Ecolab CEO and Supreme Court judge congratulate Class of 2026
2,000+ CSE students reach college milestone
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (05/18/2026) — The spring, the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering held graduation ceremonies for more than 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
On May 14, about 1,500 students from around the world made their way across the stage. Christophe Beck, chairman and chief executive officer of Ecolab, was distinguished guest speaker at the 2026 CSE Undergraduate Commencement.
Beck encouraged graduates to know their values deeply, embrace new challenges, and use science and engineering in tandem to solve meaningful problems.
“Values give you a compass when the map doesn't exist yet,” Beck said. "I never got the job I planned. Not once. But every step taught me something new and shape who I am today. So, be willing to explore. Be willing to change your mind. Be willing to fail, to learn, and to try again. Today is not your final destination. It is the starting point."
Watch Beck's keynote address in the CSE Undergrad Commencement video (see 1:02:51 time).
On May 7, about 600 students from near and far made their way to Mariucci arena to formally accept their master’s or doctoral degree at the 2026 Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Graduate Student Commencement.
The Honorable Barry Anderson, former Minnesota Supreme Court justice and 1979 University of Minnesota Law School graduate, was keynote speaker.
Judge Anderson, who recently retired, spoke about the value of networking and taking chances.
“Aim to make your networks broad rather than narrow,” said. “To put it another way, more directly and perhaps even more bluntly, we could all stand to expand our contacts to include people with whom we might have little in common and in particular, to include people who view the world differently than we do on matters both social and political.”
Watch Judge Anderson's address in the CSE Graduate Commencement video (see 32:25 time).
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In her May 14 address to the Class of 2026, student commencement speaker Lila Branchaw reminded her classmates to seek out help and show up for others, too. "Community is more than a place to exchange ideas or find inspiration," she said, "it gives us something to lean on when we can't quite stand on your own."
Read more about Branchaw's college experiences, in her Q&A at CSE News.