Commitment to the Future

“You persevered in the most challenging disciplines, and you did it while adapting to new learning environments and challenging, changing social norms,” Karen Panetta, director of graduate education at the School of Engineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering, told graduate students in a virtual ceremony on May 23.

“You embrace disruptive innovations and have the ability to design new technology that will consider how all kinds of people will use and access your technology,” she said. “You will keep us safe, protect our environment, and speak up when others around you choose to remain silent. You will start new ventures that will provide opportunities for economic growth and provide services and accessibility to disparate populations around the world, in cost-effective and socially responsible ways.”

Featured speaker David Rosowsky, E85, EG87, former professor of civil and environmental engineering, provost, and senior vice president of the University of Vermont and a member of the School of Engineering Board of Advisors, focused on what graduates could achieve with their newfound knowledge.

“Your knowledge and your commitment to leveraging your Tufts degree and your Tufts experience to do well and to do good will help to create a better world, one that’s safer and more resilient and more just. And that’s a world I look forward to being part of,” he said.

“Yes, let today be a day of celebration,” he added, “but let it also be a day of commitment to the future and commitment to the important role each of you will play in creating a safe, sustainable, and prosperous tomorrow.”

Dean Jianmin Qu, the Karol Family Professor at the School of Engineering, told the graduates that while the last 15 months have been extremely challenging, he was “continually impressed and inspired” by their dedication to their education, their communities, and to each other. “I am tremendously proud of all of you graduates.” — Taylor McNeil, University Communications and Marketing