麻豆传媒

By Elizabeth Egan

Nathaniel Mark, graduating with his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with a concentration in structural engineering, will deliver his speech at the school’s undergraduate ceremony at 5 p.m. Esther Jose, graduating with a PhD in industrial engineering with a concentration in operations research, and Collins Ugonna Lawrence, graduating with a master’s degree in civil engineering with a concentration in structural and earthquake engineering, will speak at the school’s two graduate ceremonies at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. respectively.

The three students were chosen through the annual SEAS Commencement Speaker Competition, where students submitted a three-minute speech, and finalists presented to a panel of faculty. Mark, Jose and Lawrence were chosen based on the relevancy, content and delivery of their speeches, in addition to other aspects such as strong themes and messages of encouragement. 

Mark chose to study civil engineering at the 麻豆传媒o because he believed its highly regarded civil engineering program, ranked highest among the nine schools he was accepted to, would give him the strongest foundation for his degree.

During his time at UB, Mark participated in the highly selective Leadership House program for first-year students, first as a student and later as a peer mentor. This experience led to additional roles, including being a third-year peer mentor for SEAS and Leadership House, a JEDI ambassador for SEAS, and a resident advisor in Greiner Hall for two years. He also recently earned his Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification after passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam. Mark credits Leadership House with opening the door to many of these opportunities and helping him form some of his closest friendships at UB.

As Mark progressed from general engineering courses into more specialized civil engineering classes, he said he found it easier to connect with classmates and that he has since made some amazing friends in his field.

“We have gone through some challenging projects together, but we have also been able to smile and laugh and make some amazing memories along the way,’ said Mark.

In Mark’s commencement address, he will focus on the theme of “inspiration,” reflecting on how the support of his friends and family has motivated him throughout his journey.

“All of us are a product of everyone around us,” said Mark. “Everybody that I have met or worked with here all have this insane drive and energy that I aspire to have and put forth into everything that I do.”

If Mark could offer a piece of advice to himself when he first started at UB, he said it would be,  “to have faith and keep smiling.”

“A lot of people I work with say they love my positive nature,” Mark continued. “Sometimes it is hard to stay positive when getting slammed with assignments and other responsibilities, but always stay positive and have faith.”

After graduation, Mark will move from his hometown of Long Island to Texas, where he will begin working full times as a civil and structural engineering at Dow Chemical, with plans to pursue his professional engineer license. 

Jose has spent the last nine years as a student at UB. She grew up in Chennai, India, and noted that while in high school, she would take Coursera courses for fun because she enjoyed the thought-based model over the memorization-based courses she was taking in India.

Those courses inspired her to pursue a degree in the United States, and her love of space and interest in becoming an astronaut drew her to study aerospace engineering at UB. While she ended up switching to industrial engineering, her thesis focused on satellite information collection, so the experience came full circle. After finishing her undergraduate degree, Jose said that it was her love for the school that kept her here for her master’s in industrial engineering and PhD.

When Jose walked into her commencement audition, she was surprised to recognize faces of faculty and staff whom she has known since her freshman year.

“I walked into this room, and it had people I had known from my freshman year to people I had worked with in the last year,” said Jose. “It all felt so momentous and made me realize how much I had been invested in and how much I have been able to invest back into UB.”

During her time at UB, Jose said one of her proudest accomplishments was successfully changing labs during the third year of her PhD. While she said it was difficult to start from scratch, she was able to work with an aerospace engineering professor, her original interest when coming to UB.

Outside of the classroom, Jose noted that she also enjoyed her time as a Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) mentor for high school students and being an RA.

In Jose’s commencement address, the main theme she will discuss is the impact that people can have on one another and how changing the world can mean changing the world of just one person.

If Jose could offer a piece of advice to herself when she first started at UB, she said it would be to not be so hard on herself—especially when running on four hours of sleep. Jose noted that she was really able to figure out work life balance during her PhD and has learned to get enough rest and do things she enjoys like spending time at bakeries.

After graduation, Jose will become an assistant professor at Iowa State University. 

Lawrence said he was drawn to UB by the highly regarded faculty and programs in areas of interest to Lawrence, specifically earthquake engineering.

Lawrence originally came to UB with the intent to pursue a PhD in engineering education, but along the way he changed course. After he graduates with his master’s degree in civil engineering, he will be finishing a master’s in engineering education over the summer and then go on to pursue his PhD in civil engineering with a concentration in structural and earthquake engineering.

“Combining two programs wasn’t easy,” said Lawrence. “Trying to wrap my head around these two distinct fields has been challenging, but also very engaging.”

He also noted that he has received strong support from faculty, which has helped him foster a sense of belonging after moving to Buffalo from Nigeria. Lawrence specifically mentioned his advisor, Eunsil Lee, assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Education, and Alexander Struck Jannini, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Engineering Education, who he said have been incredibly supportive and helpful throughout his time at UB.

Another experience that Lawrence particularly enjoyed while at UB was volunteering for a STEM mentoring program for high school students, noting that he found the experience to be very impactful.

In Lawrence’s commencement address, he plans to speak about the importance of taking challenges one step at a time. He also plans to speak about the impact that comes from working on group projects and the influence that students can have on each other.

If Lawrence could offer himself a piece of advice when he first started at UB, it would be to not keep to himself and to ask questions.

“Being an international student means there can be some cultural shock and sometimes you don’t want to integrate because it feels easier to be by yourself,” said Lawrence. “But there is no need for that. Don’t just be by yourself but ask questions. If you really want to succeed you need to ask questions.”

After graduation, Lawrence will stay at UB and complete his PhD.