Past Commencement Ceremonies
152nd Commencement Ceremonies Program
View and download the Class of 2024 Commencement program.
Arianna Carmela Gehan
With a strong record of scholarship, service and community engagement, Arianna Carmela Gehan of Randolph, New Jersey, is the elected undergraduate student speaker for the Class of 2024. She graduates first in class with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in biomedical engineering, having earned a 4.0 GPA over her four years of study.
While at Stevens, Gehan has excelled in all facets of student life. An active member of the Alpha Eta Mu Beta Biomedical Engineering Honor Society and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, where she served as alumni outreach chair, Gehan has taken on numerous leadership roles across campus. Notably, she served as treasurer, sisterhood wellness chair and academic excellence chair within Theta Phi Alpha women’s fraternity. She also belongs to the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society where she serves as leadership chair.
Gehan has maintained a commitment to participating and advancing leading-edge research in her field of study. She is the co-founder of Daia Diabetes, an application developed through Stevens’ Launchpad program that helps users manage blood sugar emergencies. Gehan and her co-founder received their first support for the project after winning the Thomas H. Scholl Launchpad Award that is granted to the most promising programs within Launchpad each year.
Beyond her research and innovation, Gehan also shines as a writer and communicator, serving as vice president of the Poetry Club and staff writer for The Stute, Stevens’ student-run newspaper. In this role, she develops a range of topical content designed to engage and inform the Stevens community.
After graduation, Gehan will complete her master’s degree in biomedical engineering at Columbia University while maintaining an active professional agenda related to the Daia platform. She looks forward to advancing her work in the diabetes space, whether that leads her to partner with a large medical device company, join a start-up or establish her own company. For Gehan, Stevens has been a place of collaboration and innovation — a space to test out ideas and research with the benefit of the strong support network that our community provides.
Rashi Wase
Chosen by a committee of faculty, staff and students through a rigorous selection process, Rashi Wase of Pune, Maharashtra, India, is the graduate student speaker for the Class of 2024. She graduates from Stevens with a Master of Science degree in applied artificial intelligence.
Wase’s time at Stevens is made distinct by her commitment to community outreach and leadership. She served as secretary of the Stevens Graduate Women in Business Club, Graduate Peer Leader with Graduate Student Life, and has been an active member of the Stevens Graduate Financial Association and the Indian Graduate Student Association. Wase has also worked at the S.C. Williams Library, supporting students in one of Stevens’ most-loved learning spaces.
Committed to leading-edge research and professional development, Wase has acquired valuable insights and practical expertise through immersive internships focused on data analysis and integration. Her contributions have directly impacted the refinement of predictive models, elevating their accuracy and streamlining data-driven decision-making procedures for enhanced efficiency. Wise continues to spearhead innovative initiatives that leverage artificial intelligence, including the development of an application designed to assist visually impaired individuals and the implementation of predictive analytics aimed at enhancing loan default detection strategies.
After graduation, Wase looks forward to applying the knowledge and skills acquired during her time at Stevens to real-world challenges in the field of artificial intelligence — specifically data analysis, machine learning, deep learning and predictive modeling. Having built a strong foundation for success at Stevens, Wase is excited about the opportunities ahead and ready to embark on a fulfilling professional journey.
Stevens was pleased to welcome back two esteemed alumni to speak at its 152nd Commencement exercises: Undergraduate Commencement Speaker Marques Brownlee '15 and Graduate Commencement Speaker Michael Kakos MMS '71.
Honorary Degree Recipients
Marques Brownlee ’15
Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa
Michael John Kakos MMS ’71
Doctor of Engineering, honoris causa
Marques Brownlee '15
Marques Brownlee ‘15, known professionally as MKBHD, is an American YouTuber, tech reviewer and video producer, best known for his technology-focused videos as well as his podcast “Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast.” As of February 2024, he has more than 30 million subscribers across all social media channels and more than 4 billion total video views on YouTube alone.
A native of Maplewood, New Jersey, Brownlee attended Stevens Institute of Technology, earning a bachelor’s degree in business and technology. He started uploading tech videos in 2009, while still in high school, reviewing new products or products he already owned. In November 2013, he posted a video on the LG G Flex that went viral, reaching one million views on the first day. He became a full-time Youtuber upon graduation from Stevens.
Since then, Brownlee has become a household name in the tech community, committed to delivering high-quality content with a touch of humor and authenticity to his dedicated global fan base. He has been recognized and celebrated for his contributions to the tech world including being named the Creator of the Decade at the 10th Annual Shorty Awards (2018) and the 2023 Streamy Award winner for Technology. He was named to three Forbes lists: Top Creators (2023), 30 Under 30 – Social Media (2021) and Top Influencers – Technology/Business (2017). He also received the Stevens Young Alumni Achievement Award in 2018.
Aside from reviewing tech, Brownlee is known for his interviews with thought leaders and celebrated individuals including Barack Obama, Kobe Bryant, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Bill Gates. He expanded into podcasting with “Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast,” where he talks tech with his co-hosts and interviews industry titans such as iJustine and Mark Zuckerberg.
Brownlee is a professional ultimate frisbee player for the New York Empire of the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL), who were the AUDL champions in 2019, 2022 and 2023. On July 31, 2022, Brownlee won the World Flying Disc Federation World Ultimate Club Championship with New York PoNy.
While most of his videos and interviews focus on tech, Brownlee also lends his celebrity to philanthropic causes, including an appearance on “Sesame Street: Elmo’s Mindfulness Spectacular!” and a spotlight on 3DPets, a startup that uses tech to make prosthetics for dogs and other animals.
Michael Kakos MMS '71
Michael John Kakos was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1937 to Slovakian heritage parents and attended Catholic grammar and high schools in his hometown. He earned a B.S. degree in chemistry from Manhattan College in New York City in 1958, followed by M.S. degrees in chemistry from Niagara University in 1960 and in management science from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1971.
Commencing his career as a scientist in various commercial laboratories in 1963, Michael conducted research and development on metals, ceramics and plastics raw materials at Celanese Corporation labs in New Jersey. During his tenure, he obtained several patents. Later at Celanese, he transitioned to more commercial positions such as sales development, product management and international marketing. His career led him to London in 1975, where he served for 11 years, ultimately retiring as European managing director for marketing operations.
In 1986, Michael founded Resin Express Ltd. in London, a company specializing in distributing GE and Dupont engineering thermoplastic raw materials to technical molders in Great Britain. In 1989, Michael married Aimee Rusinko of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, who later became a director and partner in Resin Express Ltd.
After successfully managing and growing their business, the Kakoses sold Resin Express Ltd. in 1997 to Ravago, a family-run European plastics distribution business based in Belgium.
In 2000, Michael and Aimee retired to Winter Park, Florida, while maintaining their London home as a base for summer European travels until 2021. The Kakoses now spend their summers at their home in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Michael actively contributes to the community, serving on nonprofit boards for a local museum and a classical music organization in Central Florida. Additionally, he volunteers for local charities in Florida and London that focus on homelessness issues.