Photo Album: Diploma Day

PHOTOS BY BRYAN

CANTWELL,

MIC ORMAN &

SHAWN SPENCE

A Walk & Outdoor Commencement to Remember

The Class of 2021 has left campus to begin members' professional careers, graduate school studies, military commissions, and other ambitions with the analytical skills to put them in the winner’s circle in solving future challenges in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. That was the message 1990 mechanical engineering alumnus and Team Penske President Tim Cindric told the 416 members who received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from President Robert A. Coons during the institute’s 143rd Commencement—the first year-end event to be conducted outdoors at Cook Stadium’s Phil Brown Field. Another 65 students participated in the ceremony in anticipation of completing their degree requirements this summer or fall.

Cindric gave the Commencement Address and earned an honorary degree from his alma mater. (See more on page 11) He told the graduates: “Throughout your time here at Rose, everyone has been exposed to numbers, formulas, hypothesis, and all kinds of physical and mathematical problems. It didn’t really dawn on me that the biggest thing I was learning while solving these problems wasn’t really the answer. It was the way in which I was trained to approach a problem. Independent of the curriculum or the major you pursued while you were at Rose, each one of your professors was teaching you the same thing but in different way. They were teaching you process. Each one of you will leave here today with the ability to solve virtually any problem because you know where to go to locate the constants and you have been trained to utilize process to determine the answer.“

This year’s Commencement culminated a challenging 2020-21 academic year that had students, faculty and staff wearing masks around campus and experiencing classes and laboratory sessions with social distancing measures and a mixture of in-class, hybrid and online course offerings, albeit under health and safety requirements. “Did you sometimes wonder if this day would ever arrive?“ President Coons asked the institute’s newest alumni. “As we reflect on your time here, it’s tempting to focus on the past 14 months because of how unusual that period has been. But your experience at Rose-Hulman has been so much more. I cannot overlook the role each of you played in promoting the health and safety of our community during the past year. It is difficult enough to graduate from Rose-Hulman, but to do it in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, with all of the hardships entailed, is truly amazing. You can always be proud of the part you played in our successful navigation of this global challenge.“ Other speakers were Kelly Noel, a 2002 electrical engineering alumna and president of the Rose-Hulman Alumni Advisory Board; Senior Class President Patricia Giraldo and Student Government Association Past-President Coleman Weaver, both electrical engineering graduates; and Jarvis Faught, vice president of the South Asian Student Alliance, who received a civil engineering degree. Cindric, Millett Receive Doctor of Engineering Honorary Degrees

Presented Doctor of Engineering honorary degrees this year were:

Tim Cindric, a 1990 mechanical engineering alumnus who as Team Penske President has overall management responsibilities for racing operations, including teams racing at the top levels of the NTT IndyCar Series, Monster, the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He also oversees Penske Technology Group, Penske Restoration, the Penske Heritage Center, and Penske Racing Museum. Under Cindric’s leadership, Team Penske has earned more than 300 race victories, including eight Indianapolis 500-mile races, and 19 series championships.

Mark Millett, Steel Dynamics president and chief executive who has been instrumental in building the company into one of the largest and fastest growing steel producers and metals recyclers in the U.S. The company’s operations include the Heartland Flat Roll Division in Terre Haute and its leadership team, featuring several Rose-Hulman alumni, has created a best-in-class, innovative steel company that has been committed to operating in an environmentally responsible manner.

Celebrate Commencement with the Class of 2021: www.rose-hulman.edu/commencement2021

Herman A. Moench Distinguished Senior Commendation

(graduate having commendable influence on the Rose community) Grant Stamper, Biology John T. Royse Award

(most outstanding graduate, based upon academics, student leadership, activities, and campus citizenship) Kaylee Pate, Chemical Engineering/ Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Heminway Gold Medal

(graduates with highest academic achievement) Karen Folz, Chemical Engineering/ Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Marc Fournier, Computer Engineering and Computer Science Hailey Heidecker, Electrical Engineering Andrew Johnson, Computer Engineering and Computer Science Kaylee Pate, Chemical Engineering/ Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Faculty/Staff Awards

Dean’s Outstanding Teacher

Cliff Grigg, Electrical and Computer Engineering Board of Trustees’ Outstanding Scholar

Robert Throne, Electrical and Computer Engineering President’s Outstanding Service

Dawn Miller, Operations and Recruiting Manager, Office of Career Services and Employer Relations John T. Ying Excellence for Student-Faculty Collaboration

Audrey Brand, 2020 Optical Engineering Alumna Hossein Alisafaee, Physics and Optical Engineering

Hero Rose

The more than 100 employees who provided extraordinary efforts in helping the institute deal with the numerous ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020-21 school year. Superhero Rose

Andrea Baysinger, Ryan Brimberry, Jake Campbell, Megan Elliott, and Erik Hayes (BSME, 1997/MSME, 2001) for their tireless efforts in helping navigate a once-in-a-century health challenge Excellence in Service

Office of Public Safety

Shining Star

Patty Eaton, Director of Student Accessibility Services Make a Difference

Carol Clampitt, Facilities Team Member