NYU Tandon - Convocation 2024

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24 CONVOCATION

August 26, 2024 I 10:30AM

CONVOCATION PROGRAM PROCESSIONAL New York University Pipes and Drums

EMCEE Rosemary E. Ampuero, Associate Dean of Student Life & Services

LEADERSHIP WELCOME Eray Aydil Senior Vice Dean, Tandon School of Engineering

WELCOME REMARKS Stephanie Mitchko, Executive Vice President, Global Media Operations & Technology at AMC Networks

GUNTER GEORGI AND NICK RUSSO AWARDS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING GENERAL ENGINEERING DESIGN Presented by Industry Assistant Professor Ingrid J. Paredes, Director of General Engineering

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI REMARKS Robert V. Jones, President of the Polytechnic Alumni Association (PAA)

STUDENT COUNCIL REMARKS Shreya Manjrekar, President of the Tandon Undergraduate Student Council (TUSC)

CLOSING REMARKS Rosemary E. Ampuero, Associate Dean of Student Life & Services

VIDEO PRESENTATION

A NOTE FROM LEADERSHIP Welcome to NYU Tandon!

You’ve probably had a busy summer getting ready for your arrival here and the start of the next stage on your academic journey. Now though, I hope you’ll take the time to pause and appreciate this moment: you are about to embark on one of the most exciting periods of your life, and it was your hard work that got you here.

With the excitement of the 2024 Olympics still fresh in my mind, it occurs to me that the qualities you’ve shown are very similar to those displayed by Arshad Nadeem, Léon Marchand, Manu Bhaker, Neeraj Chopra, Sifan Hassan, Simone Biles, Zheng Qinwen, and the myriad other Olympic athletes who gave it their all in Paris, shattering records and breaking barriers to become firsts.

You are talented, motivated, and determined – just like them. They performed at an elite level to make their national Olympic teams, sometimes against all odds, and you excelled to join Tandon’s Class of 2028, continue your academic pursuits, and make your own dreams come true, maybe also against all odds. And while you may never stand on top of a podium with a medal around your neck - or, then again, maybe you will - you are going to accomplish great things, and we’re here to help you make that happen!

Tandon students, faculty, and alumni have had a hand in building every major bridge in this city, founded the company that became IBM, saved countless lives by making it possible to mass-produce penicillin, and helped make the lunar landing a reality, and that barely scratches the surface. Our school traces its origins back to 1854, which means you’re joining an institution with a rich 170-year history of students like you who have left their imprint in countless ways. The first modern Olympic Games weren’t held until 1896; we’d been educating new engineers for more than four decades before then!

Now that you’re a member of the Tandon team, I hope you’ll dive into everything we have to offer. Get to know everyone at the Office of Student Life and Services – a hub for community building and co-curricular activities, a go-to place for planning your professional path, your first stop for support, and your safety net for whatever comes your way. Check out our Experiential Learning Center, your one-stop-shop for navigating a wide range of immersive and multidisciplinary learning, collaboration, and career-readiness opportunities. Explore our 10,000-square-foot MakerSpace, a design and prototyping lab that you’ll want to take advantage of to bring your ideas to life. Your professors and advisors are invested in your success; think of them as your coaches!

The road won’t be easy; engineering is hard, and there will be times when you feel overwhelmed or outside your comfort zone. Some Olympic athletes have said that while they revel in their victories, they grow the most during the lowest moments of their careers – the fraction-of-a-second misses and the injuries. Those are the times when they develop mental resilience and perseverance. Try to remember that when the material is difficult to grasp, or assignment deadlines loom. Think about it this way: most successes are preceded by multiple failures or missteps, so just dust yourself off and get back to work.

I’d like you to keep in mind all the times those Olympic athletes supported and encouraged each other. You might have seen footage of New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin and the USA’s Abbey D’Agostino helping each other up when they fell during their heat and finishing the race together, or high jumpers Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy and Mutaz Barshim of Qatar deciding to selflessly share the gold medal instead of engaging in a jump-off.

I hope that as you pursue your own academic goals, you’ll do the same for your classmates. Collaborate with one another, support one another, and cheer each other on. Everyone wins that way.

Again, let me welcome you to Tandon, welcome to the team, and welcome to Brooklyn. It may not be Paris, but you can find some delicious multicultural food (including authentic croissants and some of the best pizza you’ll ever have).

Best of luck, and have fun!

GUNTER GEORGI AND NICK RUSSO AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING GENERAL ENGINEERING DESIGN Irika Aggarwal

Andy Li

Mia Andreu

Charlie Li

Ishraq Basher

Xiyou Liao

George Chorny

Jomyuth Luangtana-anan

Arda Dinc

Sairag Maram

Emily Dong

Mitsuki Nakajima

Jeremiah Duran

Sarah Niu

Ching-Ray Eu

David Palma

Pranit Singh Gandhi

Samarth Pusegaonkar

Safhira Hack

Jonathan Shan

Alex Huang

Dereck Soto Coriano

Edward Kang

Justin Sun

Sean Lai

Jason Tung

Bill Li

Blessing Yeboah

Raymond Li

Ziyao Zhu

Jack Li

If you are interested in joining the NYU Pipes and Drums, please contact John Henderson at jh15@nyu.edu.