Colorado School of Mines celebrates 2025 Midyear Undergraduate Commencement

Colorado School of Mines celebrated its 2025 Midyear Undergraduate Commencement on Dec. 19, conferring a total of 293 bachelor’s degrees during a ceremony at Lockridge Arena. 

The ceremony's distinguished speaker was Mines Board of Trustees member David Lawler ‘90. The chief executive officer of Caturus, an integrated gas and LNG company, Lawler has more than 34 years of experience in the energy sector. He graduated from Mines with a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering and also holds an MBA from Tulane University. 

Watch the ceremony and download the official Commencement program at commencement.mines.edu. 

FALL 2025 OUTSTANDING GRADUATING SENIORS 

As part of the undergraduate ceremonies, Mines honored its Fall 2025 Outstanding Graduating Seniors. Chosen by faculty and staff and each representing a different academic major, the nine students were recognized for their high scholastic achievement and on-campus engagement. 
 

Byron Selvage, Applied Mathematics and Statistics 
Selvage, of Lakewood, Colorado, plans to return to Mines to pursue a master’s degree. 

Favorite Mines memory: Late-night study sessions with friends. 
 

Cole Kics, Chemical and Biological Engineering 
Kics, of Shorewood, Illinois, will work in the pharmaceutical industry before considering graduate school in a few years. 

Favorite Mines memory: Trips to the mountains with new friends and communities. 
 

Greta Martin, Civil Engineering 
Martin, of Boise, Idaho, will pursue a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering, with an emphasis on geotechnical engineering, at Mines.  

Favorite Mines memory: Hosting the first clothing swap for Mines Sustainable Fashion club. 
 
 

Sumnima Rai, Computer Science 
Rai, of Aurora, Colorado, will finish her master’s degree in data science at Mines and then work as a software engineer at Salesforce. 

Favorite Mines memory: Running and organizing the DECTech STEM summer camps for elementary and middle school students. 
 
 

Cynthia Zakhem, Electrical Engineering 
Zakhem, of Beirut, Lebanon, will work as a substation design engineer at Black and Veatch in Denver. 

Favorite Mines memory: Serving as a resident advisor for three years. 
 

Kiersten Wilson, Environmental Engineering 
Wilson, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, will pursue a master’s degree in civil and environmental engineering at Mines and then work in environmental consulting as a remediation engineer. 

Favorite Mines memory: Sunrise hike at Oredigger Camp. 
 

Caden Paschke, Mechanical Engineering 
Paschke, of Prior Lake, Minnesota, has accepted a job at Ursa Major in Berthoud. 

Favorite Mines memory: Meeting his future wife in Calculus 2 and being a part of Salt Company at Storyline Church. 
 

Ryan McGinnis, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering 
McGinnis, of Chesterland, Ohio, will attend the University of California, Berkeley to pursue a master’s degree in materials science and engineering. 

Favorite Mines memory: Being an Oredigger Camp counselor and getting his camp groups on President Paul C. Johnson’s Instagram.
 
 

Trevor Tong, Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering 
Tong, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, plans to apply to medical school while continuing to work as a researcher with Assistant Professor John Yang at Vanderbilt University and gaining clinical experience by working at a hospital, clinic or medical office near Golden. 

Favorite Mines memory: Making blankets for Children’s Hospital Colorado with fellow Harvey Scholars.