Foster School of Business Graduation Celebrations

The date of the 2026 Foster Undergraduate Graduation will be Sunday, June 7, 2026. The ceremony will take place from 1-3pm in Alaska Airlines Arena in Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

The Foster Undergraduate Graduation Celebration will be live streamed here.

How to walk in the Foster Undergraduate Graduation Celebration:

1) Apply to Graduate by the April 17 deadline. We can only put those who have officially applied to graduate with the registrar into the program. You apply to graduate with your Assigned Adviser in Foster.

2) RSVP for the Foster Undergraduate Graduation Celebration. The RSVP form will open early in spring quarter. If you applied to graduate, a registration link will be sent to your email. The deadline to RSVP to walk in the ceremony is Friday, May 29 at 11:59 pm.* (RSVP before Friday, May 1 to be included in the printed program.)

*Students who have not registered via the Foster RSVP form cannot participate in the event. Late registrations will not be accepted. Attendance will be taken at check-in.

Read our 2026 Graduation Celebration FAQs for more event details.

MAILED GRADUATION INVITATIONS

Students can request one complementary printed Foster invitation card mailed to you or your family. The signup deadline is Friday, May 1, 2026. (The link to the request form will be in the confirmation email when you register for the Foster Graduation event.)

You can also order personal graduation announcements from UW: uw.edu/graduation/virtual-graduation-fair

2026 Keynote Speaker

Coming soon!

2026 Student Speaker

How does student speaker selection work?

• Graduating seniors participating in the 2026 Foster Undergraduate Graduation Celebration nominate a student speaker.
• To submit a nomination, you must be a Foster undergraduate student graduating by Summer 2026.
• The nominated student speaker must also be a Foster undergraduate student graduating by Summer 2026.
• You may nominate up to 3 people, including yourself. Any additional submissions after your third nomination will not be considered.
• After nominations close, the Foster Graduation Committee will invite the top five students who receive the highest number of nominations in for an interview.

Nominations for student speaker closed on April 3rd. We will update this section after the speaker is selected!

FOR MORE DETAILS & QUESTIONS:

Read our 2026 Graduation Celebration FAQs for details about eligibility, inviting guests, parking, dress code, bag policy, prohibited items, ADA accommodations, and more.

Questions? Email [email protected]

The University of Washington is committed to providing access and accommodation in its services, programs, and activities. To make a request connected to a disability or health condition contact Kristen Kohashi (206-616-1226, [email protected]) at least 2 weeks before the event. For further support, please contact the Disability Services Office at: Voice: 206-543-6450 (Voice), 206-543-6452 (TTY), 206-685-7264 (Fax), 253-642-0142 (VP), or e-mail at [email protected].

The 2025 Foster Executive MBA, Global Executive MBA, Hybrid MBA, and Technology Management MBA Graduation Ceremony will be held in person at the Meany Center for the Performing Arts on Monday, June 9, 2025.

Join us in celebrating the graduating class of 2025 in the Meany Hall Center for Performing Arts on the UW campus. (Driving directions) to Meany Hall and campus map.

The ceremony will begin at 5pm and typically lasts two hours. Tickets are required for all guests (including infants).

The ceremony will be streamed live for any guests that cannot attend in person. Link here.

EMBA, GEMBA, TMMBA and Hybrid MBA Ceremony Keynote Speaker

Jim Weber is a serial CEO, entrepreneur, author, speaker and advocate for purpose-driven, authentic leadership. As CEO of Brooks Running Company for over 23 years, he led the Seattle-based brand through a remarkable turnaround, re-founding and transforming it into a global leader in performance running. Under his leadership, Brooks sharpened its customer focus, driving innovation and brand loyalty that ultimately caught the attention of Warren Buffett, who in 2012 made Brooks a standalone subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. His previous experience includes Chairman and CEO of Sims Sports, President of O’Brien International, and Vice President at The Coleman Company, along with corporate development and marketing roles at The Pillsbury Company. His financial experience includes roles as Managing Director of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray’s Seattle Investment Banking practice and Commercial Banking Officer at Norwest Bank Minneapolis (now Wells Fargo).
Weber currently serves on the Board of Advisors for Concord Music, SanMar Corporation, the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and CEOs Against Cancer – Pacific Northwest Chapter. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and an MBA with high distinction from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Weber has been recognized for his leadership and contributions: EY Entrepreneur of the Year (Pacific Northwest region); Runner’s World – One of the “nine most influential innovators” in running; Running Industry Association Hall of Fame Inductee; Footwear News “Power 100” – 10 consecutive years.
In 2022, Weber published a leadership memoir, Running with Purpose: How Brooks Outpaced Goliath Competitors to Lead the Pack, with HarperCollins Leadership, followed by a Chinese edition in 2024 (Cheers Publishing). The book is a compelling story of brand-building, navigating disruption, leading with purpose, fostering a high-performance culture, and driving executional excellence. Weber and wife MaryEllen, have three grown boys and four grandchildren.

We are excited to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates in person on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at Meany Hall for the Performing Arts. Event details for the Full-time and Evening MBA Class of 2026 Celebration have been shared directly with students. If you need information about the event, please check with your graduating student. We look forward to honoring this significant milestone together!

Academic Attire

You will be required to wear academic attire (MBA gown, Master’s hood in UW colors with royal blue for Foster, cap, and a black tassel) during the celebration. You can purchase your attire via the University website.

MBA Graduate Keynote Speaker

Peter Tomozawa is the Chief Executive Officer of Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026. Previously, he served for four years as the President of Business Operations with Sounders FC – where he is still a part of the ownership group. Planning for major international events is not new for Peter, in 2016, he was selected by the LA 2024 / LA 2028 Exploratory Committee as Vice President & Executive Director of Partnerships and Board Relations. He also worked on the Seattle World Cup Host City Bid Committee.

Alongside his work with Sounders FC and the successful Los Angeles’ Olympic and Paralympic bid, Peter is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the National Hockey League.

Additionally, he previously served as a Partner and Global Head of Foreign Exchange at Goldman Sachs, where he worked for 17 years, before transitioning into civic affairs where he served as Commissioner of Charter Schools for State of Hawaii and Executive Director of Business Development & Advisor to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu. Peter served for four years on the board of the Hawaii Red Cross and for eight years on the Nature Conservancy – Hawaii. He is currently on the board of the Seattle Downtown Association and serves on the boards of two privately held companies.

Peter graduated from the University of Michigan Engineering School and earned an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Donna, have five children, two grandchildren, and currently reside in Seattle, WA.

The 2025 Foster MSIS Graduation Ceremony will be held in person on Friday, June 6, 2025. Event details for the graduation festivities have been shared directly with the students. If you need information about the event, please check with your graduating student. We look forward to honoring this significant milestone together!

We are pleased to invite you to the MPAcc/MST Graduation, held Thursday, June 12, 2025 in the Husky Union Building Ballroom (on the second floor of the Husky Union Building) from 4:30 – 6:30 PM. Our program will feature an hour-long ceremony recognizing our graduating students in both programs followed by a reception for students and their families and friends. More detailed information will be sent out to students in Spring Quarter which they can share with their families, friends, and other guests.

For more information about the UW Commencement please visit the UW Commencement website for more details.

For further information, please contact MPAcc or MST Program:

MST
[email protected]
(206) 543-4670

MPAcc
[email protected]
(206) 543-4670

We are excited to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates on the morning of June 14, 2025. Event details for the MSBA and MSCM Class of 2025 Celebration have been shared directly with students. If you need information about the event, please check with your graduating student. We look forward to honoring this significant milestone together!

We are excited to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates on the evening of June 9, 2026. Event details for the MS ENTRE Class of 2025 Celebration have been shared directly with students. If you need information about the event, please check with your graduating student. We look forward to honoring this significant milestone together!

The Master of Science in Technology Innovation Graduation Ceremony, celebrating the Class of 2025, will take place on Saturday, March 22nd at the UW Global Innovation Exchange (Steve Ballmer Building) in Bellevue. The event will begin with a graduation ceremony from 4:00 – 5:30 PM, honoring the achievements of our graduates. A reception will follow from 5:30 – 7:00 PM, where students, families, and friends can gather and enjoy light refreshments. We look forward to celebrating this special milestone together!