MESSAGE FROM INTERIM DEAN DR. PATRICIA A. NAVA

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

DR. PATRICIA A. NAVA

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING INTERIM DEAN

Dear Graduates, I am really excited to be here today and I want to congratulate all graduating students. This is certainly a great milestone in your academic careers and in your lives.

Graduation is always an exciting time because it is definitely a time for celebration. It is also time to successfully conclude something important that you started a few years ago: pursuit of an advanced degree. However, graduation also marks the beginning of a new and exciting journey.

Having come to the end of this road, what lies ahead depends on the paths you take, and on the bridges you build. I encourage you to expand your network and build bridges. These bridges will take you to places you cannot begin to imagine yet.

For today, let’s all celebrate the start of many new paths and roads that are truly less travelled, which is verified by some statistics I’d like to share with you. According to the latest report from the US Census Bureau, approximately 13% of adults have a master’s degree and only 2% of Americans have a Doctoral degree.

Moreover, data from the National Science Foundation shows that out of all the Ph.D.s awarded in 2019 in the U.S., only 18% are within Engineering.

As you can imagine, you are now part of a very select club. And, as part of this club, you have a great responsibility to your profession and to society.

As I see you graduate, I have hope for a better future, and I am confident that UTEP has prepared you to make this country and the world a better place to live.

Today, the College of Engineering celebrates the efforts demonstrated by each of the students that are graduating with a master’s or a doctoral degree.

This career achievement is certainly an exceptional accomplishment, given the current circumstances. The transition to online courses and remote course delivery undoubtedly presented many challenges. This has been a memorable time because of your perseverance.

As you move forward in your professional life, always remember the mentors that supported you throughout your studies, and all the people that, in some form or another, had an impact on your scholastic career.

You are now part of a large UTEP alumni network. I look forward to seeing all that you achieve in the near future, and encourage you to keep in contact with us. Please remember to share, with us, all the great things you do.

Whether you are continuing on to industry, a government agency, joining Academia, or starting another adventure, I’m glad that we could be a part of your story.

Congratulations to all graduating students, and Go Miners!!