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Commencement
Get Excited Class of 2026!
Get excited, Titans! We are looking forward to celebrate you on May 8 and May 9, 2026.
Commencement Mass
Friday, May 8
Commencement Mass is an integral part of the Commencement activities. Candidates and guests of all faiths are invited to join this Catholic Mass thanking God for our blessings and praying for the future.
Mass for all three campuses — Dental, Law and McNichols — begins at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom, located on the McNichols Campus.
Socials and Staying Connected
Share photos and videos on social media by tagging @detmercy on or and using #DetroitMercy2026.
Remember to update your email and mailing address for access to event invitations, monthly alumni e-newsletters, our alumni magazine Spiritus twice a year and other important University updates and opportunities. Stay connected with your classmates with Forever Titans.
Congratulations, Class of 2026 and GO TITANS!
Commencement Speakers
Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, CM — Undergrad, Graduate
Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, CM, is the Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Fellow of Church Leadership at Catholic Theological Union and a principal with Nygren Consulting. He is the chancellor and former president of DePaul University, the nation's largest Catholic university, where he grew the university to 25,000 students, added 70 new academic programs, and positioned it among U.S. News & World Report's Top 25 Most Innovative Universities.
A former board chair and then COO of Ascension, Holtschneider presided over the transformation of Ascension Health into an umbrella organization of 12 health-related companies supporting a health delivery system of 100,000 health care professionals in 24 states, the largest non-for-profit and Catholic health system in the country.
In 2017, Holtschneider was elected president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, representing the nation's 200 Catholic universities to the federal government, overseeing its sector research, training programs and establishing a consulting firm specializing in the needs of Catholic universities.
He grew up across the street from Mercy College’s campus on Outer Drive and his parents met at University of Detroit where they were both members of the ski club.
Judith Jones, D.D.S. — Dental
Judith Jones is a professor at Detroit Mercy Dental where she focuses on dental care for older patients, oral health disparities, and reducing risk for oral diseases in populations. Her interests include efficacy and effectiveness of oral health care and the impact of oral conditions on health and quality of life.
After earning her D.D.S. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she completed a Dentist-Geriatric Fellowship Program with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. She directed the VA Geriatric Fellowship Program, the Geriatric Dental Program and served as chief of the Dental Service.
Her honors include a VA Career Development Award in Health Services Research, the Distinguished Scientist Award in Geriatric Oral Research from the International Association for Dental Research, and the American Dental Education Association’s Gies Award for Outstanding Innovation for a Dental Educator. Jones is a passionate advocate for the inclusion of dental care in Medicare.
Brian Zahra '87 — Law
Justice Brian K. Zahra was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to the Michigan Supreme Court on Jan. 14, 2011. He has been subsequently elected to the post three times.
Zahra graduated with honors from the University of Detroit School of Law, where he served as a member of the Law Review. He served as law clerk to Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, a partner in the law firm of Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen & Freeman, and as a judge in the Wayne County Circuit Court and the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Justice Zahra has served on many professional and legislative committees and in 2021, was appointed chair of the Justice for All Commission, a diverse group of state leaders and access to justice advocates that works to improve access to the civil justice system. He has taught many Michigan law schools, including Detroit Mercy Law.
Zahra has been active in many civic and charitable organizations, including Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, Kiwanis Club International, Leadership Detroit, the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Lawyers Society.