On Friday, June 14, the College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) graduated its fifth class of nearly 400 undergraduate and graduate students at Drexel University’s Commencement Ceremonies, held at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa.
CCI also hosted a College commencement ceremony on Thursday, June 13 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, computing and security technology, informatics, information systems, information technology, and software engineering; and master’s degrees in computer science, health informatics, information systems, library and information science, national security management, and software engineering.
Seven PhD students were hooded during the June 13 ceremony where they graduated from the College’s doctoral programs in information science and computer science.
“With the rise of Big Data, automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, the impact of technology is far reaching, affecting all aspects of our society,” 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 make your mark. The skills that you have honed here while at Drexel will no doubt help to change the world.”
Students graduating with honors through the Pennoni Honors College, Beta Phi Mu and Upsilon Pi Epsilon were recognized. Additionally, Kaitlyn Smith ’19 and Catherine Smith ’19 were recognized for their service to the College as a Dean’s Ambassador and Peer Mentor, respectively.
Kaitlyn Smith, graduating with a BS in information systems, also served as the student speaker for the class of 2019. Smith has served as an undergraduate Dean’s Ambassador and worked as a diversity and inclusion coordinator for the College’s Women in Computing Initiative. During her time at Drexel, Smith was a member of Alpha Omega Epsilon, a professional and social sorority composed of female engineering and technical science students and alumnae from across the globe, and 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, Smith will be working at Vanguard in Malvern, Pa.
“We may not have stopped to realize we were learning something larger and arguably just as critical as our majors of study. We were learning how to connect, empathize, and design for those who are not like us,” Smith said in her commencement address. Click here to watch a video with Kaitlyn sharing her reflections how Drexel shaped her as a technologist over the past five years.
Mike Lawrie, a Drexel MBA alumnus and Drexel Trustee, provided the keynote address. Lawrie is chairman, president, and CEO of DXC Technology, the world’s leading independent, end-to-end IT services company, serving nearly 6,000 private and public-sector clients in 70 countries and from a diverse array of industries.
“In life you will inevitably face setbacks, both personal and professional. It’s not the setback that matters; what matters is how you interpret and learn from it, and how it strengthens you on your journey,” Lawrie said. “To you, the class of 2019: congratulations, good luck, and the world awaits your turn at the helm.”
DXC Technology is a gold-level member of CCI’s Corporate Partners Program and in fall 2019, the company will launch an Innovation Lab at Drexel on the 9thfloor of 3675 Market.
Following the College commencement, CCI students and their families gathered in the College’s new home, the 10thand 11thfloors of 3675 Market Street, for a graduation reception with refreshments, a photo booth, and brief remarks from Dean and Isaac L. Auerbach Professor Yi Deng, PhD. Click here to view a gallery of photos from that event.
For more about Commencement, please visit drexel.edu/commencement.