Commencement 2026

Class of 2026 Undergraduate Commencement (Photo Credit: Magali Gruet)

Class Of 2026 Trojan Engineers Tasked As Trustworthy Problem-Solvers As They Launch Next Chapter

From 35 countries and equipped with the skills to advance their chosen field of engineering, the Viterbi Class of 2026 gathered to celebrate degrees earned across oceans, languages, and cultures.

Students at the master's celebration, photo: Magali Gruet

Ingenuity and Perseverance: USC Viterbi Master's Graduates Are Ready For The Toughest Challenges

More than 3,500 engineering students gathered at the Galen Center on May 15 to celebrate the USC Viterbi School of Engineering's Class of 2026 master's commencement ceremonies, marked by keynote addresses.

USC Viterbi Ph.D. graduates at Bovard Auditorium commencement

At USC Viterbi, 170 newly minted Ph.Ds. stepped forward toward a bright future

The Class of 2026 gathered at Bovard Auditorium to celebrate years of research, discovery and impact.

First in the Family, 1,500 Miles from Campus, One Hospital Shift at a Time

The first in her family to earn a bachelor's and a graduate degree, this USC Viterbi graduate completed her Master's in Medical Imaging and Imaging Informatics from Dallas, Texas, working full-time and 1,500 miles from campus, with an entire family ready to fly in and watch her cross the stage.

She Chose Impact Over Expectation, and Found Her Voice at USC

Raised near campus but worlds away from it, this first-generation Eritrean American found her calling in a major she had never heard of, earned a full-ride scholarship, and is graduating this May with two Viterbi degrees and a commencement speech to deliver.

Maggie Johnson (Photo/Courtesy of Maggie Johnson)

Maggie Johnson: A Winner In The Classroom and In The Pool

From a rivalry win over UCLA to one of the Big Ten's highest academic honors, the USC women's water polo captain and USC Viterbi graduating senior is redefining what leadership looks like.

The winning student team, Fire Warden, with Santanu K. Das

Fire, Water, Data: Elements of an Engineer-Entrepreneur's Education

Mitchell Kirby has a talent for converting civil and environmental engineering concepts into promising business models. As he prepares to graduate, he's chosen to bet on a venture that takes him back to his roots.

Alexandra Somodi (Photo/Courtesy of Alexandra Somodi)

From "Magic" Hats to Medical Breakthroughs: Alexandra Somodi Engineers Joy and Impact

The graduating USC Viterbi senior blends research, leadership and musical theater to create, contribute and connect

Four Engineers, One Family: The Bristow Brothers Bring It Home at USC

When Duke and Wellington Bristow cross the stage this May, they'll be completing something their father started decades ago - a family tradition of engineering that's now four members deep.

From Maui to Medicine, Viterbi Helped Her Chart Her Own Path

The daughter of Turkish immigrant physicians, Maui-raised Alara Berkmen is graduating from USC Viterbi with a bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering on the pre-med track, a business club she built from scratch, and a hard-won clarity about who she wants to be and why.

From First-Gen Engineer to PwC: A Four-Year Yes Strategy

The first engineer in her family, this Industrial & Systems Engineering graduate from USC Viterbi's Daniel J. Epstein Department is heading to PwC this fall - with two degrees, a passport full of band trips, and a philosophy she learned the hard way.

Engineering Lift-Off: Four Years of Flight, Research, and Curiosity

From building LEGO airplanes as a kid to winning back-to-back AIAA regional awards and co-founding USC's Human-Powered Flight Research Team, Long Beach native Nicholas Lototsky is finishing his bachelor's in Aerospace Engineering at USC Viterbi the same way he started it: full throttle.

Graduating Engineer, Boston Marathon Qualifier: She Turned Running into a System for Success

For graduating USC Viterbi senior Avery Gonzales, engineering and running follow the same logic: break the system down, find inefficiencies and keep improving. That mindset has taken her from a struggling 8th grader to a Boston Marathon qualifier, and from ISE student to a future full-time role at United Airlines.

Built Different: How a Lima Factory Girl Earned Her Viterbi Degree

Having earned her Bachelor's in Industrial & Systems Engineering in December 2025, this USC Viterbi graduate is now crossing the finish line of her Master's in Engineering Management - and she's just getting started.

From Rocket Engines To Restaurant Kitchens: Jose Hernandez's Relentless Pursuit of Better

Graduating USC Viterbi master's student Jose Hernandez applies a systems mindset and tenacity to everything he does-with results.

Thinking Fast and Slow: How to Turn a PhD into a Startup Incubator

Graduating PhD candidate Abel Salinas used his time at USC Information Sciences Institute to develop CommonGround: an AI platform that helps organizations forecast violence and civil unrest, enabling them to proactively protect people, operations and supply chains.

Team MatterFlow Triumph at the Das Family Innovate x LA Student Competition

A student startup concept for sorting trash at large-scale venues scooped the top prize at the Das Family Innovate X LA Competition, where students apply civil & environmental engineering concepts to develop high-impact urban solutions for Los Angeles and beyond.

From USC to Big Tech: Apple, Amazon, Nvidia Among Top Employers of USC Engineering Alumni, New Data Shows

Across USC Viterbi and Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, alumni point to industry-aligned courses, hands-on learning, powerful Trojan network and reputable faculty lineup as key drivers of career success in a competitive job market

USC Viterbi Startup Showcase Awards $150K to Student Ventures

From healthcare diagnostics to electric mobility, founders pitched real-world solutions at USC Viterbi's inaugural Startup Showcase.

NeuroChron: Detecting Dementia Before Symptoms Appear

A graduating team of seniors at USC's Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering have turned a class assignment into a startup - one with the potential to change how doctors assess and treat neurodegenerative disease.