Congratulations to the 168 chemical engineering graduates who walked at the department graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 9, including 132 B.S., 25 M.S., and 11 Ph.D. recipients. 

Among the undergraduates, eight participated in either the University Honors/Scholars Program or the CBE Honors Program, and 11 students participated in the Cooperative Education Program. Nearly 100 of the undergraduates graduated with honors, 24 of whom were valedictorians. Additionally, 15 undergraduates received a second degree from another department. 

Six of the master’s recipients will continue on to pursue their Ph.D. The Ph.D. recipients were hooded by their advisors with ten faculty represented and Profs. Orlin Velev and Greg Parsons each hooding two students.

Ned McCoy, president and CEO of CivicaRx, spoke at the ceremony as the invited alumni speaker. He received two chemical engineering degrees from NC State – his B.S. in 1979 and his M.S. in 1981. His speech focused on the ten life lessons he wanted to impart on the graduating class, “Ned’s Top Ten,” and the six things he does everyday: “exercise, eat well, go outside, meet someone new, learn something new, and laugh hard.”

He concluded with a genuine, heartfelt appeal to the graduates requesting that they connect with him and stay in touch. “I’ve reached the point in life where I would very much like to give back.”

The last ceremony speaker was B.S. degree recipient, Jaden Leatherman. While at NC State she has served as president and founder of the German Ambassadors Club, Regent of the Theta Tau Rho Chapter, and captain of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers ChemE Car team. She worked as a research assistant for Prof. Peter Fedkiw and completed both an internship and co-op. Additionally, she gained international experience in Germany as a U.S. Department of State scholarship student. 

“We are certainly no strangers to challenges,” she said, “in fact, this degree has taught us to run towards those challenges because a challenge is an opportunity to solve a problem. And that is what chemical engineering is really all about.”

Congratulations to all our students on achieving your degrees! We are so proud of you and cannot wait to see all that you accomplish.  Keep in touch, and go Wolf Pack!