School commencement ceremonies to feature inspiring speakers

Tulane's Unified Commencement is not the only time the Class of 2026 will celebrate its academic achievements. Tulane's individual schools will also host ceremonies featuring keynote speakers who are prominent alumni and leaders in their fields. Individual school speakers include:

School of Liberal Arts

Acclaimed political journalist and alumna Ali Vitali will address graduates at the School of Liberal Arts commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15, at 5 p.m. in Caesars Superdome. The school will also honor Vitali with the Distinguished Alumni Award during the ceremony.

A proud graduate of Tulane, Vitali, who is host of "Way Too Early with Ali Vitali" on MS NOW and the network's senior Capitol Hill reporter, has spent the past decade at the center of American political journalism, covering Congress, the White House and three presidential election cycles. Known for her sharp reporting and ability to translate complex policy into compelling narratives, she has interviewed top leaders across the political spectrum and reported on defining moments in recent U.S. history.

A native of New York, Vitali's journey as a reporter began in New Orleans, where her time at Tulane helped shape both her intellectual curiosity and her professional trajectory. As a student, Vitali developed the storytelling instincts and political awareness that would later define her career.

In addition to her on-air work, Vitali is the author of "Electable: Why America Hasn't Put a Woman in the White House…Yet," a book that draws from her experience on the campaign trail and examines the structural and cultural challenges facing female presidential candidates.

School of Law

Tulane School of Law alumnus Lee Sher, founder and co-managing director of Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert, LLC, will serve as the keynote speaker for the school's 2026 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16, at noon at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.

Sher has built a career centered on commercial real estate and business and finance law, with additional experience spanning commercial litigation, healthcare law, creditors' rights, bankruptcy, disaster recovery and arbitration.

A two-time Tulane graduate, Sher earned his Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1974 before completing his Juris Doctor in 1976. He serves as an adjunct professor and guest lecturer in business law programming and is a two-time recipient of the Monte M. Lemann Teaching Award. In addition to his teaching, he is an active member of the Law School's Dean's Advisory Board. Sher is also co-chair of his 50th reunion this year. In recognition of these contributions, Sher was inducted into the Tulane Law School Hall of Fame this year.

Sher and his wife, alumna Karen Sher, together with James and Tracie Garner, endowed the Sher Garner Professorship in Sports Law, currently held by Gabe Feldman, director of Tulane's nationally recognized Sports Law Program. The group has also supported numerous initiatives including the Sher Garner Scholarship and the Sher Garner Fund for the Advancement of Commercial Law. In addition, they are founding donors of the Oliver Houck Chair in Environmental Law.

Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Two alumni will return to the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine to deliver keynote addresses at the school's 2026 commencement ceremonies.

Neil Meltzer, president and CEO of LifeBridge Health, will speak at the master's and doctoral ceremony at noon on Saturday, May 16, in Mahalia Jackson Theater. Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, president and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women, will speak at the undergraduate ceremony at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, May 16 in Mahalia Jackson Theater.

Meltzer, a 1981 graduate of Tulane's Master of Health Administration program, has spent nearly 38 years with LifeBridge Health, including 13 years as CEO. Under his leadership, the Maryland-based nonprofit health system has doubled in size while maintaining a strong focus on community-centered care.

Through initiatives like the Center for Hope, LifeBridge Health has become a national model for integrating services to prevent and respond to violence. The system has also expanded access through partnerships with community organizations and innovative programs while strengthening medical education through a Regional Medical Campus with George Washington University.

Arline-Bradley, who earned her Master of Public Health from Tulane in 2001, has built a career at the intersection of public health, advocacy and faith. As president and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women, she leads efforts focused on health equity, policy and community empowerment nationwide.

She is also the founding principal of R.E.A.C.H. Beyond Solutions, a firm that provides strategic guidance on public health and organizational leadership. Her previous roles include serving in the Obama administration as senior advisor and director of external engagement for former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, as well as leadership positions at the NAACP.

School of Medicine

Dr. Robert I. Grossman will deliver a speech at the School of Medicine's commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16, at noon in the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Grossman is executive vice president to the Board of Trustees of NYU Langone Health. Previously, Grossman served as chief executive officer of NYU Langone and dean of NYU Grossman School of Medicine from 2007 to 2025.

Innovation was a hallmark of Grossman's leadership of NYU Langone and NYU Grossman School of Medicine. This included establishing an accelerated three-year MD pathway for medical students and providing full-tuition scholarships for all medical students. For his exceptional achievements as dean, the school was named after him in 2019.

Later in his tenure, Grossman was the driving force behind the creation of NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine. In July 2023, this school was also renamed in honor of his leadership.

In 2019, Tulane's Emeritus Club recognized Grossman with its Lifetime Achievement Award, and he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Tulane in 2024. Grossman received his bachelor's degree in biology from Tulane.

School of Social Work

The Honorable Sidney J. Barthelemy will deliver a speech at the commencement ceremony for the School of Social Work on Friday, May 15, at 9 a.m. in Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.

A native New Orleanian and 1971 graduate of the School of Social Work, Barthelemy made history in 1974 as the first African American elected to the Louisiana State Senate since the Reconstruction period, and in 1978, as the first African American elected councilman-at-large of New Orleans. In 1986, he became the second elected African American mayor of New Orleans. In 1991, Barthelemy was elected president of the National League of Cities; to date, he is one of only three representatives from Louisiana to have held the position.

During his eight years as mayor, Barthelemy spearheaded several projects that continue to contribute to New Orleans' economy today, including the development of the arena currently known as the Smoothie King Center. By stabilizing city finances and expanding New Orleans' national presence as mayor, he helped navigate the city through fiscal challenges and economic development efforts.

School of Architecture and Built Environment

Stacy A. Bourne will speak at the School of Architecture and Built Environment's commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15, at 1 p.m. in Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse, where she will also receive the Angela O'Byrne Alumni Award.

Bourne is an award-winning architect and disaster preparedness expert, speaker and author with over 35 years of experience surviving and rebuilding after 12 hurricanes. Through cultivated resilience strategies, educational tools and speaking events, she focuses on proactive readiness for communities, institutions and commercial property owners to save lives, protect property and support business continuity.

As part of her commitment to education and empowerment, Bourne created a suite of practical resources for extreme weather events: The Disaster Smart Coloring Book Series teaching safety planning for children; the multi-lingual cultivated Disaster Readiness Checklists for families and businesses; and her signature approach, The Disaster Readiness Blueprint for property owners.

Bourne is the founding principal of The Bourne Group, LLC, established in 2000. She is a nationally recognized leader in disaster recovery and an industry speaker on resilience. She was elevated to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) College of Fellows in 2012, an honor held by fewer than 3% of AIA members. As an advocate for building codes and practical solutions, she focuses on community engagement.