Visionary leader behind AI tech delivers keynote, receives honorary doctorate

PITTSBURGH, May 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnegie Mellon University conferred more than 5,800 undergraduate and graduate degrees at its 128th Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 10. Bridging the gap between technological innovation and the transformative power of the arts, these new alumni are ready to address society's most urgent needs with the bold, collaborative spirit that defines the Carnegie Mellon experience.

Founder and CEO of NVIDIA Jensen Huang, received an honorary Doctor of Science and Technology degree and delivered an inspiring keynote address, articulating lessons learned and offering advice to graduates entering a world of accelerating change.

"You are entering the world at an extraordinary moment. A new industry is being born. A new era of science and discovery is beginning. AI will accelerate the expansion of human knowledge and help solve problems once beyond our reach," he said. "No generation has entered the world with more powerful tools — or greater opportunities — than you. We are all standing at the same starting line. This is your moment to help shape what comes next. So run. Don't walk."

Huang, who has earned a spot on multiple "most influential people" lists in recent years, shared stories from his more than three decades at NVIDIA — a powerhouse underpinning the world's most advanced AI and accelerated computing. He met with a group of Carnegie Mellon University students prior to the ceremony to learn about their interests and to see research projects they've helped to develop during their time at CMU. In his address, Huang encouraged graduates to stay dedicated to their pursuits with unwavering determination.

"Carnegie Mellon has a motto I love: My heart is in the work. So, put your heart in the work. Build something worthy of your education, your potential, and the people who believed in you long before the world did," he said. "We have the opportunity to close the technology divide — and bring the power of computing and intelligence to billions of people for the very first time. To reindustrialize America and restore our capacity to build. And to help create a future more abundant, more capable, and more hopeful than the world you inherited."

Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian introduced Huang, praising him for continuing to advance a vision of technology as a powerful tool for amplifying what people can create, discover and achieve.

"His influence extends far beyond the technology sector, with tools and platforms that are empowering researchers, practitioners, students, creators and entrepreneurs around the globe to tackle increasingly complex challenges and unlock new possibilities," Jahanian said.

Inspired by the late Carnegie Mellon professor and Nobel laureate Herb Simon, Jahanian urged graduates to be actors, not spectators, and to shape the future through lifelong learning, open dialogue and faith in humanity.

He went on to offer a parting charge before congratulating members of the Class of 2026 on their accomplishments.

"When the landscape shifts beneath you, make the world your classroom; your canvas; your laboratory; and your stage," Jahanian said. "Consider all the people who have contributed to your success today and remember to enrich the lives of others in the same way."

Simi Olusola-Ajayi, a graduating master's student in Human-Computer Interaction who represented her class at the ceremony, exemplifies Jahanian's charge. In her remarks, she shared her story about discovering a new path at Carnegie Mellon and exploring the middle — "the space between who we thought we would be and who we are becoming right now."

"I do not know what middles we will find ourselves navigating next. What rooms we will walk into. What adventures we will stumble into or charge into headfirst. But we get to do so with a masterclass subscription that never expires," Olusola-Ajayi said. "We get to show up in every room, in every middle, in ways only a Carnegie Mellon education could have prepared us for."

Her words resonated with Keenan Norton, a newly minted alumnus and Fulbright Scholar with a degree in chemical engineering, environmental and sustainability studies, and Hispanic studies.

"I am equipped with the cultural and political humility that will be required of the engineers of the future to fight for good in ways that are meaningful for and considerate of all stakeholders," Norton said.

Beverly Da Costa, the first recipient of Carnegie Mellon's Bachelor of Science in Robotics degree, joined the group of students who met with Huang on Sunday morning.

As graduation approached, she reflected on her time at CMU forging her own new path for the future.

"Problem-solving has been baked into every single class here, and I don't just mean math problems. I mean resourcefulness," she said of her CMU experience.

She noted lab research exposed her to the full complexity of real robotic systems — from wiring and electronics to code, testing and failures — while her classes reinforced those lessons through hands-on, experiential learning rather than theory alone.

"That bakes the memories and lessons into your brain in a way that sticks, especially the mistakes," she said. "I feel ready for what's next."

In addition to celebrating its newest alumni, Carnegie Mellon University recognized four prominent leaders during the ceremony. CMU Provost James H. Garrett Jr. conferred honorary degrees upon Huang, as well as 2026 Tony Awards Nominee Broadway producer and CMU alumna Jamie deRoy, International Poetry Forum founder Samuel Hazo and Nobel laureate in economic sciences Thomas Sargent.

About Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon is a private, internationally ranked research university with acclaimed programs spanning the sciences, engineering, technology, business, public policy, humanities and the arts. Our diverse community of scholars, researchers, creators and innovators is driven to make real-world impacts that benefit people across the globe. With an unconventional, interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial approach, we do the work that matters.

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