In many ways, commencement is the largest transfer of intellectual capital the university provides society.
Approximately 75 percent of engineering undergraduates begin careers in industry, while the remaining pursue graduate degrees. Of those starting jobs, half are with Fortune 100 companies and the other half spread among businesses of all sizes. About three-quarters of the engineering students entering industry stay in Texas.
“We are working hard to ensure our students are fully prepared in the fundamentals and application of engineering principles of their discipline,” said Dean Gregory L. Fenves. “In addition, they are savvy about designing solutions to problems, have the ability to work as productive team members and are good communicators.”
Commencement will also honor five Distinguished Engineering Graduates, the highest honor the Cockrell School bestows on its engineering alumni. Honorees include alumni across the globe and some who resides right here at the university, such as Professor Christine Schmidt.
The ceremony's keynote will be delivered by Bob Metcalfe, a national technology medalist and inventor of Ethernet. Metcalfe joined the Cockrell School faculty in January 2011 as professor of innovation, Murchison Fellow of Free Enterprise and professor of electrical and computer engineering. He recently completed his second semester co-teaching 1 Semester Startup, an interdisciplinary entrepreneurship practicum for undergraduates already on startup teams.
"I am very excited to have this chance to send off Cockrell's latest crop of engineers and to encourage them at least to consider being founderati in some technology startups," Metcalfe said. "It is a high calling to operate the machinery of Free Enterprise."
