Commencement Program
Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 9:30 a.m. Provident Credit Union Event Center — at San José State University
Departments: Aerospace Engineering, Aviation & Technology, Biomedical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Technology.
Processional
Student Banner Bearers
- Avrey Alamillo, ‘26 Aerospace Engineering
- Leah Corbett Arroyo, ‘26 Computer Engineering
Announcement of the Commencement
Sheryl Ehrman, Dean, Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering
National Anthem
Eve Iacovelli Barajas, ’28 BM Performance
Welcome
Sheryl Ehrman, Don Beall Dean, Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering
Presiding
Cynthia Teniente-Matson, SJSU President
Commencement Address
Zain Zaidi, ’21 Electrical Engineering, CEO and Co-Founder, Transcrypts
Presentation of Candidates
Vincent J. Del Casino Jr., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Conferring of Degrees
Cynthia Teniente-Matson, SJSU President
Alma Mater
“Hail, Spartans, Hail”
Recessional
Zain Zaidi,
’21 Electrical Engineering, CEO and Co-Founder, Transcrypts
Zain Zaidi, ’21 Electrical Engineering, is a blockchain-focused executive, entrepreneur and investor. He is the co-founder, chief executive officer and director of TransCrypts, a business-to-business (B2B) platform focused on consumer-empowered record management and verification. A Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree, Zaidi has raised over $19 million in venture funding to date. He has also been recognized as an “Under 25” entrepreneur by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. As a recognized industry voice, Zaidi is a frequent guest speaker and contributor on Bloomberg and Forbes, and his insights have been featured in publications such as MarketWatch, Yahoo Finance and Fortune Magazine.
Regalia
Commencement exercises like today’s ceremony date from the Middle Ages and the traditions of Europe’s first universities. Our graduates and members of the platform party are wearing regalia — robes, hoods and caps — that are likely adapted from the clothing of medieval priests or friars. Spot the differences in the gowns:
- Presidential gown is adorned with four bars, representing the Office of the President.
- Doctoral gown has velvet panels down the front and three velvet bars on each of the bell-shaped sleeves. The color of the velvet may indicate the academic discipline.
- Master’s gown may be worn open and has long sleeves with slits above the elbow.
- Bachelor’s gown has a closed front and long, pointed sleeves.
Draped over the shoulders, the hood evolved from a priest’s cowl and was often used to carry items — the first backpack, perhaps. The lining colors signify the college or university granting the degree. At San José State, the hood is gold, blue and white. The monk’s skullcap became the mortarboard cap or tam. Black is the accepted cap color in the United States, but many foreign universities have colorful headdresses.
Tassels vary in use and color. At SJSU, the color of tassels for bachelor’s degree candidates represent each college. The color for the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering is orange.
The Ceremonial Mace
An ornamental staff or scepter, the mace is carried by officials as part of formal parliamentary or academic ceremonies. A gift from the Tower Foundation of SJSU, the university’s ceremonial mace was designed and created by Art and Art History Lecturer Yvonne Escalante, ’13 MFA Spatial Arts. She found inspiration for the design in both SJSU history and the paths students take to reach graduation.