The Volgenau School of Engineering graduated its largest class in school history at its 31st Annual Spring Commencement at 2 p.m. Thursday May 12 at EagleBank Arena. The school's Convocation Ceremony honored candidates for bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees including its first Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and the first Master of Science in Biostatistics.
Volgenau Dean Ken Ball Mason hosted the event for a graduating class of more than 1,200 and their families and friends. Mac Curtis, CEO of Vencore and former member to the school's advisory board delivered remarks.
Curtis leads a company of more than 3,800 people who provide cost-effective information solutions, engineering, and analysis to customers in the defense, intelligence, civilian, and commercial sectors. He is known as a results-oriented executive who has more than 25 years of senior leadership experience in the federal government contracting industry. He is best known for his strategic planning, business development, and management skills.
This year's student speaker, Dawite Ewnetu, graduated with a BS in mathematics and computer science. In addition to being an outstanding student, Ewnetu always looks for ways to inspire others, whether he is in the United States or in Ethiopia. In the U.S. he participated in the Mariam College Access Program, where he helped high school students prepare for college. In Ethiopia he started a project called "Help Street Kids in Ethiopia," to help children who work and live on the streets. This summer he will visit Ethiopia to build shelters for these children. When he returns to Virginia, he has a job waiting for him at Lockheed Martin as a systems analyst.
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