C E BOARD OF REGENTS Rossanna Salazar, Chairman Austin William F. Scott, Vice Chairman Nederland Charlie Amato San Antonio Veronica Muzquiz Edwards San Antonio Jaime R. Garza San Antonio David Montagne Beaumont Vernon Reaser III Houston Alan L. Tinsley Madisonville Donna N. Williams Arlington Kaitlyn Tyra, Student Regent Huntsville Brian McCall, Ph.D., Chancellor UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION Kenneth R. Evans, Ph.D. President James Marquart, Ph.D. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Joe Nordgren, Ph.D. Acting Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Brenda S. Nichols, D.N.Sc. Vice Provost for Digital Learning E. Craig Ness, M.B.A. Vice President for Finance and Operations John Bello-Ogunu, Sr., Ph.D. Vice President for Diversity, Inclusion, and Intercultural Affairs Priscilla Parsons, M.B.A. Vice President for Information Technology Vicki McNeil, Ed.D. Vice President for Student Engagement Juan Zabala, M.B.A. Vice President for University Advancement Marco Born, M.S. Athletics Director ACADEMIC DEANS William E. Harn, Ph.D. Dean of Graduate Studies Paul Bernazzani, Ph.D. Acting Dean of Arts and Sciences Enrique “Henry” Venta, Ph.D. Dean of Business Robert Spina, Ph.D., FACSM Dean of Education and Human Development Srinivas Palanki, Ph.D. Dean of Engineering Derina Holtzhausen, Ph.D. Dean of Fine Arts and Communication Kevin Dodson, Ph.D. Dean of Reaud Honors College Sarah Tusa, M.A., M.L.I.S. Acting Director of Library Services MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Dear Graduates of Spring 2018, Relatives and Friends: On behalf of the Lamar University Administration, the College of Engineering Leadership Team and faculty and staff of your academic department, congratulations on achieving this very significant milestone in your life. Each of you have worked hard, made new friends, received guidance and support from family, University faculty and staff, and friends. This ceremony has three purposes: First is to formally celebrate your achievement. Second is to thank those who supported and helped you along the way, and finally, is to begin the next phase of your life where you will set new goals and pursue them with the same or even higher levels of dedication. My challenge for you is to set the right goals. Set them high enough so that you must work both smart and hard to achieve them, and then feel that happiness that comes from seeing your hard work and excellent preparation pay off. It has been said many times that success is at the intersection of hard work and preparation. In closing, I would ask that you maintain your ties to Lamar University. I encourage you to support your college through various activities, programs and scholarships and ask that you keep us updated on your many achievements to come. Srinivas Palanki, Ph.D. Dean CEREMONY PROGRAM Musical Prelude Lamar University Commencement Brass Ensemble Andrew McMahan, D.M.A. Director of Bands Academic Processional* Hsing-wei Chu, Ph.D. Chair of Mechanical Engineering Piper Professor Crown Imperial Lamar University Commencement Walton Brass Ensemble The National Anthem* Debrah Greschner, M.M. The Star Spangled Banner Instructor, Department of Music Francis Scott Key Welcome/Introductions Srinivas Palanki, Ph.D. Dean Commencement Address Kathleen Jackson Board Member, Texas Water Development Board Student Commencement Louis Bemberg Address Industrial Engineering Major Certification of Graduates Srinivas Palanki, Ph.D. Conferring of Degrees Kenneth R. Evans, Ph.D. President Presentation of Graduating Srinivas Palanki, Ph.D. Class/Investiture of Doctorates Announcement of Elohor Okene Graduates Chemical Engineering Major Namit Tripathi Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical Engineering Presentation of Order of Srinivas Palanki, Ph.D. the Engineer Liv Haselbach, PE, Ph.D., LEED AP BD+C Chair and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Concluding Remarks Srinivas Palanki, Ph.D. and Awards Lamar University Debrah Greschner, M.M. Alma Mater* G. Rhodes Smartt Lamar to thee we’re singing We will ever need thee Voices raised on high. As our guiding star. We will forever love thee To us you’ll always be Laud thee to the sky. Our glorious Lamar. Academic Recessional* Hsing-wei Chu, Ph.D. Please join us for an informal reception, located upstairs in the concourse area of the Montagne Center, following the ceremony. *Audience please stand. To maintain the dignity of the program, guests are requested to refrain from unnecessary noises (air horns, etc.) and movement during the ceremony. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING FACULTY Srinivas Palanki, Dean Civil and Industrial Jerry Lin, Director of Environmental Engineering Graduate Programs Engineering Brian Craig, Chair Peyton Richmond, Liv Haselbach, Chair Jaeyoung Cho Director of Nicholas Brake James Curry Undergraduate Mien Jao Maryam Hamidi Programs Qin Qian Yueqing Li Thinesh Selvaratnam Alberto Marquez Dan F. Smith Chemical Xing Wu Berna Tokgoz Engineering Hao Yang Ezra Wari T. C. Ho, Chair Renzun Zhao Victor Zaloom Tracy Benson Weihang Zhu Tianxin Cai Phillip M. Drayer Daniel Chen Electrical Engineering Mechanical John Gossage Harley Myler, Chair Engineering James Henry Reza Barzegaran Hsing-wei Chu, Chair Clayton Jeffryes Xiaofan He Kendrick Aung Sidney Lin Koji Hirano Keivan Davami Helen Lou G.N. Reddy Xuejun Fan Rafael Tadmor Selahattin Sayil Ramesh Guduru Qiang Xu Gleb Tchevslavski Ping He Ruhai Wang Xiangchang Li AKM Mazumder Ajit Patki Chun-Wei Yao Jenny Zhou FACULTY MARSHALS Tracy Benson Yueqing Li Xing Wu James Henry Thinesh Selvaratnam Hassan Zargarzadeh Clayton Jeffryes Ruhai Wang OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR David Short Jr., Registrar Barbara Price, Assistant Registrar Natasha Walker, Assistant Registrar COMMENCEMENT COMMITTEE Summer Rather, Director of Records & Registration Mildred Piert, Graduation Coordinator Siaa Taylor, Graduation Coordinator THE ORDER OF THE ENGINEER The Order of the Engineer is a national organization whose purpose is to foster a spirit of pride, individual integrity, and responsibility in the engineering profession. It promotes ethics and professionalism in the practice of engineering and bridges the gap between education and practice. Membership is voluntary and open to seniors and graduate students in EAC of ABET- accredited engineering programs, graduate students enrolled in other engineering programs housed in departments that administer EAC of ABET-accredited undergraduate programs, graduates of EAC of ABET-accredited engineering programs, licensed professional engineers, members of the Canadian Calling, and special individuals. As part of this ceremony, inductees take a solemn obligation to themselves to “uphold devotion to the standards and dignity of the engineering profession”. Each inductee who accepts the obligation receives a stainless steel ring. The ring is to be worn on the fifth finger of the working hand. Inductees are encouraged to wear the ring and to display the signed obligation certificate as visible reminders of the publicly accepted obligation as a contract with themselves. OBLIGATION OF AN ENGINEER (The candidates read aloud the parts in bold italic type.) I am an Engineer. In my profession I take deep pride. To it I owe solemn obligations. Since the Stone Age, human progress has been spurred by the engineering genius. Engineers have made usable nature’s vast resources of material and energy for humanity’s benefit. Engineers have vitalized and turned to practical use the principles of science and the means of technology. Were it not for the heritage of accumulated experience, my efforts would be feeble. As an Engineer, I pledge to practice integrity and fair dealing, tolerance and respect, and to uphold devotion to the standards and the dignity of my profession, conscious always that my skill carries with it the obligation to serve humanity by making the best use of Earth’s precious wealth. As an Engineer, I shall participate in none but honest enterprises. When needed, my skill and knowledge shall be given without reservation for the public good. In the performance of duty and in fidelity to my profession, I shall give the utmost. COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER Kathleen Jackson was reappointed to the Texas Water Development Board by Governor Greg Abbott on March 9, 2017. She was appointed to the Board by Governor Rick Perry on March 18, 2014. Jackson has a diverse background representing agricultural, environmental, industrial, and wholesale- supply interests, which includes developing and implementing water management strategies for Southeast Texas. As a registered professional engineer, Jackson served as public affairs manager for one of the world’s largest petroleum and petrochemical producers. Additionally, she was involved in production agriculture with her late husband, who ran a cattle operation and farmed rice. She served as a past member of the Lower Neches Valley Authority Board of Directors, the Texas Water Conservation Association, and participated on the Sabine and Neches Rivers Bay and Estuary Environmental Flows Assessment Program Stakeholders Committee. She is also a board member and past president of the Lamar Institute of Technology Foundation, a sustaining member of the Junior League of Beaumont, a member of the Texas Farm Bureau, past president of the American Cancer Society of North Jefferson County, and a past board member of Junior Achievement of the Golden Triangle. Jackson received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University. Jackson has three children, sixth-generation Texans who all reside and work in Texas, and three grandchildren. She is a long-time resident of Beaumont. STUDENT COMMEMCEMENT SPEAKER Louis Bemberg was born in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, and is the youngest of 8 siblings. Louis will be graduating from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering degree. Louis was listed on the president’s list for 4 consecutive years for maintaining a 4.0 GPA, which also earned him a presidential scholarship, a membership at the national honors society for industrial engineers Alpha Pi Mu, as well as a nomination in the Southland Conference Commissioner’s academic honor roll in 2016. Louis is also a student-athlete who played for Lamar University’s golf team during the entire course of his studies.