 75% decrease in retaliatory gun violence in St. Paul. On May 19, the students presented their findings to the unit's commander and lead analyst.
Pictured (left to right): Michele Giampolo (St. Paul Police), Ashley Castellanos '26, Amelia Berry '26, Navin San Min Phyo '26, Javier Palma '26 and Nikkole Peterson (St. Paul Police) on May 19 after the students presented their findings to the unit's commander and lead analyst.
Learn more |
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Maxfield Internship Program Provides Hands-On Experience for Future Educators
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For the past three years, Maxfield Elementary has partnered with Dougherty Family College at the University of St. Thomas to host student interns, providing them with valuable in-classroom experience and firsthand exposure to careers in education. Through the Maxfield internship program, scholars work directly with young learners while developing the skills and confidence needed to…
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e-Fest's 10th Year Adds Challenge From Tommie Alum's Business
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The University of St. Thomas welcomes 25 of the country's top student startup teams to campus each spring for a three-day e-Fest, the nation's largest cash-prize competition for undergraduates. In this year's Innovation Challenge, students worked on a real business challenge from a company founded by a University of St. Thomas alum. "For the 10th anniversary,…
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A Professor's Challenge: Who Gets to Decide What's True?
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April Eichmeier, assistant professor of emerging media at the University of St. Thomas College of Arts and Sciences, challenges how students understand the way knowledge is created, shared and understood. At the center of her most recent course, Science, Media and Social Impact, is how science interacts with the media and public perception. At the…
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Opus Alumni Businesses Support Locals in Need
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When East Day Cafe co-founder Stephanie Ayala set out a small storage bin inside her South Minneapolis coffee shop for customers to donate a few items for families in need, she wasn't expecting much response. But a few hours later, dozens of food items and toiletries filled the front of the cafe. "It blew up,"…
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Tommie Tech Services: Live Chat Support Now Available
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Tommie Tech Services now offers live chat support as a new way for students, faculty and staff to get help during tech desk hours on Mondays-Fridays from 8 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Learn more |
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Father Chris Collins, SJ, '93 presides over Mass before the Bernardi Campus 25th Anniversary Celebration in Sitzmann Hall on May 14, 2026, in St. Paul. (Brandon Woller '17 / University of St. Thomas) |
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Media Highlights:
Peter Gregg shared insights with the Minnesota Star Tribune on the intense public backlash tied to controversial social media influencers.
Mark Osler spoke with The New Yorker about the evolving use of presidential pardons and clemency under the Trump administration.
Manjeet Rege appeared on FOX 9 to discuss the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and the growing need for ethical oversight and consumer awareness.
In a conversation with Minnesota Public Radio, Laura Russ addressed the rise of luxury single family rental developments across Minnesota suburbs.
Twin Cities Business interviewed Tim Sielaff about the increasing financial burden on Minnesota hospitals caused by higher labor expenses, inflation and inadequate insurance reimbursements.
Buffy Smith spoke with University Business about the Dougherty Family College approach to helping first-generation and underserved students succeed in higher education.
Read more St. Thomas "In the News" stories. |
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Know of anything or anyone interesting around the university that would make for a good Newsroom feature story? Let us know at news@stthomas.edu.
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