News Release

Students Ring In End of Academic Year

Shams Mawlavizada celebrates after receiving the ring that signifies his induction into the Order of the Engineer during the sixth annual Ring Ceremony at the Jacobs School.

San Diego, Calif., June 20, 2012 -- Close to 300 graduating seniors gathered at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego Saturday evening to celebrate the end of the school year—and their induction into the Order of the Engineer. Each student was given a ring to symbolize their new status as full-fledged engineers.

Ron Reedy, co-founder of Peregrine Semiconductor, was the keynote speaker at this year's Ring Ceremony.

It’s the event’s sixth year at the Jacobs School and more than half of graduating seniors participated. The Order of the Engineer was created to foster a spirit of pride and responsibility in the engineering profession; bridge the gap between training and experience; and provide a public, visible symbol identifying engineers. “The ring is an excellent symbol of continuity and community,” said Terrance Mayes, director of the IDEA Student Center. It stands as a representation of the engineers’ dedication to their profession, he added.

“I was really excited to receive my ring,” said Kristina Thai, a computer science major who attended Saturday’s event.“I'll always look back on it as a symbol of all the wonderful times that I've had at UCSD through the Jacobs School and the Computer Science and Engineering Department.”

The ceremony adds a special touch for engineering graduates, allowing them to celebrate their accomplishments together, Thai said. “I loved the intimate setting,” she said.

She and fellow students also said they were inspired by the event’s keynote speaker, Ron Reedy, co-founder of Peregrine Semiconductor, and a Jacobs School alumnus. His company’s chips can be found in everything from handsets to satellites. Reedy earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and applied physics from UC San Diego in 1984.

“I hope one day I'll be able to follow Ron Reedy's advice about taking risk and change the way things are now for the better,” Thai said.

In addition to bestowing a ring upon every graduating senior that attended, Jacobs School officials also recognized students for their leadership. Here is a complete list of student awards:

· Jacobs School Excellence in Service Award: Jeanette Cobian

· Jacobs School Undergraduate Leadership Award: Justin Huang

Department Leadership Award Winners:

· Bioengineering: Emily Schoenhoff

· Computer Science and Engineering: Quan Le

· Electrical and Computer Engineering: Kevin Huynh

· Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering: Jason Hale

· Nanoengineering: Raj Khatri

· Structural Engineering: Erick Davis

See a photo album of the ceremony here: http://on.fb.me/MDTpVc