NFL Great Bobby Wagner Named 2026 Commencement Speaker, Honorary Degree Recipients Announced
Utah State Athletics Hall of Famer and NFL All-Pro defender Bobby Wagner is returning to Logan as the keynote speaker for this year’s commencement. The April ceremony will honor Joyce Albrecht, Stan Albrecht and Ara Serjoie with honorary degrees during this spring’s ceremony.
Bobby Wagner is widely considered one of the most accomplished football players at both the collegiate and professional level—a four-year starter for the Aggies, and a 14-year NFL veteran. The Ontario, California, native played linebacker for USU from 2008 to 2011, finishing tied for the school record in career tackles with 446, as well as led USU to its first bowl game appearance in 14 years during his senior year.
Following his collegiate career, Wagner was selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks, playing in back-to-back Super Bowls and winning the title in 2014. Wagner has received multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections for his play on the field for both the Seahawks and Washington Commanders.
Off the field, Wagner is arguably even more impressive, as his community service and philanthropy has been recognized by the NFL. He is one of only a handful of players in NFL history to be nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award four times. Those nominations recognized his youth football camps, efforts to support unhoused individuals, philanthropy with historically black colleges and universities, and volunteer work with children’s hospitals.
Joyce Albrecht grew up on a farm in Midway, Utah, before embarking on a 45-year career in higher education, including at Utah State University. Working administrative roles in advancement, she helped lay the groundwork for what is now the Caine School of the Arts. Using her fundraising expertise, she expanded access to the arts student opportunities across what was at the time the Caine College of the Arts.
She dedicated herself to a life of service, volunteering as a board member for the American Cancer Society, Sunshine Terrace Foundation, Cache Valley Center for the Arts, and Logan Regional Hospital. She says her greatest public service was serving as first lady of USU from 2005 to 2017.
Stan Albrecht is a first-generation college student from Fremont, Utah, who went on to become a faculty member and eventually president at USU. A five-decade career in higher education culminated when he was named USU’s 15th president, and he led the charge on the construction of numerous new buildings in Logan and at regional campuses in Brigham City, Tooele, Price, Blanding and the Uintah Basin.
Prior to his time as an administrator, he held successful teaching and research careers, receiving multiple awards for outstanding teaching. He also authored several books and over 100 research articles in social psychology, health and environmental policy, and the sociology of religion and the family. Through all the awards and recognitions, he attributes his success to his parents, colleagues, family, and especially his spouse, Joyce.
Ara Serjoie is a USU alumnus who arrived in Logan as an international student in the fall of 1993. He was born in Tehran, Iran, before relocating to West Berlin and then London prior to becoming an Aggie. After moving from country to country, Serjoie found a place of belonging at USU, and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and sciences, with minors in management and human resources and philosophy.
He developed a commitment to public service and community engagement which he attributes to his time working with organizations including Beta Theta Pi fraternity, the Student Court, the Best Buddies program, the Val R. Christensen Service Center, and roles at USU in the Advancement Office and in the Office of the Vice President for Student Services. His three decades of work in higher education are complemented by extensive civic involvement, including service with the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and a gubernatorial appointment to the State of Utah Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission.
Honorary degrees enable universities to recognize and honor individuals for their sacrifices and commitment to making positive changes in the world.
USU’s 139th commencement ceremony on the Logan Campus will span three days. The academic procession and commencement ceremony will start at 6:15 p.m. April 29 from the University Quad to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. College convocations and hooding ceremonies will be on April 30 and May 1.
All Logan commencement ceremonies will be implementing a clear-bag policy, with a maximum volume of 12 inches by 12 inches by 6 inches, in coordination with guidance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement. Small clutch purses and medical and diaper bags of reasonable size are also permitted.
Statewide campuses are planning graduation ceremonies as well, scheduled on dates from April 16-25. The USU Statewide Campuses commencement schedule lists details about ceremonies at USU Blanding, Brigham City, Eastern, Moab, Southwest, Tooele and Uintah Basin. All ceremonies, except for Moab, will be available to watch live via AggieCast.
For a full schedule of USU’s 139th Commencement, visit the commencement website.
Bobby Wagner
Bobby Wagner is widely recognized for his accomplishments at both the collegiate and professional levels of football. Born on June 27, 1990, in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Ontario, California, he attended Colony High School, where he played linebacker and tight end before enrolling at Utah State University.
At USU, Wagner was a four-year starter from 2008 to 2011 and one of the most productive defenders in program history. He earned first-team all-Western Athletic Conference honors three times, led the team in tackles in multiple seasons, and was named the WAC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior after recording 147 tackles and multiple tackles for loss. Wagner finished his Aggie career tied for the school record with 446 tackles and was selected as the Most Valuable Player and the North’s Most Outstanding Player at the 2012 Senior Bowl. He also helped Utah State reach its first bowl game in 14 years. In recognition of his collegiate contributions, Wagner was inducted into the Utah State Athletics Hall of Fame.
Following his collegiate career, Wagner was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He immediately became a fixture in Seattle’s defense and helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII. Over a 14-year professional career, Wagner has been named to multiple Pro Bowl rosters and has received All-Pro honors. He was selected to the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team, one of only two Utah State players to receive that distinction alongside Merlin Olsen. Wagner has been a leader in his profession and, through the 2025 season, is widely regarded as one of the most consistent defenders in the league.
Off the field, Wagner has continued his academic preparation while actively playing in the National Football League, completing the academic requirements for a Master of Business Administration degree from Howard University School of Business. He is one of only a handful of players in NFL history to be nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year (WPMOY) Award four times, and is the founder of FAST54, a nonprofit organization focused on youth development, education, and wellness. Through this work and additional philanthropic initiatives, he has supported youth sports, educational access, and health-focused community programs.
In Washington, Wagner partnered with Children’s National Hospital to support pediatric stroke awareness and care through the Phenia Mae Fund, named in honor of his mother. His community engagement and sportsmanship have been recognized by the National Football League through honors such as the NFLPA Community MVP Award, the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
Joyce Albrecht
Raised on a dairy farm in Midway, Utah, Joyce Albrecht learned early that hard work and community service are cornerstones of a meaningful life. As the daughter of a local farmer, she absorbed lessons of perseverance and humility. Her father taught her that effort matters more than earnings, and her mother encouraged her to dream big, set priorities, and embrace both career and family.
The opportunity to attend college proved life changing and launched a 45-year professional journey across three universities in higher education administration and institutional advancement. Throughout her career, Albrecht was supported by teachers, mentors, and colleagues who championed her growth at every turn. Her most rewarding professional assignment came at Utah State University, where she worked with Dean Craig Jessop to help lay the groundwork for the Caine College of the Arts, now the Caine School of the Arts.
Drawing on her fundraising expertise, Albrecht cultivated relationships with generous benefactors, including Kathryn Caine Wanlass, Manon Caine Russell, Dell Loy and Lynnette Hansen, the Very Reverend Richard Lawson, and others. Their support helped advance a new performance hall, an endowed quartet-in-residence with the Fry Street Quartet, Caine Scholars for Excellence Program, Hansen Scholars, a remodeled Fine Arts Center, and ongoing funding for theater, art, and music initiatives. Her work strengthened access to the arts and expanded student opportunities across the college.
Beyond campus, Albrecht dedicated herself to community and statewide service. She served as a volunteer board member for the American Cancer Society, Sunshine Terrace Foundation, Cache Valley Center for the Arts, and Logan Regional Hospital. She also provided administrative oversight for the Utah Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters for 15 years and was elected president of the Council of Presidents and Chancellors Spouses within the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities.
Albrecht’s public service expanded when her husband, Stan, became president of Utah State University. From 2005 to 2017, she served as first lady of USU, a role she considers the pinnacle of her professional and personal life. She traveled internationally to engage alumni and supporters, hosted receptions at the president’s residence to showcase student talents, shared her signature homemade brownies and Aggie Ice Cream with student groups, and cheered on Aggie athletics alongside the campus community.
In retirement, Albrecht enjoys time with her children, 15 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren, helps manage the family’s Buelingo cattle herd, fishes in nearby reservoirs, and reflects with pride on a lifetime of memories and connections across the Aggie community.
Stan L. Albrecht
Raised in the rural town of Fremont, Utah, Stan L. Albrecht joined his five siblings as a first-generation college student. While neither of his parents had the opportunity to attend college, their encouragement and support allowed all six children to graduate, with Albrecht and his three brothers each completing graduate degrees. His first year of college evolved into a 55-year journey through higher education—first as a student, then as a faculty member—culminating in 25 years of senior-level administration at Brigham Young University, the University of Florida, and Utah State University.
Albrecht bookended his professional life at USU. He began his academic career as a faculty member and returned for his final 18 years, serving the last 12 as USU’s 15th President. Prior to administration, he enjoyed rewarding teaching and research careers, receiving multiple awards for outstanding teaching. He published several books and over 100 research articles in social psychology, health and environmental policy, and the sociology of religion and the family. He served as editor of the journal Rural Sociology and directed a Health Policy Research Institute. His leadership extended to the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, the Rural Sociological Society, and the Society for the Study of Social Problems.
The highlight of Albrecht’s career was his appointment as president of Utah State University, a position that brought him great personal satisfaction, particularly in enhancing educational opportunities on the main campus and throughout the state. He facilitated the construction of numerous new buildings in Logan and at regional campuses in Brigham City, Tooele, Price, Blanding, and the Uintah Basin. To ensure no student was denied opportunity due to lack of resources, he prioritized growing scholarship support. Albrecht also completed the university’s first comprehensive capital campaign, resulting in the naming of numerous colleges and laying the groundwork for the school of veterinary medicine and helped USU attain membership in the Mountain West Conference.
Beyond the university, Albrecht served on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors, the Board of Governors of the Northwest Association of Colleges and Universities, the Utah State Board of Higher Education, the Salt Lake Chamber, and the boards of Regence Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Logan Regional Hospital, and Rocky Vista University. He attributes his career success to his parents, his colleagues, his family, and especially his spouse, Joyce Albrecht.
Ara Serjoie
Ara Serjoie was born in Tehran, Iran, and lived there through the 1979 Islamist-Marxist coup as well as the early years of the Iraqi-imposed war. His parents moved the family to West Berlin in 1985 and subsequently to London, UK, in 1986. He moved to Logan, Utah, in the fall of 1993 as an international student. Although Utah contrasted sharply with the global cities of his youth, Utah State University became a place of belonging and transformation, profoundly shaping his values and professional direction.
At Utah State, Serjoie earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and sciences, with minors in management and human resources and philosophy. His education extended well beyond the classroom. He was actively engaged in student leadership and service through organizations including Beta Theta Pi fraternity, the Student Court, the Best Buddies program, the Val R. Christensen Service Center, and the International Student Council. He also held several campus positions, including roles in the Advancement Office, the Office of the Vice President for Student Services, and an internship with the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity office. These experiences shaped his commitment to public service, equity, and community engagement. Ara’s activism has also included a years-long effort to educate others about the plight of the Iranian people as they continue to fight against the rule of the government occupying his beloved motherland Iran.
Serjoie’s experiences at Utah State led him to pursue a career in higher education advancement. Over nearly three decades, he has served in senior leadership roles overseeing institutional advancement at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington; California State University East Bay in Hayward, California; Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina; and Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania. In these roles, he provided strategic oversight for fundraising, alumni and constituent relations, and advancement operations, supporting philanthropic investment in education and student success.
He earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. in higher education leadership and change from Colorado State University. His professional service has been complemented by extensive civic involvement, including service with the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, a gubernatorial appointment to the State of Utah Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission, and board service with organizations such as Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington, the Vancouver Symphony and Orchestra, and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro. Since 2018, he has also served on the Utah State University College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board.
Serjoie resides in Portland, Oregon, with his spouse, Darrell Williamson, and remains connected to Utah State University. He holds deep gratitude for his parents, Reza Serjoie, a civil engineer, and Mahin Ohadi-Serjoie, an educator, whose commitment to education shaped his life and that of his siblings, Ava and Armin. In 2024, he honored this legacy by naming the Reza and Mahin Serjoie Student Lounge in the Heravi Building.
