NYU Abu Dhabi Commencement Program 2026
Order of Exercises
Speakers
Awards
Honors
Graduating Students
Academic Heraldry
History of New York University
History of New York University Abu Dhabi
Acknowledgments
THE UNIVERSITY COLOR GUARD
Representatives of NYU Abu Dhabi's faculty and staff carry the colors of the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, and New York University and New York University Abu Dhabi.
THE CLASS OF 2026 BANNER BEARER
Sadaf Habib, BS
GRADUATES BY DISCIPLINE
Arts and Humanities
Engineering
Science
Social Science
THE PROCESSION CONTINUES WITH MEMBERS OF
NYU Abu Dhabi Leadership
Offices of Student Affairs and Undergraduate Education
THE PROCESSION CONCLUDES WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE PLATFORM PARTY
NYU Abu Dhabi Faculty
PIPES AND DRUMS
Abu Dhabi Police Band
THE CHIEF MARSHAL
George Shubeita
Associate Professor of Physics
Global Network Associate Professor of Physics, Faculty of Arts and Science, NYU
TORCHBEARERS
Renata Espinosa Gonzalez, BS
Salem Al Jaberi, Class of 2027
The remaining members of the Platform Party include NYU and NYU Abu Dhabi leadership, student speakers, divisional deans, representatives of NYU’s Board of Trustees, and the ceremony’s guest speakers.
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
PRONOUNCEMENT
Arlie Petters
Provost
STUDENT WELCOME
Maryam Alkenji, BA
TRUSTEES WELCOME
Evan R. Chesler
Chair, NYU Board of Trustees
STUDENT SPEAKER
Revathi Angajan, BA
INTERIM VICE CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGE
Fabio Piano
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Mo Gawdat
Bestselling Author and Former Chief Business Officer of Google [X]
NYU PRESIDENT
Linda Mills
VIDEO TRIBUTE TO THE CLASS OF 2026
PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES
Deans representing each discipline will be called to the stage to present their candidates. The Provost will present each candidate with his or her diploma, and Interim Vice Chancellor Piano will then congratulate candidates on the awarding of their degrees. All candidates and guests are requested to remain seated until the end of the presentations.
ARTS AND HUMANITIES Awam Amkpa
ENGINEERING Ozgur Sinanoglu
SCIENCE Francesco Arneodo
SOCIAL SCIENCE Paula England
CEREMONY OF THE TORCH
The NYU torch, symbolizing “academic purpose and authority,” has been an integral part of the University’s identity since 1911, and a part of its commencement ceremonies since 1938. In 2014, members of the NYU Abu Dhabi Design Collective collaborated to create a torch for NYU Abu Dhabi, which, while remaining true to the structure of the original, incorporates elements drawn from local cultural heritage.
Likewise, the ceremony of the torch, inspired by the practice in New York by which a senior member of the faculty passes the torch to the youngest undergraduate degree candidate, has been adapted for NYU Abu Dhabi’s commencement. Here, a member of the graduating class passes the torch to a member of the following year’s graduating class.
CONFERRAL OF DEGREES
VIDEO OF CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2026
CLOSING SONG
“Feel It Happening”
Cast of The RealAD Show
RECESSIONAL
NYU New York Leadership
NYU Abu Dhabi Leadership
Keynote Speaker
Student Speakers
Presentation of NYU Abu Dhabi Piano Prize
Awarded to Aaima Rehman, Class of 2026
The Piano Prize is awarded annually to a senior graduating from NYU Abu Dhabi who best exemplifies Vice Chancellor Fabio Piano’s selfless devotion to science and to the well-being and excellence of our University. The Piano Prize will forever remind our academic community of the combined importance of research, excellence, and service in the life of NYUAD, on the model that Fabio Piano set for us as Provost in our first decade.
NYU Abu Dhabi Al Bloom Scholarship Announcement
Awarded to Meera AlZaabi, Class of 2027
Alfred H. Bloom Scholarship for Global Liberal Arts celebrates and commemorates the legacy of NYU Abu Dhabi's founding Vice-Chancellor. It is designated annually to one NYU Abu Dhabi third-year student to recognize their demonstrated commitment to the global liberal arts, as evidenced through excellence in cross-cultural communication and exchange, interdisciplinary studies, social impact and innovation, critical thinking, and experiential learning.
Presentation of NYU Abu Dhabi Alumni Leadership Award
Awarded to Dubai Abulhoul Alfalasi, Class of 2017
The Alumni Leadership Award honors an NYU Abu Dhabi graduate who continues to embody and expand the university’s values of collaboration, innovation, and service to make an impact beyond themselves. This recipient is a risk-taker who uses their professional and personal excellence to address humanity’s shared challenges in ways that inspire their colleagues, peers, and the NYUAD community.
Winton Group Prize Announcements
TheWinton Group, a UK-based quantitative investment manager, has awarded five prizes to support excellence in Science.
Academic Excellence in Mathematics Major: Awarded to Musa Khan, Class of 2026
Academic Excellence in Computer Science Major: Awarded to Mustafa Asif, Class of 2027
Academic Excellence in Physics Major: Awarded to Rana Ibrahim, Class of 2027
Demonstrated Commitment to Advancing Women in Science: Awarded to Iman Lilani, Chemistry, Class of 2026
Most Outstanding Doctoral Student in Science: Awarded to Fayrouz Abou Ibrahim, Chemistry, e, Class of 2026
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY HONORS SCHOLARS
The New York University Honors Scholar award (which is also known as the Founders’ Day Award at NYU’s Washington Square campus) is given to the top 40 percent of students in the graduating class. These students have emerged as exceptional scholars in NYU Abu Dhabi’s highly selective and competitive academic community. University Honors Scholars wear a gold tassel in place of the standard tassel during Commencement.
PHI BETA KAPPA
As a part of New York University, NYU Abu Dhabi’s top students are considered for membership in NYU’s chapter of The Phi Beta Kappa Society, the oldest academic honor society in the United States. Membership in Phi Beta Kappa shows commitment to the liberal arts and sciences, and to freedom of inquiry and expression. Weight is given to the breadth and depth of the student’s study in the liberal arts, and they are required to complete coursework in certain specified areas as well as exhibit good moral character. The final selection for membership is by a committee of faculty in New York who are themselves members of Phi Beta Kappa chapters.
GRADUATION HONORS
NYU Abu Dhabi, following the practice of US colleges and universities, awards honors based on the cumulative grade point average at the time of graduation. Summa cum laude (with highest honors) is awarded to the top 5 percent of students within each division. Magna cum laude (with high honors) is awarded to the next 10 percent of students within each division. Cum laude (with honors) is awarded to the next 15 percent of students within each division. As final grade point averages were not available at the time of printing, these awards will be posted to students’ records at a later date.
* New York University Honors Scholar, # Phi Beta Kappa
Arts and Humanities
Engineering
Science
Social Science
Academic Heraldry
The caps, gowns, and hoods worn today by participants in these Commencement exercises follow the tradition of the attire of teachers and students in the Middle Ages.
Those who have earned the bachelor’s degree wear a gown with a semi-stiff yoke, long pleated front, and intricate shirring across the shoulders and back; the gown is also distinguished by long, pointed sleeves. The holders of the master’s degree wear a similar gown, but the sleeve is square and closed at the end. Bachelor’s and master’s degree recipients wear the traditional square mortarboard with a black tassel. Honors Scholars, baccalaureate degree recipients who have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher based on a minimum of 30 graded credits, wear a distinctive gold tassel adorned with the New York University Honors Scholar emblem in cloisonné.
Those holding doctoral degrees wear gowns with broad velvet panels down the front. This velvet trimming may be either black or the color of the field of learning represented by the degree.
Much of the color and meaning of the costumes is found in the hoods worn by holders of doctoral and master’s degrees. These are silk-lined in the color(s) of the institution conferring the degree.
History of New York University
Since its founding in 1831, NYU has been an innovator in higher education, reaching out to an emerging middle class, embracing an urban identity and professional focus, and promoting a global vision that informs its 20 schools and colleges.
Today, that trailblazing spirit makes NYU one of the most prominent and respected research universities in the world, featuring top-ranked academic programs and accepting fewer than one in eight undergraduates. Anchored in New York City and with degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai as well as 12 study away sites throughout the world, NYU is a leader in global education, with more international students and more students studying abroad than any other US university.
NYU students come from nearly every state and 133 countries, and the university draws upon the diverse backgrounds of our faculty, staff, and students, ensuring its scholarship and teaching benefit from a wide range of perspectives. NYU takes seriously its role as an engine of social mobility, and stands out among the top US universities in its representation of low-income and first-generation students within its community.
The largest private research university in the US, NYU provides a rigorous, demanding education to more than 65,000 students and undertakes USD 1.27 billion in research annually. It counts among its faculty recipients of the highest scholarly honors and is a top producer of patents and revenue from licensing among US universities. NYU has a vast network of alumni who have gone on to succeed across professions, from the sciences to the arts and government, throughout the world.
History of New York University Abu Dhabi
The groundwork for NYU Abu Dhabi was laid well before the first class of undergraduates arrived. Conceived in 2007, the idea for the University was built on the goal to create a bold vision: to establish a world-class American liberal arts and research institution in the United Arab Emirates. One that would attract exceptional students and scholars from the UAE and around the world.
NYU Abu Dhabi launched its first community educational program in 2008: the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program. This annual nine-month enrichment program brings together outstanding undergraduate students from the UAE’s three federal universities, fostering academic excellence through intensive training in critical thinking and writing, leadership, and public speaking. Students apply these skills, knowledge, and insights throughout the program's core courses. In 2011, the University expanded its outreach with the Summer Academy, an 18-month program designed to strengthen the academic profiles of highly motivated Emirati high schoolers for top global universities. Students strengthen their writing, math, leadership, and public speaking skills, culminating in J-term style courses during their second summer.
Also in 2008, the NYUAD Institute hosted its inaugural public event, establishing a platform for intellectual and cultural exchange in Abu Dhabi. Since then, NUYAD has hosted more than 1,396 lectures, conferences, performances, and workshops, contributing significantly to the region’s academic and cultural landscape.
NYUAD's Research Institute serves to build critical mass in research areas of vital importance, ensuring the research endeavors of the University are not only academically rigorous but also economically and socially transformative. Since its inception in 2010, the Research Institute has sponsored 36 distinct projects, ranging from large-scale multidisciplinary centers to targeted feasibility studies. Bridging local relevance with global significance, the Research Institute projects to-date have collectively generated 3,000+ publications, 800+ conference proceedings, and 140+ books worldwide.
In 2010, NYU Abu Dhabi welcomed its inaugural undergraduate class at its downtown campus, marking the beginning of its academic journey. In 2014, the University moved to its permanent home on Saadiyat Island, providing a state-of-the-art environment for education, research, and community life. Over time, NYUAD has introduced more than 25 undergraduate majors across Arts and Humanities, Engineering, Science, and Social Science, and numerous multidisciplinary minors and specializations.
In 2013, Her Excellency Shamma Al Mazrui, the UAE’s Minister of Community Development and then a member of NYUAD’s senior class, became the University’s first Rhodes Scholar—an achievement that reflected the institution’s early academic distinction. Since then, 24 additional NYUAD students have been selected for the Rhodes, joining that same community of scholars at Oxford University.
The University’s commitment to creative industries was further demonstrated in 2015 with the launch of the Young Filmmakers Workshop, a collaboration with Image Nation Abu Dhabi. The program provides Emirati high school students with hands-on experience in storytelling, directing, and film production.
By 2021, NYU Abu Dhabi celebrated its tenth anniversary, marking a decade of remarkable growth. The University had expanded to a student body of more than 2,200 students from over 120 countries, speaking more than 115 languages. Its graduates have gone on to careers in leading global organizations and to further study at top institutions worldwide, with 94 percent employed or pursuing further education within six months of graduation.
As the University matured, it expanded beyond its undergraduate foundation into advanced and professional education. In 2019, NYUAD announced its first graduate programs—the MSc in Economics and the MFA in Art and Media—which launched in 2020, including the UAE’s first accredited MSc in Economics.
In 2023, the University entered a new phase of growth with the launch of Stern at NYUAD, introducing its first professional degree programs. In January 2025, the inaugural class of the One-Year Full-Time MBA began, bringing together more than 50 students from 25 countries, followed by the program’s first graduating cohort in December 2025. This momentum continues in 2026 with the arrival of a second MBA cohort and the launch of the Executive MBA, a 23-month program designed for senior leaders across the MENA region.
The PhD Pathways Program, launched in 2023, reflects NYUAD’s long-term commitment to developing future scholars and addressing the underrepresentation of Emiratis in academia by providing mentorship, research opportunities, and academic preparation for doctoral study.
Today, NYU Abu Dhabi stands as a leading global research university — rooted in the UAE, connected to the world, and continually evolving to shape the future of higher education through innovation, scholarship, and impact.
Acknowledgments
On behalf of NYU Abu Dhabi, the Office of External Relations and Communications wishes to extend its appreciation and gratitude to the many members of the NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU communities who have contributed to the 2026 Commencement ceremony.
THE REALAD SHOW CAST
Abdelrahman Mallasi
Alejandra Pérez
Clara Juong
Julie Beaulieu
Kelvin Mungai Murira
Maryam Alkenji
Mishka Parikh
NYU ABU DHABI TORCH DESIGN
Arfa Rehman, Class of 2015
Erin Meekhof, Class of 2014
Mariko Kuroda, Class of 2016
Goffredo Puccetti, Associate Professor of Practice of Visual Arts
NYU ABU DHABI SENIOR YEAR EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
Aalia Imran, Class of 2026
Dulce Maria Pop-Bonini, Class of 2026
Maryam Alkenji, Class of 2026
Reem Alhosani, Class of 2026
Sohaila Mohammed, Class of 2026
Sudiksha Kalepu, Class of 2026
NYU ABU DHABI OFFICES OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR AND PROVOST
NYU ABU DHABI STUDENT AFFAIRS
NYU ABU DHABI OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR
NYU ABU DHABI AUDIO VISUAL SERVICES
NYU ABU DHABI’S 2026 COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES ARE PRODUCED BY THE OFFICE OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS