Commencement Ceremony at Embry-Riddle Prescott
Visit the Prescott, Arizona, Commencement page.
Fall 2026 Commencement Ceremony
Date: Saturday, December 12, 2026
Time: 9 a.m. (approximately 2 hours)
Location: Findlay Toyota Center
3201 N. Main St.
Prescott Valley, AZ 86314
No tickets are required.
Apply to Graduate
Your graduation application for the Fall 2026 term must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by September 30, 2026, in order to participate in commencement exercises and have your name printed in the commencement program. You may apply for graduation by logging into ERNIE. From there, select "Campus Solutions Student Homepage," followed by the "Academic Advising" tile, and lastly, "Apply for Graduation." For questions regarding your graduation status, please contact Prescott.Registrar@erau.edu.Academic Ceremonies: Attire and Regalia
Students participating in academic ceremonies, such as honor society inductions, research presentations or official university functions, should wear business casual or business attire unless otherwise specified. Students will be informed in advance by the organizing committee if regalia is required.
Students participating in commencement exercises are required to wear the designated graduation gown, mortarboard (cap), and tassel. While mortarboards may be decorated, no additional accessories — including jewelry, corsages or other embellishments — may be attached to the approved gown beyond the permitted academic and ornamental items listed below. Any decorations on the mortarboard must remain flat on the top and should not obstruct the view of others or interfere with the ceremony. Only the official university-issued tassel is allowed to dangle from the cap.
All ceremonial adornments must adhere to university standards. Graduates who have earned academic honors or participated in recognized academic or student organizations may wear officially issued or university-approved ceremonial items with their academic regalia. These include:
- Medallions awarded in recognition of a university honor.
- Honor cords signifying membership in an approved academic honor society or national organization.
- Stoles denoting participation in a university-recognized honor society, student organization, or study-abroad program.
- Pins representing an academic achievement or affiliation with a university-recognized professional association.
- Religious or cultural attire.
- Military uniforms or insignias.
Candidates for master’s and doctoral degrees are only permitted to wear university-issued regalia and approved ornamentation. Any medallions, stoles, pins, sashes or other accessories obtained during undergraduate studies — whether at Embry‑Riddle or another institution — may not be worn with graduate-level academic regalia.
Requests for new ornamentation, including those featuring university trademarks (such as logos or seals), must receive approval from the Office of the Provost at least two months preceding the commencement ceremony.
Students wearing unauthorized or inappropriate attire or adornments at university academic ceremonies may be required to remove or cover them prior to participation. Students who do not comply with university standards will not be allowed to participate in the ceremony.
Commencement Speaker
Graduation is a monumental achievement in every student's path to their future. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has welcomed many renowned and successful guests to address graduates and provide some words of wisdom from their own life experiences.
Fall 2026 Commencement Speaker
Fall 2026 commencement speaker to be advised.
Findlay Toyota Center, 9-11 a.m.
- 7 a.m. - Grad Arrival/Individual Cap & Gown Photos/Line-Up
Past Commencement Speakers
Past commencement speakers have included Embry‑Riddle alumni, astronauts, entrepreneurs, politicians, military veterans and more. Here, you can review previous years' commencement speakers.Spring 2026
- Jody L. Dawson
Senior Systems Engineer, ETH Zürich | Space
Fall 2025
- Chris "Hanks" Sembroski
U.S. Air Force (Retired)
Spring 2025
- Jim Currier
President and CEO, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies
Fall 2024
- Kathleen R. Jolivette
VP/GM Vertical Lift; Boeing, Defense and Security
Spring 2024
- Norman D. Knight
Director of Flight Operations Directorate, NASA Johnson Space Center
Fall 2023
- Michael Madsen
President and CEO, Honeywell Aerospace (retired)
Spring 2023
- Sally Mason
President Emerita, University of Iowa
Fall 2022
- Joe Sprague
President, Horizon Air
Spring 2022
- Ryan M. Hartman
President and Chief Executive Officer, World View
Fall 2021
- Janet Kavandi, Ph.D.
President, Sierra Space
Spring 2021
- Ellen R. Stofan, Ph.D.
Under Secretary for Science and Research, Smithsonian
Fall 2020
- David Calhoun
President and Chief Executive Officer, The Boeing Company
Fall 2019
- Arlando S. Teller
State Representative, Legislative District 7; Arizona House of Representatives
Spring 2019
- Capt. Nancy Martin-Belitz
Standards Check Airman, Southwest Airlines
Fall 2018
- Russell "Chip" Childs
Chief Executive Officer and President, SkyWest, Inc.
Spring 2018
- Hon. Robert L. Sumwalt
14th Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board
Fall 2017
- Katie Pribyl
Senior Vice President of Aviation Strategy and Programs, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Spring 2017
- Gov. Doug Ducey
23rd Arizona Governor
Fall 2016
- Nicole Stott
Astronaut (retired)
Spring 2016
- Gabriel L. Navarette
Chief Security Officer, Falcon Global Strategies
Fall 2015
- Amb. Barbara M. Barrett
Chairman, Aerospace Corporation Board of Trustees
Spring 2015
- David B. O'Maley
Chairman Emeritus; Retired President and Chief Executive Officer, Ohio National Life Insurance Company
Fall 2014
- David L. Robertson
Owner, Robertson Racing
Spring 2014
- Robert Wilson
President of Business and General Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace
Fall 2013
- Rep. Paul A. Gosar
U.S. House of Representatives Congressman
Spring 2013
- Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Trask
Director of Force Structure, Requirements, Resources and Strategic Assessments, U.S. Special Operations Command
Fall 2012
- Peggy Chabrian, Ph.D.
President and Founder, Women in Aviation - International
Spring 2012
- Col. Benjamin Alvin Drew Jr.
Colonel, USAF (retired); NASA Astronaut
Related Resources
Contact Us
Office of the Registrar
Lori Kennedy
Director of Campus Events and Outreach