Ceremony Celebrates Summer and Fall 2024 Graduates
Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree candidates participated in the University of Houston Commencement for College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) on the morning of December 14. The ceremony was held at Fertitta Center.
More than 650 NSM students completed degree requirements in summer and fall 2024. In all, 61 doctoral candidates earned degrees in atmospheric sciences, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, geology, geophysics, mathematics, or physics. Eighty-nine students were candidates for master’s degrees, and 513 students were candidates for bachelor’s degrees.
There were 37 summa cum laude graduates, the highest academic honor for bachelor’s degree recipients. Sixty-six students graduated magna cum laude, with high honors, and 65 students graduated cum laude, with honors.
The ceremony also included remarks from the Honorable Tomas Bryan, student regent for the UH System Board of Regents, UH President Renu Khator, and Teri Garrett, treasurer of the NSM Alumni Association.
Dan E. Wells Outstanding Dissertation Award – Yu-Huan Hsieh
Each commencement, NSM recognizes a graduating doctoral student who has performed outstanding research and submitted the best dissertation to the College. The summer-fall recipient of the Dan E. Wells Outstanding Dissertation Award was Yu-Huan Hsieh, a geology Ph.D. graduate. She received a certificate and an award of $1,000.
Her dissertation is titled “From the Foreland and Retroarc Thrust Belts to the Mantle Transition Zone: First Multi-scale Retrodeformable Transect of the Active 90 Millimeter per Year Taiwan Arc-Continent Collision.” Her research was conducted under the supervision of John Suppe, distinguished professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
Hsieh’s research culminated in a deep and detailed description of the Earth’s crust around and under the island of Taiwan. This mapping disclosed new information for faults in that area, explained a discontinuity in volcanism, and disclosed new dome-shaped magma intrusions.
The increased detail disclosed in this dissertation creates a deeper understanding of subduction in plate tectonics that will aid in future geological research. Hsieh will continue her research as a postdoctoral fellow at UH, working with Suppe.
Commencement Student Speaker – Rund Abu-Ashour
Rund Abu-Ashour, receiving a bachelor of science in mathematics and graduating through NSM’s teachHOUSTON program, spoke at the ceremony on behalf of all the students. She was selected through a speech-writing competition open to NSM’s summa cum laude graduates.
In her speech, she reminded the graduates that learning doesn’t just happen in lecture halls. “It happens in laboratories, in every conversation, every late-night brainstorming session, and every challenge that pushes you beyond your comfort zone.” She also encouraged the graduates to become mentors – “to guide others who are beginning their own unique journeys.”
While at UH, she was a math tutor for UH Athletics, mentored other teachHOUSTON students, was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, received numerous scholarships, and did research through UH’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, working with Professor William Ott in the math department. That research, using mathematical modeling to model the glucose-insulin system, opened her eyes to how math can play a significant role in health and medicine.
She credits her research and teaching experiences as having a profound impact on her career plans.
“All of those experiences really came together and solidified my passion for teaching and for pursuing higher education in math,” Abu-Ashour said.
Looking back at her choice to come to UH, Abu-Ashour identified her love for the diversity and culture on campus. “I feel like regardless of where you come from, you will find your people here. UH expanded my social circle,” she said.
In the spring, she will begin teaching at Paetow High School in the Katy Independent School District and plans to pursue a master’s degree in mathematics in the future.
NSM’s 4.0 Summa Cum Laude Graduates
During the ceremony, NSM recognized four exceptional students who completed their college career with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
- Zahra Bukhari, Computer Science
- Le Manh Hung Bui, Mathematics
- Sarang Mistry, Computer Science
- Cong Khai Nguyen, Computer Science
Commencement Banner Bearers – NSM Outstanding Students
The Commencement processional included outstanding students from NSM’s six departments carrying the College and departmental banners.
- College Banner: Sarang Mistry, a computer science major
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry: Connor Sheffield
- Department of Chemistry: Sally Hoang
- Department of Computer Science: Zahra Bukhari
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Robby Reyna
- Department of Mathematics: Le Manh Hung Bui
- Department of Physics: Gabriella Ozuna
- Kathy Major, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics