Seton Hall University Celebrates 170th Commencement

Seton Hall University will be celebrating its 170th Baccalaureate Commencement ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, May 18, 2026, at the Prudential Center, 165 Mulberry Street in Newark, New Jersey. Delivering the commencement keynote address will be Arthur C. Brooks, Ph.D., professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School and best-selling author. The Baccalaureate Ceremony will be livestreamed, available on the University’s Commencement website.

The University will graduate 1,451 students with Baccalaureate degrees and 770 with honors. From graduate programs, 874 students will receive master’s and doctorate degrees this commencement season, and 311 students will graduate from the School of Law.

Separate ceremonies are held for the University’s graduate students, with details and locations for individual colleges and schools available on the Commencement website.

Cardinal Joseph William Tobin, C.Ss.R., archbishop of Newark and University chair, Board of Trustees and president, University Board of Regents, will deliver the Invocation to the Class of 2026. Presenting the Charge to the soon-to-be graduates and their guests will be Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly, S.T.L., Ph.D., University president.

The master of ceremonies is Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Erik Lillquist, J.D.

Professor Brooks to Address Class of 2026 as Baccalaureate Commencement Speaker

The keynote speaker will be bestselling author Arthur C. Brooks, Ph.D., who recently published The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness. Professor Brooks is a leader in the movement to increase personal happiness and fulfillment.

Brooks has served as the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Nonprofit and Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and as a Professor of Management Practice and Faculty Fellow at the Harvard Business School. He has also served as the 11th president of the American Enterprise Institute.

In making the announcement, Interim Provost Lillquist noted the importance of his Catholic faith:

Professor Brooks converted to Catholicism after experiencing a profound encounter with the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. He incorporates his religious practice — which includes daily Mass and praying the Rosary — into his approach to human flourishing.

At the ceremony, Brooks will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters alongside Diane M. Foley, president and founder of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation.

Advocate Diane M. Foley to Receive Honorary Degree

Monsignor Reilly will present an honorary degree to Diane M. Foley, president and founder of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which is conferred by Cardinal Tobin.

Foley is a retired family nurse practitioner; her oldest son, conflict journalist James Wright Foley, was killed by ISIS in 2014 for being an American reporter and a Christian.

After her son’s murder, she was inspired by Jim’s moral courage and the Holy Spirit to establish the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which advocates for U.S. nationals taken captive abroad and works to safeguard journalists.

Foley has raised awareness of international hostage-taking and wrongful detention through the award-winning documentary Jim: The James Foley Story and essays in The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today. In addition, she participated in the National Counterterrorism Center’s hostage review, which overhauled America’s hostage policy.

In 2024, she co-authored the book American Mother with Irish American author Colum McCann and is active in her parish, St. Katherine Drexel, in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.

In recognition of the Class of 2026, Baccalaureate graduates will receive a copy of Professor Brooks’ The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness placed at their seat at the Prudential Center, and Ms. Foley’s American Mother at the President’s Reception on Sunday.

Valedictory Address

Students who achieved the highest GPA at each college and school were invited to participate in the process of selecting a valedictorian. These students were asked to write and deliver a commencement address reflecting on the meaning of their Seton Hall experience and how it has led to a special vision for the future. From this process, a student delivering the valedictory address was chosen, along with two alternates.

The Valedictory Address will be delivered by Leo Chu of Castro Valley, California, a double major in biology and anthropology from the College of Arts and Sciences.

At Seton Hall, Chu championed mentorship and service as a supplemental instructor and student coordinator at the Academic Resource Center, through roles with the Pre-Professional Advising Center and the Biology Society, and through volunteerism at St. John’s Soup Kitchen. In line with his interests in underserved medicine, he explored the interactions between health and demography through anthropological research and served as a student editor for Locus: The Seton Hall Journal of Undergraduate Research.

After graduation, Chu will attend the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and continue developing his passion for healthcare for underserved populations.

Selected as first alternate speaker is Jacqueline Litowinsky, of Belmar, New Jersey, who is a double major in public relations and journalism from the University’s College of Human Development, Culture, and Media.

Litowinsky has served as president and Litore Director of the Univeristy's chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA); as a reporter and editor for The Setonian; and as secretary for the University’s chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), where she has been nominated for two Mark of Excellence Awards. In recognition of her academic achievements, she was inducted into the Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society and the Delta Epsilon Sigma honor society’s Alpha Mu chapter. As an Alumni Legacy Scholarship recipient, Litowinsky frequently volunteered at open houses and similar events, representing Seton Hall to the public.

She also devoted her time to the Center for Sports Media, being recognized as Student of the Year after serving as a credentialed member of the media for events such as the NCAA Women's Final Four and working for organizations and teams including ESPN, NBC Sports, New Jersey Youth Soccer and Gotham FC. After graduation, Jacqueline will continue her work in media as a Digital Rotational Associate with CNBC.

Jacob Hummel of Dunellen, New Jersey, was selected as the second alternate. He is graduating with a double major in finance and information technology. During his time at Seton Hall, Hummel was involved on campus as a member of the Buccino Leadership Institute and served as a resident assistant. Within the Stillman School of Business, he participated in several organizations, including serving as president of the Stillman Exchange and as an analyst for the Student Managed Investment Fund. Jacob completed his coursework in December and currently works at Prudential Financial on the Private Equity allocation team, a role he will continue following graduation.

For additional details on Seton Hall’s 170th Baccalaureate Commencement and other Class of 2026 graduate ceremonies and events, please visit our commencement page.

#SetonHall2026

Graduating Pirates, show us how you’re celebrating! Share a favorite memory, a family gathering, or that perfect cap-and-gown photo using #SetonHall2026 on social media before, during, or after your ceremonies. You just might see your moment featured on Seton Hall’s official channels!

Categories: Alumni, Campus Life