Henry (Hank) Webber named 2026 School of Architecture Commencement Speaker

Henry (Hank) Webber joins The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture to deliver the 2026 commencement address on Saturday, May 9. 

Webber is the founder and Managing Principal of Urban Impact Advisors, a national consulting firm focused on higher education, innovation districts, and community and economic development. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has played pivotal roles at the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis, helping both institutions deepen their academic excellence while expanding their civic impact. This semester, Webber joined UTSOA as a Professor of Practice and Henry M. Rockwell Chair in Architecture Fellow. 

Throughout his career, Webber has led transformative initiatives that demonstrate the power of strategic investment and community partnership. His notable contributions include the revitalization of the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood and the Delmar Loop in St. Louis; leadership of the Cortex Innovation Community; redevelopment of the North Kenwood/Oakland and Woodlawn neighborhoods and the 53rd Street retail district in Chicago; restoration of the historic Midway Plaisance; and the creation of Illinois’ largest Employee Housing Assistance Program. 

From 2008 until the end of 2021, Webber served as Executive Vice Chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis. He was the University’s Chief Administrative Officer through 2020, overseeing a wide variety of administrative and external affairs functions including on and off campus University real estate and facilities, human resources, University operations, public affairs, information technology and security with combined operating and capital budgets of over $500M annually and over 1600 University and contracted staff. In 2020 he became Washington University’s Executive Vice Chancellor for Civic Affairs and Strategic Planning and led a university-wide effort to strengthen the University as a teaching, research and patient care leader while making the St Louis region stronger and more equitable. 

The School of Architecture commencement ceremony, headlined by Webber’s address, will occur at 2:00 pm in the Hogg Memorial Auditorium on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Seating is limited to those with tickets, but the ceremony will be live-streamed on the School of Architecture’s YouTube channel.