Cal Poly Commencement 2026 Ceremonies Set for June 13-14
Contact: Cynthia Lambert, Student Affairs Communications | cmlamber@calpoly.edu
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly will celebrate 7,526 students who are eligible to graduate at the university’s commencement ceremonies Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and 14, at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
About 57,000 guests are expected across the six college ceremonies, which will be held at 8:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. each weekend day. Each ceremony is expected to last two to 2.5 hours and will be live streamed. In addition, expanded language interpretation services will be available to ensure all families and supporters can fully participate in this meaningful celebration.
The Class of 2026 will join more than 230,000 Cal Poly Proud alumni making an impact in their communities, in California and across the nation and the world.
“Commencement is a great day for our graduates, where we celebrate and recognize their years of dedication and hard work,” Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong said. “It’s also an opportunity to recognize the families, friends, teachers, mentors and peers whose support helped our graduates succeed.
“Some will begin careers. Others will embark on advanced degree programs. Whatever the destination, we know that they will carry Learn by Doing forward throughout their professions and lives to become leaders and innovators while working to make the world a better place.”
Honorary Degrees and President’s Medal
The CSU trustees award the Honorary Degree to individuals who have demonstrated excellence in areas that benefit CSU campuses, the state, nation, world and humanity. The President’s Medal of Excellence is Cal Poly’s highest honor, reserved for individuals who have made extraordinary and lasting contributions to the university and to society at large. It has only been granted a handful of times in Cal Poly history.
College of Engineering
His Excellency Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
His Excellency Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during the College of Engineering ceremony at 12:30 p.m. June 13. His Excellency, who graduated with honors from Cal Poly with a degree in industrial engineering, is one of the Arab World’s most influential business and philanthropic leaders. In 2025, he was recognized on the TIME100 Philanthropy list as one of the world’s 100 most influential philanthropists, an acknowledgment of his unwavering commitment to empowering youth, advancing education, and fostering innovation that shapes a better future.
His Excellency is the chairman of the board of directors of Mashreq Bank. He was the CEO of Mashreq for nearly 30 years and under his leadership, Mashreq grew from a small local bank to a leading customer centric financial institution in the region known for its innovative products and services.
His Excellency serves as the chairman of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, one of the region’s largest private philanthropic foundations, committed to empowering Emirati and Arab youth through transformative education opportunities, so they can shape their future and uplift their communities. Under his leadership, the foundation has positively transformed the lives of over 400,000 young people to date.
Bailey College of Science and Mathematics
Two individuals will receive honorary Doctor of Science degrees during the Bailey College of Science and Mathematics ceremony at 12:30 p.m.
William Frost
William L. Frost is a successful business leader and transformative philanthropist whose gifts are reshaping undergraduate science and mathematics education at Cal Poly.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from Cal Poly in 1972 and is the former owner of Chemlogics, a Paso Robles-based company. He and his wife, Linda, are prominent residents of San Luis Obispo with long-standing ties to Cal Poly and a commitment to support science and mathematics education.
In 2017, the Frosts made the largest gift in the history of the California State University to support education and research in Cal Poly’s Bailey College of Science and Mathematics. It included the lead gift for the William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation, a 102,000-square-foot facility with advanced labs, classrooms and research spaces for the Bailey College and the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. It also established a substantial endowment to support undergraduate research in the Bailey College with student scholarships, summer research stipends and cutting-edge equipment and instrumentation.
Mike Krukow
Mike Krukow, nicknamed "Kruk," is an Emmy Award-winning sportscaster and former professional baseball player. As a starting pitcher, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants. He also played for the Cal Poly Mustangs, where he holds the school record for career earned run average at 1.94 and is tied for most shutouts in a season with five.
He began a television and radio broadcast career in 1990 working for the Giants and is one half of the popular "Kruk and Kuip" duo, alongside his friend and former teammate Duane Kuiper. Mr. Krukow was named California’s 2015, 2017 and 2023 Sportscaster of the Year, as selected by the National Sports Media Association. He has received 13 Emmy awards and was inducted into the Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987.
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Charles Harrington
Charles (Chuck) L. Harrington will receive a President’s Medal of Excellence during the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences ceremony at 8:30 a.m. June 13. Harrington served as chairman, CEO and president of Parsons Corporation, a technology services company in the global defense, intelligence and critical infrastructure markets until his retirement in 2022. During his tenure, he transformed Parsons from a traditional engineering and construction firm into a technology-driven enterprise focused on defense, intelligence and critical infrastructure solutions. He led the company through its successful 2019 IPO.
Beyond Parsons, he has served on several corporate and nonprofit boards, underscoring his strong commitment to governance, education and civic leadership. Harrington has served as chair of the Cal Poly President’s Council of Advisors and as vice chair of the Cal Poly Foundation board of directors. He is an honored alumnus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and received an honorary doctorate from Cal Poly. Harrington earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from Cal Poly in 1981.
Additional Information
Language Interpretation and Additional Guest Services
This year’s commencement will offer real-time language interpretation services in Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog, Korean and Hindi. A designated seating area, Section 111 in Spanos Stadium, will be reserved for guests requesting interpretation or ASL services.
However, interpretation can be accessed from any section of the stadium. Guests can simply scan a QR code to access live translations directly on their personal devices, with no downloads or additional equipment required. Headphones will also be available at no cost for those who need them.
Additional guest services will be available at Kennedy Library from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. June 13 and 14, including livestream viewing in Room 103, restrooms, water fill stations, lactation and baby changing rooms, vending machines and air conditioning.
Parking
Although parking permits are not required for commencement weekend, campus parking will be highly impacted because of the expected large crowds. For information on alternative transportation, parking lots and shuttles, visit commencement.calpoly.edu/spring#parking.
Members of the media can park in the C1 lot off Campus Way. Media badges can be picked up in the weight room of the John Madden Football Center. For more on parking lot locations, visit maps.calpoly.edu.
Safety and Security
A clear bag policy will be in effect in Spanos Stadium for graduates and guests. This limits individuals to one clear bag or small clutch per person (12 x 6 x 12 clear bag, 12 x 12 Ziploc, or 4.5 x 8.5 clutch). Diaper bags and medically necessary items/bags are permitted but will go through a thorough search process.
All graduates and guests will walk through metal detectors before entering Spanos Stadium. For additional safety and security information, including a list of prohibited items, visit commencement.calpoly.edu/spring.
Ceremony Schedule
Saturday, June 13, 2026
- 8:30 a.m. — College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
- 12:30 p.m. — College of Engineering, Ceremony A*
*Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering Management, Environmental Engineering, Fire Protection Engineering, General Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
- 4:30 p.m. — College of Engineering, Ceremony B**, Noyce School of Applied Computing
**Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering.
Sunday, June 14, 2026
8:30 a.m. — Orfalea College of Business
12:30 p.m. — College of Architecture and Environmental Design and the Bailey College of Science and Mathematics
4:30 p.m. — College of Liberal Arts
For additional details, including live streaming of the ceremonies, visit: commencement.calpoly.edu/spring.
At a Glance: The Class of 2026
- Total number of eligible graduates: 7,526
- Total number of eligible degrees: 101
- Eligible undergraduate degrees: 69
- Eligible graduate degrees: 32
Degree Breakdown by College
Bailey College of Science and Mathematics
- Undergraduate degrees: 852
- Graduate degrees: 112
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
- Undergraduate degrees: 1,126
- Graduate degrees: 113
College of Architecture and Environmental Design
- Undergraduate degrees: 514
- Graduate degrees: 36
College of Engineering
- Undergraduate degrees: 1,875
- Graduate degrees: 389
College of Liberal Arts
- Undergraduate degrees: 1,190
Graduate degrees: 62
Orfalea College of Business
- Undergraduate degrees: 1,117
- Graduate degrees: 140
Top 10 Undergraduate Degrees
- Business Administration - 940
- Mechanical Engineering - 478
- Computer Science - 398
- Electrical Engineering - 224
- Biological Sciences - 214
- Animal Science - 189
- Civil Engineering - 182
- Computer Engineering - 179
- Biomedical Engineering - 171
- Psychology - 169
Top 10 Graduate Degrees
- Computer Science - 98
- Mechanical Engineering - 97
- Electrical Engineering - 91
- Civil and Environmental Engineering - 70
- Business Analytics - 59
- Business Administration - 54
- Biomedical Engineering - 53
- Aerospace Engineering - 44
- Engineering Management - 43
-
Agricultural Education - 40
Top photo: A Cal Poly graduate smiles as gold and green mylar ribbons rain down at the 2022 commencement ceremony at Alex G. Spanos Stadium. This year, more than 7,500 undergraduate and masters students will be honored from six colleges.
Cal Poly photo by Joe Johnston
