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[MUSIC PLAYING] AMANDA SHAW: Good afternoon. Thank you all for joining us today. My name is Amanda Shaw. I'm Associate Dean for Student Services of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. We are just about ready to start our ceremony today. So we ask that you take your seats to allow for the focus to be on our students and their accomplishments.
Before we start, we ask that you-- due to the continued concerns regarding COVID, we encourage you to wear a mask today and be respectful of those around you. Please remain in your seats during the ceremony and allow our professional photographers to capture this special day. There will be an opportunity following the ceremony for families to capture photos. And we want to ensure that, during the ceremony, everyone sees their student cross the stage.
Please keep the aisles clear. Please silence cell phones and other electronic devices. And lastly, we ask that everyone stays with us through the end of the ceremony today. Congratulations to our graduates and friends and family. Please welcome the deans and faculty of the Charles H Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management.
[APPLAUSE]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
HARRY KAISER: Good afternoon. Welcome to the Dyson Graduation Recognition Ceremony in honor of the Class of 2022. Before we begin the formal part of the program, I would like to introduce some of our faculty who will be assisting with today's ceremony. Actually, I'm a little-- I'm on the wrong page.
[LAUGHTER]
Let me restart. I'm Harry Kaiser. I'm the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Gellert Family Professor of Applied Economics and Management. And it's my pleasure to welcome you here today.
As part of today's ceremony, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge that Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the [INAUDIBLE] the Cayuga Nation. The [INAUDIBLE] are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, which is an alliance of six sovereign nations with a historic and contemporary presence in this land.
This Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York State, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of the [INAUDIBLE] dispossession and honor the ongoing connection of the [INAUDIBLE] people, past and present, to these lands and waters. Please stand now as we welcome the procession of graduates.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Please congratulate and welcome the class of 2022.
[APPLAUSE]
Good afternoon again. I do-- would like to introduce a few of our faculty who will be assisting with today's ceremony, first, the Dean of the Dyson School, Jinhua Zhao.
[APPLAUSE]
The SC Johnson Dean of Faculty and Research, Suzanne Chu.
[APPLAUSE]
Director of Graduate Studies, Shanjun Lee.
[APPLAUSE]
Associate Director of Graduate Studies for the MS Program, Calum Turvey.
[APPLAUSE]
Director of the Master's of Professional Studies, Aija Leiponen.
[APPLAUSE]
And the Director of Undergraduate Studies, David Lennox.
[APPLAUSE]
Thanks also to all the faculty joining us today. It is now my pleasure to introduce our first student speaker and recipient of the Spirit of Dyson award, given to a graduating senior who has consistently displayed strong intellectual development, thoughtful leadership and service to peers, the school, or university, a global problem solving perspective and commitment, and the highest standards of accountability and integrity. Please join me in welcoming Sadie Ravnitzky.
[APPLAUSE]
SADIE RAVNITZKY: Before we begin, if you all pick up your cap. Under it, you'll find a QR code that connects directly to your bank account and sends $100 every month to Alumni Affairs.
[LAUGHTER]
Now if you'll put your cap back on, under it, you'll find not only some of the most gullible but also some of the most caring, funny, smart, and hardworking individuals.
[APPLAUSE]
It's been a great four years with you all and was a good first three with the strategy concentrations. There's been a lot of change and challenges over our four years here. We've transitioned from in-person classes in Warren Hall to breakout rooms on Zoom. We've tried to move on from Manndibles to Mann cafe.
And hardest of all, we've progressed from the Mann Library second floor green couches to the third floor creaking wood chairs. Through all of these changes and challenges, we've learned that coming together can help push us through. The hotelies may have Statler High, but we have Dyson summer camp. Four years of fun, friendships, and free [INAUDIBLE].
Over our four years, there's no one else I would have wanted to pull an all nighter with in RPCC to finish the business management final project. There's no one else I would have wanted to embarrass myself in front of while saying my impromptu speech in management communication. And there's no one else I would have wanted to sit beside me today. After tonight, many of us will be transitioning to new parts of the world, mainly Murray Hill.
[LAUGHTER]
But we all take away with us the value of community, an inseparable bond, and absolutely no knowledge of tax shields.
[LAUGHTER]
When we all arrived at Dyson summer camp, many of us thought that our parents made a wrong turn, and we didn't belong here. But after a few days, you started to become friends with your bunkmates. After a few semesters, you started to become friends with your counselors. And after a few years, you develop the confidence to mentor the younger campers.
It's nearing the end of our camp days, and our parents are now here to pick us up. But when our parents see us now, we're a little older, a little wiser, and for many of us, a little less financially dependent on them. As we move on to this next step of our lives, we shouldn't be scared about the new changes and new challenges we will face.
But rather, feel excited for the new adventures we will undertake, the new lessons we will learn, and the new art projects who will create, this time on PowerPoint instead of paper. We might be growing up, but I urge you all to embrace your childlike curiosity, to color outside the lines, to step outside of your comfort zone, and to lean on those around you for guidance and a good laugh.
Thank you to all the family and friends who are here today and who are listening from home. Thank you to all the faculty who have become our family and friends. And a special thank you to my father, as I wouldn't be here without his constant support and encouragement. Congratulations to you, the Class of 2022, the best campers Dyson has ever seen.
[APPLAUSE]
HARRY KAISER: Thank you very much, Sadie. That was very nice. I would now like to introduce our second student speaker. Xie Shui is a Doctor of Philosophy candidate and was selected by the Aim graduate field for her research excellence and detailed work in the field of management and a character that fully embodies perseverance and respect for her peers. Please join me in welcoming Xie Shui.
[APPLAUSE]
XIE SHUI: Hi, everyone. Thank you for having me. First of all, I want to say, I'm honored to speak to you as the representative of graduate students on this very important day. I would like to thank all the faculty and staff of the Charles H Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management for their dedication to education and their true love for students.
During my experience working as a teaching assistant with all the great faculty in Dyson, I realize how much effort they have put into each course to help students learn and grow. Meanwhile, our staff has always keep an eye out for each and every one of us, to make sure that we all keep to the timeline and fulfill program requirements.
These efforts aren't something we take for granted. And we want to make sure that we thank them, for they pave the path for our future success. Second, being as an international student, it wasn't easy for me to come to the state and receive such excellent education here without the support of my mom and dad. And they're present today in the audience there. So please allow me to share my personal note to my mom and dad. Thank you!
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Actually, no matter whether we are international or not, we probably wouldn't make it and become who we are without the love and support of our beloved family and friends. Since we're not sitting right next to them, I would invite you to give them a hug right after the ceremony today. And lastly, to my fellow graduates, it's time. Today, we've accomplished an important step in our life.
I'm not sure if you look back to the old days and think about the first day you come to Cornell and especially to Dyson. Well, I did, and I did it two days ago. I think about how excited I was to join Dyson, and more importantly, my expectation for my future. Now that we are graduating, many of us will soon start our careers.
Some of us might become professors or postdoc in another great university or begin their graduate school and stay in research for another five to six years. Some of us might be ready to join industry and deliver some real world impact using what we've learned at Dyson. Regardless of which path you're on, congratulations on your achievement.
[APPLAUSE]
You're probably excited and looking forward to the next stage of your life. It's a fresh start, but at the same time, what we've learned so far will prepare us to keep climbing our career ladder to the place that we would like to be. In the future, we might face new challenges. We might hesitate, and we might even stop. These are normal things to happen, as life is never easy.
But at the same time, I'm pretty sure many of us have encountered some level of obstacles so far. So always keep in mind how we push forward along with the help of people surrounding us. We can get there as long as we want to. I'm excited to meet with some of you in the future Dyson alumni events, maybe two years, five years or even 10 years ahead.
Then we can share with each other how many contributions we have made by the time. And in this way, we can honor the support of our faculty, staff, family, friends, for the faith they had in us that keep us to help-- and help us to get here today. So graduates, go for it. Enjoy your life ahead. Congratulations. Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
HARRY KAISER: Thank you, Xie Shui. It's now my pleasure to welcome Dean Jinhua Zhao to deliver the 2022 Dyson commencement address. Dean Zhao is the David J Nolan Dean of the Charles H Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. Dean Zhao joined the Dyson School in July '21 after spending eight years as the Director of Michigan State's Environmental Science and Policy Program.
He is an impressive scholar in the area of environmental and resource economics, with special interest in global climate change, renewable energies, water and technological adoption. In his first 10 months leading the Dyson School, he has shown incredible leadership and commitment to our students, faculty, and staff, and the entire Dyson community. And I'd like to just add that it's been my pleasure to work side by side with Dean Zhao over this past year. Dean Zhao?
[APPLAUSE]
JINHUA ZHAO: Thank you, Harry.
[APPLAUSE]
Members of the Class of 2022, families and friends, I'm honored to welcome you to the graduation ceremony of the Charles H Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, the first in-person Dyson graduation ceremony in three years.
[APPLAUSE]
This is also my first Dyson graduation as Dean, but already, I feel I've come to know many of you in the past year. And I could not be prouder to celebrate your accomplishments. Today, we have five PhD graduates, 38 students receiving the MS degree, 104 completing the MPS degree, and 196 students receiving the Bachelor of Science degree.
And many of you are also earning dual majors, minors and other distinctions this weekend. Beyond this, of course, each and every one of you graduating today received what I call extra credit for going to school through a global COVID-19 pandemic. I declare that you are all pandemic scholars, a new recognition.
By the way I'm one of the pandemic deans at Cornell, joining the university during COVID-19. Being a pandemic scholar means that, to complete your degree, you had to be remarkably flexible, remarkably resourceful, remarkably committed to learning, as we call, in different modalities. Your education was not in a straight line. At times, you zigged and zagged and Zoomed your way to completion.
You uploaded and downloaded like no class before you and got your noses poked in between. You learned to pivot in your classes but also in real life, as COVID infections came and went. You learned that social distancing does not have to mean social isolation, and learned to value those two friends who always had an extra mask at times when you forgot yours.
Most of all, you learned that education can continue successfully in any circumstance as long as you are committed to getting it, your faculty are committed to providing it, and you and your faculty work together to make it happen. So Class of 2022, pandemic scholars all, congratulations to each of you on your accomplishments.
[APPLAUSE]
And while we are celebrating and congratulating our students, let's not forget the pandemic families and friends for their support during these past years. You would not have made it without them, and I hope you get a chance to tell them that.
They loved you unconditionally, both when your macroeconomics test results were positive and your COVID test results were negative, and when sometimes those results were reversed. So thank you, families and friends, for your support.
[APPLAUSE]
And let's also recognize the excellent pandemic faculty and staff at the Dyson School and the SC Johnson College of Business. Higher education work has not been easy these past few years. Lectures, lesson plans, and learning goals had to rapidly change as our brave new world took hold, a world of yellow alert levels, new schedules, daily check-ins, and Zoom break outs.
Even as many of our faculty and staff had extra responsibilities caring for their own families, they were not daunted by the challenge of teaching you and supporting you in these turbulent times. I'm deeply grateful for their work. So please join me. Thank you, faculty and staff, for your work with these graduates.
[APPLAUSE]
Now, each of you have had a unique experience at Dyson, and it's difficult to sum it up. But as economists, we like to quantify experiences and choices. So let me give you a few numbers. If you are one of the 196 students getting their undergrad degree today, we calculated that you likely spent over 1,800 hours in the classroom.
Now, that does not include labs, study sessions, team meetings and office hours. It's also likely that you took well over 100 prelims and final exams over your four years. No wonder you are tired.
[LAUGHTER]
Now, speaking of tired, remember that one 8:05 AM class that you missed because you slept through your alarm. Well, that costed you $208 in lost tuition--
[LAUGHTER]
And roughly 0.0001239 in your total cumulative four year GPA.
[LAUGHTER]
I hope it was worth it.
[LAUGHTER]
Of course, good economists always realize the limits of their data. We know your education at Dyson was much more than the 1,800 hours you spent in the classroom. Think about the projects you completed with community partners to address societal problems as part of the grant challenges curriculum.
Think about the work that you did in campus jobs as leaders in clubs and organizations, athletic teams and affinity groups, as course assistants and teaching assistants, as entrepreneurs and innovators. And think about the undergrads here in Dyson who started BlackGen Capital, a 100% minority owned student investment organization with the goal of closing the access gap for Black, Hispanic and Native American students interested in the financial services industry.
[APPLAUSE]
At Dyson, learning and leading go hand in hand. Innovation and impact are two sides of the same coin. We are a research and learning community that strives to make the world a better place for all. I emphasized to the word community just now, and that brings me to my final point. You have all become a valued member of the Dyson community, of the college community, and of the Cornell community.
From the Dyson experience, you know and we know that, even in a pandemic, learning happens best in the community. So this weekend, your status in these communities is changing. And I want to be the first to congratulate you on becoming part of the alumni community.
As you will find, it's an enormous community with vast resources and the ability to go on leading and changing the world. My charge to you and my challenge to you, my dear Dyson pandemic scholars, is that you will carry the best of Dyson with you as you leave.
I hope your exceptional resilience that brought you through the pandemic and to this auditorium today will help you grow and thrive in whatever our turbulent world has in store. I'm confident that you will continue to do well and continue to do good. Please stay in touch with your Dyson and Cornell family. And one more time, congratulations to the 2022 class.
[APPLAUSE]
HARRY KAISER: Thank you, Dean Zhao. At this time, I would like to acknowledge our graduates who have earned special Dyson awards. As previously mentioned, Sadie Ravnitzky was the winner of the spirit of Dyson award.
Anisha [? Agarwal ?] was honored for research in applied economics and management, an award given to a graduating senior for outstanding undergraduate research achievement over the course of their time in the Dyson School. Congratulations.
[APPLAUSE]
Ruju Dani and Arin Sheehan received the award for outstanding service as an undergraduate teaching assistant. Congratulations.
[APPLAUSE]
The Cryil F. Crowe award, selected by the Dyson School faculty, is awarded annually to two undergraduate students who have demonstrated academic excellence in applied economics and management. This year's recipients are Arusha [? Gala ?] and Krishnan Alagar. Congratulations.
[APPLAUSE]
The NPS Project Team award is given in the yearlong problem solving project team that has consistently displayed creativity, positive attitude, and persistence in the faces of challenges, good communication, and cohesive teamwork. This year's winning team, Jasmine Chi, Ryan Greff, Mark Anderson, [INAUDIBLE] Daniel Painter, [INAUDIBLE] Woo, and [? Quiwa ?] Yao. Congratulations.
[APPLAUSE]
Merrill Presidential Scholars are seniors selected by their college deans for their academic achievements, leadership, and potential to contribute to society. This year's winners, Yasmin Watt and Sadie Ravnitzky. Congratulations.
[APPLAUSE]
Finally, the five individuals who will lead the Dyson School procession tomorrow in tomorrow's university commencement ceremony are the degree marshals, Jessica Chen and Ethan Ma.
[APPLAUSE]
And banner bearers, [? Arnav ?] [? Cannon ?] and Gabby [? Lee. ?]
[APPLAUSE]
And finally, Dyson symbol banner bearer, Matt Zhao.
[APPLAUSE]
Please review the additional award winners listed in today's program. Congratulations to all our award winners.
[APPLAUSE]
We will now proceed with the individual recognition of graduates. I would like to invite Shanjun Li, Director of Graduate Studies, to the podium for the reading of the candidates for Doctor of Philosophy.
SHANJUN LI: Most college graduates-- is this on?
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
SHANJUN LI: OK. Most college graduates are wise enough not to attempt the path to a doctor degree. Very few try anyway. Even fewer have the tenacity to complete the arduous journey of at least five years of research training, which is full loneliness, self-doubt, and perhaps with occasional joy from science discovery.
Today, we take the opportunity to celebrate their achievements and hood our students who have successfully completed the journey. I will read their names and dissertation title, and their are faculty advisor will hood them.
[WHISPER]
OK. First up, Ruyu Chen, dissertation title, Essays on Information Technology Adoption among Commercial Firms will be headed by Professor Chris Forman.
[APPLAUSE]
[LAUGHTER]
[INAUDIBLE] dissertation title, Essays in [? Liberal ?] Development Economics, Professor Nancy Chau will hood.
[APPLAUSE]
Zhe Xue, dissertation title, Essays on Patent and Innovation Disclosure Strategy, hooded by Professor Aija Leiponen.
[APPLAUSE]
HARRY KAISER: Like to-- there we go. I'd like to now invite Calum Turvey, Associate Director for Graduate Studies for the MS Program, to the podium for the reading of the candidates for Masters of Science.
SPEAKER 2: Or just hand them off to me as you go.
[READING NAMES]
HARRY KAISER: Invite Aija Leiponen, Director of the Masters of Professional Studies, to the podium for the reading of the candidates for Masters of Professional Studies.
[READING NAMES]
[LAUGHTER]
[READING NAMES]
Congratulations, everyone. I'm very proud of you.
[APPLAUSE]
HARRY KAISER: I would now like to invite David Lennox, Director of Undergraduate Studies, to the podium for the reading of the candidates for Bachelor of Science.
[READING NAMES]
[APPLAUSE]
DAVID LENNOX: We'll just wait.
[READING NAMES]
HARRY KAISER: Congratulations to all graduates.
[APPLAUSE]
You have achieved a great deal and should be very proud. Please visit us often and keep in touch as you progress through your lives and careers. We're close to wrapping up. But before we do, please join me again in thanking the many friends and family who have joined us here today. Some of you have traveled a great distance to be here, and we really appreciate your presence.
[APPLAUSE]
Also join me in thanking the many staff volunteers who are working hard this holiday weekend to make today and tomorrow special days for each of you.
[APPLAUSE]
Please stand as we sing the alma mater. Following the singing of the alma mater, we ask that you remain in your seats as the graduates recess out. Once again, congratulations. We look forward to watching you follow your dreams.
(SINGING) Far above Cayuga's waters, with it's waves of blue, stands our alma mater, glorious to view. Lift the chorus, speed it onward, loud her praises tell. Hail to thee, our alma mater. Hail, all hail, Cornell.
[APPLAUSE]
Far above the busy humming of the bustling town, reared against the arch of heaven, looks she proudly down. Lift the chorus, speed it onward, loud her praises tell. Hail to thee, our alma mater. Hail, all hail, Cornell.
[APPLAUSE]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
SPEAKER 3: You want to go up?
[CHEER]
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[CHEER]
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SPEAKER 4: Great job out there.
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[CHEER]
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[CHEER]
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SPEAKER 5: Good job.
[SHOUTS]
Good job.
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Great job.
SPEAKER 6: We did it.
SPEAKER 5: Good job.
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[INAUDIBLE]
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[LAUGHTER]
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Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management Graduate Recognition Ceremony 2022
