Drexel's 2026 Commencement Program
This printable program booklet includes a listing of all 2026 degree recipients.
Ceremony Schedule
- Processional
- National Anthem
- Announcement of the Assembly
- Greetings from the Class of 2026
- Student Recognition
- Keynote Address
- Individual Recognition of Graduates
- Salute to Parents, Families and Faculty
- Recessional
Ceremony Speakers
Keynote Speaker: Doc Parghi, BS '92, MBA '98
Undergraduate Speaker: John Purisima, entrepreneurship and innovation '26
Message from the Dean
Welcome to the Charles D. Close School graduating class of 2026. Together, we join you in celebrating this milestone and share in your sense of pride as you join the ranks of our Close School alumni. Graduation is a moment of change, growth and transition — and we are certain that you will embrace this new step in your life with an entrepreneurial spirit, with resilience, optimism and the knowledge and skills that you developed during your time here at the Close School. You are entrepreneurs in the true sense of the word, and we couldn't be more excited to see you start the next phase of your entrepreneurial journey.
With best wishes,
Donna Marie De Carolis, PhD
Founding Dean
Silverman Family Professor of Entrepreneurial Leadership
About the Keynote Speaker
Doc Parghi, BS '92, MBA '98, is a venture capitalist with operational experience running and scaling businesses globally. Parghi is a partner with SRI Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm. With more than 30 investments, SRI Capital provides funding, advice and liquidity solutions to early-stage startups primarily in enterprise software and deep tech. Previously, Parghi was the global general manager of the mobility, social, and IoT business unit at CSC (now DXC Technology), with complete responsibility for building the business globally. DXC (NYSE: DXC) is a $20 billion IT services and consulting company.
Parghi was on the founding team at AppLabs, the world's largest independent software testing company with more than 2,500 QA professionals in US, UK and India. He helped lead AppLabs through various transformations into what became the largest company of its kind. AppLabs was funded by Sequoia Capital and acquired by CSC, providing Sequoia with a sizeable return. Parghi was involved with other early-stage companies prior to AppLabs, including iCoop (group purchasing dotcom).
Parghi is a member of the boards at Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Bunker Labs. In addition, Parghi is a co-founder of Broad Street Angels and is a founding member of TiE-Philadelphia. Parghi also serves as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) for Pennsylvania-East, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of the Army. CASAs provide individual advice to the secretary of the army, the chief of staff and commanders at all levels.
You're a Forever Dragon Now!
Don't Miss the University-Wide Commencement on June 11!
We hope you'll join us for this special event at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, June 11 at 5 p.m. We look forward to celebrating our graduates at the University-wide Commencement ceremony, where our newest Forever Dragons will get the chance to participate in a procession around the baseball field and have their degrees conferred before being officially welcomed into the ranks of Drexel alumni.