May 16, 2026
Good evening!
I am delighted to welcome all of you to the Unified Commencement Ceremony…
Faculty, staff, alumni, family, friends,
And most of all, the Tulane class of 2026!
Today is a celebration of ideas—
The idea of who we are and what we can become.
Class of 2026, you came here from all over the world, each of you bringing your own bright ideas.
I want you to take a moment to thank your classmates for the ideas they brought to Tulane.
Turn to your neighbors and give them a high-five.
Go ahead!
You can see sparks of insight…
Flashes of wisdom…
And flares of inspiration.
And, as those ideas collided with others—
In classrooms, in line at P.J.’s, or in the student section of Yulman Stadium—
They did more than shape your world: they expanded it.
You used A.I. to improve public health.
You researched cancer breakthroughs,
Preserved cultural legacies,
And designed spaces for the 21st century and beyond.
Through the strength of your ideas and your drive to bring them to life, you proved that the future can be exceptional.
And together, you helped us take Tulane from bright to brilliant.
Class of 2026, as we celebrate your achievements, let’s share our gratitude with the community that helped get you here.
Thank you to Tulane’s dedicated faculty and staff for sharing their knowledge, and mentoring the next generation of leaders.
And, thank you to the families and friends who have lighted the way for our graduates.
Turn around and give your families and friends a wave!
Class of 2026, I also want to thank you for what we have built together—
from new spaces for research, living, and learning, to record-setting athletic achievements.
And, yes, we’ve even built a few snowmen!
Class of 2026, you are a once-in-a-lifetime class—
And last year, you experienced a once-in-a-lifetime snowstorm.
The historic blizzard of 2025 was completely unexpected, and it left many in New Orleans feeling completely unprepared.
So what did you do?
You innovated.
You made gloves out of socks and plastic grocery bags.
You used buckets to make bricks out of snow, and you built igloos on the A-quad.
You made sleds out of plastic bins, and went whizzing down the snow-covered steps of the L.B.C.
The next time you find yourself facing an unforeseen situation, I want you to remember these whimsical “snow day” inventions.
The ingenuity, creativity, and collaborative spirit you developed at Tulane will help you innovate to face any challenge— and have fun while doing it.
Tulane would not be Tulane without our beloved hometown:
The great city of New Orleans.
Its culture and soul have given generations of Tulanians the courage to dream bigger.
New orleans has been a crossroads of traditions and languages for centuries, and this unique environment has always been a cradle of ideas.
The “crescent of innovation” has generated new discoveries in literature, music, medicine, cuisine… the list goes on and on.
Just like our hometown, Tulane brings together people from different backgrounds and perspectives in an environment that encourages collaboration and unconventional thinking.
That is why innovation and new ideas thrive on our campuses.
Today, in the spirit of the Class of 2026,
I’d like to spotlight three uniquely New Orleans innovations that mirror your own accomplishments— from what you have achieved as Tulane students, to what you are capable of as Tulane graduates.
Our first innovation has saved countless lives across the world…
And it all started in a Hutchinson Building laboratory, right here at Tulane University.
Almost a hundred years ago, a 23-year-old Tulane medical student created a pathbreaking new device that changed the trajectory of medicine.
Michael DeBakey grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the son of immigrants from Lebanon.
In his final year of medical school here at Tulane, he devised a roller pump that revolutionized blood transfusions.
That pump was the critical key that led to open heart surgery— one of the landmark medical advances of the 20th century.
Today, Dr. DeBakey’s invention is among the most celebrated examples of student innovation in the history of medicine.
His story illuminates what can happen in an environment that encourages innovative thinking to address real-world problems.
This is what Tulane does best— and I’ve seen it over and over again since i arrived here more than a decade ago.
A pair of Tulane undergraduates founded Glass Half Full, which recycles millions of pounds of glass into sand that restores coastlines.
A business student launched the “Fan-Fix” app to help content creators earn directly from followers— and scaled it into a global platform by the time he graduated.
And, your class of 2026 student speaker co-founded a groundbreaking biotech startup that many believe will revolutionize disease detection.
All of these extraordinary accomplishments reflect the spirit of innovation embodied by Dr. DeBakey’s roller pump.
You have done amazing things during your time here— but only time will tell the true impact of your work.
With patience, persistence, and a growth mindset, you literally have the potential to change the world.
Our second crescent city innovation is a delicious dessert that takes the phrase “spark of creativity” quite literally.
As the number-one food city in the world, New Orleans has given us dishes from blackened redfish, to jambalaya, to one legendary dessert that is really fire…
Did I use that term correctly???
Yes, I know— when the president of your university uses a slang term, it is officially banished from the lexicon…!
Anyway, if you’re lucky enough to have reservations at Brennan’s this weekend, you may see this delicious innovation in action.
Back in 1951, the Brennans were preparing to host a dinner for a civic leader named Richard Foster.
According to local lore… Owen Brennan asked his sister, Ella, to whip up a brand-new dessert for the guest of honor, just minutes before his arrival.
I think we can all relate: It’s that moment of panic… when you realize at the last minute that you have an assignment due that day.
So, we all know how Ella felt.
Surprised, frustrated, and suddenly on a deadline, Ella assessed the contents of the kitchen.
Thinking quickly, she noticed a surplus of bananas.
She thought of her childhood, and the carmelized bananas her mother made for breakfast.
Then, she thought: what’s more show-stopping than an open flame?
Ella combined the ingredients at hand with nostalgia, and a flash of brilliance, to create Brennan’s signature dessert— Bananas Foster.
One of the most famous desserts in the world was created at the last minute, under pressure.
As students at Tulane, you have proven time and time again that you share Ella’s ability to turn a tight deadline into a triumph.
You’ve learned that constraint breeds creativity.
Some of the best ideas arrive when the stakes are high, and the resources are few— from last-minute Mardi Gras costumes, to coastal erosion initiatives, to hurricane preparation.
New Orleans teaches us that limitations are not dealbreakers; they’re invitations to creative solutions.
The last New Orleans innovation I want to talk about today is perhaps our greatest cultural export: jazz.
The Smithsonian has described jazz as “the most original contribution America has made to world culture.”
This uniquely American art form was born from the city’s incredible diversity, fusing together African, European, Caribbean, and Spanish influences.
It blends structure and spontaneity, teamwork and chaos, tradition and vision— the sound of a city full of beauty and contradiction.
More than anything, life after graduation is like New Orleans jazz.
You can make it up as you go along!
You’re encouraged to experiment!
And when you find people to collaborate with, the sound becomes richer and more complex.
You make space for others, so they can make their own contributions— just as you’ve learned from Tulane’s relational culture.
Jazz is a celebration of ideas— a joyous cacophony of creation and innovation.
That is why you won’t hear “Pomp and Circumstance” at Tulane’s Unified Commencement Ceremony!
We are so lucky to have a musical soundtrack provided by Dr. Michael White— the New Orleans musical legend, jazz scholar, Tulane trailblazer and alumnus, and recipient of the Tulane President’s Medal.
In a recent interview, he said: “when you play jazz, you have your own voice, you can express your personality and your way of thinking.”
Class of 2026:
Whether or not you are musically inclined, you can carry the soul of jazz in your heart as you share your gifts with the world.
At this time, I am delighted to invite Dr. Michael White to share a special gift with you: an original tune composed in honor of this once-in-a-lifetime class!
You are about to hear the world premiere of “The 2026 Shout!”
Dr. White, take it away!
[BRIEF MUSICAL INTERLUDE]
How about a hand for Dr. Michael White and the Original Liberty Jazz Band!
Today may be your last day in the “crescent of innovation.”
But that’s the thing about ideas—they travel.
And today is the perfect time to unleash your energy and your ideas into the world.
Now is the time to raise one hell of a Hullaballoo.
As you explore the power of ideas in your life and career, keep in mind what we’ve learned from the history of innovation in New Orleans and at Tulane.
When you express yourself while making space for other voices, the sum is bigger than its parts.
When you’re working under pressure— the conditions are ripe for creativity.
And when you dare to think outside the box, a simple invention has the potential to change the world for the better.
Each and every one of you carries the spark of innovation and the power of collaboration.
And together…
You are incandescent.
Congratulations, class of 2026!
I’m so proud of you!!!