Flint, Michigan, June 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kettering University celebrated the accomplishments of the Class of 2026 during its Commencement Ceremony on June 20 at the historic Atwood Stadium. The ceremony marked the culmination of years of rigorous study and hands-on professional experience for a class entering the workforce at a transformative moment for engineering, computing, mobility and artificial intelligence.
Delivering the Commencement address was alumnus Qasar Younis '04, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Applied Intuition. A graduate of Kettering University’s Mechanical Engineering program, Younis began his professional career through the University’s cooperative education program before helping build companies at the leading edge of software, intelligent machines and physical AI.
Reflecting on his own path from Kettering to entrepreneurship, he challenged graduates to embrace change and pursue opportunity with purpose: “Run towards uncertainty, because that is where the opportunity lies. Go to the centers of industry and create technology that does not control us, but serves us. Build your own life, one where you are not just the byproduct of the whims of others, but the master of your own destiny.”
University President Dr. Robert K. McMahan reinforced that message in his Commencement Address, emphasizing that Kettering graduates are prepared to make an immediate impact because their education is built on demonstrated experience as much as academic achievement.
As he told the Class of 2026, “Your time at Kettering was never simply preparation. It was, by design, an acceleration—an education measured not just in understanding, but in demonstrated capability and mastery.”
Student Commencement Speaker Adria Dixon of Bloomfield Hills earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. An Honors Program student, she distinguished herself through leadership with the Society of Women Engineers, IEEE, Kettering Student Government and the Board of Trustees Academic Committee.
Addressing her classmates, Dixon reflected on the resilience they developed throughout their Kettering experience: “We've already proven something powerful. We didn't just adapt. We learned how to thrive in uncertainty and that is what will set us apart.”
Following graduation, she will begin her career as an Electrical Engineer with her Co-op employer, Stryker.
The celebration began the evening before Commencement with the Celebration of Distinguished Scholars, recognizing outstanding graduates, including:
- Allison McGraw, Outstanding Thesis Award Winner
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Macomb, Michigan
McGraw earned the 2026 Outstanding Thesis Award for research exploring the incorporation of sustainable, bio-based materials into widely used industrial products while maintaining the performance standards required by manufacturers.
Her work addresses the challenge of advancing sustainability without compromising quality, reliability, or effectiveness. Through creativity, technical expertise and persistence, she developed solutions with the potential to contribute to more sustainable manufacturing practices.
- President's Medalists: Students who have demonstrated excellence in cooperative employment, scholarship and community engagement.
- Deondre C. Blair
- Donald Charles Blalock
- Ryan Joseph Bolduc
- Giovanni James Cavataio
- Adria Anne Dixon
- Titus Junior Francis
- Allison Catherine McGraw
- Cole Joshua Thomas
- Sobey Scholars: Students who have been inducted into an academic honor society and Kettering's Robot Society.
- Stephen Josiah Alexander
- Carly M. Baier
- Natalie Grace Collins
- Adria Anne Dixon
- Titus Junior Francis
- Kayla Elizabeth Hughes
- Allison Catherine McGraw
- Jamie Atlas Robbins
- Summa Cum Laude Awardees: Students who have earned a grade point average of 3.90 or higher.
- Jasmine Jade Alexus Adamson
- Inti H. Aguilar Ornelas
- Trevor Alexander Arcieri
- Carly M. Baier
- Deondre C. Blair
- Donald Charles Blalock
- Ryan Joseph Bolduc
- Olivia Marie Brothers
- Alex Michael Castle
- Giovanni James Cavataio
- Joseph M. Chreiki
- Madison Marilyn Clapp
- Isabella Mina Coleman
- Adria Anne Dixon
- Evan Matthew Eastman
- Jonathan Henry Eby
- Titus Junior Francis
- Liam P. Franklin
- Scott Andrew Frederick
- Grant Marcus Gergen
- Alexander W. Horetski
- Kayla Elizabeth Hughes
- Dean Francis Kalebjian
- Joseph Matthew Kowalski
- Nicholas Stanley Learman
- Christopher Ryan Marsack
- Miranda Judith Martin
- John Connor McCarty
- Allison Catherine McGraw
- Jacob A. Morrison
- Grace Xiaoxiao Pulley
- Douglas Richard Ray
- Andrew Dominic Ricard
- Moritz William Richter
- Joseph Alexander Rode
- Lancealot Alexander Rounds
- Ella Paige Ryan
- Andrew Dawson Sirois
- Kirsten Ellen Smith
- Christa G. Spencer
- Ansh Raj Suryavanshi
- Cole Joshua Thomas
- Timothy J. Vokal
- Dexter Ray Woods III
In closing, President McMahan underscored the momentum the graduates have built through their Kettering education:
“And now, Class of 2026, you are not waiting to begin. You are already in motion, moving into industries ready for your contributions, stepping into roles that demand your professional judgment, advancing toward a future that will be shaped in no small part by your skills. You have shown that meaningful progress builds over time and that true momentum carries you forward with purpose. Congratulations!”
About Kettering University
Kettering University is a nationally ranked STEM university in Flint, Michigan, recognized by The Wall Street Journal as #1 in the United States for career preparation. Founded in 1919 and home to one of the longest-operating cooperative education models in American higher education, Kettering integrates rigorous academic instruction with paid, professional industry experience from a student’s first year through graduation. More than 1,500 Kettering alumni currently hold C-suite positions, including CEOs and presidents of Fortune 500 companies.
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Lee Madaus Kettering University 810-762-7330 lmadaus@kettering.edu