UTICA – Students reflected and celebrated Saturday at they walked across the Wildcat Field House stage at SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s (SUNY Poly’s) Utica campus during the institution’s 45th annual commencement ceremony, honoring nearly 700 members of the Class of 2019.

“I am honored to congratulate such an outstanding group of graduates, and I am looking forward to learning about the many future contributions these alumni will make—not only in their chosen areas of study, but also in their own communities,” said Dr. Grace Wang, Interim President of SUNY Poly. “On behalf of our faculty and staff, I wish each of them success as they apply the education and experiences they gained at SUNY Poly to succeed in challenging and rewarding careers and lead vibrant, impactful lives.”

The top three undergraduate degrees awarded at the ceremony by number of students were Computer and Information Science, Nursing, and Business Administration.

The keynote speaker for the undergraduate ceremony was Col. Timothy J. Lawrence,director of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Information Directorate in Rome, New York.Col. Lawrence leads the research base, which works to maintain the United States of America as the world’s leader in command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, and cyber technologies. In addition to his many accomplishments throughout his career so far, Col. Lawrence also became the first American to swim 19 miles from Jersey (UK) to France in 2006, setting a new world record.

A graduate commencement and hooding ceremony Friday afternoon, May 10 at the Wildcat Field House for master’s candidates preceded the undergraduate ceremony. A hooding ceremony is a special recognition for Ph.D. and master’s degree candidates in which a faculty member from the student’s respective program places a hood over the head of the graduate, signifying his or her success in completing the graduate program. The keynote speaker for the 2019 SUNY Poly Graduate Commencement and Hooding ceremony was Alicia Dicks, president and CEO of The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties. She previously served as president of the Fort Schuyler Management Corp. where she managed the construction and operations of the Computer Chip Commercialization Center at SUNY Poly’s Utica campus. 

A reception inside the Student Center followed both the graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies. A similar commencement ceremony will be held at SUNY Poly’s Albany Campus Saturday, May 18 inside the Zero Energy Nanotechnology (ZEN) Building.

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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.