Celebrating the Class of 2026 and a new chapter for Waterloo
Waterloo honours its newest graduates as five convocation ceremonies mark the culmination of years of achievement
Across five ceremonies held this past weekend, graduates from all six faculties crossed the convocation stage and officially joined Waterloo’s global alumni community. Thousands of students, families, friends, faculty and staff took part in the ceremonies.
In total, Waterloo conferred 174 PhD degrees, 1,085 master’s degrees and 1,465 undergraduate degrees. The Class of 2026 joins a global network of more than 270,000 Waterloo alumni living and working in more than 150 countries around the world. Since its founding in 1957, the University has conferred more than 263,000 degrees and certificates.
This year’s convocation ceremonies also marked a significant moment in the University’s history. The celebrations included the official installation of Dr. Bill Rosehart (BASc ’96, MASc ’97, PhD ’01) as Waterloo’s eighth President and Vice-Chancellor for a five-year term that began July 1, 2026.
A three-time Waterloo alumnus, Rosehart understands the importance of convocation. “Convocation is a moment to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates and the communities that supported them along the way,” he says. "A Waterloo degree represents not only academic achievement, but also resilience, curiosity and a commitment to making a difference. I am proud to welcome the Class of 2026 into our global alumni community and look forward to the impact they will have on the world.
The President made a point of joining the graduates backstage, prior to the academic procession, to offer words of encouragement and remind them to "take it (the festivities) all in, they deserve it." In the case of the Faculty of Arts, he was joined by the presidents from each of Waterloo’s affiliated colleges who also passed along their congratulations.
Throughout the ceremonies, graduates heard from President Rosehart and Waterloo’s Chancellor Dr. Jadeep Singh Bachher (BASc '93, MASc '94, PhD '00), along with honorary degree recipients, who shared messages emphasizing the importance of embracing change, remaining curious and applying their knowledge and experience to address society’s most pressing challenges.
"I speak from experience when I say that Waterloo graduates are unique in the way they approach challenges, collaborate, and stay motivated to make the world better," Bachher said.
Convocation also celebrated four distinguished honorary degree recipients whose contributions have had an impact in academia, industry and society. Dr. Nigel Hitchin, one of the world's most influential geometers, received an honorary Doctor of Mathematics. Acclaimed Arctic archaeologist Dr. Douglas R. Stenton, whose research contributed to the discovery of HMS Erebus, received an honorary Doctor of Literature. Waterloo Engineering alumni Frank Baylis (BASc ’86) and Kris Shah (BASc ’86) received honorary Doctor of Engineering degrees in recognition of their leadership in building Baylis Medical into a globally respected medical technology company and their contributions to innovation and philanthropy.
Baylis encouraged the graduates to keep learning. “Don't be afraid to pivot when reality demands it,” he said. “Build genuine, long-term rooted values based in empathy and humility. But above all, work with the people around you, your classmates, your colleagues, your families because I'm sure as you do so together, you will change the world.”
The University also recognized two faculty members with the designation of Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Melanie C.W. Campbell was honoured for her internationally recognized contributions to visual optics research and innovation, while Robert Mann was celebrated for his pioneering work in theoretical physics, quantum gravity and teaching excellence.
Dr. Janani Sundaresan, from the Faculty of Math, was awarded Waterloo’s 2026 Alumni Gold Medal in recognition of exceptional academic achievements during her doctoral studies. The award recognizes outstanding graduating students at convocation.
In honour of his first convocation ceremonies, Chancellor Bachher presented Dr. Rosehart with an engineering hard hat signed by all the ambassadors who supported the ceremonies.
Fall 2026 Convocation was both a celebration of accomplishment and the beginning of a new chapter for the University. As Waterloo welcomed its newest alumni and recognized the leadership of its new president, Baccher highlighted that the institution’s greatest strength remains its people: the students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters who work together to create positive change in the world.
Congratulations to the Class of 2026. Welcome to Waterloo’s distinguished global network of alumni.
