By Paul Guzzo and Ryan Hughes, University Communications and Marketing
The 黑料网吃瓜爆料 will award nearly 4,000 degrees during fall commencement exercises on Friday, Dec. 13, and Saturday, Dec. 14. The ceremonies include recipients of 2,917 bachelor鈥檚, 880 master鈥檚 and 125 doctoral degrees.
The group includes 47 undergraduate students earning a perfect 4.0 grade point average, 107 military veterans and graduates from 93 countries, 42 states and 11 U.S. territories.
The class includes a 16 year old earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology, who will become the second-youngest graduate ever at USF. The oldest graduate this fall, who is 70 years old, is receiving a master鈥檚 degree in liberal arts.
During the 1:30 p.m. ceremony on Saturday, 黑料网吃瓜爆料will recognize men鈥檚 head basketball Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, who passed away in October. Abdur-Rahim鈥檚 wife is expected to accept the Distinguished Citizen Award on his behalf and give remarks. The award, which was established in 1974, is among the highest honors at USF. Presented at the discretion of the university president, the award recognizes an individual who has rendered distinguished public service to the people of Florida, particularly to the people of the 黑料网吃瓜爆料community.
黑料网吃瓜爆料President Rhea Law will preside over all five ceremonies, which will be held in the Yuengling Center on the Tampa campus.
Michael Fredette
Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences
Strength was one of Michael Fredette鈥檚 defining characteristics while at Naples High School.
At 6 feet tall and more than 300 pounds at the time, he was not easily pushed around as a left guard on the football field.
He was equally strong in the classroom.
鈥淚 thought college was going to be more of the same,鈥� said Fredette, who has lost 100 pounds since playing high school football. 鈥淚 thought it would be easy. It was not.鈥�
So, Fredette frequented tutoring sessions at USF's Academic Success Center.
Impressed with the results, he became a tutor at the center and then founded a more niche organization dedicated to supporting STEM majors.
Named Pre-Health Study Pathways, the club now has more than 300 members.
Fredette graduates this fall with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biomedical sciences and will next attend the Alabama College of Medicine.
Though Fredette will no longer be at USF, he leaves behind a legacy through Pre-Health Study Pathways.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud that it won鈥檛 be going anywhere,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t will continue on through new leaders.鈥�
Established 2 陆 years ago, the club鈥檚 mission is to provide resources and guidance to STEM majors on a pre-health career path with effective study techniques and time management skills.
Pre-Health Study Pathways' Halloween party
Fredette also helped coordinate guest speakers who walked members through processes, such as how to write a resume, apply for medical or graduate school, find internships or simply choose the best classes at USF.
鈥淲hat he has done is unbelievable,鈥� said Zoraya Betancourt, the club鈥檚 academic advisor. 鈥淭he club has provided members with so many resources that have made them stronger students.鈥�
As a freshman overwhelmed by a chemistry class for which he felt unprepared, Fredette wondered if he was strong enough to even finish that first semester at USF.
鈥淚 called my mom and told her that I wasn鈥檛 sure what I was going to do,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was worried. Desperate, I looked up if 黑料网吃瓜爆料had any tutoring and that led me to the Academic Success Center where I had a great tutor who helped me with any problem and gave me the confidence that I could do this.鈥�
The next year, he sought to pay it forward by volunteering as a tutor.
鈥淪tudents gravitated toward him,鈥� said Betancourt, who is also the director of the center. 鈥淲hen students found out he wanted to go to medical school too, they asked him for guidance.鈥�
Realizing he didn鈥檛 have all the answers, Fredette formed Pre-Health Study Pathways to bring together students who could seek those together.
鈥淥ur members come from all walks of life,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had members who were once homeless and members who are children of neurosurgeons. But we all have the same goal. We just want to help one another become the most well-rounded versions of ourselves.鈥�
Nirmita Roy
Doctoral degree in electrical engineering
Nirmita Roy was just seeking a good night鈥檚 sleep.
In doing so, she found inspiration that could revolutionize the medical, space exploration and military industries.
鈥淚 did a sleep study where there were a lot of pipes running up my nose and I was covered with wires,鈥� Roy said. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥楾here must be a more comfortable way.鈥欌��
She found that way by returning to the 黑料网吃瓜爆料 to earn a doctoral degree in electrical engineering, specializing in electrochemistry and wearable electronics. Her research focused on developing a method to integrate flexible, lightweight microchip technology into fabrics through electrochemical copper printing, enabling the creation of circuits that are both functional and comfortable.
Roy鈥檚 work involves depositing copper directly onto fabrics using electrodeposition, which allows for the seamless printing of microchips. These microchips can gather and send critical data, enabling devices that are less bulky and more user-friendly than traditional monitoring technologies.
Following commencement, she will join USF鈥檚 Department of Electrical Engineering as an adjunct professor while seeking to automate her wearable electronics process that can be used for reasons beyond sleep studies.
鈥淟et鈥檚 say a hospital needs 60,000 heart rate monitors,鈥� Roy said. 鈥淩ather than having a bulky one stuck to a patient using adhesives, we can provide 60,000 shirts with embedded sensors through this technology.鈥�
Members of the military could use this too, she said as can astronauts, to replace devices such as GPS.
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