UCLA Samueli Commemorates Class of 2023 Bruin Engineers in Two Ceremonies
More than 1,700 engineering and computer science students of the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science Class of 2023 gathered to celebrate their milestone accomplishments in two commencement ceremonies held in Pauley Pavilion over the weekend.
Witnessed by nearly 9,000 family members and guests who attended the events, the 984 bachelor’s degree candidates, and 605 master’s and 143 doctoral students proudly walked across the stage as each of their names was called in the indoor arena on June 17 and 18, respectively. The ceremonies featured American Sign Language interpreters and were livestreamed on the school’s YouTube and Facebook platforms.
Yoram Cohen, a distinguished professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and the chair of the school’s faculty executive committee, presided over both ceremonies of the school’s 59th commencement.
During his remarks, Interim Dean Bruce Dunn reminded everyone of the pivotal role engineers and computer scientists play in solving societal problems, including working toward a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable future.
“As engineers, we have the ability to design and build new products that will have the greatest benefits for everyone, especially for those who can least afford them,” he said. “No matter your path, your UCLA education will serve you well, so march forward with confidence and compassion.”
“That’s really why UCLA is truly a home for all,” student speaker Kelly Espino said.
At the undergraduate ceremony on Saturday, student speaker Kelly Espino, who received her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, spoke to her fellow class of 2023 in both English and Spanish. Espino, who twice served as president of the Society of Latinx Engineers and Scientists at UCLA, paid tribute to her immigrant family from Mexico and the UCLA familia.
“This home not only provided me with the skills I needed to succeed in a professional and academic setting, but also a real support system and a place I could feel welcome at UCLA,” she said. “Home and family like this can mean so many different things for all of us, since we’ve experienced different things. That’s really why UCLA is truly a home for all.”
UCLA Samueli
The newly minted Class of 2023 Bruin engineers celebrated their graduation from UCLA Samueli.
Towering over the lectern, the 6-foot-10 graduate commencement student speaker Myles Johnson shared on Sunday his unique experience as both an electrical engineering student and a UCLA men’s basketball player.
Johnson, who received his master’s degree in the winter quarter, said he was often asked whether he played basketball. While answering in the affirmative, the former Bruins center shared he would always quick to add that he was a graduate student studying electrical and computer engineering.
“One day, a young girl said something that moved me more than any other fan who just wanted to be another basketball player,” he recalled. “She told me she loved basketball, but she also wanted to be an engineer just like me.”
Since last May, Johnson has been working at IBM in the Bay Area as a systems engineer, but said the opportunity to speak at the commencement was so meaningful to him that he drove back just for the occasion. With his proud parents and other family members sitting in the audience, Johnson said he hopes his example will show that it is possible to pursue both athletics and academics at the highest levels simultaneously.
“It’s not a question of whether it’s possible, it’s a question of whether you will make it happen,” Myles Johnson said.
“It’s not a question of whether it’s possible, it’s a question of whether you will make it happen,” Johnson said.
Asad Madni, a distinguished adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering, and the retired president, chief operating officer and chief technology officer of BEI Technologies Inc., served as the commencement speaker for both ceremonies.
The double Bruin is an accomplished engineer who has been recognized by many of the world’s most prestigious institutions for his numerous inventions, including a sensing technology that has greatly improved vehicle stability and reduced rollovers.
“Go out into the world with your head held high, your heart filled with compassion and care, your mind filled with ideas and dreams, and your conscience filled with a sense of responsibility — the world awaits your contributions,” Madni said.
Julia Zhong, who received a B.S. in bioengineering and participated in a cappella groups as a student, sang the national anthem during the undergraduate ceremony. Swapnil Saha, who received his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering, played a rock-tinged version of the anthem on his Flying-V Gibson electric guitar at the graduate ceremony.
The recordings of both the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies, as well as a digital copy of the combined program can be accessed through the school’s commencement website.