Spring Commencement Speakers Urge Finding Opportunity and Taking Risks
Photos by Joshua Touster
With his 5-year-old son, Conor, in attendance, Greg Murphy, Master of Construction Management, told the Wentworth Institute of Technology Spring 2023 Commencement audience about the importance of hard work, risk-taking, and never giving up on your dreams.
"Conor, my little man, before I leave this world, I want to make sure I teach you three simple things that I’ve learned up to this point in my life. Are your listening ears turned on and the batteries charged? Good, then let’s start,” said Murphy, the ceremony’s student speaker. “The three things are to first, work hard, second, take risks and accept failure, and third, never stop learning."
The words were officially directed at Conor but could easily apply to any of the 275 new Wentworth graduates who crossed the stage on Saturday.
Murphy is a former Infantry officer in the U.S. Army who currently serves as a project manager for Empire General Contracting in New York, where he specializes in healthcare construction. A New England native with more than 10 years of construction experience, Murphy stressed that he is passionate about ensuring all children receive the opportunity to be exposed to construction concepts from a young age.
"Today is a celebration of the culmination of years of hard work,” Murphy said. “Today we get to take a minute to commemorate our journey. Each of us has had our own successes, our own failures, our own stories.”
Keynote speaker Andrea Leers is an internationally recognized leader in urban, campus, and civic design. It was a homecoming of sorts for Leers—the principal and cofounder of architectural and design firm Leers Weinzapfel Associates—as her company designed Wentworth’s Center for Engineering, Innovation, and Sciences (CEIS).
Leers spoke about the importance of design and how it can be used to create a better world. She also spoke about the importance of diversity and inclusion in her profession.
"Design is not just about making things look pretty,” she said. “It’s about making things work better. It’s about creating a better world for everyone. We need to design for everyone, not just for a select few."
As someone who has taught at Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, University of Virginia, and the Tokyo Institute of Technology, and served as the chair of the Boston Civic Design Commission, Leers shared that she had to overcome uncertainty and doubt to become a successful architect. She emphasized the importance of active learning, collaboration, and listening to others.
"Make the world a better place,” she charged to graduates. “Make it beautiful. Make it sustainable. Make it just. Make it better!"
President Mark A. Thompson welcomed the graduates and their families at the beginning of the ceremony, speaking about the importance of access to an education, as well as the challenges that the graduates will face in the future.
"I’d like to talk today about opportunity,” Thompson said. “At Wentworth, we believe that we are the university of opportunity—the opportunity to create what intrigues you, build what inspires you, and chase what excites you."
He continued, “That’s not to say that there won’t be challenges. But I have faith that you will do more than meet those challenges. I believe that you will overcome them—because you are Wentworth graduates. You’re makers. You’re problem-solvers. You get things done."
Kaitlin Pettenger, Architecture, earned the prestigious Beatty Award. Named for past Wentworth President H. Russell Beatty, the award honors the student who is the top academic achiever within their class.
Wentworth Board of Trustees Chair Gregory Janey, ’82, ’84, Hon. ’17, opened the day’s event with the call to order, while Executive Vice President and Provost Sophia Maggelakis presented the diplomas, Dean of Students Jenn Kosses led the procession, Alumni Association President and Trustee Eric Greene provided a message to Wentworth’s newest group of alumni, and Liberty Battalion Army ROTC offered the presentation of colors.
Wentworth will present its next commencement ceremonies on August 20. Find more photos from Joshua Touster at this link.
