Nearly 1,700 students will graduate at Wright State’s spring commencement ceremonies

Wright State will hold spring commencement ceremonies in the Wright State Nutter Center for the Graduate School on Friday, April 29, at 7 p.m. and for undergraduate students on Saturday, April 30, at 10 a.m. (Photos by Erin Pence)

Nearly 1,700 students are expected to graduate during Wright State University’s 2022 spring commencement ceremonies on April 29 and 30.

They join more than 116,000 Wright State alumni who are making a difference throughout Raider Country, all over Ohio, across the nation and around the world.

Wright State will hold two spring commencement ceremonies in the Wright State University Nutter Center:

• Graduate School (master’s degree and doctoral students): Friday, April 29, at 7 p.m.
• Undergraduate students: Saturday, April 30, at 10 a.m.

The ceremonies can be watched on the university’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Tickets are required to attend the ceremonies in the Nutter Center. Face masks are optional at this time.

In addition, Wright State University–Lake Campus will hold a commencement ceremony on Thursday, April 28, at 5:30 p.m. at Romer’s Celina Ballroom. The Lake Campus ceremony will be streamed on Facebook.

Graduates in the spring class of 2022 earned 1,249 bachelor’s degrees, 412 master’s degrees, 27 doctoral degrees and 26 associate degrees.

Graduates by college:

• Raj Soin College of Business 249
• College of Engineering and Computer Science: 323
• College of Health, Education and Human Services: 518
• College of Liberal Arts: 276
• College of Science and Mathematics: 261
• Boonshoft School of Medicine: 34
• Lake Campus: 53

Graduating students come from 27 states. The class includes 91 international students from 23 countries. India boasts the largest number of international graduates with 39.

The three youngest graduating students are 19, with bachelor’s degrees in elementary education, management information systems and organizational leadership. The oldest graduate is 73 and earned a master’s degree in history.

More information on graduation is available at wright.edu/commencement.

Notable graduates from the class of 2022

Garrett Regan will receive his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering.

Garrett Regan

Garrett Regan, who will receive his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, has been accepted into a Ph.D. program at the prestigious Mayo Clinic.

The Mayo Clinic is an academic medical center based in Rochester, Minnesota, that focuses on integrated health care, education and research. It has been ranked the No. 1 hospital by U.S. News and World Report and Newsweek magazine.

“It’s certainly a tremendous honor to be accepted into such a selective program,” said Regan. “This is a culmination of all of the work that I have done in my undergrad at Wright State and all of the people around me that have helped me to get where I’m at today.”

Regan said he plans to rotate in Mayo Clinic labs that focus on applications of artificial intelligence in medicine, adding that the medical center is at the forefront of developing that technology.

Regan has been interning with Miamisburg-based Riverain Technologies, which develops computer software tools to enhance early disease detection.

He is vice president of and domestic project lead for the Wright State chapter of Engineers Without Borders, a student-led group that focuses on need-based engineering service projects. He is also a member of the Tau Beta Pi and the Alpha Lambda Delta honors societies.

Grace Beckman will graduate with bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and stage management.

Grace Beckman

Grace Beckman has married two different passions, earning bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and stage management.

“I would like to keep doing theatre in some capacity after graduation just because truly there is nothing else like it,” said Beckman. “But I have been looking into project management for engineering, either in the construction industry or something similar. I like putting moving pieces together.”

In fact, Beckman recently accepted a job offer as an assistant project manager at Columbus-based Elford Inc., the largest locally owned central Ohio construction company.

Last fall, Beckman helped produce Wright State Theatre’s production of “Mamma Mia!” in the Festival Playhouse in the Creative Arts Center.

She says the most gratifying part of stage management is experiencing the final product.

“It’s hectic and sometimes things can slip your mind and you don’t quite see it when you’re in the rehearsal room even though you know something is going to be there,” Beckman said. “But once you see it come together and it’s all in front of you happening, it really makes you remember why you’re doing it.”

Army ROTC cadet Caleb Matos will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Caleb Matos

Caleb Matos, a cadet in the U.S. Army ROTC and soon to be commissioned as an officer, will receive his bachelor’s degree in psychology. He hopes to eventually earn his master’s degree in counseling.

However, after graduation, he has his sights set on becoming an Army Ranger, with plans to undergo armor training and then Ranger school at Fort Benning, Georgia.

The Rangers, who undergo grueling training, are elite airborne light infantry combat soldiers within the Army’s Special Operations Command. They specialize in conducting raids and assault missions deep inside enemy territory.

Matos, who carries a 3.6 grade point average, said being in ROTC gave him extra incentive in the classroom and forced him to develop strong study and time management skills.

“If I got hurt tomorrow and I couldn’t finish in the military, I know that ROTC would be a big reason why I’ll be successful later,” he said.