We are excited to celebrate the achievements of the School of Nursing Class of 2026 at our commencement ceremony!
School of Nursing 2026 Commencement Ceremony
June 9, 2026, 11 a.m.
Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, San Francisco
Keynote Speaker
We are pleased to announce that Jian Zhang, DNP, MS '92, FAAN, former chief executive officer of Chinese Hospital and an internationally renowned health care leader, will deliver the ceremony's keynote address.
Jian Zhang is an internationally recognized health care leader whose career spans more than three decades across hospitals, health plans, physician groups, and community-based care systems. She recently retired as chief executive officer of Chinese Hospital in San Francisco, where she led the organization through transformative growth and the coronavirus pandemic, one of the most challenging public health crises in modern history.
A proud UCSF alum and clinical professor at the UCSF School of Nursing, Zhang began her journey as part of the first cohort of undergraduate nurses in China. She later came to the United States to pursue advanced training at UCSF, earning her Master of Science in nursing and family nurse practitioner certification. She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in executive leadership at the University of San Francisco.
As CEO, Zhang transformed Chinese Hospital into a modern, integrated health care system through strategic partnerships, digital innovation, and culturally responsive care. Her leadership during the coronavirus pandemic became a national model for community-based public health, helping protect one of the nation’s most vulnerable populations and achieving among the lowest infection and mortality rates in the region. Under her leadership, Chinese Hospital was recognized by Newsweek as a Best-in-State Hospital in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Zhang is also a respected board leader, having served on the boards of the California Hospital Council, the San Francisco Health Plan, HealthUnity, the Hong Kong Business Association of Northern California (HKBANC), the Chinese Hospital Community Health Research Center (president), and Jade Medical Group (co-founder and treasurer), among others. She is a member of the Committee of 100, an organization of prominent Chinese American leaders.
Her contributions to health care leadership and public service have been recognized with numerous national honors, including Modern Healthcare’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives (2024), Forbes 50 Over 50: Innovation List (2023), San Francisco Business Times’ Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business (2025), and multiple Distinguished Woman of the Year awards from the California State Legislature and San Francisco Board of Supervisors. In 2025, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors declared Dec. 2 as “Dr. Jian Zhang Day” in recognition of her 32 years of dedicated service and transformative impact.
Beyond her executive roles, Zhang is deeply committed to developing future leaders. She founded the Dr. Jian Zhang Leadership Fund to support leadership development and board readiness for women, minorities, and professionals from underserved communities.
Returning to UCSF as the School of Nursing commencement speaker, Zhang embodies the enduring values of nursing — compassion, resilience, and service. Her path from bedside nurse to health care executive reflects the profound impact nurses can have in shaping not only patient care, but entire systems of health.
Class Speakers
Remarks will also be presented by your class speakers (picture from left to right):
- Kay Burke, DNP speaker
- Ashley Moore, PhD speaker
Class Marshals
We will honor the following class marshals (picture from left to right:):
- Stella Bialous, PhD class marshal
- Marianne Hultgren, DNP class marshal
Commencement Livestream
Family and friends who are unable to travel to San Francisco for commencement will be able to watch online via a YouTube livestream feed. Access the livestream from this webpage on commencement day.
Order Your Regalia by May 4
Follow these steps to order your commencement regalia before May 4, 2026:
- Visit the Josten's online store for UCSF to order your regalia by May 4. The regalia sets include gowns, hoods, caps and tassels, and can take five weeks for shipping. We suggest you place your order early to avoid shipping delays. Once purchased, the regalia is yours to keep.
- If the cost of regalia is challenging for you, the SON has a very limited number of regalia for doctoral graduates that are available for borrowing. Contact [email protected] to inquire about availability.
Sigma Theta Tau Honor Cords
Graduating students who are members of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, including new 2026 Alpha Eta Chapter inductees, may purchase honor cords through the Sigma Marketplace. You may need to sign in to your Sigma account before you can complete your purchase. Contact Sigma Member Services at 1-888-634-7575 with questions.
Newly invited Sigma Theta Tau members attending the June 8 Alpha Eta Chapter Induction Ceremony will receive honor cords at the event. Inductees do not need to purchase them separately.
Commencement FAQs
Will graduating students and their guests need tickets to attend the ceremony?
Tickets are not required for graduating students. All guests will need to have a ticket - in paper or digital form - to enter the Palace of Fine Arts.
Each graduate attending commencement will be assigned 15 guest tickets through Eventbrite. To receive your tickets, you must first complete the Commencement Participation Questionnaire.
One of the fields on the questionnaire is "Please provide the email address associated with your Eventbrite account."
- If you already have an Eventbrite account, provide the email address associated with the account.
- If you do not have an Eventbrite account, please create an account using your preferred email address. Then, list that email address in the questionnaire.
Please allow up to two business days after you submit the questionnaire for us to manually assign your tickets to your Eventbrite account.
All tickets will be sent to the email address associated with your Eventbrite account. Guests will be required to show their ticket - in paper or digital form - to enter the Palace of Fine Arts.
To help the event run smoothly, please share tickets with your guests prior to the day of commencement. You may either print the ticket and give the hardcopy to your guest, or assign your guest a digital ticket via your Eventbrite account. View instructions for assigning tickets to guests via your Eventbrite account.
How long is the ceremony?
The commencement ceremony is typically two hours or less. We ask graduating students to arrive at the venue one hour and 15 minutes before the ceremony for staging and preparation. Please plan to be at the venue from 9:45 a.m.-1 p.m.
I received a notice from the UCSF Graduate Division about another commencement ceremony in May. Do I need to attend that event, too?
Most School of Nursing graduates attend only the School of Nursing commencement ceremony on June 9. The students that typically participate in the UCSF Graduate Division commencement ceremony are graduates from master's programs outside of the School of Nursing.
Will the commencement ceremony be livestreamed?
Yes. The commencement ceremony will be livestreamed on this webpage.
Who is eligible to participate in this commencement ceremony?
UCSF School of Nursing students who graduated between fall 2025 and summer 2026 are eligible to participate in this commencement ceremony.
Can large bags be brought inside the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre?
Please review the following rules for events held in the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre:
- Patrons may bring bags into the auditorium, but the bags must fit under the seat or on the patron's lap (approximately 14"x14"x6").
- Celebratory signs will only be allowed when your graduate crosses the stage. Please be mindful of those around you and ensure you are not blocking other guests' views.
I will be bringing an infant to commencement. Is there additional guidance I should keep in mind?
If you are bringing an infant to commencement and the infant is in a carrier, stroller or "in arms" when they arrive, they are not required to have a guest ticket. Infants must be held by a guardian during the ceremony. The guardian will need to have a ticket to enter the venue. Please note, no babies or children are allowed on the commencement stage.
Parking and Public Transportation
The Palace of Fine Arts is located at 3301 Lyon St., San Francisco, CA 94123
Venue Contact Information:
- Call or text (415) 855-1607 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.)
- Email [email protected]
Parking Information:
- Parking is available on a first come first serve basis along Palace Drive.
- Additional metered event parking is located in the triangle lot along Palace Drive.
- Garage parking can be found across the street at the Letterman Digital Arts Garage (1 Letterman Drive, San Francisco, CA 94129)
- ADA parking is located to the left and right of the venue's main entrance.
Driving Directions and Public Transportation:
- Visit the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre Contact Webpage for driving directions from your address.
- The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre has convenient access to public transportation.
- It is accessible by San Francisco Muni bus lines #30, #43, #28, and #29.
- Muni bus lines #22, #41, and #45 also stop in the vicinity.
- If you are staying near Fisherman's Wharf, take the #30 Stockton bus.
- For more details, call Muni at (415) 673-6864 or check the SFMTA trip planner. in addition to public transportation information.
- If you are taking BART, get off at the Montgomery Street station, walk one half-block up Market Street to Third Street, and catch the #30 Stockton Muni bus on the corner.
- Most downtown-bound Golden Gate Transit buses stop nearby the theatre. As your driver for directions or call Golden Gate Transit Information at 511 (toll-free) or (415) 455-2000 (from outside the Bay Area).
Diplomas
Visit the UCSF Registrar's website for details about receiving your diploma or certificate.
Professional Photography for Purchase
A professional photographer from GradImages will be at the event to take photos of graduates. You will receive a coupon of 20% off your purchase of $50 or more if you register before commencement.