Clark School Class of 2005 Urged to Innovate

At commencement ceremonies on May 22, speakers asked more than 670 Clark School graduates to improve the U.S. and the world through innovation.

Commencement speaker Dr. Hratch Semerjian, acting director of the National Institute for Standards and Technology, warned graduates that the world of engineering is very competitive, but that it is up to them to keep the U.S. at the forefront of innovation.

"Innovation will be the single most important factor in determining the U.S.'s success in the 21st century," Dr. Semerjian told the assembled graduates. "We need to focus the country back on science and technology."

Undergraduate student speaker Selin Mariadhas, mechanical engineering, urged her fellow graduates to make the world a better place.

"We've just finished one rollercoaster and we're about to begin another. This is scary, but it's also exciting," she said. "Can't you feel the urgency in this world to create something better?"

Forty-three students received doctoral degrees, 198 students received masters degrees, and 435 students received bachelor degrees.

Published May 23, 2005