Graduates Find Good Fortune, Recognition at End of Rainbow

The clouds parted, and the skies gave Comets a colorful sendoff on May 15 during University Commencement at UT Dallas.

On a night that began under uncertain skies, the newest University of Texas at Dallas graduates received their long-awaited recognition at the end of a double rainbow. Although University Commencement turned dark briefly due to threatening weather, it did not dampen the Comets' enthusiasm or wash away the sea of smiles from the crowd, including supporters, mentors and UT Dallas President Prabhas V. Moghe.

"Tonight, we gather as one University - across disciplines, backgrounds, degree programs and life experiences - to recognize not only what you accomplished, but who you became in the process. Because commencement is more than a ceremony; it is a transition point," said Moghe, the Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership, during his address at the May 15 ceremony. "Tonight, you arrive as students who completed a rigorous course of study. You leave as graduates entrusted with something larger: the responsibility to use your knowledge thoughtfully, ethically and courageously in a world that needs exactly that."

Moghe encouraged graduates to keep reinventing themselves and challenged them to follow their dreams.

"This university exists because a few people were bold enough to imagine something that did not yet exist. That same spirit now belongs to you," he said. "Be curious enough to explore what others overlook. Be resilient enough to continue when progress feels slow. And be courageous enough to take meaningful risks. Because the moments that shape our lives rarely begin with certainty; they sometimes land in your lives and startle you."

Keynote speaker Tom Leppert, a longtime supporter of the UT Dallas Center for BrainHealth and a former mayor of Dallas, told graduates of the importance of the University to North Texas and its economy.

"Each of you should be proud of the growth of this institution and the impact it has made today, but more importantly, the impact it will have and you will have in the future," said Leppert, who is co-leader of the The BrainHealth Project.

He also encouraged Comets to serve their communities.

"The hard truth is that this life is not about you. We all have a greater purpose to turn the many blessings we have received to our community, and, more importantly, those in it," he said.

In addition to this spring's graduates, Comets who earned their degrees in summer and fall of 2025 joined the fifth annual campuswide celebration, which included a drone light show and an after-party. Earlier in the day, the University awarded doctorates to more than 150 graduates during the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony. Individual school ceremonies for the Class of 2026 were held May 18-20.

"Wherever life takes you, remember this: UT Dallas will always be part of your story. And you will always be part of ours," Moghe said.

UT Dallas themes dotted the sky during a drone light show, which capped off a letter-perfect night for graduates.