School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics Convocation
May 16, 2026
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
To Our Graduates
Today you are graduates of the University of Illinois.
This is a remarkable achievement, and we are thrilled to celebrate the occasion with you.
Commencement is a joyous and deeply symbolic event for all, including the faculty members, staff, family, friends, and others who have supported you on your journey. As members of the Class of 2026, you have overcome many challenges to earn your degree.
Congratulations, and we look forward to learning of your future success.
Order of Exercises
4:30 p.m., May 16, 2026
Prelude
Sycamore Brass
Procession
Welcome
Dr. Mariselle Meléndez
Director of the School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics
Land Acknowledgment
Dr. Mariselle Meléndez
Director of the School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics
As a land-grant institution, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a responsibility to acknowledge the historical context in which it exists. We are currently on the lands of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Peankashaw, Wea, Miami, Mascoutin, Odawa, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Chickasaw Nations. It is necessary for us to acknowledge these Native Nations and for us to work with them as we move forward as an institution with Native peoples at the core of our efforts.
Greetings from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dr. Antony Augoustakis
Associate Dean for Humanities and Interdisciplinary Programs, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Convocation Speaker
(Introduction by Dr. Valeria Sobol, Associate Director of the School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics)
Dr. Jessica Nicholas
Managing Advocate for the Community Legal Access Workshops Program at The Immigration Project
Presentation of Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral Degree Candidates
Closing Remarks
Dr. Mariselle Meléndez
Director of the School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics
Singing of "Hail to the Orange"
Hail to the Orange,
Hail to the Blue!
Hail Alma Mater,
Ever so true.
We love no other,
So let our motto be,
Victory! Illinois, Varsity!
Recession of Faculty and Graduates
Sycamore Brass
Academic Dress
Academic dress, consisting of cap, gown, and hood, originated about the twelfth century and was worn primarily for warmth. Subsequently, the material of the gown and lining, and the shape of the hood, represented the economic and social, as well as academic status of the wearer.
In the United States, the great majority of the academic costumes now worn are in accordance with the general provisions of the Intercollegiate Code of 1895, which was revised in 1932 and again in 1960. Under this code, the bachelor’s gown has pointed sleeves, the master’s gown has oblong sleeves with an arc at the bottom, and the doctor’s gown has bell-shaped sleeves. All gowns are black, although the adoption of colored gowns by individual institutions in the United States is becoming more prevalent.
The bachelor’s and master’s gowns are untrimmed. The doctor’s gown is faced down the front with velvet and has three bars of velvet across the sleeves. The facing and bars may be black or may be the color of the subject to which the degree pertains. The bachelor’s gown is worn closed; the master’s and doctor’s gowns may be worn open or closed.
Hoods are also black. The bachelor’s hood is 3 feet in length, the master’s is 3 ½ feet, and the doctor’s is 4 feet. Hoods are lined with the official color or colors of the college or university conferring the degree. At the University of Illinois, the lining is orange and blue. The colored velvet border of the hood, which is 2 inches, 3 inches, and 5 inches wide for the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctor’s degree respectively, identifies the faculty or field of study to which the degree pertains.
The black mortarboard cap is standard in the United States. Usually, all tassels are black, but where the graduating seniors do not wear hoods, as at the University of Illinois, the color of the cap tassel indicates the department of study. At the University of Illinois, candidates for degrees wear tassels on the right front quadrant of their caps before degrees are conferred, and move them to the left front quadrant after degrees are conferred. Caps are considered a part of the costume and are customarily removed only during an invocation or benediction, and then by men only.
For all academic purposes, including trimmings of doctor’s gowns, edging of hoods, tassels of caps, and linings of banners, there are different colors associated with the different disciplines. The color for Liberal Arts & Sciences is white.
Caps and gowns were worn for the first time at the University of Illinois Commencement ceremony of 1897. In the early 1900s the Commencement procession marched up Burrill Avenue to the old Armory. After diplomas were received, the procession marched back to the lawn south of Green Street. The seniors sang the State song and “Auld Lang Syne” before they said good-bye to each other and the campus.
Participating Faculty & Staff
Faculty
- Antony Augoustakis, Associate Dean for Humanities and Interdisciplinary Programs, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
- Sophie Ben Menni Schular
- Melissa Bowles
- Rodrigo Delgado
- Jonathan Dunn
- Zsuzsanna Fagal
- Petra Goedegebuure
- Waïl Hassan
- Tanya Ionin
- Marcus Keller
- Jude Krushnowski
- Richard Layton
- Silvina Montrul
- Patricia Phillips
- Gian Piero Persiani
- Anke Pinkert
- Eleonora Stoppino
- Ariana Traill
- Charles Webster
- Peter Wright
- Alexandra Yazeva
- Longhui Zou
Marshals
- Marcia Bellafiore
- Robb Larson
- Zach Reed
- Jessy Ruddell
- Alana Smith
- Ryan Snyder
- Linh Tran
School Director
Mariselle Meléndez
Director, School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics
Valeria Sobol
Associate Director, School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics
Department Heads and Program Directors
Ariana Traill
Head, Department of Classics
Waïl Hassan
Head, Department of Comparative & World Literature
Shao Dan
Head, Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures
Eleonora Stoppino
Interim Head, Department of French & Italian
Jude Krushnowski
Director, World Language Teacher Education
Anke Pinkert
Head, Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures
Tania Ionin
Head, Department of Linguistics
Richard A. Layton
Acting Head, Department of Religion
Xun Yan
Interim Director, Program in Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education
David Cooper
Head, Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures
Melissa Bowles
Head, Department of Spanish & Portuguese
Ryan Shosted
Director, Program in Translation & Interpreting Studies
Graduates and Candidates
Lists are organized by degree and then by major. Not all graduates listed are participating in today’s ceremony.
Bachelor of Arts or Sciences
Classics
- Rachel Brunner (Classical Civilizations, +Political Science)
- Preston Dedi (Classical Civilizations)
- Paul Lee (Classical Languages)
- Tyson Madsen (Classical Civilizations)
- Percy Moser (Classical Languages, &Aerospace Engineering)
Comparative & World Literature
- Annika Alfaro (Comparative Literature, +Classics)
- Andrea Gerald (World Literature, +Political Science)
- Lauren Kaeb (World literature, +Sociology)
- Sabrina Longo (World Literature)
- Julia Roani Baruffi (World Literature)
Computer Science & Linguistics
- Saad Ahmad
- Murray Ahmed
- Aryan Amberkar
- Simon Anari
- Marcus Cai
- Kinjal Chaudhari
- Man Geun Chun
- Jaydon Fleisch
- Jack Fleishman
- Keene Huynh
- Hyeonjin Kim
- Yaash Kokkalera
- Steven Li
- Sky Liu
- Emma Maxwell
- Aadhiraj Nayar
- Josh RamanathanU P
- Anisha Rao
- Shreya Rao
- Ojas Rayaprolu
- Nivedita Rethnakar
- Rachel Roberts
- Eitaro Sakurayama
- Emma Shu
- Benedict Smith
- Lucy Wu
- Tommy Yeon
- June Yoo
- Leyi Zhang
- Kenny Zhou
- Alan Zhukovsky
East Asian Languages & Cultures
- Rayman Franks
- Tommy Holland (+History)
- Sierra Jensen (+Creative Writing)
- Sophia KumagaiJ (+Political Science)
- Jensamee Mathers
- Tea Patterson (+Psychology)
- Alexis Rivera
- Zhiyuan Song
- Kaylie Tribble
- Jessica Wetzel (+Psychology)
- Peter Yoon
French
- Jolie ArmstrongJ (French Studies, +Psychology)
- Maddie Conrad (French Studies, &Physics)
German Studies
- Lauren Cortez (German Culture and Literature, +Communication)
- Amiah Hester (German Culture and Literature, +Mathematics)
- Leoni ReillyH (German Studies, &Theatre)
- Alonso Rodriguez (German Business and Commercial Studies)
Linguistics
- Nuh Abdur-Rahman
- Theodore Aramovich
- Magdalena Beczko (+Psychology)
- Raleigh Bowman
- Theo Brady
- Brendan Burke
- William Cashman
- Zaavon Christie
- Lincoln Dickens
- Aidan Foshay (+Psychology)
- Ruby GoodmanLee
- Phillip Hutcherson
- Isabella Ippolito
- Aleksandra Korza (+Psychology)
- Amanda LiH J
- Salma Lopez
- Abbey Mullen
- Cameron Roberts
- Nicole Wee (+East Asian Languages & Cultures)
- Lilyanna WilliamsH
- Kiwin Wu (+Psychology)
- Shuyi Wu
- Shiyuan Zhang
Linguistics and Teaching ESL
- Trista Hansen
Slavic Studies
- Isidora KosticJ (South Slavic Studies, +Psychology)
Spanish
- Edwin Bahena
- Elisabeth BarthJ
- Michael Caplan (+Psychology)
- Sophie Castro (&Advertising)
- Anna Craddock (+Integrative Biology)
- Shane Crean (+Global Studies)
- Jessica Cruz (+Psychology)
- Isabella De La Torre (+Psychology)
- Tom DrabikU P (+Political Science)
- Darby EloJ (+Political Science)
- Lauren Gabis (+Psychology)
- Maria Garcia
- Yahayra Gutierrez-Marquez (&Advertising)
- Iliana Heredia
- Leah Jacobs (+Psychology)
- Felix Jacquat (&Architectural Studies)
- Maggie Jewell (+Psychology)
- Vanessa Joya (&Kinesiology)
- Isabel JungU (+Global Studies)
- Margaret Lennon (+Political Science)
- Juan Lopez (+Psychology)
- Aamin Mahdi (+Integrative Biology)
- Leslie Martinez (+Sociology)
- Janessa MosquedaH J (+Psychology)
- Yaxeny Munoz (&Social Work)
- Andrea Palacio (+Linguistics)
- Kami Parker (+Global Studies)
- Rebecca PetersJ (+Anthropology)
- Sammy QuinonesJ (+Political Science)
- Quetzaly Ramos Castaneda
- Ronaldo Reyes
- Pedro Rojas
- Amira Ruperto (+Global Studies)
- Peter Rybinski (+Economics)
- Jimena SaldanaU J (+Psychology)
- Eduardo Sanchez (+Economics)
- Alyssa Schulz (+English)
- Maggie Smith (+Psychology)
- Angelly Sorto Licona
- Azariah Sutherland
- Charlotte Sveen (+English)
- Yiwen Tao (+French, French Studies)
- Halie Thompson (+Psychology)
- Olivia Thompson (+Communication)
- Liz ValdiviaJ (+Psychology)
- Tiarah VickersJ (+Mathematics)
- Daniel Volpe Chavez (+Global Studies)
- Victoria Waunn (+Communication)
- Queenie Yu (+Global Studies)
Teaching of French
- John Armenta
Teaching of German
- Allene Hari
- Charlie Mayschak
- Meredyth Morin
Teaching of Spanish
- Ava AbbottJ
- Jimena Lopez
- Lesly Perez Landa
- Natalie Varela
Honors Key
Concentrations and additional majors / degrees are listed in parentheses. Double majors within the School are listed according to the first major.
+ Double major
& Dual degree
U Bronze Tablet Awardee (University)
J James Scholar
H Chancellor’s Scholars in Campus Honors Program
P Phi Beta Kappa
Master of Arts
East Asian Languages & Cultures
- James Jagiello
- David Wallace
French
- Michele Djemwel Biscene
German
- Elisa Fiorini
- Ryan Horn
Italian
- Edoardo Medri
Linguistics
- Sibel Arikoglu
- Tai Armstrong
- Haneul Choi
- Cory Lemke
- Mikaela Luzia Martins
- Melika Rajabi
- Eleanor Sand
- Anna Stephanov
Religion
- Maxine Katz
- Neil Van Kanegan
- Kongyan Voo
- Amy Werkheiser
Slavic Languages & Literatures
- Karina Povsteva
Spanish
- Jaylene Canales (Spanish Linguistics)
- Madalynn Dunphy (Spanish Literatures & Cultures)
- Brenda Garcia Ortega (Spanish Linguistics)
- Monse Gonzalez-Gutierrez (Spanish Literatures & Cultures)
- Elia Krauss (Spanish Literatures & Cultures)
- Liliana Lule (Spanish Literatures & Cultures)
- Kamila Marszalik (Spanish Linguistics)
- Izaro Olano Idoeta (Spanish Linguistics)
- Mayra Sanchez Munoz (Spanish Literatures & Cultures)
Teaching of English as a Second Language
- Arezoo Ataollahi
- Peter Grzywacz
- Adebola Obayemi
- Sasha Radford
- Anastasiia Stroganova
- Thanaphan Thapthimhin
- Elif Varlik
Teaching of Latin
- Laurence Pavlik
Translation & Interpreting Studies
- Flavia Brown
- Kevin Buh
- Guadalupe Carrasco Escobedo
- Thomas Johnson
- Waleed Khan
- Stephen Kraus
- Maribel Mueller
- Maria O'Brien
- Kai Tang
- Jiyeon You
Doctor of Philosophy
Comparative Literature
- Lizy Mostowski
East Asian Languages & Cultures
- Qinglin Luan
- Yujie Pu
- Jung Wook Pyo
- Yihan Zhou
French
- Emily Swisher
German
- Andrew Sternhagen Schwenk (Medieval Studies)
Linguistics
- Brennan Dell
- Walther Glodstaf
- Elizabeth King (Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education)
- Britni Moore
- Daniel Stelzer
- Abraham Ulloa
Spanish
- Lorena Alarcon (Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education)
- Sara Castro Cantu
- Jonathan Pye
Thank you
We extend our gratitude to the loved ones who stood by the graduates during their time at the University of Illinois, and to the faculty, advisors, and staff who guided them through these formative years.
Degree Information
This program contains an unofficial list of candidates for graduation in May 2026 and a list of graduates who received degrees in August 2025 and December 2025. The list of May candidates is as accurate as possible; however, because of production deadlines, names of some degree recipients may not appear, while names of degree candidates who have not completed degree requirements may be included.
The University’s official registry for conferral of degrees is the Office of the Registrar, 901 W. Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801.