Dear Tulane Community,
The exams have been taken, the dissertations have been defended, and the final grades have been posted. Commencement weekend is here!
Families and friends are arriving from all over the world to celebrate their loved ones at award ceremonies, inductions, diploma and hooding ceremonies, and the grand finale: the Unified Commencement Ceremony, which takes place Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Caesars Superdome.
Commencement is returning to this iconic arena for the first time since 2019, just in time for its 50th anniversary. For half a century, this legendary landmark has been synonymous with the city of New Orleans — and it all started with a Tulane education. The lead architect, Nathaniel "Buster" Curtis Jr., was a graduate of what is now known as the Tulane University School of Architecture and Built Environment.
This weekend's events are the culmination of a year that gave us many reasons to celebrate. From a presidential visit announcing an historic cancer moonshot grant to the naming of the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane continued its ascent as a world-class research institution that is finding solutions to today's most critical issues. Events like the inaugural Future of Energy Forum, the inaugural Flowerree Symposium, and the fourth annual New Orleans Book Festival convened international thought leaders alongside our own renowned faculty experts for transformative dialogues. Newly opened facilities like the reimagined Richardson Memorial Hall uptown, Wave City Market downtown, and the Alexander Community Sailing Center on the lakefront elevated the Tulane experience for students, faculty, staff, and student athletes.
I look forward to commemorating the Class of 2025 with our keynote speaker, entertainment icon and humanitarian Sheryl Lee Ralph, and our student speaker Devin Goldman, a dual degree candidate in the School of Science & Engineering and the School of Professional Advancement. We will recognize exceptional faculty members with our highest awards for teaching and mentoring. The Alma Mater will be performed by degree candidates Kayla DeAngelis and Ethan Hunt, showcasing the harmonies they've honed as leaders of Green Envy A Cappella. And jazz legend Dr. Michael White — a Tulane Trailblazer, PhD graduate and honorary degree recipient — will team up with renowned vocalist and longtime Tulane staff member Yolanda Windsay for an unforgettable musical tribute.
This year's Unified Commencement Ceremony promises to be a celebration unlike any other, befitting the accomplishments of our amazing graduates. They will go on to discover life-saving breakthroughs, to create groundbreaking art, to develop pivotal policies — and to design landmark spaces, like the Caesars Superdome, that shape our cities and our lives.
Congratulations to the Class of 2025, and Roll Wave!
