Congratulations Class of 2026!

The School of Education celebrated its newest teaching credential, M.A., Ph.D., and Ed.D. alumni on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at the Mondavi Center for the Arts. Surrounded by family, friends, faculty, and staff, graduates marked the culmination of their hard work and the beginning of the next stage of their careers.

“Education is the place where we as a community come together to invest in the next generation,” said Dean Smith during his address to the graduates. “As teachers, researchers, and education leaders, we are constantly thinking beyond ourselves and our own lifetimes, to help prepare students for futures we may never personally see.”

Smith reminded graduates that education is not just the transmission of knowledge and facts. “Educators help people learn how to learn, not just now, but for a lifetime. Given the pace of the changes all around us, that’s crucial. Educators help people learn to be critical thinkers. We live in an increasingly complex world in which misinformation can reach millions of people in a matter of minutes. It is essential that we teach how to evaluate evidence and sources, and discern fact from fiction… We desperately need those lifelong learners and critical thinkers, of all ages, to rise to challenges from strengthening our democracy, to addressing climate change, to expanding opportunities for people regardless of background. That kind of work begins with and is carried on by people who know how to think, learn, and lead.”

In his address, Chancellor Gary S. May reflected on the 80th anniversary of Mendez v. Westminster, the landmark California court case that ended legal segregation in the state’s public schools, and his own mother’s experience as one of the first African American women to integrate the University of Missouri.

“Their stories remind us of an important lesson,” he said. “History is not something we live with; it is something we build. We have made enormous strides since then. Racial segregation in schools is against the law. The law guarantees students with disabilities the right to the best possible education. But you know that struggle isn’t over. Not every student is given the chance to maximize their potential, and not every community is given the resources it needs. While we’ve made key gains for so many students, we haven’t fully kept our promise to fully open the doors of opportunity for everyone. But that is why I’m so inspired when I see this class graduate today. Your commitment to the idea that education must serve every community and every individual is inspiring.”

Graduating Ph.D. student Mariana Olivo Urbina, Education Graduate Student Association co-chair, presented the EdGSA Faculty Service Award to two faculty members: Dr. Nancy Tseng, for the extraordinary care, commitment, and joy she brings to teaching and mentoring, making students feel welcomed and valued as future educators, and Dr. Lee Martin, for his warm, intentional, and affirming teaching, making rigorous material accessible, and helping new graduate students feel capable and supported.

Student speaker Jaime Ramirez-Mendoza, graduating with his Ph.D., reflected on the educators who shaped his own journey, sharing how teachers and mentors either limited or expanded his sense of what was possible. He encouraged graduates to recognize the responsibility they now carry as educators, researchers, and leaders, urging them to use their influence to create more equitable opportunities for future students. “As we leave this place, I hope we remember that our degrees are not only symbols of what we have earned,” Ramirez-Mendoza said. “They are reminders of what we now owe and the power we now wield. Felicidades, Class of 2026. May you spend your power well.”