A packed Roy Thomson Hall was filled with excitement and joy as more than 1,000 OCAD University students from the Class of 2026 crossed the stage on June 19 during Convocation.
The OCAD U community came together to celebrate one of the largest graduating classes in recent OCAD U history, with 1,125 graduands from the fall, winter and spring terms.
Two ceremonies took place, beginning with the morning ceremony for the Faculty of Design, followed by the afternoon ceremony for the Faculty of Art, Faculty of Arts and Science and School of Graduate Studies.
Family, friends and loved ones who couldn’t attend the celebrations in person were able to attend the celebration virtually via livestream on OCAD U’s website.
Celebrating the Class of 2026
Both Convocation ceremonies opened with a ceremonial welcome and an honour song by Elder Elizabeth (Liz) Osawamick.
To commemorate their graduation, Indigenous students received a gift of a stole made by Tammy Beauvais, a Mohawk fashion designer from Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Quebec. The black stoles are embroidered with the OCAD U and Indigenous Student Centre logos and include a porcupine quill brooch by Seneca/Ojibway artist Theresa Burning.
For Vice-President, Academic and Provost Dr. Sandra Gabriele, this was the first time presiding over the Convocation ceremonies, having joined OCAD U in August 2025.
“We are proud to have been part of getting you here. But the work – every late night, every moment of doubt, every breakthrough – that was entirely yours,” she said. “Now it is time to celebrate you, your accomplishments, your perseverance, but also the community that helped get you here in big and small ways. Congratulations!”
President and Vice-Chancellor Ana Serrano extended a heartfelt appreciation to the parents and families of the graduates who “provided so much love, encouragement and support as you pursued and excelled in your studies.”
To the graduating Class of 2026, President Serrano offered her congratulations on reaching this threshold moment, one of triumph and at the same time, one of uncertainty.
"That word – uncertainty – deserves more than a passing acknowledgment … I want to suggest that uncertainty is not the enemy of what you do. It is the reason what you do matters,” she said. “What will make your work distinctive is the quality of attention you bring to it – and that quality is only built through practice. The resourcefulness needed to succeed in this world is hollow without the practice behind it. Carry that with you. Keep making – especially when the outcome is not yet clear. The uncertainty is not the obstacle. It is where the work begins.”
Chancellor Jaime Watt addressed the Class of 2025-26 about what comes next.
"You now have the skills to thrive beyond these walls. You can question, analyze, and make. What you’ll find as you begin this next chapter is that the careers of the future will be built around that which machines cannot generate,” said Chancellor Watt. “The part that hinges on judgment. On process. On what you’ve learned here. Not the AI we have come to know. Rather a different AI, artistic intelligence.”
Recognizing excellence
The ceremonies also recognized OCAD U’s 2025-26 Medal Winners. Students from the University’s undergraduate and graduate programs were honoured for their remarkable creativity, innovation and technical mastery in their chosen discipline.
The Governor General’s Academic Medals were presented to two exceptional students, Jenny Chan and Zhizhe Yan, who achieved the highest academic standing in undergraduate and graduate studies, respectively.
Inspirational honorary doctorate recipients
During Convocation, OCAD U awarded honorary doctorates to four accomplished individuals for their exceptional achievements in the arts and culture sector.
At the morning ceremony, honorary doctorates were awarded to Dr. Rita Davies, C.M. and Dr. Joshua Greer.
Dr. Davies, who received an honorary Doctor of Laws, is a cultural visionary who has galvanized Toronto and Ontario’s artistic landscape for more than three decades, demonstrating that the arts and culture sector is a powerful economic engine and city-building.
In her acceptance speech, Dr. Davies said it was a privilege to receive an honorary doctorate from a university that nurtures bold, curious and compassionate artists, scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful and equitable world.
“Today, you stand before the next chapter of your own unfolding story. You leave here with voice, with vision, and with the capacity to shape the world around you. The future is not fixed. It is something you can help create – through what you make, what you question, and what you believe is possible,” she told the Class of 2026. “You begin with tools, with insight, and with extraordinary potential. Take it seriously. Take it boldly. Above all, take it forward. Congratulations, Class of 2026.”
Dr. Greer, an innovator, entrepreneur and designer whose career has expanded how technology can transform the human experience, received an honorary Doctor of Design.
Working with director James Cameron on groundbreaking IMAX 3D documentaries, Dr. Greer helped design the first all-digital 3D projection system. This led to RealD, where he served as president and co-founder. Under his leadership, RealD became the global leader in 3D cinema, growing to more than 30,000 screens across 70 countries and changing how audiences around the world experienced film.
He had three pieces of advice for the Class of 2026. The first was, don’t panic.
“Don’t let others tell you what the future will be. It’ll just distract you from what you need to do. Nobody knows the future. No matter what they say or how loud they say it.”
The second was, we need you more than you need us.
“You are going to be told by bosses, TikTok personalities and general nay sayers that your ideas don’t matter, or that things must be done a certain way, or what you are thinking is impractical. Do not give into this type of group think...make no mistake, we need you! We need your ideas, energy and your perspective if we hope to move this world forward in a positive way.”
The last was to build a charitable heart.
“If you can find a couple of hours every month, look for ways you can help others around you. For me, it was helping young people navigate life with a chronic disease. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when I was thirteen and spent most of my teenage years at Sick Kids Hospital [and] being able to help so many kids navigate this journey…they helped me as much as I helped them. I promise, these small acts of kindness will change you for the better.”
During the afternoon ceremony, the University presented honorary doctorates to Dr. Ash K. Prakash, C.M. and Dr. Tanya Talaga.
Dr. Prakash, a leading scholar, author and philanthropist, received an honorary Doctor of Laws. Through his work with leading private collectors, corporations and major museums, Dr. Prakash has spent more than four decades shaping how Canadian art is studied, collected and understood on the global stage.
Since 2012, Dr. Prakash has made a transformative $30-million endowment in art and funding through the A. K. Prakash Foundation, supporting scholarship in historical Canadian art and improving access to health care in the Global South, creating a dual legacy of cultural and humanitarian impact.
"To the graduates here today I say: your greatest strength will never be technical skill alone, but your capacity to imagine – to create meaning where others see limitation, to recognize beauty where others fail to look, and to shape and show us new ways of understanding the challenges of our times, and the times to come,” said Dr. Prakash. "The world needs artists and designers not merely to reflect society, but to challenge it, inspire it, and reimagine it. Art endures because imagination endures. And wherever imagination flourishes, creativity and hope will always follow."
Dr. Talaga, an award-winning journalist, bestselling author and filmmaker, received an honorary Doctor of Letters.
Dr. Talaga is of Anishinaabe and Polish descent and a proud member of Fort William First Nation in the Robinson-Superior Treaty territory. With more than two decades of experience shaping national conversations at the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail, she is one of Canada’s most compelling voices in contemporary media.
Dr. Talaga is the author of three national bestsellers examining the enduring impacts of colonialism while honouring the strength, resilience and interconnectedness of Indigenous communities.
She addressed the graduands on their remarkable achievements.
"You, graduates, are the next generation. You, graduates, have worked so hard to get in the seats you are sitting in now … you used your wits and your instincts to get here. Keep them close. You’ll need them in the future,” said Dr. Talaga. "As university graduates, holding in your hands a piece of paper that will mean many things to you and to many people … but the importance of your education is not something you can take to the proverbial bank. Its beauty is not because this will guarantee you a job or entrance into graduate school. No, the purpose of your education is to help you open your mind to who you are, your purpose to why you are here and where you fit in the greater community, of which you are a part of. Your degree lets you further create and be who you dreamed to be."
Sharing memories
OCAD U encourages graduands and their loved ones to share photos, videos and shout-outs on social media with the tag @ocaduniversity and #OCADU2026.
Photos and videos will be uploaded to OCAD U’s social media accounts.
Recordings of the speeches by doctors Davies, Greer, Prakash and Talaga are available to stream.