SUNY Downstate Celebrates 2026 Commencement, Conferring Degrees Across Five Schools
By Office of the President | May 13, 2026
Graduates Will Enter a Rapidly Evolving Healthcare Workforce Across Clinical, Research, and Public Health Fields; More Than 500 Degrees Will Be Conferred
Brooklyn, NY—SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University (Downstate) will celebrate its 2026 Commencement at 1:00 p.m. today at the Amphitheater at Coney Island, marking the first time in the university’s history that graduates from all five schools will participate together in a single university-wide commencement ceremony.
The milestone ceremony reflects the increasingly collaborative nature of healthcare, science, research, and public service as graduates prepare to enter a healthcare environment facing workforce shortages, evolving technologies, complex public health challenges, and growing demand for skilled healthcare professionals across clinical, research, and community settings.
Graduates from the College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Public Health, and School of Graduate Studies will enter the workforce across a broad range of disciplines critical to the future of patient care, biomedical research, population health, and healthcare delivery. Physicians, nurses, scientists, therapists, physician assistants, midwives, sonographers, informaticists, administrators, public health professionals, and researchers each play an essential role in strengthening healthcare systems and improving health outcomes in Brooklyn, New York City, and communities nationwide.
Downstate will confer more than 500 degrees and certificates spanning programs from Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees to doctoral programs, including Ph.D. and Doctor of Public Health degrees, as well as advanced clinical and professional certificates. These graduates will enter fields where the demand for highly skilled healthcare, research, and public health professionals continues to grow across Brooklyn, New York City, and communities nationwide.
“The combined Commencement ceremony is emblematic of the reality of modern healthcare, where there is active collaboration among the various professionals who work to ensure the highest quality patient care,” said Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, MACP, President of Downstate. “Our graduates enter the workforce prepared to work across disciplines, apply scientific and clinical expertise, and serve communities with compassion, excellence, and a shared commitment to improving health outcomes.”
Bringing all graduates together reflects the significance of each achievement and the collective role Downstate graduates will play across healthcare, science, research, and public service. Physicians, nurses, scientists, public health professionals, therapists, physician assistants, midwives, sonographers, informaticists, administrators, and researchers contribute essential expertise to improving the health and well-being of the communities they will serve.
The ceremony also reflects the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of healthcare and scientific advancement, where collaboration across professions is critical to delivering quality care, advancing discovery, and addressing complex public health challenges. More than a shared commencement ceremony, today marks the beginning of graduates’ journeys within an interconnected healthcare and scientific community.
“This historic university-wide commencement highlights the interdisciplinary foundation of healthcare education and scientific discovery,” said Jeffrey S. Putman, Ed.D., Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. “Our graduates leave Downstate prepared to excel in their individual fields and ready to work solving complex healthcare challenges that improve the lives of the patients and communities they will serve.”
Leaders from Downstate’s five schools noted that the university-wide commencement reflects the increasingly collaborative nature of healthcare education, research, and patient care, and recognizes the collective contributions graduates across all disciplines will make to the future of healthcare.
The Class of 2026 joins the workforce with training from one of the nation’s most complex urban healthcare environments. Across disciplines, graduates have developed clinical expertise, research capability, and community-based experience to prepare them to contribute across hospitals, clinics, public health systems, and research institutions.
As Brooklyn’s only academic medical center, Downstate prepares a workforce equipped to navigate complex systems, deliver care in high-need settings, and contribute to the health and well-being of communities across New York.
About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University is Brooklyn’s academic medical center and the only SUNY academic medical center in New York City. It serves as a critical hub for healthcare delivery, medical education, and research for Brooklyn’s 2.7 million residents.
University Hospital at Downstate (UHD) delivers high-acuity and community-based care across the borough, supported by more than 800 physicians across 53 specialties and subspecialties. UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant care, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis services, and established Brooklyn’s first kidney transplantation program more than 50 years ago.
Downstate strengthens the healthcare workforce and advances community-based care through its academic programs and clinical training. Its biotechnology initiatives, including the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, drive innovation and economic growth across Brooklyn and New York City.
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