Illinois Institute of Technology

50 Pages·2015·1.06 MB·French

Illinois Institute of Technology
2015 Commencement Opening Ceremony
The Sixteenth of May
Two Thousand and Fifteen
Ten in the morning
Ed Glancy Field
31st Street and Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
W
elcome to IIT’s 146th Commencement Exercise. The university community
extends cordial greetings to the families and friends who are gathered
here to celebrate the culmination of years of formal study.
For 2,591 students, today’s ceremony officially recognizes their academic
accomplishments during the 2014–15 academic year and inaugurates a new era in their
lives. With a broad foundation of both intellectual capability and experiential learning
that characterizes an IIT education, these graduates also take with them a sound
understanding of contemporary society and its values as they join thousands of other
IIT alumni.
About Illinois Institute of Technology
In 1890, when advanced education was often reserved for society’s
elite, Chicago minister Frank Wakely Gunsaulus delivered what
came to be known as the “Million Dollar Sermon” near the site
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) now occupies. Gunsaulus said
that with a million dollars he would build a school where students
of all backgrounds could prepare for meaningful roles in a changing
industrial society. Philip Danforth Armour, a Chicago meatpacking
industrialist and grain merchant, heard the sermon and came to
share the minister’s vision, agreeing to finance the endeavor with
the stipulation that Gunsaulus become the first president of
Armour Institute.
When Armour Institute opened in 1893, it offered professional courses
in engineering, chemistry, architecture, and library science. IIT
was created in 1940 by the merger of Armour Institute with Lewis
Institute (est. 1895), a West Side college that offered liberal arts as
well as science and engineering courses. The Institute of Design,
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founded in 1937, merged with IIT in 1949.
In 1969, IIT became one of the few technology-based universities
with a law school when Chicago-Kent College of Law, founded in
1887, became a part of the university. Stuart School of Business was
added in 1969 with a gift from the estate of Lewis Institute alumnus
and Chicago financier Harold Leonard Stuart. Midwest College of
Engineering, founded in 1967, joined the university in 1986, forming
the nucleus for IIT’s west suburban campus.
Today, Illinois Institute of Technology is a private, Ph.D.-granting
university with programs in engineering, science, architecture, law,
human sciences, design, business, and applied technology. More than
10,300 graduate and undergraduate students study here, coming
from 48 states and from 97 countries.
Scientists and engineers from IIT have made some of the century’s
most important technological advances; IIT architects have shaped
the skylines of cities worldwide; and Chicago-Kent College of Law
alumni are impacting the legal system.
About Illinois Institute of Technology, continued
Three miles south of the Chicago Loop, IIT’s Main Campus was
designed by renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1940,
and IIT’s 19 Mies buildings are the highest concentration in the
world. The American Institute of Architects designated Main Campus
as one of the 200 most important works of architecture in the country,
and Mies’ S. R. Crown Hall, which houses the College of Architecture,
was granted National Historic Landmark status in 2001.
Continuing IIT’s tradition of cutting-edge design, the university
added two new buildings in 2003—The McCormick Tribune Campus
Center, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rem Koolhaas,
and State Street Village Residence Hall, designed by Helmut Jahn,
named one of the Ten Most Influential Living American Architects by
the American Institute of Architects.
IIT has four additional campuses. The Downtown Campus is home
to Chicago-Kent College of Law and Stuart School of Business.
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The Institute of Design is located in Chicago’s River North area.
The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Campus in Wheaton, Ill., offers
graduate and undergraduate courses and houses the School of
Applied Technology. The Moffett Campus, in Bedford Park, Ill., is the
home of the Institute for Food Safety and Health. IIT also has state-
of-the-art distance learning programs.
Academic Regalia
Much of the American academic ceremonial apparel is derived from
that worn at British universities, particularly Oxford University.
When Oxford was granted a charter in 1241, its members wore
clerical garb because of the close connection between the university
and the church. Academic apparel for colleges and universities
in America was first introduced at Williams College in 1887. The
Intercollegiate Commission drafted the first uniform code in 1895.
The bachelor’s gown is untrimmed, with long pointed sleeves, and
is worn closed. The master’s gown has long, crescent-shaped sleeves
and may be worn open or closed. The doctor’s gown has velvet facing
down the front and three velvet bars on the bell-shaped sleeves. The
velvet is either black or the color of the major field of study. For years,
most gowns were black, but today most American institutions have
followed the British custom of using red or college colors.
The hood is the most important and distinctive feature of the
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American system. It was originally intended as a head cover and
shoulder cape. The color of the trim indicates the degree field;
for example, purple is law, orange is engineering, lavender is
architecture. The length of the hood and the width of the trim indicate
the degree earned, the doctor’s hood being the longest and having the
widest trim. The color or colors of the hood lining indicate the degree-
granting institution. The Illinois Institute of Technology hood lining
has the school colors, a single grey chevron on a scarlet field.
Commencement Speaker
Christine Lagarde
Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
Born in Paris in 1956, Christine Lagarde completed high school in
Le Havre and attended Holton Arms School in Bethesda (Maryland,
USA). She then graduated from law school at University Paris X,
and obtained a Master’s degree from the Political Science Institute
in Aix en Provence.
After being admitted as a lawyer to the Paris Bar, Christine
Lagarde joined the international law firm of Baker & McKenzie
as an associate, specializing in Labor, Anti-trust, and Mergers &
Acquisitions. A member of the Executive Committee
of the Firm in 1995, Christine Lagarde became the
Chairman of the Global Executive Committee of Baker
& McKenzie in 1999, and subsequently Chairman of the
Global Strategic Committee in 2004.
Christine Lagarde joined the French government in June
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2005 as Minister for Foreign Trade. After a brief stint
as Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, in June 2007
she became the first woman to hold the post of Finance
and Economy Minister of a G-7 country. From July to
December 2008, she also chaired the ECOFIN Council,
which brings together Economics and Finance Ministers
of the European Union.
As a member of the G-20, Christine Lagarde was involved in
the Group’s management of the financial crisis, helping to foster
international policies related to financial supervision and regulation
and to strengthen global economic governance. As Chairman of
the G-20 when France took over its presidency for the year 2011,
she launched a wide-ranging work agenda on the reform of the
international monetary system.
In July 2011, Christine Lagarde became the eleventh Managing
Director of the IMF, and the first woman to hold that position.
Christine Lagarde was named Officier in the Légion d’honneur in
April 2012.
A former member of the French national team for synchronized
swimming, Christine Lagarde is the mother of two sons.
Student Speaker
Cameron Ketchmark
Electrical Engineering
Cameron Ketchmark says his desire to immerse himself in city life was
just one of the reasons he chose to attend IIT.
“I wanted to experience college on an urban campus with a dedication to
academics and career opportunities,” he says. “I also wanted to study on
a campus that focuses on sustainability. And Mies? Mies van der Rohe?
Mies van der Rohe!”
The Brookfield, Illinois, native says that although Mies architecture was
a draw—Ketchmark entered IIT as an architecture major—he found a
better fit with electrical engineering.
“I had initially believed that I would be a wonderful artist
and designer. Fortunately, I was wrong! After one semester
of poorly cut wood models, I made the switch to electrical
engineering. It clicked instantly!” he says.
The move paid off academically: Ketchmark was named to 5
the Dean’s List and placed second in the fall 2014 Armour
R&D Expo, working with Assistant Professor Joohee Kim
on the project Improving Feature Descriptors for Pedestrian
Detection. During the most challenging times of study, he says
his family’s support of his engineering path and the kind words
of professors inspired him to excel.
“A professor or advisor who believes in you and encourages you to
succeed beyond the classroom will set fire to your motivation and forever
influence you,” he says. “Professor Geoffrey Williamson dealt with my
confusion and constant interest swapping for three years. He did so with
enthusiasm, often spending far beyond the allotted 15-minute intervals.
One particular instance that resonated with me: Dr. Williamson sent me
off on my last day of advising, saying, ‘Now go out and do great things!’”
In addition to excelling in his coursework, Ketchmark participated in
various student groups and was a champion of IIT student spirit. He
served on the Student Government Association and devised the fictitious
“IIT Potato” mascot and social media campaign in an effort to build
student community on campus. He helped to promote IIT’s Mobile App
Development (MAD) club, using social media to build student attendance
at coding events. He also participated in the IIT Pumpkin Launch.
After graduation Ketchmark plans to work as an embedded software
engineer in the Space and Defense Group at Moog Inc., a worldwide
designer, manufacturer, and integrator of precision motion control
products and systems.
Order of Exercises
Academic Procession
Presentation of Colors
By IIT AFROTC Color Guard
The audience is requested to rise and remain standing until after the singing of
“The Star-Spangled Banner.”
“The Star-Spangled Banner”
Lyrics by Francis Scott Key, Arrangement by Jaret Landon
Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Welcome
John L. Anderson
President
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Congratulatory Remarks
Bud Wendorf
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1971
Chairman, IIT Board of Trustees
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Emeritus of Sargent & Lundy

The Conferring of Honorary Degrees
Alan W. Cramb
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Honorary degree recipients are recognized for their commitment to commerce, technology,
government, and the betterment of global society.
William F. Baker—Partner for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP
Ward Cunningham—Staff Engineer at New Relic and Creator of the “Wiki”
Jennifer S. Light—Professor of Science, Technology and Society, and Professor of Urban Studies
and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Commencement Address
Christine Lagarde
The Conferring of Bachelor’s Degrees
John L. Anderson
Bachelor’s degree candidates will be presented by the deans of their respective colleges.
Student Speaker
Cameron Ketchmark, Candidate for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
Alumnus Speaker
Judson Althoff
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1995
President, Microsoft North America Sales and Marketing
Alumni Board Speaker
Andrea Berry
Chairman, IIT Alumni Association Board of Directors and Trustee
B.S. Computer Science, 1984
Senior Vice President, Broadcast Media Services, Fox Networks Group

The Conferring of Master’s Degrees
John L. Anderson
Master’s degree candidates will be presented by the deans of their respective colleges.
The Conferring of Juris Doctor
John L. Anderson
J.D. candidates will be presented by Harold J. Krent, Dean of IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.
The Conferring of Ph.D. Degrees
John L. Anderson
Ph.D. candidates will be presented by Christopher White, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.
Closing Remarks
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John L. Anderson

Academic Recession
The members of the audience are requested to remain seated until the academic recession
is completed.
Faculty Marshals
Andrew Howard
Associate Professor
John Kallend
Professor and Associate Dean, Armour College of Engineering
Linda Spentzouris
Professor
Congratulations to Graduating Black Knights
The Black Knights student advisory group has provided valuable insight into student and campus activities
for the president of IIT since 1940. President John L. Anderson appreciates the contributions of the
Black Knights and extends congratulations to the members graduating today:
William Nicholas Bafia (B.S. Computer Science and M.S. Computer Science),
Phillip Cano (B.S. Mechanical Engineering),
Anika Kaiyanna Davis (B.S. Political Science, Minor in History and Literature),
Katherine Marie Shafer Peters (B.S. Communication), and
Mary L. Thomas (B.S. Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics).
Degree Candidates