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School of Business Honors Graduates at 2026 Hooding Ceremony

A smiling graduate in a black cap and gown claps during a business school hooding ceremony in a crowded auditorium, with other graduates applauding in the background.

A total of 443 graduate students from the Wake Forest University School of Business celebrated the culmination of their academic journeys on Saturday, May 16, during a hooding ceremony at Wait Chapel on the University’s Reynolda Campus. The ceremony recognized students from the management, accountancy, business analytics, and business administration programs.

The hooding ceremony signifies the completion of an advanced degree. Each master’s degree recipient is recognized and hooded within their respective program. Graduate business students who were invested with the hood in academic year 2025-26 include:

Global business executive Marybeth Torbet Hays delivered the keynote address. With more than 25 years of experience shaping strategy at major corporations like Walmart and Hanesbrands, Hays is highly recognized as a product and consumer expert. During her tenure at Walmart, she held various leadership roles, including serving as the expatriate Chief Merchandising, Marketing, and Supply Chain Officer for Walmart China and later as Executive Vice President of Consumables and Health & Wellness for Walmart U.S. Additionally, Hays is one of the first 50 women to receive both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Wake Forest. 

To honor her contributions in business and for her commitment to modeling Pro Humanitate, the University awarded Hays an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree.

During her keynote, Hays shared advice for achieving business success by highlighting a principle from former Walmart CEO Mike Duke: “Get results. Do it the right way.”

“Now I know this might sound like advice from an analog era. My message to you today is that these words are timeless. They are more applicable today than ever, and with your Wake Forest master’s in business, there is no group better prepared to live them than you,” Hays said.   

She expressed to graduates that tools like artificial intelligence are important to master, but the “doing it the right way” part of success in business is the human and leadership element. 

“The great irony of AI is this: while it may reduce the burden of human labor, it increases the need for human discernment—for judgment, for critical thinking, for the ability to find clarity in ambiguity. These are the very hallmarks of the liberal arts approach to business education that has shaped your experience here,” she said.

Hays continued by discussing the importance of personal leadership, in addition to leading others and organizations.

“Business leadership is not just about delivering outcomes. How you do it matters—how you recover from setbacks, how you make decisions, how you treat people, how you lift people—how you bring out the best in humanity at a time when it has never mattered more. Get results. And do it the right way,” she urged.    

Closing her address, Hays underscored the significance of resilience and reflected on her own career disruptions and personal challenges, explaining that true leadership involves how one recovers from setbacks and uplifts others. 

“Lift as you rise,” she said, calling on graduates to help expand access to future generations of Deacons.

That charge echoed remarks from Stacie Petter, Acting Dean and Peter C. Brockway Chair of Strategic Management, who highlighted the importance of the occasion as graduates embark on their next chapters.

“You are leaving an unforgettable legacy as leaders who have demonstrated grit and resilience,” Petter said. “You’ve invested in your own learning and personal growth. You’ve shared in your diverse backgrounds, identities, and perspectives with all of us in impactful ways during your time here. The completion of your graduate program reflects a significant accomplishment, and we are so pleased to see you reach this special milestone in your life’s journey.”

During her remarks, Petter also acknowledged three retiring faculty members:

  • Pat Dickson, Ph.D., Dale & Karen Sisel Professor of Management
  • Tim Janke, JD, Professor of the Practice in Law
  • Jon Pinder, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Management

“These individuals have had an indelible impact on our community with a combined total of over 72 years of service to Wake Forest, serving hundreds and hundreds of students over the years,” Petter said. 

A recording of the hooding ceremony is available. More information can be found at commencement.wfu.edu.