Marsha Kernan remembers when her son Jimmy Kernan’s career at the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering began.
“I knew this school was his dream,” Marsha Kernan said. “The day he got his acceptance, he called. As soon as I answered the phone and he said 'Mom?' I could just tell by his voice. I said 'You got in.'”
Marsha, Jimmy’s brother Eddie and one of Jimmy’s fellow Franciscan friars were on hand at the David Rubenstein Forum on Saturday, June 1, as Jimmy received his Master of Engineering (MEng) degree during PME’s hooding ceremony and diploma presentation.
The event, part of the University of Chicago’s 538th Convocation, celebrated 28 PhD students, 14 Master of Engineering students, six Master of Science in Engineering students and 59 undergraduate Molecular Engineering majors who completed their studies at PME.
In her first keynote address since joining PME in 2023, Dean Nadya Mason spoke about the opportunities ahead, not only as recent graduates but as molecular engineers, which she noted was “something unique and significant.”
“You can address humanity’s global grand challenges in climate, energy, medicine, and more,” Mason said. “You can invent, design, maintain, and understand systems relevant to our bodies and our lives. You are trained to solve hard problems.”
For new MEng graduate Will Hanson, the end of his time at PME does not mean the end of his connection to the University of Chicago. He will soon start his studies at the Booth School of Business.
“When I decided to go back to grad school, it was with this dual degree in mind,” he said. “It doesn't feel like a culmination of my time here because I know I'm coming back to UChicago for the next two years, but it’s definitely very exciting.”
During the ceremony, each PhD graduate was hooded by their faculty advisor or a proxy. This proved to be as emotional for many of the faculty members as it was for the students.
“You think back on all the great times and the challenging times that it took the students to get here and you just feel this immense pride,” said Asst. Prof. Juan Mendoza, who hooded William Grubbe alongside Grubbe’s co-advisor Prof. Juan de Pablo. “One is fortunate to be part of their journey.”
Prof. Liang Jiang hooded his now-former student Qian Xu with a PhD in Quantum Science and Engineering. When PME produced its first quantum PhDs in 2022, it was one of the first schools in the nation to offer such a program.
“It is a recognition that quantum science and engineering is an exciting, worthwhile research direction in a rapidly developing field,” Jiang said.
Newly minted PhD Joseph Reda called the ceremony a “nice full circle” for his time at the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering.
“A lot of the people that are being recognized today are students who started together five or six years ago,” Reda said. “We walked together when there was the orientation procession at the very beginning and now we're walking together at the end of our time at PME as we think about the future.”