Bucknell Set to Celebrate 176th Commencement

Nearly 1,000 students representing 41 states and 25 countries from Bucknell University's Class of 2026 will be awarded degrees during the University's 176th Commencement on Sunday, May 17, beginning at 10 a.m. on Malesardi Quadrangle. Ken Freeman '72 — a distinguished business executive, academic leader and former chair of Bucknell's Board of Trustees — will deliver the Commencement address.

The University is scheduled to confer 995 degrees — 978 bachelor's degrees and 17 master's degrees (subject to final counts). The College of Arts & Sciences will award 637 undergraduate degrees, the College of Engineering will confer 173, and the Freeman College of Management will graduate 168 students.

Jawaad "KJ" Benson '26, a biology major from Philadelphia, will deliver the student address. Sinclair Stevens '26, a biology major from Chester, N.J., will perform the national anthem, while Katie Fitzgerald '26, a history major and dance minor from Mountain Top, Pa., will serve as the ceremony's American Sign Language interpreter.

As in past years, the ceremony will be livestreamed on Bucknell's Commencement webpage and Facebook page. Please note there are enhanced security measures for this year's ceremony, highlighted below.

Commencement Speaker
 

Ken Freeman '72 — former chairman of the Board of Trustees and namesake of the Freeman College of Management — will deliver this year's Commencement address. Photo by Jake Belcher/Boston University

A first-generation college graduate, Freeman is the namesake of Bucknell's Kenneth W. Freeman College of Management and has built a career spanning corporate leadership and higher education.

Freeman began his career at Corning Incorporated before leading the spinoff of Quest Diagnostics, where he served as chairman and CEO and helped transform the company into a global leader in diagnostic information services. He later became a partner at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), one of the world's leading investment firms.

Harvard Business Review named Freeman one of the 100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World in both 2010 and 2013.

Most recently, Freeman served as interim president of Boston University (BU). He is dean emeritus and professor of the practice at BU's Questrom School of Business, where he served for eight years as the Allen Questrom Professor and Dean. During his deanship, Freeman led significant curriculum changes emphasizing ethics, global citizenship and emerging industries shaping the world economy.

Freeman also has a longstanding relationship with Bucknell. A three-term trustee, he served as chair of the Board of Trustees from 2009 to 2018 and helped guide the University through a period of strategic growth and academic investment. In 2018, Freeman and his wife, Janice, made the gift that led to the naming of the Kenneth W. Freeman College of Management.

That same year, Freeman received the Stephen W. Taylor Medal, Bucknell's highest honor, recognizing extraordinary service to the University.

Student Speaker, Soloist & ASL Interpreter
 

Jawaad "KJ" Benson '26 will serve as the student speaker for Bucknell University's 176th Commencement. Photo by James T. Giffen, Marketing & Communications

Benson, a Bucknell Community College Scholar and first-generation student, was selected through an open audition process to deliver the student address at Commencement. His speech will focus on the importance of community and appreciating the small moments that shape the Bucknell experience.

Stevens, a member of the Bucknell University Choir and a biology major on the pre-med track, will perform the national anthem. Fitzgerald, a four-year member of the cheerleading team who studied American Sign Language (ASL) at Bucknell, will provide ASL interpretation during the performance.

For Bucknell's 176th Commencement, Katie Fitzgerald '26 (left) will serve as the ASL interpreter and Sinclair Stevens '26 will be the student soloist. Photo by James T. Giffen, Marketing & Communications

Commencement Security Procedures
Access to Malesardi Quadrangle will open at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday. Guests are encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the ceremony to allow time for security screening and seating.

All Commencement guests and graduates will pass through a security checkpoint to access Malesardi Quadrangle. For the safety and security of graduates and guests, the following items are prohibited and will not be permitted: glass containers, alcohol, illegal drugs, explosives/fireworks, laser pointers, weapons of any kind, noisemakers, balloons, signs and posters, coolers, drones and pets (excluding service animals).

Only small clutch bags and bags made of clear plastic will be allowed into Malesardi Quadrangle. Plastic bags will be available for purchase at the University Bookstore and on the ground floor of the Elaine Langone Center.

Please note that the use of tobacco products, including vapes, is prohibited.

Weather Updates
If severe weather is expected — including thunderstorms, lightning, high winds or prolonged rain — the Commencement ceremony may be delayed or moved indoors. A decision will be made by 6 a.m. on Sunday, May 17. Updates will be shared via campus email, posted online, and displayed at the entrances to Malesardi Quadrangle and the Elaine Langone Center.

If moved indoors, the ceremony will be held in Gerhard Fieldhouse at 10 a.m. Attendance will be limited to graduates and ticket holders. A live broadcast will be available in multiple campus locations, including the Weis Center for the Performing Arts and Trout Auditorium in the Vaughan Literature Building. Additional viewing locations will be posted on the University website and in the Elaine Langone Center.