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With diplomas in hand, new graduates of the College of Health Professions class of 2026 prepare to exit the Statehouse Convention Center after the commencement ceremony. Image by Evan Lewis

College of Health Professions Celebrates Graduates, Strong Growth at Commencement

May 27, 2026 | The College of Health Professions at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) celebrated its largest graduating class, adding about 100 students in the Class of 2026 when compared to last year.

With 743 graduates, the commencement ceremony on May 15 was the largest among UAMS’ five colleges and graduate school, each of which held separate graduation celebrations. Together, the total number was 1,237 for the graduates of all colleges and the graduate school.

After the students were seated and the National Anthem was sung, Judd Deere, a member of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees and deputy chief of staff for Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, addressed the audience.

He briefly described his early work experience as jobs that “probably weren’t glamorous to anybody else.”

“But I learned something important during that time,” Deere said. “People notice the person who can be counted on, the person who simply does the job, does it well, and can be trusted to show up and deliver every single day. Not necessarily the loudest person, not always the smartest person, but the dependable person.”

He then gave leadership advice shaped by managing a team, emphasizing that success depends less on raw intelligence and more on attitude, consistency, and effort.

His three central pieces of advice to the graduates were to:

• Prioritize consistency, attitude, and work ethic over pure talent or intelligence, while recognizing that how you make people feel — especially in healthcare — is just as important as what you know.
• Build and maintain a strong support system of people who believe in you and challenge you constructively, while distancing yourself from negativity that undermines ambition.
• Be willing to “get in the arena”— take risks, accept failure, and persist through setbacks, because meaningful impact comes from showing up, trying, and continuing despite difficulty.

“In the health professions, knowledge constantly evolves,” Stephanie Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D., UAMS provost, chief strategy officer and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, said during the ceremony. “Earning this degree is not the end of your education. I hope for you today it marks another achievement in a lifelong commitment to growth, curiosity, and continually seeking understanding, experience, empathy and better ways to serve patients and communities.”

The provost introduced College of Health Professions Dean Susan Long, Ed.D., who noted some of the accomplishments of students in the college’s varied programs during the academic year. She said:

• Students in the college’s Physician Assistant Studies program set a new program record by raising over $15,000 through their annual Hero Against Hunger 5k. Proceeds helped the Arkansas Food Bank to feed thousands of hungry children in Arkansas. This class also volunteered for over 1,000 hours at the UAMS 12^th Street Health and Wellness Center, a student-led, free interprofessional clinic.
• Radiologic Imaging Sciences students collectively completed more than 1,700 clinical hours across both diagnostic and advanced imaging settings. Many also volunteered at the UAMS 12th Street Center.
• Students in the on-campus Medical Laboratory Sciences program demonstrated statewide impact by collectively completing clinical rotations across five cities in Arkansas, especially in regions facing critical laboratory workforce shortages.
• Students in the Medical Laboratory Sciences Extended Internship track demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, with a 100% first time pass rate among those who sat for the Board of Certification exam.
• In the Medical Laboratory Science MLT-MLS program, students who represent more than 40 states achieved a program high for the percentage of students passing the national certification exam within the first year.
• Dental hygiene students together completed 4,366 clinical appointments at the UAMS Dental Hygiene Clinic. In addition, each student contributed 50 hours of service-learning, further extending care beyond the clinic. They all passed their board exam on the first attempt.
• Dietetics students presented their nutrition capstone research projects at the Arkansas Dietetics and Nutrition Annual Meeting. They also completed supervised practice experiences in a variety of settings from acute care and long-term care hospitals to nutrition research facilities and food service management.
• Nuclear Medicine Imaging students completed over 1,000 clinical hours at clinical affiliates across seven states, serving regions in the country without access to nuclear medicine imaging education.
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography students completed more than 32,000 clinical hours, logging over 20,000 patient exams across a variety of specialty areas and settings, an average of nearly 1,900 scanning hours per student.
• Genetic counseling students representing six states and one foreign country collectively provided genetic counseling services to over 2,200 patients in a variety of settings, including prenatal, pediatric, adult, cancer and laboratory genetics.
• Cytology students collectively completed clinical rotations in four cities across three states including regions of the country where cytologists are in very short supply.
• Speech-language pathology students obtained nearly 12,000 clinical hours providing services to clients of all ages in a wide variety of settings. These experiences spanned more than 100 off-campus placements in addition to experiences in the program’s own Speech and Hearing Clinic.
• Respiratory care students completed more than 800 clinical hours in acute care, neonatal, pediatrics, critical care, and 10 additional specialty areas. They also earned credentials in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Neonatal Resuscitation, and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. “Of special note, this is the first class graduating with a Master of Science in Respiratory Care. These students completed projects resulting in high-quality scholarly projects in research, patient education, and disease management which were presented at UAMS Research Day,” Long said.
• Physical therapy students accomplished over 1,400 hours of community service, and with the support of more than 80 clinical affiliates, each graduate completed 36 weeks of clinical rotations in orthopaedics, acute care, and neurological rehabilitation.
• Audiology students held leadership roles in local student organizations, presented scholarly work and case studies at national conferences, participated in NIH-funded research, and contributed to community-based work focused on improving access to hearing healthcare. Collectively, they have completed nearly 13,000 clinical clock hours and have been recognized for outstanding clinical performance.

“These are remarkable accomplishments, indeed,” Long said in conclusion.

After Long’s remarks, Gardner formally conferred the degrees on each of the students, and Tina Maddox, Ph.D., associate dean of the college, announced the start of the “traditional diploma walk” to the stage. Phyllis Fields, M.Ed., associate dean for Student Affairs and director of Admissions, handed each student their diploma.