Priyanka Pardasani
Penn Engineering’s Class of 2021 Celebrations took place virtually on Thursday, May 13 and Friday, May 14. Both Thursday’s Doctoral ceremony and Friday’s undergraduate and master’s ceremony featured remarks from Vijay Kumar, Nemrivosky Family Dean and Professor at Penn Engineering and sendoffs from faculty members around the School. Archit Dhar, 2021 graduate with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Systems Engineering and Jieying Chen, 2021 graduate with a master’s in Biotechnology, were the student speakers featured at Friday’s ceremony.
In the months leading up to Commencement, students from across the School participated in a number of digital campaigns to honor their time at Penn Engineering.
David Bunn (top row, left), graduate with a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, noted his favorite memories from his undergraduate experience for our Senior Stories project which were the times he spent building Penn Electric Racing’s car in B11.
Trishla Pokharna (top row, left center), graduate with a bachelor’s in Electrical and Systems Engineering, participated in our Sunday Check-In series and noted that she stayed grounded throughout the pandemic by starting a radio show with her friends and listening to Justin Bieber’s album Changes on repeat.
Tzvi Merczynski-Hait (top row, right center), graduate with a bachelor’s in Computer Engineering, remarked on his favorite class at Penn Engineering for our Senior Stories project,, which was ESE112: Engineering Electromagnetics with professor Nader Engheta who he noted “clearly and intuitively provided a framework for understanding the physics behind electrical engineering.”
Andrea Makamba (top row, right), graduate with a bachelor’s in Systems Science & Engineering, participated in our Senior Stories series by reflecting on a message she’d give her younger self: “Don’t overthink it or look for reasons why it won’t work.”
Three graduates (middle row, left) participated in a belated Hey Day celebration, a tradition that honors rising seniors, on Smith Walk after the University’s celebration of the Class of 2021 bachelor’s graduates on the morning of Monday, May 17.
Anthony Stewart (middle row, left center), graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, participated in our Senior Stories project and remarked on a message he would share with his younger self: “If I could give my younger self one message it would be “Persevere! It’s all worth it, in the end, you’ll achieve all that you want and then some. I know it may not feel like it now but the memories you’ll make, friends you meet, and the connections you’ll form are worth all the minor setbacks and sleepless nights.”
Lucy Stinn (middle row, right center) graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, participated in our Senior Stories project and spoke about her favorite class at Penn Engineering: “My favorite class at Penn Engineering was MEAM 201: Machine Design and Manufacturing! I took this class sophomore fall and it allowed me to get my hands dirty in the machine shop, indulge in my creative side and learn some very valuable skills in the realm of machining and manufacturing.”
Yasmina Al Ghadban (middle row, right), graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering, participated in our Senior Spotlight project and spoke about her future plans: “This next year, I am going to be finishing my Master’s in Public Health at Penn. Long term, I want to use my engineering background to implement an interdisciplinary approach to public health in the Middle East.”
Vijay Kumar (bottom row, left), Nemirovsky Family Dean and Professor at Penn Engineering, congratulates students after the master’s and undergraduate ceremony on Friday, May 14.
Chase Novak (bottom row, left center), graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, participated in our Senior Spotlight project and spoke about his five favorite things: “Being on the Male Practice Squad for the Penn Women’s Basketball Team, Starbucks “dessert” coffees, hand sanitizer, my dog Nike, and beating my roommates in video games.”
Ayush Parikh (bottom row, right center), senior in Computer and Information Science, participated in our Senior Stories project by reflecting on precious moments with his late friend Matt: “My favorite memory from my undergraduate experience is playing tennis with my friend Matt. Last week, I received the heartbreaking news that my friend Matt had passed suddenly. Matt was one of the first people I met at Penn, and we spent over two years together as roommates in Lauder College House (then New College House). I’d like to congratulate all Penn graduates this year and remember to always be kind and to treat others with respect.”
A group of parents (bottom row, right) greets one another on Smith Walk after the celebration of the Class of 2021 bachelor’s graduates.
Penn Engineering’s graduating seniors participated in the University’s celebration of the Class of 2021 bachelor’s graduates on the morning of Monday, May 17, 2021 on Franklin Field. The celebration did not take place in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic and was an exciting change for many this year.
Stream Penn Engineering’s doctoral, undergraduate and master’s ceremonies here.