Processional
Student Banner Bearers
- Rishika Joshi, ‘26 Chemical Engineering
- Cesar Garcia Perez, ‘26 Mechanical Engineering
Announcement of the Commencement
Sheryl Ehrman, Don Beall Dean, Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering
National Anthem
Eve Iacovelli Barajas, ’28 BM Performance
Welcome
Sheryl Ehrman, Don Beall Dean, Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering
Presiding
Cynthia Teniente-Matson, SJSU President
Commencement Address
Lubab Sheet-Davis, ’91 Materials Engineering
Presentation of Candidates
Vincent J. Del Casino Jr., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Conferring of Degrees
Cynthia Teniente-Matson, SJSU President
Alma Mater
“Hail, Spartans, Hail”
Recessional
Lubab Sheet-Davis,
’91 Materials Engineering
Lubab spent over 30 years in the tech industry, most recently as vice president of Strategy and Innovation for the chief technology officer at Lam Research, a Fortune 500 semiconductor equipment manufacturer. Sheet-Davis’ team managed a portfolio of internal and open innovation programs and events as well as communications to catalyze technology development, empower employees to innovate on business relevant topics, support collaboration and expand skills. Previously, Sheet-Davis headed up emerging technologies at SEMI, match-making big and small companies, and was co-founder of SemiSales.com, an e-commerce pioneer. She started her career as a market analyst in electronic materials. Sheet-Davis graduated from San José State University with a bachelor of science in Material Science and Engineering and earned an MBA from Santa Clara University. Sheet-Davis retired from corporate life in 2023 and is focused on giving back to her community. She serves as the President of Friends of Deer Hollow Farm; a non-profit organization focused on supporting environmental education programs and preserving the farm as a free resource for communities across the Bay Area. She is also working with neighbors to re-establish Monarch butterfly habitats in her local park and learning to become a bee keeper.
SJSU Outstanding Thesis
Aung Paing
Thesis Topic: Dissolution of Polypeptoids Photoresists Based on Critical Ionization Theory
Aung Paing, ’25 MS Chemical Engineering, is receiving the Outstanding Thesis Award for his thesis, “Dissolution of Polypeptoids Photoresists Based on Critical Ionization Theory.” His thesis research was conducted within the Center for High Precision Patterning Science (CHiPPS), a U.S. Department of Energy Frontier Research Center led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), where he was advised by SJSU Associate Professor of Chemical and Materials Engineering Dahyun Oh and LBNL Chemist Senior Scientist Frances Houle. Oh says that his “findings not only advance the fundamental understanding of resist polymer dissolution, but also direct experimentalists to consider the required fraction of solvable polymer when designing photoresist.” A graduate of Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, Paing worked in the oil and gas industry and in operations management at a nationwide home appliance distribution company in Burma before moving to the U.S.
SJSU Outstanding Graduating Senior
Geoffrey Agustin
In addition to earning multiple President’s and Dean’s Scholar honors and receiving the University Governance and A.S. 55 Awards, Geoffrey Agustin served as both the director of communications and vice president of the Associated Students Board, where they improved transparency and student engagement by significantly increasing social media reach, enhancing website accessibility and implementing a Board Member Accountability System. Agustin’s technical and research work reflects a commitment to societal impact, notably through a senior capstone project using electroencephalography (EEG) technology to improve emotional interpretation in mental health counseling. Agustin consistently prioritizes long-term institutional improvement and meaningful, lasting change through culturally significant initiatives like the Filipino American History Mural. Described by Director of Academic and Institutional Effectiveness Priya Raman as “one of the most exceptional students I have encountered,” Agustin “brings a level of intellectual depth, clarity and confidence that is striking.”
Regalia
Commencement exercises like today’s ceremony date from the Middle Ages and the traditions of Europe’s first universities. Our graduates and members of the platform party are wearing regalia — robes, hoods and caps — that are likely adapted from the clothing of medieval priests or friars. Spot the differences in the gowns:
- Presidential gown is adorned with four bars, representing the Office of the President.
- Doctoral gown has velvet panels down the front and three velvet bars on each of the bell-shaped sleeves. The color of the velvet may indicate the academic discipline.
- Master’s gown may be worn open and has long sleeves with slits above the elbow.
- Bachelor’s gown has a closed front and long, pointed sleeves.
Draped over the shoulders, the hood evolved from a priest’s cowl and was often used to carry items — the first backpack, perhaps. The lining colors signify the college or university granting the degree. At San José State, the hood is gold, blue and white. The monk’s skullcap became the mortarboard cap or tam. Black is the accepted cap color in the United States, but many foreign universities have colorful headdresses.
Tassels vary in use and color. At SJSU, the color of tassels for bachelor’s degree candidates represent each college. The color for the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering is orange.
The Ceremonial Mace
An ornamental staff or scepter, the mace is carried by officials as part of formal parliamentary or academic ceremonies. A gift from the Tower Foundation of SJSU, the university’s ceremonial mace was designed and created by Art and Art History Lecturer Yvonne Escalante, ’13 MFA Spatial Arts. She found inspiration for the design in both SJSU history and the paths students take to reach graduation.