On June 15, the College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) graduated its fourth class of more than 240 undergraduate and graduate students at Drexel University’s Commencement Ceremonies, held in Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa.
CCI also hosted a College commencement ceremony on June 14 in the Daskalakis Athletic Center where graduates were individually recognized.
Click here to watch the ceremony online.
Students participating in this year’s Commencement graduated with bachelor’s degrees in computer science, software engineering, information systems, information technology and computing & security technology; and master’s degrees in library and information science, computer science, health informatics, information systems and software engineering.
Fifteen PhD students were hooded during the June 14 ceremony where they graduated from the College’s doctoral programs in information science and computer science.
“In this new economy, you are faced with unlimited possibilities,” Dean and Isaac L. Auerbach Professor
Yi Deng, PhD said in his opening remarks. “No matter what your passion is, or in what industry you want to make an impact, you will find opportunities to do so.”
Students graduating with honors through the
Pennoni Honors College, Beta Phi Mu and Upsilon Pi Epsilon, as well as CCI’s
Dean’s Ambassadors, were recognized. Additionally, computer science graduate Zakary W. Olyarnik ‘18 was presented with a certificate for achieving a 4.0 grade point average.
Dean’s Ambassador Tiffany Wong, ’18, graduating with a BS in computer science with concentrations in human-computer interaction and software engineering, addressed the Class of 2018. She has served as an undergraduate peer mentor and a teaching assistant for CCI’s Department of Computer Science. She also served as a member of the
Drexel Women in Computing Society (WiCS), a student-led organization that aims to support, recruit and retain women pursuing a degree in the broad field of computing. Following graduation, Wong will be working at Comcast’s headquarters in Philadelphia, Pa.
Rick Berk, BS computer science ‘86, provided the keynote address. Berk is partner and head of firm-wide compliance and enterprise risk management at
Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH), a privately-owned and managed financial services firm which serves individuals and institutions globally, with expertise in private banking, investment management and investor services.
“When I look out on all of you, I see bright futures — talent and skill that did not happen in solitude, but through the successful partnerships you have already forged — with your families, with your friends and classmates, with your professors, and most importantly, with yourself,” Berk said. “I see people that have spent the last many years studying hard, working hard, persevering and achieving their goals. I see a future that is full of promise.”
Prior to joining BBH, Rick was the vice president of global accounts development at ADP BISG, where he was responsible for developing systems and servicing ADP’s largest clients. He also spent several years in the communications technology industry. Rick is a member of the
Dean’s Executive Advisory Council and is an active member of Drexel’s Alpha Upsilon chapter of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. He has also been a trustee of the South Shore Health System in Weymouth, Mass.
For more information about Commencement, please visit
drexel.edu/commencement