Stevens Celebrates 153rd Commencement Exercises

A little rain couldn’t dampen these Ducks’ day! Stevens Institute of Technology’s 153rd Commencement Exercises at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ, last week welcomed more than 10,000 graduates, friends, family, faculty and staff over two ceremonies — undergraduate in the morning and graduate in the afternoon — to celebrate the Class of 2025.

Nick Smith ’25, who was named as the newest member of the Board of Trustees and President for the Stevens Alumni Association Class of 2025 class officers during the ceremony, felt the importance of the occasion.

“Commencement was one of the most graceful, calm and authentic moments of my life. The opportunity to sit and walk alongside my friends who have been with me for this entire journey, all while being under the same roof as my family who has supported this entire educational journey, was truly unmatched,” he said.

At his first Stevens Commencement as dean of the School of Business, GJ de Vreede shared a bright outlook for the graduates. “From the moment I arrived, I've been consistently impressed by the Class of 2025 and their commitment to mastering the intersection of business and technology that defines the Stevens advantage — our graduates are launching careers with skills employers are seeking,” he said. “Their investment in learning how to adapt, innovate and lead will pay dividends throughout their professional lives. I couldn't be more confident in these Ducks’ ability to soar.”

Nor could the speakers throughout the program, who encouraged the graduates to take the spirit of innovation they learned at Stevens into the real world with them.

“As you stand on the cusp of a new chapter in your lives, I encourage you to embrace innovation not merely as a concept, but as a mindset. Innovation is about challenging the status quo, pushing boundaries and having the courage to step outside your comfort zone,” Stevens’ President Nariman Farvardin said. “It's about seeing possibilities where others see limitations.”

Undergraduate Commencement speaker Emilio A. Fernandez, who received a Doctor of Engineering, Honoris Causa, encouraged students to have the courage to find their vision and to push through any fears of failure.Fernandez, an entrepreneur, innovator, emeritus trustee and benefactor of Stevens’ iSTEM program, shared his own stories of business success, how his “failure” led to the ultimate success of him earning his undergraduate degree and his belief that integrity “should be central to all you do.”

“Today I stand in front of you, because at a crucial moment, I held to my vision with total determination, and hopefully, I did it all with Integrity,” he said. “Just like a maestro conducting an orchestra, you’ll have to embrace and balance these attributes in order to make great music. And when you do, you will become a better engineer, a better leader and likely a better person.”

Keeping with the theme of innovation, student speaker Robert Dahill IV ’25 called upon his classmates to use their education to keep pushing limits.

“Let us be the ones who ask ‘why not?’ Let us be the ones who challenge limits, break barriers, and forge new paths where none existed before. No matter where life takes us, whether we are engineering the future, shaping society or redefining industries, may we always remember what we learned at Stevens and push the boundaries of what’s possible,” he said. “Because innovation is not just about engineering or business; it’s about courage, resilience and the unwavering belief that we can create a better world.”

It was a sentiment that resonated with Smith.

“Robby’s remarks around ‘why not’ were a standout moment for me. I can only hope that in the next chapter of my life I continue to ask myself ‘why not?’ Stevens took a chance on all of us, the least I can do is pay that forward in whatever way I can.”

Other highlights of the ceremony include:

• Graduate Student Speaker Bitla Aditya Jeetendra Reddy M.S. ’25 asked his classmates “to stop doubting and give yourself permission to be a little delusional.” He continued: “I may not know what the future holds, but I do know who holds it. Don’t wait to find your place. Go create it.”

• In addition to Smith, other SAA class officers for the Class of 2025 are Olof Persson, vice president; Isabella Ziv, secretary; and Martin da Silva, fund captain.

• Thirteen undergraduate students earned the distinction of First in Class and shared a message with their graduating classmates.

• Dibyendu "Dibs" Sarkar, professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering, received an honorary Master of Engineering Degree for his “achievements in environmental research, education and sustainability leadership at Stevens.”