BUSSW Commencement 2026: Photo Gallery & Recap

Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) celebrated its newest class of MSW and PhD graduates at the 2026 BUSSW Commencement Ceremony. Graduating students from the online, off-campus and hybrid programs joined their Charles River classmates at the main Boston University campus for the big event, and loved ones came from far and wide to honor their accomplishments. The rain came down steadily outside Walter Brown Arena, but inside, the energy was anything but dampened — the Class of 2026 had arrived.

Browse through our recap and photo gallery to experience the day’s events.

Event Recap

Degrees were conferred to the Class of 2026 on Thursday, May 14, at the school’s 2026 Commencement ceremony at the Walter Brown Arena. The graduating class included students from BUSSW’s on-campus, online, off-campus and hybrid Master of Social Work (MSW) programs and its doctoral program.

Danielle Ferrier (SSW’99), president and CEO of Heading Home, gave the convocation address, drawing on her own BUSSW roots to inspire the next generation of social workers. “We are the front line, domestic army for mental health, access to support, community success and happiness,” she told the crowd. “We are the glue.”

Student speakers Marcus Shaw, MSW, and Yibin Yang, PhD, addressed their fellow graduates with emotional messages. Yang shared how his grandmother inspired his social work journey and reminded him that, “Social work isn’t always about being the hero or the savior in someone else’s story. It is about being part of a community where we care for one another, learn from one another, and grow stronger together.” Shaw delivered an inspiring challenge to the Class of 2026, “I implore you to be a community resource, collaborate with your community stakeholders to address challenges together, and think about how you want to leave your mark. And then make it happen! Lean on your BUSSW community as well, because we are in this together! “

The Excellence in Teaching Award, voted on by the graduating MSW class, was presented to Professor Taylor Hall, PhD, who said, “I feel incredible pride in receiving this award because BUSSW students have intellectual curiosity about systems of power, inequality, trauma, and resilience, while also holding space for possibility and transformation, and they apply this lens to their everyday work and practice.”

Prizes and scholarships were also presented to 19 graduating MSW students, including two recipients of the inaugural Practicum Education Award. Dean Barbara Jones also expressed gratitude for the 2026 class gift, a contribution to the Judith Perlstein Field Education Fund, which supports future MSW practicum students at BUSSW.

The awarding of diplomas and hooding marked the official transition from student to graduate. Dean Barbara Jones conferred the MSW degrees, and Professor Astraea Augsberger, associate dean of doctoral education, conferred the doctoral degrees to the graduating students from BUSSW’s PhD in Social Work program.

Dean Jones presented farewell remarks, followed by brief remarks from Angela Yarde, president of the school’s Alumni Association, who welcomed the Class of 2026 to the school’s alumni body and invited them to serve on the Alumni Board.

The remarks, followed by the recessional (“Feeling Good” by Lauryn Hill), marked the Class of 2026’s full transition from student to graduate.

Congratulations, BUSSW Class of 2026!

All photos by Dave Green Photography