2026 Spring Commencement Information

Kesosha, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-Parkside will hold its Spring 2026 Commencement on Saturday, May 16, in the De Simone Arena in the Sports and Activity Center. The two ceremonies will honor more than 500 graduates. The first ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. with doors opening at 8 a.m. and the second ceremony will begin at 1 p.m., with the doors opening at 12 p.m.

This semester's commencement speaker will be Rae Livingston, Founder and Principal of Vision Loading. Rae's first taste of professional development came long before corporate titles or global assignments - it came from helping with the family business run by her father. That experience planted the earliest seeds of responsibility, discipline, and possibility. Across seven cities and two continents, Rae shaped transformation at Rockwell Automation, Medtronic, JPMorgan Chase, SC Johnson, and AbbVie - guiding leaders through mergers, crises, cultural shifts, and global change. Rae's journey carries a message for every graduate: You are whole. You are worthy. You are proven. You are enough.

Dr. Johannes Britz is the Senior Vice President Universities of Wisconsin Division of Academic and Student Affairs and a Universities of Wisconsin Regent. He holds two doctoral degrees from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. He currently serves on the editorial board of multiple academic journals and is a member of national and international committees in higher education as well as a member of the South African Academy for Science and Art.

In addition, UW-Parkside will recognize four Outstanding Graduate Award winners and one Chancellor's Award Recipient during the ceremonies. The honorees are:
• (Chancellor's Award Recipient) Radhika Ramesh | Biological Sciences
• Ryan Andrus | Elementary Education
• Sidney Finnigan | Sociology & Criminal Justice
• Sophia Lefeber | Graphic Design
• Tiffany Brown | Sport Management

Chancellor's Award Recipient, Radhika Ramesh will address her fellow graduates. Radhika is a graduating senior whose path to medicine has been shaped by curiosity, teaching, and community. As both a dancer and student instructor, she learned to understand the body through movement and mentorship, which sparked her interest in how care is practiced across cultures. From exploring traditions like Ayurveda to studying biochemistry and spinal cord in the lab, she has been drawn to understanding both the seen and unseen aspects of health.

Guided by mentorship and a desire to keep learning, she hopes to continue growing into a physician who listens, observes, and adapts. She will begin this next chapter at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine.

For more details about UW-Parkside's Spring 2025 Commencement, click here.

Since its founding in 1968, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has been a trusted partner for the region's higher educational needs, empowering students to thrive, advancing applied knowledge, and developing talent for the future. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certificates and pre-professional programs, designed to foster personal and professional growth through real-world and impactful learning experiences. Located in the dynamic Chicago-Milwaukee corridor, UW-Parkside offers unmatched access to world-class internships, professional networks, and endless career-building opportunities, placing students at the center of it all.