Colorado School of Mines celebrates Spring 2023 Undergraduate Commencement

Colorado School of Mines celebrated its Spring 2023 Undergraduate Commencement on May 12, conferring a total of 1,004 bachelor’s degrees during three ceremonies at Lockridge Arena.

Giving the keynote address was Andrea Wescott Passman ’98, chief operating officer of Caerus. Wescott Passman has spent more than two decades working in the energy industry, holding multiple leadership and engineering roles globally with Caerus, CNX Resources, Halliburton, Schlumberger and several independents.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in petroleum engineering from Mines and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver, as well as advanced education in data analytics from Carnegie Mellon University and finance from Harvard Business School.

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

 

SPRING 2023 OUTSTANDING GRADUATING SENIORS

As part of the undergraduate ceremonies, Mines honored its Spring 2023 Outstanding Graduating Seniors. Chosen by faculty and staff and each representing a different academic major, the 17 students were recognized for their high scholastic achievement and on-campus engagement.

 

Azlan Tubbs, Applied Mathematics and Statistics

Tubbs, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, will attend Texas Tech University in the fall to pursue a medical degree.

 

Kevin Dunn, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Dunn, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, will go to Columbia University for a PhD in chemical engineering

 

Nolan Vogel, Chemistry

Vogel, of Lafayette, Colorado, plans stay at Mines to complete a master’s degree in chemistry

 

Luke Tkaczyk, Biochemistry

Tkaczyk, of Lone Tree, Colorado, will pursue a PhD at Mines, likely researching renewable polyesters in the Knauss Lab.

 

Derrick Poss, Civil Engineering

Poss, of Akron, Colorado, plans to continue on at Mines to earn a master’s degree in structural engineering.

 

Kayla Benson, Environmental Engineering

Benson, of Evergreen Park, Illinois, will complete a master’s degree at Mines in Natural Resources and Energy Policy.

 

Olivia Jackson, Computer Science and Engineering Physics

Jackson, of Missouri City, Texas, will join ICR as a full-time software engineer.

 

Albert Phan, Computer Science

Phan, of Thornton, Colorado, has accepted a full-time position at Salesforce.

 

John Ripple, Electrical Engineering

Ripple, of Parker, Colorado, will work at Keysight Technologies as an embedded software engineer.

 

Jared Tholl, Geology

Tholl, of Bakersfield, California, is job searching in the San Joaquin Valley of California.

 

Seunghoo Kim, Geophysical Engineering

Kim, of Westminster, Colorado, will pursue a PhD in geophysics in California, focusing on the applications of fiber-optic sensing techniques.

 

Megan Bausano, Mechanical Engineering

Bausano, of Winter Park, Colorado, has accepted a position at KULR Technology Group in Houston, Texas, as a battery design and testing engineer. At the same time, Bausano also plans to pursue her master’s degree in aerospace engineering, with an emphasis in bioastronautics, at the University of Colorado Boulder.

 

Emily Millison, Mechanical Engineering

Millison, of Lakewood, Colorado, will take the summer off before starting a full-time position as a thermodynamics engineer in the Propulsion Analysis group at United Launch Alliance.

 

Natalie Compton, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Compton, of Lakewood, Colorado, will attend graduate school at Mines, working with the Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center to earn her master’s degree.

 

Sean Findley, Mining

Findley, of Longmont, Colorado, has accepted a graduate engineer position at Byrnecut in Perth, Australia, where he will work for two years before returning to the United States.

 

Johnathon Henke, Petroleum Engineering

Henke, of Denver, Colorado, will join Chevron as an engineer in Bakersfield, California.

 

Maya Mowery-Evans, Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering

Mowery-Evans, of Broomfield, Colorado, plans to pursue her PhD in quantitative biosciences and engineering at Mines.

 

 

 

UNIVERSITY-WIDE AWARDS

The Dan Fox Outstanding Student Service Award is presented by the Division of Student Life to the students who, during their tenure at Mines, above their academic role, vigorously participated in activities for the greater benefit of their peers and community to promote excellence and well-being: Patricia Lamminar

The President’s Senior Scholar Athlete Award is presented to one graduating female and one graduating male athlete, each with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, who have lettered in a sport during their senior year and have demonstrated leadership qualities of an exemplary student-athlete: Dillon Powell and Meghan Slowey

The William D. Waltman 1899 Award is presented to the graduating seniors who have consistently demonstrated the utmost integrity, scholarship and citizenship in and outside of the classroom throughout their collegiate career: Camden Gruchow and Paul Varosy

The Colorado Engineering Council Awards are presented for excellence in scholarship, high integrity and general engineering ability: Olivia Jackson, Sean Findley and Megan Bausano

 

DEPARTMENT UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS AND HONORS

Applied Mathematics and Statistics

E-Days Engineer Award: Gracey Henoch

The Professor Everett Award, provided by Frank Ausanka ’42, in honor of James R. Everett, is presented to a graduating senior in mathematics who demonstrates scholarship, leadership, community service and the potential for the innovative application of mathematics to mineral engineering: Levi Grenier

 

Chemical and Biological Engineering

The Selim Memorial Scholarship is presented by the faculty of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering to a graduating student who promises great success in graduate school: Zachary Heckman

The Harrison L. Hays, 1931, Award is presented in chemical and petroleum refining for demonstrating scholarship, personality and integrity of character and the general potentialities of a successful industrial career: Jordyn Alvarez and Philip Skeps

The Pearson Potential Award is given to students in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering who have shown emerging leadership and engineering potential: Brandon Spurlock

 

Economics and Business

William Jesse Coulter Award in Economics: Sutan Alsuwaidi

 

Electrical Engineering

E-Days Engineer Award: Jessica Kennedy

Geology and Geological Engineering

The Neal J. Harr Memorial Outstanding Student Award, provided by the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, is presented for scholastic excellence in the study of geology with the aim of encouraging future endeavors in the earth sciences: Julia Crowley

Hutchinson Award: Adam Crowder

 

Geophysics

Phillip R. Romig Award: April Wilson and Ashleigh Miller

The Cecil H. Green Award is given to the graduating senior in geophysical engineering who, in the opinion of the Department of Geophysics, has the highest attainment in the combination of scholastic achievement, personality and integrity: Zahra Al Mualem

The George R. Pickett Memorial Award is presented on the basis of demonstrated interest and accomplishments in the study of borehole geophysics:  Gianna Joab

 

Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Sacks Fund for Excellence in Environmental Sustainability: Leah Walker

Maryanna Bell Kafadar Humanities Award: Austin Spaulding

 

Humanitarian Engineering

Students receiving a Distinction for Leadership in Humanitarian Engineering are recognized for their dedication to humanitarian engineering values and principles in both coursework and co-curricular activities: Nina Guizzetti, Lillian Laursen, Emily Robinson and Madeline Wiley

 

Mechanical Engineering

The Emeritus Faculty Exemplary Undergraduate Award is presented to an exceptional student as chosen by emeritus faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering: Andrew Aikman

E-Days Engineer Award: Ethan Anzia

The John Steele Commemorative Service Award is given to one graduating senior that has displayed outstanding service to the Department of Mechanical Engineering: Brooklyn Vargas

 

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

The Alan Kissock Award acknowledges creativity in metallurgy: Caleb Schenck, Camden Gruchow, Mason Weems, Aidan Ravnik, Alex Hopkins, Ashley Steffeck, Mitchell Lensing and Claire Vozel.

The Clark B. Carpenter Award is presented to the graduating seniors in mining or metallurgy who, in the opinion of the senior students in mining and metallurgy and the professors in charge of the respective departments, are the most deserving of this award: Natalie Compton

The Henry W. Kaanta 1915 Award is presented for the outstanding paper on a laboratory procedure or experimental process written by a graduating senior majoring in extractive metallurgy or mineral processing: Naya Winkelstein

The Mary & Charles Cavanaugh Award, presented in metallurgy, is determined by scholarship, professional activity and participation in school activities: Emma Arterbury

The McIver-MME Faculty Award is presented to a graduating senior who, by contribution to campus life and academic achievement, has demonstrated those characteristics of a well-rounded graduate that Mines aspires to develop in its students: Tatum David

 

Mining Engineering

The C.N. Bell 1906 Award is awarded in mining for completing a course in mining and showing the most progress in schoolwork during the entire period for which the course is given: James Halderman

The Clark B. Carpenter Award is presented to the graduating seniors in mining or metallurgy who, in the opinion of the senior students in mining and metallurgy and the professors in charge of the respective departments, are the most deserving of this award:  Carson Kellar

The D.W. Brunton Award is awarded for meritorious work in mining: Kellan Gillis

The H.G. Washburn Award is presented in mining for good scholastic record and active participation in athletics: Trinity Kelly

The Old Timer’s Club Award is presented to the graduating senior who has shown high academic standing in coal mining engineering and potential for the coal industry: Mark Peirce

E-Days Ore Cart Pull Award: Jacob Christensen

 

Physics

The Physics Faculty Distinguished Graduate Award is presented by the faculty of the department to graduating seniors with exceptionally high academic achievement in physics: Amanda Giedt, Connor Hewson and Ashley Howard

The Ryan Sayers Memorial Award recognizes outstanding academic achievements of a graduating student in engineering physics and/or applied mathematics and statistics, who has performed significant research: Amandin Rabeendran

E-Days Engineer Award: Elizabeth Buchheim

 

MILITARY COMISSIONS

The following students will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the United States Army:

• Parker Egan
• Adali Matz
• Montane Whiteley
• Preston Miglaw
• Timothy Hammond

The following students will be commissioned as second lieutenants in the United States Air Force:

• Chase Evenson
• Grace Woodyard
• Todd Davis
• Porter Johnson
• Thomas Jeansson