On Sunday, May 11, 2025, Duke Engineering celebrated nearly 1,100 graduates from its various programs.
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Duke Engineering Celebrates the Class of 2025
On an overcast, and at times rainy, May weekend in Durham, students and their families and supporters celebrated the 101st class of graduates from Duke University. Within a jam-packed weekend recognizing the many accomplishments of the Class of 2025, the main event was a university-wide ceremony on the morning of Sunday, May 11. Later in the day, Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering gathered at 2:45 pm in Cameron Indoor Stadium to recognize almost 350 members of this year’s graduating class in a ceremony led by Vinik Dean of Engineering Jerome P. Lynch.
In remarks, Lynch ruminated about his search for something meaningful to leave graduates with as their final lesson from their days as undergraduates. He landed on the deep questions about human meaning posed by Viktor Frankl, a 20th-century psychiatrist, philosopher and survivor of the Holocaust.
“Frankl subtly, but brilliantly, re-posed the question: ‘What does life expect from me?'” Lynch said. “His belief was that your life’s journey is entirely based on what you choose to do—specifically, it is how you find ‘purpose’ in everything you do.”
Lynch encouraged students to reflect on what they want their futures to look like and their roles in achieving those dreams. That, Lynch said, is how one finds their purpose and answers Frankl’s question of, “What is life asking of me?”
“By solving those challenges, you will have had a hand in arriving at a better society,” Lynch said. “I strongly believe there has been no time in human history richer in opportunities to impact the world than today.”
By solving those challenges, you will have had a hand in arriving at a better society. I strongly believe there has been no time in human history richer in opportunities to impact the world than today.
Jerome P. LynchVinik Dean of Engineering
Emily Yagoda, president of the Pratt School of Engineering Class of 2025, also spoke during the ceremony as a representative of her classmates.
“Engineering gave us the tools to build incredible things—but Duke gave us the courage, curiosity, and community to decide what’s truly worth building. So wherever we go next—whether it’s designing bridges, rockets, software, or entirely new communities—I hope we build with purpose. I hope we build with heart. And above all, I hope we never forget the people, right here, who taught us how.”
Beyond the Duke campus, hundreds of families and friends around the world watched a live stream of the Duke Engineering undergraduate ceremony broadcast over YouTube.
PhD Awards
Engineering Graduate Student Council Service Award
Kaleb Kassaw
Yeon Ji (Eva) Kim
Francesco Luzi
PhD Plus Program Service Award
Faris Albarghouthi
Faisal Anees
Kevin Erning
Anna Michelle Villalobos Santeli
Doctoral Dissertation Award
Jia Lu
Dahlia Rohm
Outstanding Service Award
Hala El-Nahal
Ishaan Puranam
Outstanding Scholarship & Service Award
Yeon Ji (Eva) Kim
Outstanding Scholarship Award
Alexandre Sac-Morane
Outstanding Dissertation Award
Jiachang Liu
Brittany Smith
Outstanding Dissertation Award
Junqin Chen
Outstanding Service to the Department Award
Ian Elridge-Allegra
Jacob Peloquin
Undergraduate Awards
Walter J. Seeley Scholastic Award
Presented annually by the Engineering Student Government to the member of the graduating class who has achieved the highest scholastic average in all subjects, and who has shown diligence in pursuit of an engineering education. Initiated to honor the spirit of academic excellence and professional diligence demonstrated by the late Dean Walter J. Seeley.
William Ross Denton
Isabel Fleur Sian Dudlyke
Lucy Jintong Huo
James Cooper Koconis
Zeyu Li
Katherine Lin
Alec Andy Liu
Brandon J Lu
Benjamin Samuel Matz
Shaan Kaiden Narayan
Joseph Christopher Schwartz
Shivam Singh
Valerie Tan Yi Jie
Otto Meier, Jr. Tau Beta Pi Award
Presented in recognition of Dr. Meier’s leadership in establishing the North Carolina Gamma Chapter on January 10, 1948, and his continuous service until April 19, 1975, as the chapter advisor. Given annually to the graduating member of Tau Beta Pi who best symbolizes the distinguished scholarship and exemplary character required for membership.
Amy Chou
Pratt School of Engineering Student Service Award
Established in 1978 and given to graduating seniors who, by contributions of time, effort and spirit, have significantly benefitted the community of the Pratt School of Engineering.
Anya Xayden Dias-Hawkins
Jordan Haytaian
da Vinci Award
Presented to the Biomedical Engineering senior with the most outstanding academic record, as determined by a faculty committee. Commemorates the contributions of Leonardo da Vinci in laying the foundation of the mechanistic study of human life.
James Cooper Koconis
Brandon J Lu
Shivam Singh
Valerie Tan Yi Jie
Helmholtz Award
Given to a graduating senior who presents the best research project, as judged by department faculty. Commemorates the work of Hermann von Helmholtz in laying the foundation of biomedical engineering.
Shelby Dawn Cherkas
Edward D. “Ned” Light Memorial Award
Given to a Pratt Research Fellow in biomedical engineering with the best engineering design project, as judged by a faculty committee. Established in 2012 in memory of Ned Light, who worked for at Duke 22 years—pioneering research in real-time 3D ultrasound imaging and mentoring a host of undergraduate students both in the lab and in life skills.
Roy Chen
Theo C. Pilkington Memorial Award
Established in 1993 by the Whitaker Foundation as an endowment award in memory of Dr. Pilkington, founding chairman of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. 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.
Sarah Jiang
Craig Henriquez Memorial Award
Established in 2025 in memory of Dr. Henriquez, who epitomized the best of academia throughout his 35-year career in Duke BME—a gifted researcher and leader within Duke University, the 7th chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, who was passionate about teaching and sharing his love of science with his students. The recipient is selected at the end of the senior year and the award is given in recognition of outstanding teaching as a teaching assistant in a BME course.
Tyler Harrison King
American Society of Civil Engineering Outstanding Senior Prize
Presented annually to a graduating civil engineering senior in recognition of an exceptional, positive impact on the Duke student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineering.
Easha Kuber
Hana Elizabeth Thibault
William Brewster Snow Environmental Engineering Award
Established in 1979 and presented annually to seniors who have demonstrated academic excellence, interest, and enthusiasm in the study of environmental engineering.
Melanie Sian Chang
Aubrey E. Palmer Award
Established in 1980 and presented annually to a civil engineering or environmental engineering senior in recognition of outstanding academic achievement. Selection is made by the faculty of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.
Melanie Sian Chang
Patrick J Keefe
Grace Elizabeth Levey
Eric I. Pas Award
Established in 1998 in memory of Dr. Pas, former director of undergraduate studies in Civil & Environmental Engineering, and presented to the graduating civil or environmental engineering senior judged by the faculty to have conducted the most outstanding independent study project.
Harrison Chadwick Kendall
Hana Elizabeth Thibault
David Randall Fuller Prize for Achievement in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Presented annually to the graduating senior who has shown the most improvement in academic performance over the first three years.
Doriz Gean Concepcion
George Sherrerd III Memorial Award in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Awarded annually to the senior in electrical and computer engineering who, in the opinion of the Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty, who has attained the highest level of scholastic achievement in all subjects and has simultaneously has rendered significant service to the Pratt School of Engineering and the university at large. Established in 1958 by the parents of Class of 1955 graduate George Sherrerd III, to recognize outstanding undergraduate scholarship.
William Ross Denton
Marie Foote Reel Undergraduate Research Award
Awarded each year to the most outstanding undergraduate research project and presentation as judged by the faculty in Duke Electrical & Computer Engineering as part of the Graduation with Departmental Distinction presentation session. Established in 2021 in honor of electrical engineer Marie Foote Reel ’46, one of the first women to graduate from Duke’s College of Engineering.
Zachary Samuel Charlick
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, a 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 & Computer Engineering.
Vincent Jixun Chen
William Ross Denton
Nicholas James Sortisio
Pi Tau Sigma Scholarship Award
Established in memory of T.C. Heyward, Sr., and presented annually by Pi Tau Sigma to an outstanding senior in Mechanical Engineering at Duke. Selection by a committee of the engineering faculty is based on academic excellence, engineering ability, and leadership.
Austin Tyler Camacho
Eliana Grace Durkee
Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science Faculty Award
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.
Isabel Fleur Sian Dudlyke
Shaan Kaiden Narayan
Joseph Christopher Schwartz
Raymond C. Gaugler Award in Materials Science & Engineering
The Raymond C. Gaugler Award in Materials Science and Engineering recognizes the senior who made the most progress in developing competence in materials science or materials engineering. The basis for selection is scholarship record, research or design projects completed at Duke, and interest in a materials-related career. The award was established by Patricia S. Pearsall in memory of her grandfather, who was president of American Cyanamid Company prior to his death in 1952.
Amy Chou
Jack Hayden Morgenstein
Undergraduate Graduation with Departmental Distinction
Recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional achievement through independent research and a distinguished written thesis. The Howard G. Clark Award (*) recognizes exceptional independent research showcased at the Graduation with Distinction presentations.
Evan Alexander Abramov
Roy Chen
Shelby Dawn Cherkas
Amaris Huang
Juliet Ming Jiang
Andrew Chixuan Jin
Tyler Kearse*
Kseniia Kholina*
Hari Koneru
Hannah Kragt
Vishal Lashkari
Alekshyander Rainer Mishra
Haasini Reddy Nandyala*
Oludamilola Oreoluwa Olatosi
Christian Nigel Pile
Natalia Margarita Roman*
Amanda Rosen
Matthew Marwan Salfity
Jaron Eli Shoemaker*
Arnav Singh
Arushi Sivasankar
Valerie Tan Yi Jie
Shijia Tong
Rushil Kumar Yerrabelli
Arshbir Singh Banipal (*Howard G. Clark Award only)
Recognizes students with outstanding academics who complete an independent study, write a publication-quality research paper, and professionally present their work.
Harrison Chadwick Kendall
Hana Elizabeth Thibault
Recognizes students with outstanding academic performance who complete and defend a faculty-supervised senior research project through a formal report and oral presentation.
Zachary Samuel Charlick
Ryan Jay Chen
Tharindu Anthony Fernando
Jenny Green
Ethan Hsu
Abigail Megan Lee
Zeyu Li
Edrian Paul Sales Liao
Shun Sakai
Recognizes students who conduct advanced faculty-supervised research, maintain a high GPA, submit a research paper, and present their work to a faculty committee.
From Bolivia to Eswatini and from newbie to co-president, follow Anya Dias-Hawkins’ 4-year journey with a student organization that allowed her discover what it truly means to be a civil engineer.
Graduating MEMS senior Izzy Dudlyke has combined Duke’s strengths in engineering and the liberal arts to pursue her dream of working on movie sets and entertainment projects.
Hear how graduating ECE senior Jenny Green developed a love for teaching through her work as a teaching assistant in the Signals and Systems lab.
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