Select Page
2025 commencement banner 2

UCLA Samueli Celebrates Class of 2025, with Namesake Henry Samueli Headlining One of Two Commencement Ceremonies

Jun 16, 2025

UCLA Samueli Newsroom
Dean Park
Dean Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park addressing the graduates

More than 1,800 graduating engineering and computer science students of the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science Class of 2025 celebrated their milestone accomplishments in two commencement ceremonies held in Pauley Pavilion over the weekend.

Witnessed by more than 10,000 family members and guests, 1,100 bachelor’s degree candidates and 725 master’s and doctoral candidates proudly walked across the stage on June 14 and 15, respectively, as their names were called. The ceremonies featured American Sign Language interpreters and were livestreamed on the school’s YouTube channel.

For the second year in a row, Mekonnen Gebremichael, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and the chair of the school’s faculty executive committee, presided over both ceremonies as faculty marshal of the school’s 61st commencement. The School of Engineering at UCLA was established in 1945 but first hosted its own commencement in 1964.

In her second UCLA Samueli commencement address, Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park, the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean since September 2023, emphasized the challenges students have overcome on their journey to earning their degree, with many starting their freshman year in remote learning during the pandemic, and all experiencing the devastating wildfires ravaging through Los Angeles this past January. She called for all graduates to become part of the solution.

“We are counting on you, our newest Bruin alumni, to take on some of the biggest, most pressing challenges of our time and more for the future,” Park said. “These are grand challenges with immense societal impacts. They are also great opportunities for engineers like you to make a real and lasting impact on human lives.”

At the undergraduate ceremony on Saturday, student speaker Kendall Millett, who received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, shared her experience as a homeschooled student since pre-kindergarten until she entered UCLA. She encouraged her fellow graduates to remember that the equations and algorithms they memorized are not as important as ethics, resilience and a commitment to the future.

“Remember, your bubble of perception is just a speck in the vastness of the universe,” Millett said. “So realistically, no matter how much you come to understand in this life, what matters most isn’t the edges of what you know, but the center.”

School namesake Henry Samueli delivering undergraduate commencement speech on 50th anniversary of earning his B.S.
School namesake Henry Samueli delivering undergraduate commencement speech on 50th anniversary of earning his B.S.

On the occasion of his golden anniversary, having completed his undergraduate studies 50 years ago this spring, Broadcom co-founder and the school’s namesake Henry Samueli shared his perspective on the rapidly evolving landscape of the technology industry as distinguished speaker at the undergraduate ceremony. Samueli, a triple Bruin and UCLA professor-on-leave, revolutionized broadband wireless communications with his ubiquitous chips. He is also a prominent philanthropist, whose generous donations resulted in the renaming of the UCLA engineering school in his honor in 2000.

In his remarks, Samueli underscored the importance of embracing change without catastrophizing the future. The practical skills of troubleshooting and problem-solving will remain valuable despite major changes AI could spur over the next several years.

“Technology is transforming almost every industry at an ever more rapid pace, so stay knowledgeable — never stop learning and don’t be afraid to jump onto new opportunities as they present themselves,” Samueli said. “Don’t view disruption as an exception, but rather view it as a rule. It will happen, so do your best to take advantage of it and be at the forefront of new industries.”

He also reminded the graduates that as they achieve professional success, they have an obligation to give back to society to ensure a brighter future for all.

Click on image to see more Class of 2025 students celebrating their graduation

Triple Bruin, Leslie Momoda delivered the graduate commencement speech.
Triple Bruin Leslie Momoda delivering graduate commencement speech

On Sunday, aerospace engineer McKenna Davis, who received her Ph.D. last fall, delivered the graduate student commencement speech. She highlighted the vital role of collaboration and connection — both in achieving engineering accomplishments and in building personal relationships. She also urged new graduates to pay forward the support they received while at UCLA Samueli.

“The motto of our university — ‘Fiat Lux,’ or ‘let there be light’ — speaks to the pursuit of knowledge to which we have dedicated ourselves throughout our degrees,” Davis said. “In this spirit, I challenge you to be lifelong learners, and to share your light.”

HRL executive vice president Leslie Momoda, a triple Bruin who was recently elected to the National Academy of Engineering, served as the graduate commencement’s distinguished speaker. Momoda shared that one of the most important skills UCLA Samueli instilled in her was learning how to learn. By collaborating with cross-disciplinary colleagues and embracing the frustration of difficult challenges, Momoda said she grew from a technical materials scientist into a leader who is guiding decisions across diverse areas, from semiconductors to generative AI.

“As you go forth to chart your own path, even in the face of uncertainty, know that you have built a strong foundation in your graduate career here at UCLA — one based on knowledge, experiences and the Bruin community,” Momoda said. “Take chances and say ‘yes,’ trust what you have learned, harness your frustrations and don’t be afraid to connect to others.”

Chemical engineering student Kelsey Greenberg sang the national anthem at the undergraduate ceremony, while doctoral student Li (Julie) Zhu, also of chemical engineering, performed the national anthem at the graduate commencement, accompanied by computer science professor and chair Todd Millstein on guitar.

Recordings of both the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies, along with a digital copy of the combined program, are available on the school’s commencement website.

Order of the EngineerObligation of an Engineer:

“I am an Engineer. In my profession I take deep pride. To it I owe solemn obligations. 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 the 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 with deep fidelity to my profession, I shall give my utmost.”

At the 2025 Senior Celebration held June 6, graduating UCLA Samueli engineers were officially inducted into the Order of the Engineer. Led by longtime engineering advisor and triple Bruin William Goodin, the students recited the time-honored oath, pledging to practice engineering with integrity and honesty in service to the public good. As part of the ceremony, each student received a stainless steel ring, worn on the pinky finger of the dominant hand. The ring serves as a constant reminder of an engineer’s ethical responsibilities and is intentionally placed to be felt whenever the wearer is engaged in engineering work.

Established in 1970, the Order of the Engineer in the U.S. aims to foster a spirit of pride and responsibility in the engineering profession. The ring ceremony was adapted from the Canadian tradition inaugurated in 1925, the “Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer,” in which graduates are presented with wrought iron rings after reciting a similar oath written by Rudyard Kipling for the Engineering Institute of Canada.

Photo credit: GradImages and UCLA Samueli 

Share this article