One Hundred Eighty-Seventh Commencement

Saturday, May Sixth

Two Thousand and Twenty-Three
The Monument Ice Arena
 ORDER OF CEREMONY

Master of Ceremonies Dr. Lance Roberts

Processional (Stand) Graduation Band
Pomp and Circumstance by Elgar, arranged by Larry Clarke

Presentation of Colors Army ROTC Color Guard

President’s Message Dr. Jim Rankin
Recognition of the 50 Year Graduates Dr. Lance Roberts
Senior Class Representative’s Message Mr. Chamaka Senarath
Message from the Board of Regents Mr. John Bastian
Presentation of Honorary Degrees Dr. Jim Rankin
Commencement Address Mr. Tom Jones
Conferral of Degrees Dr. Jim Rankin
Presentation of Degree Candidates Dr. Joseph Dlugos
Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony LTC Greg Shipper
Alumni Welcome Mr. Gary Christman
Retirement of Colors Army ROTC Color Guard
Recessional (Stand) Graduation Band
Flourishes! by William Owens

SOUTH DAKOTA MINES GRADUATION BAND

Dr. Haley Armstrong, Director Luke Lichtenberg, Trombone
Kaden Adrian, Trumpet Thomas Mayfield, Euphonium
Jada Bell, Flute Isaac Nedved, Percussion
Angelina Benda, Clarinet Christian Olson, Trombone
Chase Bradley, French Horn Andrew Peterson, Percussion
Alex Chan, Trumpet Dakota Remington, Tuba
Skyler Doty, Alto Sax Zoey Thies, Flute
Dalton Eckmann, Percussion Margaret Thompson, Flute
Matthew Holler, Tenor Saxophone Danielle Vander Poel, Flute
Kyle Houchin, Clarinet Cherokee Winkler, Cello
Zachary Koehn, Trombone

This program is not an official document. Due to strict requirements, it must be

printed before the final list of degree candidates can be determined.
 50-YEAR GRADUATES
CLASS OF 1973
318 graduates (259 BS degrees, 57 MS degrees, 2 PhD)
Only those attending today’s Commencement are listed below.

Judy Cannon, Steven Jeschke,

Electrical Engineering, Fort Collins, CO Chemical Engineering, Stillwater, MN

Richard Carlson, Lynn Kading,

Chemical Engineering, West Windsor, NJ Civil Engineering, Rapid City, SD

Paul Ching, Chuck Kliche, P.E.,

MS Geological Engineering, Dallas, TX Mining Engineering, Rapid City, SD

Gary Christman, Max Main,

Chemical Engineering, Spearfish, SD Mechanical Engineering, Belle Fourche, SD

Steven Clark, Larry Morgan,

Chemical Engineering, Kalamazoo, MI Chemistry, Glendale, AZ

Pat Dady, Henry Mott,

Civil Engineering, Sisseton, SD Civil Engineering, Roseville, MN

Packer DeMarcus, Bill Noordermeer,

Mining Engineering, Deadwood, SD Civil Engineering, Rapid City, SD

Vickie (Pollock) DeNeui, Jim Quinn,

Math, Cypress, TX Civil Engineering, Rapid City, SD

Bob Gjere, Randy Sauter,

Geological Engineering, Omaha, NE Civil Engineering, Rapid City, SD

M.J. (Seeley) Green, Jerry Schley,

Civil Engineering, Tulsa, OK Mechanical Engineering, Stratford, SD

David Holbrook, Bill Weber,

Chemical Engineering, Rapid City, SD Geological Engineering, Enid, OK

 SENIOR CLASS REPRESENTATIVE

Mr. Chamaka Senarath

Chamaka Senarath came to South Dakota Mines from Kandy, Sri Lanka. His parents
are Upula Senarath and Geethanjalee Rajapaksa, and he has one brother, Sarith
Senarath.

Senarath has been involved in various clubs and activities while at South Dakota
Mines. He co-founded the Application Development Club in 2022 and currently
serves as its president; he also co-founded Effective Engineers and Scientists in
Leadership in 2018, which merged with the Professional Development Institute.
He has been a member of the orchestra, choir, and Master Chorale. He served as
Lambda Chi Alpha's internal value educator. He was also a resident advisor and
an international student ambassador. He received the Caring, Helping, Aspiring,
and Development (C.H.A.D) award in 2020 and was inducted into the Leadership
Hall of Fame in 2023. He has received several music scholarships and the Joseph
Nelson Fellowship for demonstrating a high level of initiative in research and
leadership. He received third place in the Engineers Make Great Entrepreneurs
competition in 2020. He is currently working on a business startup project that
will elevate the career experience for music educators. He has worked in various
software engineering, product management, and research capacities. He received
a master’s degree in physics from Mines in May 2021.

After graduating with his Bachelor of Science degree in computer science, Senarath
will be working at Property Meld in Rapid City as a software engineer.
HONORARY DOCTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICE

Mr. Lorin Brass

Mr. Lorin Brass graduated from South Dakota Mines in 1975 with a bachelor’s
degree in metallurgical engineering. He received a master’s degree in materials
science and engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He spent
30 years with Shell Oil Company progressing through a variety of technical and
business assignments. In 1997, he relocated to The Hague, The Netherlands,
where he became chief executive officer of Shell Services International, a
global information technology and services company. Most recently, he served
as senior advisor of business development for all Shell-related activities,
with particular emphasis on corporate acquisitions and divestments globally.
Before that, he served as director of global business development for Shell
International Exploration & Production, where he was responsible for oil and
gas property acquisitions and divestments around the world. He also previously
held positions in corporate planning, and was vice president of operations for
Shell Services Company.

Mr. Brass served on the board of the South Dakota Mines Foundation, Alumni
Association, and the South Dakota Investment Council and is currently on the
board of Bristow Group Inc. and several non-profit organizations. He and his
wife, Mary (CE 77), make their home near Lennox, South Dakota.
HONORARY DOCTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICE

Mr. Tom Jones

Thomas (Tom) H. Jones is corporate vice president and president of Northrop

Grumman’s Aeronautics Systems sector, a premier provider of military aircraft,
autonomous systems, aerospace structures, and next-generation solutions
with major operations throughout the United States.

Previously, Jones was sector vice president and general manager of Airborne
Sensors and Networks division for Northrop Grumman’s Mission Systems
sector; sector vice president and general manager for Advanced Concepts
and Technologies, also at Mission Systems; sector vice president and general
manager for Advanced Concepts and Technologies for the former Electronic
Systems sector; and vice president of the company’s Undersea Systems business
unit in Annapolis, Maryland. Prior to joining Northrop Grumman in 2011, Jones
served as director of the Boeing company's Marine Systems department in
Anaheim, California, and in a variety of roles of increasing responsibility at
Rockwell International and Boeing.

Jones earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from

Kansas State University and took additional doctoral-level coursework at the
University of Southern California. He has been active in a variety of community
organizations, including church, parochial schools, YMCA, and youth soccer
coaching. Jones served as the chairman of the Corporate Program Management
Council from 2013 through 2015.
 GRADUATE DESIGNATIONS
† Army ROTC Cadet being ‡‡ 2022 Graduate
commissioned as Second Lieutenant ‡‡‡ Summer 2023 Graduate
‡ 2020 Graduate ‡‡‡‡ Fall 2023 Graduate

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE

*Cum Laude White Tassels 3.50 - 3.69 GPA

**Magna Cum Laude Red Tassels 3.70 - 3.89 GPA
***Summa Cum Laude Gold Tassels 3.90 - 4.00 GPA
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE CANDIDATES

Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences

Heidi L. Sieverding
Effect of Manure Amendments on Soil Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Footprint
of Agricultural Products

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Mikel Jared Zaitzeff
Flexoelectricity in Polymer-bound Reactive Systems

Geology, Geological Engineering, and Mining Engineering

Judith Akorfa Buaba
Application of Machine Learning Techniques to Estimate Mine Safety and
Health Hazards for Integration into Underground Production Scheduling
Optimization

Nanoscience and Nanoengineering

Shayne Erskine Quinn
Development and Application of Lattice Light Sheet Data Visualization
Techniques for 3D Membrane Structure and PI3-Kinase Activity During
Macropinosome Formation

Physics
Thomas Lane Kadlecek
Underground Measurement of Low Energy Cross Sections for the
22Ne(α,n)25Mg Reaction

Joseph Andrew Street

Reduction of Radon-daughter Backgrounds for the Super Cryogenic Dark
Matter Search Experiment
MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE CANDIDATES

Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences

Lexy Ezrah-Jade Elizalde
Samantha Yvonne Johnson‡‡‡
Emily Anne Liknes
Selene Mori Williams

Biomedical Engineering
Colin Robert Bertsch
Samantha Leigh Smith‡‡‡
Anna Christine Thomas

Civil and Environmental Engineering

David James Gonzalez
Md Mahmudul Hasan
Cameron James Kenner
Abed-Nego Kyungu Kime
Kyle Law
Alexander J. Lesselyoung
Ethan Alexander Rader-Hunt
Nicholas Joseph Sudbeck
Amanda Ann Tomes

Computer Science and Engineering

Sherwyn Carmo Edward Braganza
Samantha Marie Pfeiffer
Dustin Bryan Richards
Deepika Yalla

Construction Engineering and Management

William Cody Murner

Electrical Engineering
Terrance David Life
Christopher Jacob Mentele
Courtney Jack Miller
Md Salman Khan Mithil
Tasin Nusrat
 Sasha Anne Paulovich
Md Niamul Quader
Jordan Robin Reed
Anders Stenstadvolden
Nure Tanjim
Kelsey Megan Webb
Cherokee Murie Winkler

Engineering Management
McCoy James Bila
Chandler M. Callejo
Aaron Douglas Krening
Jacob David Leone
Dakota Skye Merrival
Tony Curtis Monroe Jr.
Kaleb David Roth
Cole William Seiwald‡‡‡
Jason S. Shields
Alex John Spies
Eileen Alison Spilman
Eric John Spilman
Spencer Louis Zur

Geology and Geological Engineering

Taran Bradley‡
Disha Gupta‡

Green and Sustainable Chemistry

Misti Acevedo

Materials Engineering and Science

Nicholas Giulio D'Attilio‡‡‡
Divine Muissa Kavunga
Tanner O’Hara‡‡‡
Sommer Rose Scott
Nathan Owen Staley‡‡‡
Kole Curtis Vollmer‡‡‡
Bryce Michael Watson
Tyler David Wentworth
 Mechanical Engineering
Andrew Robert Scherrer
Margaret Helen Thompson

Mining Engineering and Management

Charles Ofori Asare
Marian Boatemaa
Josh N. Dufek
Jakub Pawel Hladysz
Jack Kellner
Carson James McDaniel
Robert Andrew Robbins

Nanoscience and Nanoengineering

Zhengqiang Li

Paleontology
Peter Daly
Anthony Edward Gordon
Kelsey Lynn Mills
Andrew James Rich
William Thomas Whittenberg

Physics
Elias Burgfeld
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE CANDIDATES

Applied Biological Sciences

Keegan Alexander Brunssen

Applied and Computational Mathematics

Trevor Chase Krason
Colton Edward Snyder**

Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences

Jacob Austin Lindblom
Jacob Christopher Marsh
Jackson Ross Zito

Biology
Hayley Rae Carter
Megan Lea Miller*
Calvin David Sturgeon

Biomedical Engineering
Zachary Thomas Bender**
Brantson Noah Blaylock***
Caleb Allen Brouwer*
Matthew James Holler**
Micah William Hoylman
Kara Lynn Huse***
Logan Christopher Jundt*
Nadia Jo Kaczmarz*
Jillian Irene Linder
Evan James McConnell
Mercedes Ann Mesman*
Mitchell Robert Meylor
Hunter Romsa
Jonathan Ngom'onyo Shama
Jessalyn Elizabeth Shipp**
Natnael Woldeyesus Sinebo**
Morgan Elizabeth Thompson*
Syerra Jean Trujillo
Victoria Elizabeth Zagorski

Business Management in Technology

Kasandra Shawn Luce‡‡
Kristin Ann Luce‡‡
 Sarah Paige Millar
Wyatt John Slama
Holden Wallace Wagner
Aren Charles Wells

Chemical Engineering
Jarvie Garrett Arnold*
John Luke Barbour
Anna Rose Battest*
Grant Walker Bauer*
Dejah Rayne Behrend
David Francis Bennett
Miles Joseph Byington***
Lily Claar
Gregory Alexander Clark
Alyssa Alexandria Cox
Jeremy Isaiah Cullen**
Keegan Reese Dykstra*
Sara Ann Efta*
Zoe Nicole Fickbohm
Martin Edward Gaffney
Emily Rachel Gullickson
Michael Cullen Hickey*
Alireza Kowsari
Ethan Charles Long
Tannor L. Merkel*
Claudianne Alice Moisset
Nicolas Allen Naeve
Prince Ikenna Okoye
Daniel Dale Sechler***
Isaiah Cole Thurman*
Tatiana Angeline Vasquez
Sophia Mae Williams***
Nicholas Owen Wipf*
Teagan Joy Yake***

Chemistry
Pascal Jean Britton
Audrey Elsa Dunn
Anna Grace Hale**
Phillip Daniel Hauck
Armand Jubal Lannerd***
John Quinton Papiernik
Izabelle Brooke Smith
 Civil Engineering
Darin Robert Archibald
Antonio M. Candelaria
Brady Ronald Cork***
Nicholas Scott Eli ‡‡‡
Bryce Buchli Elkin
Logan E. Garzaniti**
Alexander J. Hall‡‡‡*
Samantha Marie Heiberg**
Tracy Lynn Herrboldt
Scott Allen Holter
Juneau D. Jones
Mason Matthew Karpen*
Jacob Bradley Kerzman*
David Anthony McDougall*
Blake Robert Messegee
Quinton J. Mohr*
William Cody Murner
Stefon Angel Nelson
Riley Scott Olsen**
Samantha E. Overend **
Cooper M. Powers
Austin Robert Roth
Jill Yi Rotherham*
Kamryn Jade Scully***
William Clyde Shull
Christian A. Sudmeier
Josie Kay Tornberg*
Jacob Edward Utecht
Anders Morris Watt

Computer Engineering
Nolan Alexander Bernard
Christopher Brian Green II***
Justin Gill Kemp*
Brandon Jennings Lund*
Duncan Thomas McGonagle
Aaron Isaiah Quizon
Noah Benjamin Zikmund

Computer Science
Kaden Matthew Adrian
Trevor Scott Bormann***
Hannah Rochelle Carroll
Kevin Joseph Chamberlain
 Raymond Daley
Nicholas J. Duban
Ryan James Finn
Christopher Brian Green II***
Cody R. Hall
Hunter Louis Hufstutler*
Gunnar Harry Kjellsen
Justin David Lewis
Thomas Aaron Braman Lippincott
Christian Duane Olson*
Sharvil Raghunath Pai Raiker*
Khushi M. Patil*
Prarthavi Paresh Patnekar**
Karissa Schipke**
Chamaka Sandeepa Senarath
Colton Edward Snyder**
Rachel K. Terwilliger*
Ethan Hunter Warren
Mark Thomas Weiss

Electrical Engineering
Cade Jacob Bailey
Michael Lee Beusch
Severin James Boe II
Luke David Carlson
Joseph Randall Chamberland
Richard Holden Dennis
Maddie George Woodson Easley
Erick A. Eickhoff
Kaedyn Wesley Hanson
Austin Christian Keck
Justin Thomas Ketel
Zachary Charles James Lapsley
Aidan Hunter Markon***
Jarrett D. Meyer***
Talyn JD Meyer
Devin Matthew Odle
Matthew James Pomarleau
Payton G. Shattuck
Keagen Six***
Connor Loren Wiesner
Mason Ryan Antoni Wortman
 Geological Engineering
Wyatt Michael Duane Hess*
Brittan Riley Hullinger
Kyle Law**
Jayda Noelle McFarlane
Victor Parziale II
Devin Mackenzie Sailer
Amelia Rose Van Winkle‡‡‡**

Geology
Jared Denholm Blahovec
Jesse Lee Corneliusen
Benjamin Keith Dismang‡‡‡
Thacher Ashton Dramstad
Colette Mary McAndrew***
Clayton Douglas Pfeifer
Samantha Alice Schmidt
Nicholas Ryan Stephen
Sarah Welvang

Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management

Joseph Alber*
Mitchell David Black**
Benjamin Adam Brenholt**
Jade Lamar Cass
Kyante Quintel Sequoia Christian
Ethan R. Derickson
Riley Michael Dunne
Jennifer Rose Estenson
Victor Gerardo Hernandez Chinos‡‡‡
Jacob Alex Hilsendeger
Kyle Rex Ivie
Hunter Brack Jaskey
Bailey Rose Johnson
Kendahl Dean Johnson
Alex Francis Lacroix
Spencer Adam Lund***
Hunter Paul McKinney
Kolten R. Mortensen
Connor James Smith
Brevin Mark Walter
 Mathematics
Alysha Briana Aitchison
Brittney Marie Griffith*
Anna Grace Hale**
Jacob Cody James
Luke Daniel Kline
Amanda Marie Lauen
Isaac John Lindskov**

Mechanical Engineering
Kaleb Andrew Barbour
Christopher Thomas Bradford‡‡‡
Gavin Nicholas Chaddock
Fernando Antonio Chavez II*
Luke Francis Christen***
Conner Richard Christenson*
Erick Fabian Colman
Alexander Hall Crowson†
Joshua Paul Curry
Katherine Elise Dasher*
Drake Lee Dittman*
Evan Tyler Eliason
Asher Caleb Eskam**
Ryan James Finn
Jake Boyd Francis
Sever Thomas Gilbertson
Cameron Wade Good
Geoffrey Maiers Griepentrog
Macauley Thomas Haag
Ransom Gregory Hall
Tristan Lloyd Hanley
Micah Frank Healy
Evan Benge Heilman
Ian Henry Helgeson***
Blake Stephen Hyla*
Cody James Jennings
Cheyanne Kaye Joachim
Olivia Danielle Jurrens
Zachary W. Karg
John Jerome Kiehn*
Taylor Rayven Kirkvold
Travis Isaac Kleinsasser*
Tanner Lee Kluver
Armand Jubal Lannerd***
Rachel M. Lauer‡‡‡‡
 Logan Joseph Leader*
Timo Juhana Leppanen
William Grenville Ludbrook†
Katherine Ann Mathieu
Elijah Lee Meakins***
Logan Karl Melstad
Derek Timothy Miller
Zachary Michael Mohr*
Eric Trevor Moore
Roger Kanichi Nakagawa
Maximillian A. Nelson
Andrew Gabriel Perez
Benjamin Michael Ramseyer
Bettina Claire Rebman
Elijah Frederick Reitzel
Tobin Allen Reynolds*
Curran James Robertson
Cody Alan Sansbury
Michael Andrew Satter
Jacob James Selan
Cole Lane Shepardson Jr.
Dillon James Smith
Grant Makay Smith
Tobiah Kyle Smith
Morgan Joseph Stadlman
Luke Patrick Steffens*
Kelvin Su
Derek Friesen Thompson
Brandon Mitchel Trainer
Bryce Lee Ulrich†**
Alec Blain VanHorn
Enzo Vaz Tessaro*
Mason James Warmuth*
Morgan Marguerite Wiechmann
Payton James Winsor
Joseph Robert Zoeller

Metallurgical Engineering
Nicholas Lorenzo Adams*
Avery Thomas Bend***
Caleb Allen Brouwer*
Carter John Crawford
Eli Stanley Gibbs*
Jennifer Ellen Johnson**
Tristen Douglas Kern
 Benjamin M. Schaefer*
Michael Adam Simon
Emma Montgomery Soehl
Liam Andrew Stack***
Nicholas Robert Stogdill
Yifei Wang
Alexander Paul Wright

Mining Engineering
Ian Michael Cone
Daniel John DeVos
Alexandra Leigh Gregor
William J. Guzman
William James Housman
Chayden Davis Shell

Physics
Serenity May Engel
Samuel James Schleich*

Pre-Professional Health Sciences

Lily Grace Bartling*
Glory Ann Christianson‡
Jacey Ann Koethe
Anika J. Peters***
Calvin David Sturgeon
Lauren Lynn Wipf

Science, Technology, and Society

Otutoa Afu‡‡‡
Elizabeth K. Benzmiller

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS DEGREE CANDIDATES

General Studies
Sever Thomas Gilbertson
 THE TRADITION OF COMMENCEMENT
Dating back to the universities of thirteenth-century Europe, the conferring of degrees
signified that faculty members had attained the guild status of a master. Originally,
this “master’s” degree was the only one offered; the baccalaureate was simply a stage
toward mastership. During the ceremony, black robes were worn in imitation of the
clergy, for church and university were one at the time. When the hood was placed over
the candidate’s head, the ceremony was consummated, and mastership was achieved.

Over the centuries, graduation evolved to commemorate more than the end of an
educational endeavor or the mastership of a craft. Instead, it became the start of
a new adventure, a passage to professional status recognized by the community of
scholars and the community at large.

Today, we call this ceremony commencement, a term defined as both an act of

commencing and the ceremony for conferring degrees. In essence, it means a
beginning within an end. A middle English term, commencement traces its roots to
Anglo-French, Old French, and finally, the Latin word, cominitiare, a combination of
the prefix com and initiare, meaning “together, begin,” a fitting origin for a term that
evokes a graduate’s first steps taken in fellowship and a poignant reminder that in
each destination lies a new dawn.

ACADEMIC ATTIRE
The use of academic dress stems from costumes used in universities of the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries, particularly at Oxford and Cambridge in England. The dress
has been used in the United States since colonial times and was standardized by an
Intercollegiate Code in 1895.

The style of gown and hood designate the degree earned. The bachelor’s gown is royal
blue without a hood and the sleeves are pointed; the master’s gown is black and has
oblong sleeves; and the doctoral gown is trimmed with velvet, has three distinctive
chevrons on each arm, and bell-shaped sleeves.

The two colors on the inside of the hood are traditionally the colors of the college
granting the degree. The School of Mines' colors are blue and gold; however, the hood
for the School of Mines is gold and silver, symbolic of the university’s connection to
these precious metals. Caps are black mortarboards with the tassel worn over the left
front quadrant.

As one may observe from the procession, the faculty wear hoods and gowns of varying
styles and colors. The color of the tassel on the hat and the outside velvet trim of the
hood indicate the field of study.
 THE CEREMONIAL MACE
During today’s ceremony, the chair of the faculty will carry the South Dakota School of
Mines & Technology’s ceremonial mace. The university mace is an academic tradition
that dates back to medieval times. The mace has acquired the ceremonial function of
“guarding” the president in the tradition of a medieval sergeant-at-arms.

The School of Mines mace was designed to represent the university’s many disciplines.
The handle was crafted from a fossil and represents paleontology, while the pink
quartz sphere, encased in the symbol of an atom, symbolizes both geology and
physics. The silver and gold signify the institution’s rich mining tradition. The laurel
leaf garland crown, fashioned from Black Hills Gold, represents a mark of honor,
distinction, and success.

The mace was designed by Ms. Deborah Mitchell, former director of the Apex Gallery
and associate professor in the Department of Humanities. The seal was engraved
by Dr. Ryan Koontz, former integrated manufacturing specialist for the Center of
Excellence for Advanced Multidisciplinary Projects.

COMMENCEMENT COMMITTEE
Dr. Haley Armstrong, Co-Chair Dr. Jade Herman, Co-Chair
Ms. Ann Brentlinger Ms. Rachel Howard
Dr. Saurabh Dhiman Mr. Marlin Kinzer
Dr. Joseph Dlugos Mr. Patrick Rust
Ms. Diana Eastman LTC Gregory Shipper
Ms. Morgan Else Ms. Rachel Skea
Mr. Dane Finnesand Ms. Cicily Strong-Hughes
Ms. Gina Fiorello

SOUTH DAKOTA BOARD OF REGENTS

Mr. Tim Rave, President Mr. John W. Bastian
Mr. Jim Thares, Vice President Mr. Brock Brown
Mr. Jeff Partridge, Secretary Ms. Pam Roberts
Dr. Brian Maher, Executive Director

PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES
The Grad Team will be providing photography services to the graduates. Photos
will be available online at TheGradTeam.com/events approximately one week after
the ceremony.