UT Convocations To Feature Keynote Addresses From Leaders Across Industries

Each May, tens of thousands of students and their families gather across The University of Texas at Austin to celebrate the newest graduating class. Before Saturday's university-wide commencement ceremony where Longhorn legend Colt McCoy will deliver the keynote address, the Class of 2026 will cross the stage and be recognized individually at their college and school convocations.

Keynote speakers at this year's college and school convocations represent a variety of industries and professions, bringing unique perspectives and experiences to share with graduates - from a Tony Award-nominated playwright to a Nobel Prize-winning scientist to a championship-winning coach.

See the full list of keynote speakers for UT's college and school convocations below.

Cockrell School of Engineering

Aerospace engineer, space technologist and entrepreneur Timothy P. Crain II is a three-time Longhorn who earned bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from Cockrell. In 2013, he co-founded Intuitive Machines, a leading commercial space exploration company based in Houston. He now serves as chief growth officer and chief technology officer, where he leads development of core technologies for lunar landing precision alongside overseeing business development. Before Intuitive Machines, Crain worked on high-profile space programs at NASA's Johnson Space Center, such as the Mars Science Lander project, NASA's Orion spacecraft and Project Morpheus.

College of Education

Straight off a fourth consecutive gold medal win in Milan, U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey goalie Jen Lee will deliver the keynote address at the College of Education convocation. Lee took an unusual path to the Forty Acres, enlisting in the Army straight after high school. After a motorcycle accident resulted in the loss of his left leg, Lee discovered adaptive sports and was introduced to sled hockey. In 2018, he graduated with a degree in sport management. Joined by family and friends in Milan, Lee competed in this year's winter Paralympics as goalie for the last trip.

College of Fine Arts

Playwright and alumna Kimberly Belflower will return home to the Forty Acres to speak to the College of Fine Arts grads this week. Her most recent play, "John Proctor Is the Villain," was nominated for seven Tony Awards last year, including Best Play. Earlier this year, the play opened at London's Royal Court Theatre, and Belflower is adapting the play into a feature film for Universal, with Tina Fey set to produce. Her other plays include "Lost Girl," "Casey Brown's Clown Town," "Gondal," "Only Reason," "Saint Pigtail" and "The Sky Game."

College of Liberal Arts

Sue Flowers is a renowned professor, author and business consultant and is former director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum. A two-time Longhorn, Flowers began her teaching career on the Forty Acres, where she taught for over four decades in the departments of English, Creative Writing, and in Plan II, where she also served as the director. Throughout her career, Flowers has written or edited 21 books, studied poets and written her own poetry, and served as a consultant to the likes of NASA, the CIA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, General Motors and IBM, among others.

College of Natural Sciences

Alumnus Jim Allison is recognized internationally for his foundational discoveries in T cell biology that launched the field of cancer immunotherapy. A 2018 Nobel laureate for physiology or medicine, Allison has spent his career studying the regulation of T cell responses and developing strategies for cancer therapies. Work in his lab led to the development of the life-saving cancer drug ipilimumab, the first immune checkpoint therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Allison is a member of the College of Natural Sciences Hall of Honor, chair of the MD Anderson Immunology Department, and the founding director of the James P. Allison Institute.

College of Pharmacy

Pharmacist and entrepreneur Daniel D. Vela will return to the Forty Acres almost four decades after his own College of Pharmacy convocation to deliver this year's keynote address. The owner of Lee's Pharmacy and Medical Equipment in McAllen, Vela has worked in a variety of industries including real estate, banking and ranching. He has also served as a trustee for the McAllen Independent School District for the past two decades.

Dell Medical School

Susan M. Gordon is a former principal deputy director of national intelligence. She advised the president and helped lead the U.S. intelligence community at the highest levels. For three decades, Gordon's leadership at the CIA and as deputy director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency led transformation and advanced innovation in a rapidly changing world. Known for navigating complex, high-stakes environments, Gordon now advises organizations and leaders on corporate and nonprofit boards across the country.

Graduate School

Sarah Ades, dean of the Graduate School and senior vice provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, will share remarks and be joined by Executive Vice President and Provost William Inboden for the Master's Convocation and University President Jim Davis for the Doctoral Convocation.

Master's Convocation

Inboden began serving as executive vice president and provost on Aug. 1, 2025. He also holds the William Powers Jr. Chair and a joint faculty appointment with the Department of History and the School of Civic Leadership. As the University's chief academic officer, he leads UT Austin's academic mission and ensures the excellence and continued innovation of research and teaching endeavors across campus. A distinguished teacher and scholar who has served in leadership positions in both higher education and government, Inboden has a long history at UT Austin, previously holding positions such as the executive director of the Clements Center for National Security, co-director of The University of Texas System National Security Network, and a faculty member in the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Before academia, he held several foreign policy positions with the U.S. government, including service on the National Security Council at the White House.

Doctoral Convocation

Davis is the 31st president of UT and a lifelong Longhorn. He grew up in Austin and served his country with distinction as a cryptologist in the U.S. Navy. After his Navy service, President Davis earned a bachelor's degree from UT and a law degree from Harvard Law School. Following a clerkship with the Supreme Court of Texas and a distinguished private law practice, he served as a Texas deputy attorney general, where he led the civil litigation division and advised the leadership of state agencies, including the University of Texas System and UT Austin. Since 2018, President Davis has served in several leadership positions at UT Austin and played central roles in a number of UT's transformational projects.

Jackson School of Geosciences

Alumna Jennifer A. Roberts will deliver the keynote address at the Jackson School, where she received a Ph.D. in geology. She is currently the David B. Pittaway Executive Dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Kansas and a professor of geology, with research focused on microbial geochemistry and environmental processes such as water quality and carbon cycling. Before joining KU, Roberts completed a national research council postdoctoral fellowship in the Water Research Division of the U.S. Geological Survey.

LBJ School of Public Affairs

Carlos J. Contreras is the president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of San Antonio and an LBJ School and Texas Law alumnus. At Goodwill, he leads a workforce of approximately 1,800 employees serving communities across a 24-county region in Southwest Texas. Contreras previously served as assistant city manager of San Antonio for nine years, where he led departments such as aviation, economic development, and government and public affairs. A dedicated public servant and civic leader, Contreras serves on advisory boards and committees across the state.

McCombs School of Business

Marketing alumna Deepica Mutyala is the founder and CEO of Live Tinted, a clean beauty brand with universal shades and purposeful formulas. In 2015, Mutyala's video showcasing a beauty hack for dark under-eyes went viral, amassing over 10 million views on YouTube and leading to partnerships with brands such as Estee Lauder, LVMH and Unilever. Three years later, Mutyala launched Live Tinted. Since then, she has been featured in Time magazine as a next-generation leader, partnered with Netflix, and worked with Mattel to create the first South Asian CEO Barbie doll.

Moody College of Communication

Fran Harris is an author, sports executive and Moody journalism alumna. While at UT, she served as captain and leading scorer of the Longhorns' undefeated 1986 women's basketball team, guiding them to a national championship. After her graduation, Harris joined the WNBA in 1997, where she helped the Houston Comets secure their first championship title. After retiring from sports, Harris has built a career as an author, media personality and business leader. In 2025, she was a distinguished alumnus award recipient from Texas Exes.

School of Architecture

Henry "Hank" Webber is the founder and managing principal of Urban Impact Advisors, a national consulting firm focused on higher education, innovation districts, and community and economic development. This semester, Webber joined UTSOA as a professor of practice and Henry M. Rockwell Chair in Architecture Fellow. Throughout his career, Webber has led transformative initiatives, including the revitalization of neighborhoods across the Midwest such as the 53rd Street retail district in Chicago and the creation of Illinois' largest employee housing assistance program. Before joining UT, Webber was the executive vice chancellor for civic affairs and strategic planning at Washington University in St. Louis.

School of Information

Katherine "Katie" Prentice is executive director at the Texas Medical Center Library in Houston, leading library services for UTHealth Houston and Baylor College of Medicine. Although she majored in government, Prentice chose a career in library and information science after service in the Peace Corps in Latvia, later coming back to the Forty Acres to get a Master of Science in Information Studies. Prentice is currently co-chair of the Texas Exes Houston Chapter Scholarship Committee, helping award scholarships to Houston-area students attending The University of Texas.

School of Law

Former college football coach and broadcast analyst Mack Brown will deliver the keynote address at Texas Law's Sunflower Ceremony this week. Brown coached the Longhorns for 16 seasons, taking home the 2005 national championship. In 2018, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame for his career at UT, as well as at Tulane, Appalachian State, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Brown received the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award for "Coach of the Year" in 2006.

School of Nursing

Kim Chapman is a leader for nursing education and healthcare in Texas and currently serves as the chair of the UT Austin School of Nursing Advisory Council. Alongside her husband, Jeff Chapman, she co-founded UT Southwestern Medical Center's Patient and Family Advisory Council at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. Together, they have supported the UT Austin School of Nursing through philanthropic gifts, including the Kimberly and Jeffrey Chapman Endowed Presidential Fellowship, the Billye J. Brown Professorship in Nursing Leadership, the Texas Challenge, and the UT Austin School of Nursing's Family Wellness Center.

School of Social Work

Longhorns head diving coach, former U.S. Olympic dive captain, and social work alumnus Matt Scoggin will return to campus to speak at the UT Social Work convocation. Scoggin has led the Texas men's and women's diving program as director for more than 30 years, guiding Longhorns to 12 NCAA National Championship Team titles and 23 individual NCAA championships. In addition, Scoggin led five U.S. Olympic diving teams and competed himself in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.