Commencement speakers: Words of student wisdom

This year, to the applause of family and friends in the Hearst Greek Theatre, and in front of their freshly minted engineering-degree-holding colleagues, three student speakers will take to the podium to deliver words of wisdom, practical advice and general impressions on what it means to be a Berkeley Engineer.

While their speeches will be as diverse as the experiences that brought them to the stage and their ambitions for the future, their remarks will be tied together by one simple thread. They are all fiercely proud of the mandate they now embrace:  Use the skills they have developed during their time here to make the world better.

Let’s meet the speakers:

Andrew-Ian Gonzales Bullitt will deliver the student address during the baccalaureate ceremony. During his time on campus, Ian was worked with the student group Engineers Without Borders, represented engineering students in the ASUC, and managed to find the time to work as a fashion model. Ian is graduating with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.

Tsai Chu Yeh, a bioengineering student receiving her master’s degree in translational medicine (M.T.M), will share remarks as the master’s student speaker. Coming from a family of physicians, she is passionate about healthcare innovation.  While at Berkeley, she has researched gene therapy and gained professional experience as an analyst for Johnson & Johnson.

Joesph Andrew Charbonnet will be this year’s doctoral student speaker. It turns out Joe is well-rehearsed for the role, having just won the UC-wide Grad Slam research communications event with a lightning quick, three-minute summary of his environmental engineering dissertation. Joe was recognized for his work using manganese-coated sand to filter stormwater runoff, which could turn pollution into an aquifer-replenishing resource.

Congratulations, graduates!

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