Pitt’s newest batch of graduates crossed the stage at Acrisure Stadium

On May 3, the University of Pittsburgh celebrated the Class of 2026 at spring commencement, with thousands of graduates and their guests gathering for the University-wide undergraduate ceremony — held for the first time at Acrisure Stadium on Pittsburgh’s North Shore.

Family, friends, faculty and staff packed the stadium to cheer on the graduates as they crossed the stage to join the ranks of Pitt’s 360,000-plus alumni network. Cameras flashed, tears flowed, tassels swung and proud embraces lingered as “Hail to Pitt” rang out across Acrisure, sending the graduates off into a future of endless possibilities.

Delivering the keynote was Chancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg, Distinguished Service Professor of Law. After nearly five decades of service to the University, Nordenberg announced that he was stepping down from his leadership roles at Pitt’s Institute of Politics and Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law and Public Policy, effective June 30. Sunday’s address marked the second time he has spoken at commencement; the first was in 2014, his final year as chancellor.

Before Nordenberg’s address, Pitt Chancellor Joan Gabel recognized him with the Chancellor’s Medal, the University’s most prestigious honor, awarded fewer than two dozen times in Pitt's history. The engraving on the award read “Devoted leader, enduring legacy.”

In his address, Nordenberg encouraged graduates to lead with kindness, civility and a belief in the basic goodness of others, drawing on the work of social scientists Arthur Brooks and Ezekiel Emanuel.

“If you move through life believing in the basic goodness of other people and extending to them the respect that would imply, you may be disappointed from time to time, but most often those other people will prove you to be right,” Nordenberg said. “And that mindset not only will make your journey through life more productive, but it will make you feel better about yourself and your life.”

Shanthi Bhaskar, who earned a BS in computational biology with minors in chemistry and economics from the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, also addressed the class. Drawing on the construction that has reshaped campus throughout her time at Pitt, Bhaskar told graduates that the constant change around them mirrored the community and confidence they built within themselves.

“We built resilience, the kind no one sees, the kind that shows up at 1 a.m. when your assignment isn't coming together, your code will not compile or your ideas just aren't clicking and you are faced with a choice: Walk away or keep going,”  Bhaskar said. “And we did. We kept going.”

Keep scrolling to see unforgettable moments from the day.