On May 27, the Katz School of Science and Health held its 2025 Commencement ceremony at Zysman Hall’s Lamport Auditorium. The event celebrated 342 graduate students from various programs, including Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics and Visualization, Digital Marketing and Media, Mathematics and Physics.
President Ari Berman addressed the graduates, emphasizing the importance of combining scientific progress with purpose. “In core Torah values, it’s not just that a person is holy and blessed,” he stated. “The purpose of our lives is to live a life of service and contribution so that filled with compassion, everyone is blessed by our presence.”
Dean Paul Russo highlighted the school’s mission to prepare students for impactful careers through hands-on research and ethical leadership. He noted that 92% of Katz graduates find employment within six months. “You stand for truth,” he said. “You are compassionate practitioners who bring your knowhow in science, technology and health to transform our world for the better.”
The ceremony recognized several students for their achievements. Shiman Zhang (Artificial Intelligence), Tara Ghafoori (Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship), Loveth Odozor (Cybersecurity), Yu Wang (Data Analytics and Visualization), Nidia Machuca Cardozo (Digital Marketing and Media), and David Roth (Physics) received the 2025 Katz School Award for Academic Excellence and Scholarly Achievement.
The Award for Outstanding Community Contributions was given to Opeyemi Ajayi, Loretta Ching’andu, Tara Ghafoori, Elton Muchenje, and Sagarika Shrestha.
Opeyemi Adebanke Ajayi shared her personal journey during the ceremony. Arriving from Lagos with her daughter Tiffany to pursue a graduate degree in New York City, she found support at Katz School beyond education. “They didn’t just see a struggling young mother; they saw me—a woman with a dream worth fighting for,” she expressed.
Kevin Suckiel, a 2022 graduate now working as a senior consultant at Optiv, also spoke at the event. He likened his role in cybersecurity to an ancient night watch tradition: “My Katz School education has prepared me to be a digital night watchman—although in my case I don’t just guard the gates; I sneak through them first to make sure they’re locked.”
###
