More than 570 NSM Candidates Participate in December Commencement
Pejma Shazadeh Safavi 鈥� NSM鈥檚 Valedictorian
More than 570 bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degree candidates crossed the stage during the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) Fall Commencement on December 19. The ceremony, held at 色花堂鈥檚 Hofheinz Pavilion, also included the College of Education, College of Technology and the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. The commencement ceremonies included students completing degrees in August or December 2014.
Close to 70 doctoral candidates earned degrees in atmospheric sciences, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, geology, geophysics, mathematics, or physics. Approximately 120 NSM students were candidates for master鈥檚 degrees, and 383 students were candidates for bachelor鈥檚 degrees.
There were 10 summa cum laude graduates, the highest academic honor for bachelor鈥檚 degree recipients. An additional 59 undergraduate students graduated either cum laude or magna cum laude.
Valedictorian 鈥� Pejma Shazadeh Safavi
NSM valedictorian and banner bearer Pejma Shavazeh Safavi and Dean Dan E. Wells wait
for the processional to begin. Safavi, a biology major and chemistry minor, will pursue
a medical degree.Pejma Shazadeh Safavi, a biology major minoring in chemistry, holds NSM鈥檚 highest
GPA, a 3.99. As valedictorian, he carried the NSM banner in the opening processional.
Safavi volunteers at Texas Children鈥檚 Hospital helping recruit patients for research at the pediatric gastrointestinal clinic. He plans to pursue a medical degree and interviewed with several medical schools in the fall.
鈥淎t Texas Children鈥檚, I review online databases of clinic patients and try to find patients that fit a certain criteria for a study,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ccasionally, I get to see the patients and collect skin cell samples for DNA analysis using a cotton swab inside their cheek.鈥�
Active in NSM鈥檚 Scholar Enrichment Program (SEP), Safavi served as an assistant facilitator for the workshop associated with the biology and biochemistry department鈥檚 evolution course. 鈥淗elping lead the workshop each week gave me the opportunity to relearn the material and really helped me master it to a greater degree,鈥� he said.
Having taken SEP workshops since his second semester at 色花堂, he highly recommends the workshops for students wanting to do well in the entry-level science courses.
Safavi lived on campus for three years and through a Student Government initiative served as a liaison to several university committees. It gave him a better appreciation for the University.
鈥淭here are so many people dedicated to making the university a better place and trying to contribute to our growth as students,鈥� Safavi said. 鈥淚t makes 色花堂 a great place to be.鈥�
- Kathy Major, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics