Women made up 57 percent of the graduating class, while graduates represented 19 nationalities.
Texas A&M University at Qatar, a Qatar Foundation partner university, graduated 107 engineers yesterday. The Class of 2021 included 89 Aggies who received bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and petroleum engineering.
Twenty-two graduates were recognized as Undergraduate Research Scholars of Texas A&M’s main campus in College Station, Texas (USA), and 35 students graduated with Latin honours.
Texas A&M at Qatar also awarded 18 master’s degrees in chemical engineering. Of the total graduating class, 57 percent is female and 51 percent are Qatari. Graduates represented 19 nationalities. To date, Texas A&M at Qatar has granted a total of 1,268 degrees.
Hourig Ohanian, a Class of 2021 mechanical engineering graduate, addressed her classmates and fellow graduates on behalf of the student body. She acknowledged the difficulties she and her graduates have faced, particularly in the past two years, but congratulated her classmates on their achievements. "Today, we accomplished one of the biggest milestones in our lives,” Ohanian said.
“This is the point where we carry the title ‘engineer.’ We are not only responsible for advancing technology, or creating graphs and codes, drilling, designing cars and buildings. We are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the public, the environment, and for the future of our community.”
During the ceremony, Amanda Roberts Mather — a Class of 2000 graduate of Texas A&M University and the assistant director of academic services at Texas A&M at Qatar — inducted the graduates into The Association of Former Students, Texas A&M’s alumni organisation that comprises the more than 500,000 graduates of the university and is known worldwide as the Aggie Network. Dr. César Octavio Malavé, Dean of Texas A&M at Qatar, presided over the ceremony.
He congratulated the graduates and reminded them of the unique position each holds in the world as a part of the global Aggie Network.
“You have earned a degree from one of the top engineering programs in the world,” Malavé said, “and this is an amazing achievement. Throughout your studies, you have persevered and you have succeeded. Today is proof of that success.
That you have reached this day means that you are ready to leave university behind and head on to your next adventures. With challenge comes change, and each of you has shown your strength and resilience, and your commitment to being an engineering leader in Qatar.
"As you go forward tonight, remember you are now among more than 500,000 graduates of Texas A&M University around the world. Show the world how Aggies live their core values — not just in the workplace, but also in your communities and your families. You are engineering leaders in Qatar, and we are so proud of you.”
