Duke Engineering Celebrates Class of 2014

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin E. Dempsey, delivered the University’s commencement address, while Pratt Dean Tom Katsouleas and Senior Class President Andy Hoang Tran spoke at the undergraduate engineering school ceremonies. Jeffrey Glass, professor of electrical and computer engineering and Hogg Family Director of Engineering Management and Entrepreneurship, addressed the MEM and MEng graduates at the Diploma Ceremony on Sunday.

Katsouleas awarded Bachelor of Science in Engineering diplomas to 256 students (265 total for the Class of 2014). He also presented diplomas to 57 Master's of Science and 31 PhD engineering graduates (a Class of 2014 total of 109 and 68 total, respectively). Watch the MS and PhD ceremony.

Sixty-four Master of Engineering Management and 20 Master of Engineering degrees were also awarded on May 11 (total graduates of those programs for the academic year, including September and Fall 2013, were 143 and 45, respectively). Watch the MEng and MEM ceremony.

Overall, Duke awarded degrees to about 1,656 undergraduates and 2,298 graduate and professional students who are graduating this spring. An additional 1,210 students who graduated in September or December 2013 are also invited to participate in Sunday's commencement.

Many Pratt graduates received special prizes or awards:

Niral Milan Sheth – The Walter J. Seeley Scholastic Award
The Walter J. Seeley Scholastic Award is presented annually by the Engineering Student Government to the member of the graduating class of the School who has achieved the highest scholastic average in all subjects, and who has shown diligence in pursuit of an engineering education. The award was initiated to honor the spirit of academic excellence and professional diligence demonstrated by the late Dean Walter J. Seeley. The ESG hopes that this award will serve as a symbol of the man and the ideals for which he stood.

Sarah Madeline Eade –The Otto Meier, Jr. Tau Beta Pi Award
The Otto Meier, Jr. Tau Beta Pi Award is presented in recognition of Dr. Meier’s leader ship in establishing the North Carolina Gamma Chapter on January 10, 1948, and his continuous service until April 19, 1975, as Chapter Advisor. This award is given annually to the graduating Tau Beta Pi member who symbolized best the distinguished scholarship and exemplary character required for membership.

Sarah Madeline Eade – Pratt School of Engineering Student Service Award
Established in 1978, the Pratt School of Engineering Student Service Award is given to graduating seniors who, by contributions of time, effort and spirit, have significantly benefitted the community of the School of Engineering.

Niral Milan Sheth – The da Vinci Award
The da Vinci Award is presented to the Biomedical Engineering student with the most outstanding academic record as determined by a faculty committee. The award commemorates the contribution of Leonardo da Vinci in laying the foundations of the mechanistic study of human life.

Alex Patrick Vaz – The Helmholtz Award
The Helmholtz Award is given to graduating seniors who present the best research projects as judged by the departmental faculty. The award commemorates the work of Hermann von Helmholtz in laying the foundation of Biomedical Engineering.

Oriane B. Matthys – The Theo C. Pilkington Memorial Award
The Theo C. Pilkington Memorial Award was established in 1993 by the Whitaker Foundation as an endowment award in memory of Dr. Theo C. Pilkington, founding chairman of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. The recipient is selected at the end of the junior year and the award is given in recognition of outstanding perseverance and accomplishment in the study of biomedical engineering.

Thomas Julian Isola – The ASCE Outstanding Senior Prize
The ASCE Outstanding Senior Prize is presented annually by the North Carolina Section of ASCE to a graduating civil engineering senior, or seniors, in recognition of an exceptional, positive impact on the student chapter of ASCE and scholastic record.

Ifeoma Blessing Anyansi – The William Brewster Snow Environmental Engineering Award
The William Brewster Snow Environmental Engineering Award, established in 1979, is presented annually to seniors who have demonstrated academic excellence, interest, and enthusiasm in the study of environmental engineering.

Matthew George Rand and Perry Evan Simmons – The Aubrey E. Palmer Award
The Aubrey E. Palmer Award, established in 1980, is presented annually to a civil engineering senior in recognition of outstanding academic achievement. Selection is made by the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Robert William Plybon – The Eric I. Pas Award
The Eric I. Pas Award, established in 1998 in memory of Dr. Eric Pas, former Director of Undergraduate Studies in Civil and Environmental Engineering, is presented to the graduating civil engineering senior judged by the faculty to have conducted the most outstanding independent study project.

Mark Andrew Hoffman – The David Randall Fuller Prize
The David Randall Fuller Prize for Achievement in Electrical and Computer Engineering is presented annually to the graduating senior who has shown the most improvement in academic performance over the first three years.

Kushal Seetharam – The George Sherrerd III Memorial Award
The George Sherrerd III Memorial Award in Electrical and Computer Engineering is awarded annually to the senior in electrical and computer engineering who, in the opinion of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty, has attained the highest level of scholastic achievement in all subjects and simultaneously has rendered significant service to the School of Engineering and the University at large. The award was established in 1958 by the parents of George Sherrerd III, a graduate of the Class of 1955, to recognize outstanding undergraduate scholarship.

Amay Nikunj Jhaveri – The Charles Ernest Seager Memorial Award
The Charles Ernest Seager Memorial Award recognizes the most outstanding undergraduate research project and presentation as judged by the faculty in Electrical and Computer Engineering as part of the Graduation with Distinction presentation session. The award was established in 1958 by the widow and friends of Charles Ernest Seager, a graduate of the Class of 1955.

Sarah Madeline Eade and Tory Alena Lang – The Charles Rowe Vail Memorial Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award
The Charles Rowe Vail Memorial Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, established in 1997 by former students and colleagues of Charles Vail, a graduate of the class of 1937, professor from 1939-1967, and chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering from 1956-1964, recognizes the most outstanding undergraduate teaching assistant in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Anosh Phiroze Sethna – The Pi Tau Sigma Scholarship Award
The Pi Tau Sigma Scholarship Award in memory of T.C. Heyward, Sr. is presented annually by Pi Tau Sigma to an outstanding senior in Mechanical Engineering at Duke University. Selection is based on academic excellence, engineering ability, and leadership, and is chosen by a committee of the engineering faculty.

Ajeet Pal Singh Hansra – The Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Faculty Award
The Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Faculty Award is presented annually in recognition of academic excellence to the graduating Mechanical Engineering seniors who have attained the highest level of scholastic achievement as determined by the faculty.

Students Graduating with Departmental Distinction Awards

Biomedical Engineering

• *Ahmed Abdul Salam Alshareef
• Cameron Alexander Aubin
• Khan Bui
• *Jessica Cao
• *Abby Chainani
• Jeffrey Shi Chen
• Virginia Chen
• Alexa Maria Choy
• Shreyas Narendra Dahotre
• *Radu Darie
• *Derek Mitchell Eidum
• Michael James Keane
• **Cameron Michael Kim
• *Joshua Elliot Lewis
• *Trisha Pei-Wei Lian
• Jarrett Marshall Link
• *Carly Melissa Lutzky
• *Oriane B. Matthys
• *Casey Elizabeth McGinley
• Matthew Edward Nagle
• *Daria Vladimirovna Nesterovich
• Adam Carl Nolte
• Min Ju Park
• Lydia Ran
• Adam Alexander Roth
• Fred Yonghe Shen
• Niral Milan Sheth
• *Pratul Preeti Srinivasan
• Alex Patrick Vaz
• Angela Rae Woods
• Deborah Xingchun Xie
• Kristie Li-Yin Yang
• Andrew Lu Yuan

*The Howard G. Clark Award
**Edward D. Light “Ned” Memorial Award

Civil Engineering

• Natalie Anne Cybriwsky
• Robert William Plybon

Electrical and Computer Engineering

• Amay Nikunj Jhaveri
• Nathan Xilong Li
• Anirudh Chandra Mohan
• Michael Jacob Motro
• Pariya Sithikong
• Alex Zihao Zhu

Mechanical Engineering

• Charles Arthur Arentzen
• Isabelle Angela Brogna
• Maxwell Walker Coar
• Daniel Concha
• Allen Mitchell Hawkes
• Rebekah Lynn Johnston
• Scott Thomas Martin
• Samuel Noah Miller
• Anosh Phiroze Sethna
• Mauricio Villa

Diploma Ceremony Videos