Doha: More than 100 new engineers received their diplomas yesterday during Texas A&M University at Qatar’s (TAMUQ) annual commencement exercises on the Education City campus.
Eighty-nine Aggie engineers earned bachelor’s degrees in chemical, electrical, mechanical and petroleum engineering, 43 of them Qataris. This is the largest graduation ceremony of TAMUQ.
The branch campus also awarded its largest ever batch of master’s degrees in chemical engineering, with 20 handed out tonight. Since 2007, TAMUQ has awarded a total of 725 degrees, including 43 master’s degrees.
TAMUQ’s Interim Dean Dr Ann Kenimer said, “TAMUQ is exceedingly proud of this year’s graduates. Commencement is not the end of their journey, but the beginning, and we are confident this class will become leaders in their field and dedicate themselves to lifelong learning.
Minister of Energy and Industry
H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada was the invited speaker.
He congratulated the graduates for their achievements, recognizing the pressures and challenges the students faced during their academic years.
“We all have gathered to celebrate your accomplishments, and we are very proud of you. Tonight’s ceremony is an affirmation that you have the skills, determination and vision to go forth and make a difference for Qatar, the region and the world. Now that you will be stepping out into the multifaceted world which has its own challenges, I urge you to always uphold the ethics, professionalism and moral character you have developed at university; and always keep in mind your obligations to yourself, to your family and to your country.
“Qatar is looking to you graduates to lead ahead the decades of growth, development and prosperity. You need to dream to contribute to the achievement of Qatar National Vision 2030; Qatar is here to help you to realize your dreams.”
The May 2016 graduating class is diverse, with 20 graduate and 17 undergraduate chemical engineers, 24 electrical engineers, 30 mechanical engineers and 18 petroleum engineers. The graduating class is 35 percent female and represents 24 countries.
VIP student speakers included Meera Mohammed Amin Abu Soufah, a Class of 2016 chemical engineering graduate; student speaker Jassim Khalifa A A Al Sowidi, a Class of 2016 graduate in mechanical engineering; and Loganathan Lokesh, a Class of 2017 chemical engineering major who led the Aggies in singing ‘Spirit of Aggieland’.
Dr Mark H Weichold, former dean and CEO of TAMUQ from 2007 through 2015, formally inducted the graduating Aggies into Texas A&M University Association of Former Students, which comprises over 436,000 graduates of the university worldwide. Weichold is a Class of 1978 electrical engineering graduate of Texas A&M.
The Peninsula
