2026 Commencement Speaker Announcement

Dear Emory Community,

I am so pleased to announce that Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, will be the 2026 Commencement keynote speaker. Mr. Bastian is a renowned business leader known for his “people-first” approach that has transformed Atlanta’s hometown airline into one of the world’s most beloved brands. He has been honored numerous times for his visionary leadership, guiding Delta through some of its most challenging times, including 9/11, bankruptcy, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Bastian joined Delta in 1998 as vice president of finance and controller. As chief executive officer, he says his sole purpose is to “take care of Delta’s people”—a workforce made up of more than 100,000 aviation professionals around the world. His leadership philosophy is based on the “virtuous circle,” the belief that if the company takes care of its people, they take care of the customers, who reward the company with their business and loyalty.

Named one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” by Fortune, Mr. Bastian also has been honored as the 2023 Chief Executive of the Year by Chief Executive magazine and the 2024 Georgian of the Year by Georgia Trend. In 2025, when Delta Air Lines celebrated its centennial anniversary—the first US airline to reach such a milestone—he was included on TIME’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the boards of the Atlanta Committee for Progress, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and the Woodruff Arts Center, among others.

Emory University and Delta Air Lines are long-time partners through a number of educational and philanthropic initiatives; both share a common mission to advance, serve, and connect humanity.

Along with Mr. Bastian, pioneering higher education leaders Ruth J. Simmons and Susan E. Stone will receive honorary degrees.

A transformational leader in higher education for decades, Ruth Simmons is president emerita of Prairie View A&M University, Brown University, and Smith College. She was the first Black president of an Ivy League institution and established the first accredited engineering program at an all-women’s college. She currently serves as President’s Distinguished Fellow at Rice University and as adviser to Harvard University’s president on HBCU initiatives.

Susan Stone, a certified nurse-midwife, served for more than 20 years as president of Frontier Nursing University in Versailles, Kentucky, home to the oldest and largest continually operating nurse-midwifery program in the United States. During her tenure, the institution evolved from a certificate-granting program with approximately 200 students into a fully accredited university offering master’s and doctoral degrees in advanced nursing practice, including nurse-midwifery. She currently holds the titles of president emerita and Distinguished Chair of Midwifery and Nursing at Frontier and remains actively engaged in advancing nursing and midwifery practice globally.

I will also award the President’s Medal at Commencement, recognizing Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Chemistry Dennis Liotta, Frances Winship Walters Professor of Pediatrics Raymond Schinazi, and former Emory postdoctoral research associate Woo-Baeg Choi for their pivotal roles in the discovery and development of the pathbreaking antiviral medicines emtricitabine (Emtriva) and lamivudine (Epivir), which have saved the lives of millions of people around the world diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

We are thrilled to have each of these illustrious honorees join us for Emory’s 181st Commencement ceremony on May 11, where we will celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2026. May the remainder of your semester be a joyful and productive time.

Sincerely,

Justice Leah Ward Sears 80L
President (Interim), Emory University