Congratulations to the Penn Engineering Class of 2026 Graduates
June 11, 2026
The University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science celebrated its 2026 master’s degree graduates during a commencement ceremony held on May 15th at the Palestra. Students from Penn Engineering’s online and on-campus programs came together in Philadelphia to recognize the completion of their graduate studies and celebrate alongside classmates, faculty, family, and friends.
Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering, opened the ceremony by reflecting on the international reach and diversity of the graduating class. “The master’s class of 2026 includes more than 1,000 students from over 70 countries,” he said, calling it “one of the most globally distributed classes we have ever seen.” He emphasized the global impact of their work, noting, “what you’ve built here will not stay in one place. It’ll move across borders. It’ll move across disciplines and across industries.”
Kumar encouraged graduates to think beyond traditional career paths and embrace adaptability in a rapidly changing world. “Your career will look less like a ladder and more like a network,” he said, describing it as “a network of experiences, a network of skills, a network of people and opportunities.”
He concluded with a call to embrace uncertainty and growth: “So explore, stay open to change because early in your career, the goal is not to have all the answers. It is to discover where your talents can have the greatest impact.”
Keynote speaker Vanessa Lyon, Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group and Penn Engineering MCIT Online alumna, reflected on the demands and rewards of modern engineering. She shared her experience returning to graduate study while leading global teams, stating, “At 43, I returned to school to get more of that magic.” She emphasized the way that engineering pushes students to think critically: “Engineering constantly exposes what you don’t yet understand and forces you to close the gap.”
Lyon also underscored the continued need for engineers in an AI-driven world, noting, “People have predicted for decades that technology would reduce the need for engineers,” adding, “They’ve been wrong every time. Each wave made systems more complex and increased demand for people who actually understand them.” She closed her remarks by emphasizing the scale of opportunity ahead, saying, “The generation sitting in front of you will have more consequential engineering problems to solve than any generation before.”
You can watch the Commencement remarks in full and view the recorded livestream of the master’s commencement ceremony here.
As the Class of 2026 moves forward into careers spanning software engineering, artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, and beyond, they join a global Penn Engineering alumni community defined by curiosity, resilience, and collaboration. Our on campus and online graduates leave Penn equipped to build systems, solve complex problems, and shape technologies that will impact the world across borders and industries.
We congratulate the Penn Engineering Class of 2026 on this milestone achievement and look forward to the contributions they will make as engineers, innovators, and global citizens.
Master’s Commencement Ceremony
