Julie Emerson, Bruce Greenstein and Mark E. Romero will be the speakers for the University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ at Lafayette’s Spring 2026 Commencement ceremonies.
Undergraduate and graduate students will receive their diplomas during Commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 15, at the Cajundome.
Greenstein, secretary of the Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Department of Health, will speak during the 9 a.m. ceremony for graduates in the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration, the College of Education & Human Development, and the College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
Emerson, chief of staff for Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Gov. Jeff Landry, will deliver the address during the 1 p.m. ceremony for graduates in the College of Engineering and the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences.
Romero, chairman of the University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Board of Supervisors, will be the speaker during the 5 p.m. ceremony for graduates in the College of the Arts, the College of Liberal Arts, and University College.
In her current role, Julie Emerson oversees strategic operations and legislative coordination for the Office of the Governor.
Emerson served three terms in the Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ House of Representatives, where she was first elected in 2015. Emerson was the first woman to chair the House Ways and Means Committee.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette and an MBA from the University of South Carolina.
Bruce Greenstein leads the largest state agency in Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½. The Department of Health oversees services provided by Medicaid and the state offices of Public Health, Behavioral Health, Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, Aging and Adult Services, Women’s Health and Community Health, and Emergency Preparedness.
He previously served as the chief technology officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Greenstein has been an advisor to the health informatics programs at Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette and George Washington University.
Mark E. Romero is chairman of the University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Board of Supervisors. The system oversees nine public universities across the state. He has served on its board since 2013.
Romero is an executive vice president at the insurance brokerage firm Brown & Brown and leads the firm’s operations across Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ and Mississippi.
Brown holds both a bachelor’s degree in business administration-management and an MBA from Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette.
Learn more about Spring 2026 Commencement.
Image caption: Speakers for Spring 2026 Commencement ceremonies at the University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ at Lafayette will be Julie Emerson, chief of staff for Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Gov. Jeff Landry; Bruce Greenstein, secretary of the Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Department of Health; and Mark E. Romero, chairman of the University of Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ System Board of Supervisors. Courtesy photos
State leaders Emerson, Greenstein and Romero to speak at Â鶹¹û¶³´«Ã½ Lafayette Commencement ceremonies
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