Commencement 2021: Northeastern and Khoury College balance celebration and safety
Author: Aditi Peyush
Date: 06.07.21
Visitors and community members on Northeastern University’s Boston campus could feel the excitement that May brought. In the days leading up to commencement, the Class of 2021 celebrated in style, with custom Instagram story presets, community playlists, and processional ceremonies.
During the 2020 – 2021 academic year, with many classes moving online for the first time, these milestones couldn’t have been accomplished without the Khoury College faculty, researchers, and staff who integrate interdisciplinary expertise and foster inclusion in the classroom. Seventeen new staff and research faculty from diverse backgrounds joined Khoury.
To celebrate the culminating achievement of students, Khoury College found new, safe ways to celebrate. For the first time, gift boxes were sent to graduates’ houses.
A Khoury College gift box
In Khoury’s virtual undergraduate celebration held on May 6, Dean Brodley recalled her own commencement and offered students advice on how to navigate uncertainties in the future. “Reach out and embrace the chaos and the change that you’ll undergo, and realize that it’s another part of life’s experiences,” she said.
Three hundred and ten Khoury College seniors graduated in May 2021 (another 94 graduated in December, and 47 more are anticipated to complete their degrees in August). During their studies, 50% of undergraduate students participated in over 36 combined majors that pair a computer science, data science, or cybersecurity degree with other undergraduate fields of study at Northeastern. The 404 graduating seniors (total) represent a diverse population that is uncommon in the field of tech, with 25% of the student body identifying as female – a marked improvement from the national average of 18%.
Dean Brodley also reminded graduates of the impact that the Khoury network continues to make, saying, “Khoury alumni are working in all industries across the globe, and you’re going to join them and go further.” The virtual undergraduate celebration can be viewed below.
The following day, on May 7th, Khoury graduate students tuned into the virtual ceremony for masters and doctoral students from all over the world. As she welcomed graduates and their families, Dean Brodley explained the value of their education, saying, “You’re going to bring rigor, thoughtfulness, and excellence to problems in tech that you encounter in your work.”
Combining academic rigor with research excellence, Khoury College offers nine master’s programs, from robotics to artificial intelligence. Of these programs, two are designed for students with non-tech academic backgrounds, the Align program offers degrees in both computer and data science. The graduating master’s cohort consisted of a mix of Align students and direct entry students. In May 2021, 342 students received their master’s degree (and an additional 297 in December, with 77 more anticipated in August). Out of these numbers, 34% of students identified as female, boosting the participation of women in tech.
In addition, three doctoral candidates received their Ph.D. in May 2021 (and six others in December, and 20 more anticipated in August). During their time at Khoury, the 17 newly-minted doctors collaborated with faculty on leading-edge research and made contributions to knowledge in the computer sciences. Almost 29% of these doctoral candidates identified as female. The graduate virtual celebration can be viewed below.
On May 8th the Northeastern spirit could be felt throughout Boston’s historic Fenway Park as undergraduates moved their tassels from right to left during the university’s commencement celebration Nathan Hostert, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, spoke at the ceremony, “Think about everything you’ve accomplished, and how that’s shaped who you are today,” he said.
The next day, with robed students scattered across Fenway Park, Northeastern celebrated its graduate students. Gagan Dep Prabhu, the chosen speaker who received his master’s in engineering management, said, “We are a once-in-a-lifetime set of graduates who have fiercely fought through this global pandemic to emerge as winners.”
Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
President Joseph E. Aoun spoke about the resilience of the students. “Yes, there are restrictions and limitations—many beyond our control,” Aoun said. “But we found a way. That’s the Northeastern spirit. We traverse boundaries. We overcome obstacles. We believe that every problem has a solution.”
In a prerecorded video, Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle Walensky told the students to set a new bar for themselves. Patrick O. Brown, founder and CEO of Impossible Foods, encouraged students to take better care of this planet than his generation has, framing the responsibility as an opportunity.
Northeastern University is a university like no other, and President Aoun reminded students of this as he concluded the ceremonies, saying, “I wish you the best of luck, your resilience and your infinite spirit will guide our world to new heights. We are truly in your hands.”
The congrats video filled with student-submitted photos can be viewed below.