Ceremony Follows SUNY Poly’s Utica Campus Commencement with More Than
775 Total Students Awarded Degrees

Albany, NY – SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) today announced that the institution honored 47 students who earned undergraduate or advanced degrees and were able to take part in commencement exercises that were held Saturday, May 18 at SUNY Poly’s Zero Energy Nanotechnology (ZEN) Building at SUNY Poly’s Albany campus.

The ceremony took place following SUNY Poly’s 45th annual Utica campus commencement, with ceremonies held on Friday, May 10 for those graduating with graduate degrees, and on Saturday, May 11 for students graduating with undergraduate degrees. In total, more than 775 students were recognized during ceremonies held at both SUNY Poly campuses.

“I congratulate SUNY Poly’s newest graduates who will be able to utilize the unique, experiential education that SUNY Poly provides as an exciting platform to pursue academic and high-tech careers in New York State, the United States, and across the world,” said SUNY Polytechnic Institute Interim President Dr. Grace Wang. “As SUNY Poly continues to offer unmatched immersive learning experiences for our students, including rigorous programs with opportunities to deeply engage with globally recognized innovation-focused companies, I am thrilled that our latest graduates are well prepared to adapt and thrive in this fast-changing world.”

The keynote speaker at the Albany campus ceremony was Dr. Mukesh V. Khare, who is a Vice President at IBM Research driving IBM’s worldwide hardware research agenda. In his current role, he and his global team of more than 1,000 researchers are developing innovative technologies for IBM’s Enterprise Systems, Cognitive Systems, and AI Hardware. Dr. Khare is a recipient of IBM Corporate Award and Outstanding Technical Achievement Award for his technical accomplishments and is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC). Dr. Khare served as the General Chair of the 2018 Symposia on VLSI Technology, has co-authored more than 100 research papers, and holds several U.S. and international patents.

More than half of the graduating students at SUNY Poly’s Albany campus are from New York State and several are international students. Four students earned Ph.D.’s, five earned master’s degrees, and of the 34 Albany-based undergraduate students who were awarded Bachelor of Science degrees, 8 graduated with a Nanoscale Science concentration and 26 had a Nanoscale Engineering concentration.

As the graduating students join a growing number of SUNY Poly alumni, many plan to pursue a variety of career or educational opportunities. Of those graduate students who have definitive career or educational plans after graduation, more than half have already accepted positions at prestigious corporations, especially those with efforts focused on semiconductor research and development, such as at GlobalFoundries, in Malta, NY, or they have secured opportunities at organizations such as Oak Ridge National Laboratories, among others, or plan to pursue advanced degrees. One graduate in particular plans to continue his work with the startup company he co-founded, which results from materials research conducted at SUNY Poly.

SUNY Poly is the world’s first educational institution to offer comprehensive curricula focused on nanotechnology research and development, with educational offerings supported by the world-class intellectual and technological resources of its Albany NanoTech Complex, while its Utica campus offers a broad array of hands-on educational degree programs in everything from engineering and the arts to cybersecurity and nursing. The Utica campus hosted a commencement ceremony for more than 525 students who received an undergraduate degree, and 225 who earned a graduate degree or certificate of advanced study.

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About SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly)

SUNY Poly is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany campus, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome campus; thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and hundreds of corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.

 

For Release:           Immediate – May 18, 2019
Contact:                  Steve Ference, Director of University Communications | (518) 956-7319 | sference@sunypoly.edu