Members of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Class of 2026 were encouraged to embrace change, lead with integrity, and use their talents to make a positive impact on the world while receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees during the Institute’s 148th Commencement on Saturday, May 30.

This year’s graduates join a global network of Rose-Hulman alumni whose innovations and leadership have helped shape industries, launch companies, advance scientific discovery, and improve lives around the world. During the ceremony, President Robert A. Coons reminded graduates that the rapid pace of technological change presents both challenges and opportunities—and that their Rose-Hulman education has prepared them to meet both.

“You tested yourselves through the rigor of a Rose-Hulman education. You faced challenges. You succeeded. You developed the mindset that there is no problem too big to solve and no change to which you cannot adapt, adjust, and push beyond,” Coons said. “Now you are headed for new challenges, and the stakes are higher than ever. Face these challenges with the same determination and fortitude that got you here today. Be leaders. Be ethical. Use your ‘Actual Intelligence,’ and be the ones who decide.”

Commencement speaker Jeff Harmening, chairman and chief executive officer of General Mills, returned to Terre Haute to share lessons on leadership, empathy, resilience, and character with graduates. Harmening also received an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from Rose-Hulman during the ceremony in recognition of his achievements in global business leadership, commitment to innovation, and his family’s multigenerational connection to the Institute.

Although Harmening earned degrees in economics and business rather than engineering, he reflected on how Rose-Hulman played a meaningful role in his life. His father, Lou, served as the Institute’s registrar and taught English literature and writing, while his grandfather, John Bloxsome, spent nearly 50 years at Rose-Hulman as librarian and later chair of the Humanities Department.

Harmening shared stories about navigating uncertainty throughout his career leading a Fortune 500 company through periods of disruption, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of artificial intelligence. He encouraged graduates to embrace uncertainty as an opportunity for leadership and innovation. 

“When these periods of disruption arrive, when no one has a map, that can be scary,” Harmening said. “But it can also be liberating. Because it means no one is unqualified. It also means you can make a positive difference.”

Throughout his address, Harmening returned to a message he learned from his father during his years at Rose-Hulman: never confuse what you do with who you are.

“I believe in empathy… in the idea that learning to see the world through someone else’s eyes makes you a better person,” Harmening said in closing. “Yes, take pride in what you do. But stay true to who you are. You will never regret it. And the world will be better for it.”

Student Government Association Past President Eathan Faust, a senior mechanical engineering major, reflected on the strong sense of community students developed during their years on campus.

“Never in my life have I had a community as strong as the one that I made at Rose,” Faust said. “I fully believe that I would not be on this stage today without the friendships I made here. And I am eternally grateful for all of you.”

Faust also encouraged classmates to recognize the unique ability they now possess to shape the future through science, engineering, and technology.

“We have the unique capability to alter the world around us in ways that were previously thought impossible not too long ago,” he said. “We harness electricity, speak to computers, create infrastructure that will last lifetimes, and can build machines that send humanity to the stars.”

Nearly 500 students crossed the stage to receive degrees, including 60 students who earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees as part of the Rose Squared concurrent degree program. Meanwhile, 55 percent of this year’s undergraduate students graduated with academic honors.

Other Commencement speakers included Amanda Stapleton, president of the Alumni Advisory Board; Trey Housand, senior class president and chemical engineering major; and Narindwa Semakula, past president of the National Society of Black Engineers and a biomedical engineering major.

“As I look at this group of leaders, I am confident you are prepared for whatever comes next,” Coons said in closing. “Enjoy this moment. Be proud. You are poised to create, shape, and own the future!”
 

COMMENCEMENT BY THE NUMBERS

148 – Number of commencements in Rose-Hulman history

557 – Number of Bachelor of Science and master’s degrees awarded

106 – Number of women receiving bachelor’s degrees (21%)

Top Academic Majors – Mechanical engineering, 165; computer science and software engineering, 110; electrical and computer engineering, 71; chemical engineering, 51; engineering management, 42; biology and biomedical engineering, 35; civil engineering, 26; physics, optical engineering and NanoEngineering, 17; engineering design, 13

55% – Percentage of undergraduates graduating with academic honors

66 – Number of first-generation graduates receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees (13%)

37 – States represented among graduates; Top States: Indiana (149 students – 30% of domestic graduates), Illinois (56), Ohio (35), California (32), Virginia (18), Michigan (16), and Texas (14)

Other Countries Represented (16): China (20 students), India (7), South Korea (3), Brazil (2), Italy (2), and Vietnam (2)

STUDENT HONORS

The following honors were bestowed upon graduating students:

John T. Royse Award (Most Outstanding Graduate): Rebecca Testa, an electrical engineering graduate from Irwin, Pennsylvania. As part of the Rose Squared program, Testa also earned a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering, along with a minor in mathematics and certificates in integrated circuit testing and communication systems.

Herman A. Moench Distinguished Senior Commendation: Chong-Yi (Charlie) Su, a native of Taipei, Taiwan, who graduated with bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and physics.

Heminway Gold Medals (academic top of class): Tommaso Calviello, a biomedical engineering and data science & artificial intelligence graduate from Milan, Italy; Andrew Cameron, a chemical engineering graduate from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada; Kevin Cotellesso, a mechanical engineering graduate from Yellow Springs, Ohio; Cynthia Gallegos Rodriguez, a computer engineering graduate from El Paso, Texas; McKenna Gumerson, a chemical engineering and data science & artificial intelligence graduate from Henderson, Nevada; Jared Kagay, a computer science graduate from Grayslake, Illinois; Edward Kang, a computer science graduate from San Jose, California; Lauren Marquardt, an electrical engineering graduate from Savage, Minnesota; Connor O’Connell, a biomedical engineering graduate from Fort Myers, Florida; Cale Royer, a mechanical engineering graduate from Clinton, Indiana; Hayden Simmons, a physics graduate from Clarkston, Michigan; Chong-Yi (Charlie) Su, an electrical engineering and physics graduate from Taipei, Taiwan; and Rebecca Testa, an electrical engineering graduate from Irwin, Pennsylvania.