Colorado School of Mines celebrates Spring 2024 Undergraduate Commencement

Colorado School of Mines celebrated its Spring 2024 Undergraduate Commencement on May 10, conferring a total of 962 bachelor’s degrees during three ceremonies at Lockridge Arena. 

Giving the keynote address was Mines alums Hugh E. Harvey, Jr. ’74 and Nancy A. Keegan ‘82. Harvey addressed students at the 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. ceremonies while Keegan spoke at the 5 p.m. ceremony. 

Co-founder of Intrepid Potash, Inc., Harvey has spent a 50-year career in the mining and petroleum industries. Through their family foundation, Harvey and his wife, Michelle, support education in science, technology and the arts, including the Harvey Scholars program at Mines, which has provided full tuition scholarships to almost 200 students since 2009.

Investment committee chair for the Colorado School of Mines Foundation Board of Governors, Keegan has held key positions in prestigious firms throughout a career spanning the realms of engineering, finance and entrepreneurship. At Mines, Keegan and her husband, Donald Voelte, established the Nancy A. Keegan and Donald R. Voelte Endowed Scholarship Fund, which supports students who participate in the Challenge Program. 

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

FALL 2024 OUTSTANDING GRADUATING SENIORS

As part of the undergraduate ceremonies, Mines honored its Spring 2024 Outstanding Graduating Seniors. Chosen by faculty and staff and each representing a different academic major, the 19 students were recognized for their high scholastic achievement and on-campus engagement.

Armelle Duston, Applied Mathematics and Statistics

Duston, of Charlottesville, Virginia, said everyday moments like studying with friends in the library or eating lunch on Kafadar are favorite Mines memories.

Quinn Reyes, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Reyes, of Walnut Creek, California, said E-Days of 2023 during the fireworks show is a favorite Mines memory.

Dale Thompson, Biochemistry

Thompson, of Golden, Colorado, said the women’s track team winning the conference for the first time ever is a favorite Mines memory.

Courtney Van Kirk, Chemistry

Van Kirk, of Centennial, Colorado, said the excitement of realizing that the library has Nature volumes dating back to the 1800s is a favorite Mines memory.

Nicholas Beckman, Civil Engineering

Beckman, of Aurora, Colorado, said staying up late with my roommate and friends playing Mario Kart and watching Kung Fu Panda is a favorite Mines memory.

Benjamin Breisch, Computer Science

Breisch, of Monument, Colorado, said seeing the E-Days Tesla Coil show for the first time in 2021 is a favorite Mines memory.

Dylan Tepedelen, Environmental Engineering

Tepedelen, of Boulder, Colorado, said doing field work with friends during Environmental Engineering Field Session last summer is a favorite Mines memory.

Lisa Elmiladi, Electrical Engineering

Elmiladi, of Aurora, Colorado, said doing a modified M Climb in 2020 was a favorite Mines memory.

Anne Welch, Design Engineering

Welch, of Denver, Colorado, said the ORC trip to Australia is a favorite Mines memory.

Brandon Poy, Geology

Poy, of Arlington Heights, Illinois, said traveling to the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers National Convention in Atlanta is a favorite Mines memory.

Salem Bin Zaqr, Geophysical Engineering

Bin Zaqr, of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, said attending Geophysics Field Camp and feeling a deep connection to the field is a favorite Mines memory.

Claire Beebe, Mechanical Engineering

Beebe, of Houston, Texas, said going on a hike up South Table Mountain with other students before classes started freshman year due to the M Climb being canceled is a favorite Mines memory.

Nathan Bryce, Mechanical Engineering

Bryce, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, said hiking with friends is a favorite Mines memory.

Akhil Gupta, Ceramic Engineering

Gupta, of Fort Collins, Colorado, said holding a space shuttle tile as a professor blowtorched the other side of it is a favorite Mines memory.

Scott Dahl, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Dahl, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, said competing in the cardboard boat race junior year is a favorite Mines memory.

John Liam Gilbride, Mining Engineering

Gilbride, of Grand Junction, Colorado, said competing in the Goodman Gold Challenge two years in a row and being able to lead his team to the podium each time is a favorite Mines memory.

Geneva Loff, Petroleum Engineering

Loff, of Blairstown, New Jersey, said traveling to Saudi Arabia for the 2024 International Petroleum Technology Conference is a favorite Mines memory.

Briar Ainscough, Physics

Ainscough, of Arvada, Colorado, said caving for a week in New Mexico with Colorado School of Mines Grotto is a favorite Mines memory.

Julianna Hays, Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering

Hays, of Austin, Texas, said visiting Edgar Mine with friends during QBE Field Session is a favorite Mines memory.

UNVERSITY-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: Fischer Argosino

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: Hunter Potrykus (track and field) and Katherine Koehler (soccer)

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: Leah Bandy and Benjamin Breisch

The Colorado Engineering Council Awards are presented for excellence in scholarship, high integrity and general engineering ability: Emmelia Ashton and Lisa Elmiladi

DEPARTMENT UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS AND HONORS

Applied Mathematics and Statistics

E-Days Engineer Award: Daniel Grenier

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: Allison Comer 

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: Eve Wolvington and Emma Neuroth

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: Jackson Danley and Leah Bandy

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

Electrical Engineering

E-Days Engineer Award: Brian Burr

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: Elizabeth Weyl

Hutchinson Award: Emily Griner

Geophysics

Phillip R. Romig Award: Hussain Alfaraj

The Cecil H. Green Gold Medal 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: Danielle Vonlembke

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

George T. Merideth Award for Early Leadership in Geophysical Engineering: Pablo Chang Huang

John C. Hollister Award: Ethan Deal

T.K. Young Geophysics Leadership Award: Pablo Chang Huang

Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Maryanna Bell Kafadar Humanities Award: Alexander Chavez-Maldonado

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: Victor Baez and Nathan Li

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 Rottinghaus and Ollie Noyes

E-Days Engineer Award: Wesley Swieter

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

Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Student Athlete: Chandler Cole

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

The Alan Kissock Award acknowledges creativity in metallurgy: Micah Sweezey, Jack Burnham and Scott Dahl

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: Emmelia Ashton

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

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: Akhil Gupta

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: Jarod Comas

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:  William Colvin

The D.W. Brunton Award is awarded for meritorious work in mining: Adi Mussin

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

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: Zane Swainston

E-Days Ore Cart Pull Award: John Dill

Mining Engineering Meritorious Service Award: Kendall Helbig

Petroleum Engineering

E-Days Engineer: Kelly Orbell

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: Amii Lamm, Annalise Gray and John Taylor

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: Jude Lykins

E-Days Engineer Award: Megan Parkhurst

MILITARY COMISSIONS

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

• Lauren Hernandez
• Magnus Loken

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

• Travis Ambrose
• Kalyn Brill
• Justus Von Lengerke