Ceremony Follows Utica Campus Commencement, with More Than 700 Total Students
Awarded Degrees After Gaining an Innovative, Hands-on Education

Albany, NY – SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) today announced that 59 students who earned undergraduate or advanced degrees were honored during commencement exercises held on Saturday, May 20 at its Albany campus. The ceremony took place after SUNY Poly bestowed degrees during the institution’s 43rd annual Utica campus commencement, which was held Saturday, May 6 at the Wildcat Fieldhouse. In total, more than 700 students were recognized during ceremonies held at both SUNY Poly campuses.
 
“It is my distinct honor to join the SUNY Poly community today as we celebrate the Class of 2017 and all that these students have and will accomplish as a result of completing their SUNY degree,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Congratulations to all of this year’s graduates as well as the excellent faculty and staff across SUNY Poly, and the parents and families at home whose support undoubtedly contributed to their success.”
 
“I congratulate each of SUNY Poly’s 2017 graduates who will be able to proudly utilize their cutting-edge education and life experience that this institution provided them to pursue rewarding careers in New York State and beyond,” said SUNY Polytechnic Institute Interim President Dr. Bahgat Sammakia. “SUNY Poly’s challenging coursework and unique laboratory and high-tech learning environments give our graduates a superb set of skills for successful engagements with some of the most advanced companies in the world. I wish my very best to the class of 2017 as they discover just how valuable a degree from SUNY Poly truly is.”
 
The keynote speaker at the ceremony was Anita Brown, Indium Corporation’s Senior Marketing Communications Manager, who joined the company in 2004 and has over 20 years of marketing experience in both the business and consumer areas. She graduated from SUNY Poly with an MBA in Technology Management, and, in addition to being an active community member, she is also chair of the SUNY Poly Foundation Board of Trustees.
 
“I am pleased to offer praise to SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s newest graduates for their success in completing their rigorous academic programs. They are well prepared for a lifetime of learning and the ability to take part in innovation-based career opportunities, from the Capital Region to the Mohawk Valley and beyond,” said SUNY Poly Provost Dr. William Durgin. “We are proud that these SUNY Poly alumni will be able to thrive because of their academic successes. The degrees they received are powerful symbols of what each is capable of.”
 
Fifty-nine graduate and undergraduate students, including thirty-seven from New York State and twelve international students, were honored during the commencement ceremony taking place at SUNY Poly’s Albany NanoTech Complex. Eight students were awarded Ph.D.’s, four earned master’s degrees, and of the 47 who were part of the undergraduate class attending the institution’s Albany site who were awarded Bachelor of Science degrees, 12 graduated with a Nanoscale Science concentration and 35 had a Nanoscale Engineering concentration.
 
The students who were honored during the spring commencement ceremony plan to pursue a variety of career or educational opportunities. Of those graduate students who have definitive career or educational plans after graduation, two-thirds have accepted positions at leading corporations in the areas of semiconductor or bioscience-based research and development, such as at Lam Research, or they are pursuing opportunities at organizations such as NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, among others. A number of students graduating with an advanced degree are choosing to continue their work and pursue other advanced degrees in New York State, with a majority choosing to continue their education by enrolling in SUNY Poly’s nanoscale science or nanoscale engineering Ph.D. programs. Three-quarters of the undergraduate students with definitive post-graduation plans have already secured positions with advanced technology-focused corporations or expect to pursue graduate studies at top institutions around the country, including Cornell University, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, and SUNY Poly, among others.
 
SUNY Poly is the world’s first educational institution to offer comprehensive curricula focused on nanotechnology research and development. SUNY Poly’s educational offerings are supported by the world-class intellectual and technological resources of its Albany NanoTech Complex, which is complemented by its Utica campus, offering 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 500 students who received an undergraduate degree, and more than 200 who earned a graduate degree or certificate of advanced study.
 

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SUNY Polytechnic Institute. SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. 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 location 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 location. 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 over 300 corporate partners. For information visit www.sunycnse.com and www.sunypoly.edu.

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Media Contact:
Steve Ference, Director of University Communications­
(518) 956-7319 | sference@sunypoly.edu