The Luddy School recognized more than 200 winter graduates during its ceremony.
The Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering honored nearly 200 recipients of bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, or Ph.D.’s in computer science, data science, human-computer interaction, informatics, information science, intelligent systems engineering, and library science during the Winter Celebration of the Class of 2021 at Luddy Hall Dec. 16.
The event was led by Senior Executive Associate Dean Erik Stolterman Bergqvist and was also streamed on Zoom and Facebook Live. The celebration ceremony was the first to be held by the school in-person since Dec. 2019.
“Nobody may know what the future holds—look back over your college career if you need proof of how quickly things can change—but you can be certain the skills you’ve been taught at the Luddy School, the seeds of knowledge that will drive you into tomorrow, will make you successful professionals in the field,” Stolterman Bergqvist said. “You will be the leaders who solve the most difficult problems facing our society.”
Chris Myles, who earned his B.S. in informatics in 2012 and his M.S. in human-computer interaction/design from the Luddy School in 2014 and is now a senior product designer at eBay, also addressed the graduates. He encouraged them to pursue their passion while also finding a balance between their work life and personal well-being.
“Finding an environment that is complementary to who you are is important,” Myles said. “Employers know you have a skillset, but one thing that helped me find success was finding a balance that allowed me to express my true self. You want to define your values as a human being and put those things into practice.”
The names of students earning their master’s degree or Ph.D. were read by Assistant Professor of Information Science Devan Donaldson, while Director of ISE Student Services and Curriculum Kelly Nelson recognized the recipients of bachelor’s degrees.
Stolterman closed the ceremony by thanking the faculty and staff for another successful semester and made it clear that graduates have not reached a goal but a milestone in their lives.
“You have overcome so many obstacles to get to where you are today, but you are not at an ending,” Stolterman said. “You have simply arrived at an important milestone, one that will serve as the beginning of a future that will allow you to make your presence felt.”
Following the ceremony, a reception was held in the lobby of Luddy Hall. Students or family members who missed the live ceremony can still see the event on the Luddy Facebook page. The Luddy School’s Spring Celebration of the Class of 2022 will be held May 5 in the IU Auditorium.