[caption id="" align="alignright" width="334"] SUNY POLY CELEBRATES — SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s College Council Chair Donald Hanson shares his insights with members of the institute’s Class of 2016 at the Wildcat Field House on Sunday. The class of nearly 800 graduates was the largest in the institute’s history. (Photos courtesy SUNY Polytechnic Institute/Matt Kopytowski)[/caption]

Nearly 800 graduates walked the stage, constituting the largest commencement class in the history of SUNY Polytechnic Institute on Sunday .

The ceremony, held at the Wildcat Field House, was attended by more than 3,000 family and friends, officials added.

“SUNY Poly is committed to building a bright future for New York State by graduating highly skilled students who understand that creating knowledge is the key to innovation and that innovation is the key to success. Members of the class of 2016 are a perfect example of this and should be proud of their accomplishments,” said Dr. Robert Geer, senior vice president and COO of SUNY Poly. “We welcome today’s graduates to our family of alumni and wish them continued success.”

The three most common undergraduate degrees awarded at the ceremony were bachelors of science degrees in nursing, business administration and mechanical engineering technology, respectively. The top graduate degrees awarded Saturday were masters of science degrees in family nurse practitioner, computer information systems and technology management, respectively.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Donald Hanson, chair of the SUNY Polytechnic Institute College Council, a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and former Director of the Information Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, where for many years he oversaw the Air Force’s center for the development of information systems, managed an annual science and technology program of more than $700 million, and directed the activities of nearly 1,500 military, civilian, and contract employees.

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