Meet the Class of 2019
In the weeks leading up to graduation, Virginia Tech News has profiled several members of the Class of 2019. We've also included several video profiles of graduates. Congratulations to all graduates of the Class of 2019.
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Graduate Commencement student speaker Najla Mouchrek focuses on empowering others , articleMouchrek is the first Virginia Tech graduate student to earn an Individualized Interdisciplinary Ph.D., called an IPhD. She also will be the student speaker at the Fall Graduate School Commencement Ceremony at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 20 at Cassell Coliseum.
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Class of 2019: Computer science opens channels of creativity for Jiayi "JW" Lee , articleLee credits Virginia Tech and the Department of Computer Science for providing "unique and precious experiences" to grow into her new role as a software engineer for the Microsoft Cloud + AI Team.
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Class of 2019: Maddie McQuade sees the big picture of national security and foreign affairs , articleMcQuade, a national security and foreign affairs major, discovered a passion for seeing how many small ideas form into the entirety of global politics and relationships.
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Class of 2019: Graduate student Samantha Fenn combines laboratory background with public policy studies in cyberbiosecurity , articleFenn, who graduates this December from the master's of public administration program in Arlington, says her studies have helped her see how biological data becomes vulnerable currency in the struggle for public safety.
Video: Graduating Thoughts
These Class of 2019 graduates tell their stories of their experiences at Virginia Tech.
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Class of 2019: Geosciences major Jordyn Del Rosario set to join U.S. Navy , articleDel Rosario, a senior graduating from the Department of Geosciences, part of the Virginia Tech College of Science, came to Blacksburg more than four years ago from Nebraska.
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Class of 2019: Engineering graduate student Whitney Tatem uses car crash data to improve safety , articleThe first time she entered a university lab, Tatem knew biomedical engineering was the field for her.
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Class of 2019: Virginia Tech Rescue Squad member Rachael Ward has heart for service , articleIf you’ve ever seen an Automated External Defibrillator on campus — or had to use one — you have the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad and the efforts of Ward and her team to thank.
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Class of 2019: International student Kehong Lu brings visual communication to life , articleDuring his time at Virginia Tech, graduating senior Kehong Lu has built up an impressive graphic design portfolio through internships with major companies as well as local organizations. Through his art, he hopes to share himself with the world.
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Class of 2019: Karanpreet Singh uses artificial intelligence to accelerate the optimization of aircraft structures , articleSingh, who will graduate from Virginia Tech in December with a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, is focused on using artificial intelligence to improve the structural design and optimization of aircraft structures.
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Class of 2019: Virginia Tech Rescue Squad member Alyssa Case always ready to serve , articleCase has served in a number of roles within the squad, including as an attendant, assisting with patient care on emergency calls; as the former director of special projects; and currently as an ambulance driver.
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Class of 2019: Jonathan Reynolds is ready for a career in water management , articleCombined with dual degrees in environmental resources management and water: resources, policy, and management, Reynolds’ multiple internship experiences have laid an important foundation for starting his career.
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Class of 2019: Agricultural and applied economics major finds calling in underrepresented communities , articleMarquelle Benn graduates this December with a newfound understanding of her career calling - helping communities better themselves.
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Class of 2019: Veterinary student Libby Majette named class valedictorian , articlePoised to receive a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, Majette is the Class of 2019 valedictorian, an achievement that has earned her the Richard B. Talbot Award, named for the college’s founding dean.
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Class of 2019: Alyssa Johnson found her passion for research after coming to Virginia Tech from community college , articleWhen Johnson walked across the stage in cap and gown as a 2014 high school senior in Manassas, Virginia, she had no idea that just a few years later she’d be preparing to make a similar walk across a stage as a graduating double major at Virginia Tech.
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Class of 2019: Taylor Blackman uses GIS and data expertise to benefit researchers , article“Above everything, my work was able to help progress the research of others. I was paid to help people conduct research to improve the world we live in, no matter the scale,” said Blackman.
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Class of 2019: Mary McCorkill applies classroom knowledge in the lab, publishes research , articleOutside of the classroom, McCorkill, a senior majoring in chemical engineering, can be found in the Supercritical Fluids Lab at Virginia Tech, operating novel high-pressure equipment to determine the way materials behave as a function of temperature and pressure.
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Class of 2019: Julie Duetsch discovers her passions led to helping others find theirs , articleDuetsch has an impressive record of research and dedicated service during her time as an undergraduate.
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Class of 2019: Senior brings new Pathways General Education program to life through video , articleEric Luu is using his skills and passion for video to showcase the experiences his fellow Hokies can have through the new Pathways General Education program.
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Class of 2019: Michael Geary, dedicated Virginia Tech Rescue Squad chief , articleGeary, a senior majoring in wildlife conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, has served as chief of the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad for the past two years and as a member of the squad for four years.
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Class of 2019: Nicholas Hardy, computer as self , article"Computer as self" is a riff on the Japanese metaphor for rice as identity. And it can easily be applied to Hardy, a computer science major and Japanese studies minor.
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Class of 2019: Laura Puckett merges a passion for the outdoors with keen insights into environmental data , articlePuckett, selected as the 2019 Outstanding Senior in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, has found her niche in the relatively new field of environmental informatics.
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Class of 2019: Doctoral student credits ‘lab family’ with accomplishments , articleIn addition to his prodigious publishing and mentorship efforts while at Virginia Tech, Farzad Ahmadi also helped solve a notoriously difficult problem in fluid dynamics, one that many senior engineers had already given up on: How to create a cheap, durable, and passive anti-frosting surface.
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Class of 2019: Katherine Louis explores connection between languages and culture , articleThe senior from Norfolk, Virginia, says she has always been fascinated by the way words manifest themselves into ideas differently across cultures. That fascination spurred her to study abroad not once but twice.
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Deirdre Conroy named 2019 Outstanding Senior for the College of Natural Resources and Environment , articleThe wildlife conservation major has been involved in research projects that have taken her from the forests of Virginia to the jungles of Belize.
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Andrew Pregnall named 2019 Undergraduate Student of the Year , articlePursuing a dual degree in microbiology and history at Virginia Tech, Pregnall has made it his goal to improve health care for the LGBTQ community.
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Megan Godsey named 2019 Outstanding Senior for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences , articleGodsey, a senior human nutrition, foods, and exercise major, developed a love for the sciences in high school and became interested in pursuing a medical-related career. Attending Virginia Tech was an easy decision for the third-generation Hokie, and her major was an obvious choice as well.
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Andrea Oliver named 2019 Outstanding Graduating Student for Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine , articleA "horse girl" growing up, Oliver is a doctor of veterinary medicine candidate and this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Graduating Student Award from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. She earned a B.S. in animal and poultry science in 2015 from Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
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Caroline Rector named 2019 Outstanding Senior for the Pamplin College of Business , articleRector says the discipline and time management skills she learned at Virginia Tech helped her achieve her goal of earning dual degrees in finance and real estate.
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College of Science seniors Aimee Maurais and Arianna Krinos eye future with research positions at MIT , articleGraduating College of Science seniors and research collaborators Aimee Maurais has been named the 2019 Outstanding Senior in the College of Science and Arianna Krinos has won the 2019 College of Science Senior Undergraduate Research Award.
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Timothy Miles named 2019 Outstanding Senior for College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences , articleAn unexpected change in plans helped the religion and culture major forge a new path that will take him to Morocco with the Peace Corps.
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Kiran Bagalkotkar named 2019 Outstanding Senior for the College of Engineering , articleThe industrial and systems engineering major has spent her collegiate career as a consistent academic achiever, an avid researcher, and dedicated leader.
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Lamvy Le named 2019 Outstanding Graduating Student for the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine , articleUpon arriving at the medical school in the summer of 2015, Le quickly established herself as an academically gifted student with considerable leadership potential. She excelled in the school’s problem-based, patient-centered curriculum and earned 11 Letters of Distinction.
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Valerie Poutous named 2019 Outstanding Senior for the College of Architecture and Urban Studies , articleFollowing her graduation, Poutous plans to move to the Washington, D.C., area to begin work with ZGF Architects.
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Assad Khan named 2019 Graduate Student of the Year , articleDuring his time at Virginia Tech, Khan — a doctoral student in Virginia Tech's Department of Chemistry within the College of Science — has authored nine peer-reviewed publications, and given nine oral presentations at national conferences and many poster presentations.
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Class of 2019: Senior takes experiential learning to new heights, racing horses across three continents , articleVirginia Tech student and endurance rider Hanna Bartnick contended with sharks, bears, and sandstorms during a capstone project that took her across three continents.
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Class of 2019: First-generation student Annalicia DaSilva put her passion for creating welcoming, inclusive communities into action , articleWhen DaSilva put her passion for creating welcoming communities into action through Student Affairs, she helped other Hokies feel even more at home, gained valuable leadership experience, and found her future.
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Class of 2019: Student finishes medical school learning Traditional Chinese Medicine with a rotation back to his Taiwanese roots , articleThere was one more thing Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine student Ray Chang wanted to do before he graduated in May — take an international medical rotation in Taiwan, the country where his family is from originally.
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Class of 2019: A passion for preservation combines technology and university history , articleGraduating senior Elizabeth Berg combines her love for history, technology, and preservation with an independent study in the University Libraries to create virtual 3D visualizations of Monteith and Thomas halls.
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Class of 2019: Erin Lash goes ‘green’ as a sustainable biomaterials major , articleLash’s coursework and educational experiences enabled her to develop a range of skills that are useful in the broader field of environmental science and can be applied to a variety of career avenues.
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Class of 2019: A dog makes all the difference for Cadet Eleanor Franc , articleFranc became Corps of Cadets' ambassador Growley II’s lead handler her junior year, and this year she is the commander of his 12-cadet team and has worked tirelessly to grow the program.
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Class of 2019: Val Hernley explores the ‘why’ behind engineering through industry co-ops, internships , articleThrough her Michelin co-op rotations and another extended co-op and internship with aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, engineering science and mechanics senior Val Hernley has never shied away from difficult problems.
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Class of 2019: Geography major Neil Schubel charts a path around the world , articleSchubel’s quest for cultural awareness and desire to experience different physical environments and worldviews firsthand have defined his time at Virginia Tech.
