For Release:          Immediate – May 5, 2018

Contact:                 Dave Dellecese, Public Affairs Specialist ­

                        (315) 792-7307 | ddellecese@sunypoly.edu

SUNY Poly Graduates Nearly 700 at 44^th Annual Commencement

Studio Head of premier videogame developer delivers undergrad keynote address

UTICA – Continuing its mission to offer students the strongest foundation for their career paths, SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) this weekend hosted its 44^th annual commencement ceremony at the Wildcat Field House, honoring its nearly 700 members of the Class of 2018.

“We are thrilled that the Class of 2018 SUNY Poly graduates are now part of our constantly growing family of alumni,” said Dr. Bahgat Sammakia, Interim President of SUNY Poly. “We offer them our best wishes as they go out into the world to build challenging, yet exciting careers and find even greater success with the foundations they’ve formed here at SUNY Poly.”

The top three undergraduate degrees awarded at the ceremony by number of students were Business Administration, Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Nursing, respectively.

The keynote speaker for the undergraduate ceremony was Jennifer Oneal, Studio Head of Vicarious Visions, a premier videogame developer. In various roles during her 15 years of leadership at Vicarious Visions and Activision, Oneal has overseen the Tony Hawk franchise, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, and multiple titles within the popular Guitar Hero and Skylanders franchises. In her current role as Studio Head, she has guided the studio to success with the multi-platinum hit Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and E3’s 2017 PC game of the show Destiny 2.

The undergraduate commencement ceremony was preceded with a graduate commencement and hooding ceremony Friday afternoon, May 4 at the Wildcat Field House for master’s candidates.  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 2018 SUNY Poly Graduate Commencement and Hooding ceremony was SUNY Poly Interim Dean of Graduate Studies Dr. Shadi Shahedipour-Sandvik. The graduate degrees awarded to the most students at the graduate ceremony on Friday included Family Nurse Practitioner, Computer & Information Science, and Technology Management.

A reception outside the Student Center followed both the graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies at SUNY Poly’s Utica campus.

A similar ceremony will be held at the Albany Campus of SUNY Polytechnic Institute on Saturday, May 19 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.