“ɫɫӰԺ stands out among all of higher education as an institution that provides the very best education and career preparation combined, and these graduates embody the concept of mastery that underlies our entire educational model.”
Over 500 ɫɫӰԺ Students Receive Degrees During 2024 Commencement Ceremony
ɫɫӰԺ awarded 418 bachelor's and 163 master's degrees during its 2024 commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 15, setting the stage for these graduates to take on roles as leaders and innovators in a breadth of industries and areas ranging from mobility, new energy vehicles, intelligent manufacturing, to AI and sustainability. Since its founding in 1919, ɫɫӰԺ has continually brought STEM-focused learning to life. Through a 50/50 blend of rigorous academics and paid Co-op employment, Kettering students work shoulder-to-shoulder with professors and industry leaders and enter the job market with 2.5 years of on-the-job experience upon graduation. They also continue to command the highest starting salaries in Michigan, as evidenced by a multi-year standing at the top of SmartAsset’s list.
The ɫɫӰԺ Class of 2024 has shown a unique ability to adapt and thrive in its post-secondary educational career that, for many, started amid the COVID pandemic. “ɫɫӰԺ stands out among all of higher education as an institution that provides the very best education and career preparation combined, and these graduates embody the concept of mastery that underlies our entire educational model,” University President Dr. Robert K. McMahan said. “This world needs their talents and abilities, their energy, their service, their determined focus, and their spirit. They have navigated college years through turbulent and uncertain times - but also with grace, grit, and resilience. And they have done so successfully.”
The Celebration of the Class of 2024 started the night before Commencement with the Academic Honors Banquet on June 14. The invitation-only event recognized several groups of graduates. Some of the ɫɫӰԺ Class of 2024 graduates honored at last week’s Honors Banquet include:
Kimberly Linnette Betty, B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Flint, Michigan, is a 2024 Sobey Scholar, an award that honors her outstanding scholarship and leadership on and off campus. Betty’s association with ɫɫӰԺ began as a high school student participating in the Academically Interested Minds (AIM) pre-college program. While a Kettering student, Betty participated in the Co-op program at Lear Corporation, leading the effort to build a cost-efficient battery distribution unit prototype that reduced supply costs by 20%. On campus, Betty was instrumental in reactivating the Kettering Chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Off-campus, Betty spent time as a Kagle Leader, tutoring Flint High School students in physics.
Henry Warren Grasman, B.S. Computer Engineering, M.S. Computer Engineering, Flushing, Michigan, is a 2024 President’s Medalist, demonstrating extraordinary professionalism during Co-op employment and in the classroom while contributing to Kettering and the surrounding community. Grasman has been part of the General Motors Global Product Development Engineering Co-op since July 2020. Grasman accepted an offer to join GM full-time after graduation, making him a candidate for the MEDC’s Michigander Scholars Program, awarding him a $10,000 scholarship. While working for GM, Grasman earned an Intellectual Property Award for Patent No. US 118992308 B2, Uncertainty-based Map Visualizations for Directing Vehicles. This is just one of the multiple patents and trade secrets he has contributed to through his Co-op assignments and thesis work. Grasman is also a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, participating in many philanthropic activities on campus and in the greater Flint community.
Thomas Weldon Sprecher III, B.S. Electrical Engineering, B.S. Computer Engineering, M.S. Electrical Engineering, Marietta, Georgia, is also a 2024 President’s Medalist and 2024 Sobey Scholar. While completing a Bachelor’s degree with double majors and a Master’s degree simultaneously through Ketterings bachelor’s to master’s pathway, Sprecher performed his Co-op employment with PassiveBolt LLC, a start-up company founded by two Kettering alumni. While there, he was instrumental in designing several printed circuit boards for PassiveBolt’s smart home security systems. Sprecher has also worked on campus as an Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Lab Coordinator since 2021 and assisted with Dr. Allan Taylor’s OpenRoad project, building portable range boosters for electric vehicles.
Alexandra Lakota Kekel, B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Grand Blanc, Michigan, earned a 2024 Outstanding Thesis Award for her work during her Co-op employment at Munro & Associates Inc. in Troy, Michigan. As is sometimes the case when working on high-level projects and emerging technology, the company deemed her thesis confidential. Her Faculty Advisor, Dr. Bashar AbdulNour, said Kekel’s 309-page report is one of the most technically valuable and best thesis he had ever seen. Kekel was also employed at Stryker in Portage, Michigan, where she was a Co-op student and now works full-time.
Lauryn Nicole Tithof, B.S. Industrial Engineering, Owosso, Michigan, earned a 2024 Outstanding Thesis Award for her work “Universalized H-Point Process” under Faculty Advisor Dr. Scott Grasman while in the Co-op program at Lear Corporation. Her thesis project replaced manual H-point testing with a semi-automated process that improved efficiency by as much as 84% and reduced the risk of injury by 100%. Tithof also embodies the spirit of innovation, having launched her own small business, SneakArt Shoes, while still in high school. She is also a member of ɫɫӰԺ’s Industrial Engineering, Management, General Engineering, and Mathematical Honor Societies.
Commencement Speaker Sean McBurney ‘03 Celebrates Kettering Graduates With “One Last Sneaky Assignment”
A business leader who rolled the dice on a non-traditional application of his Mechanical Engineering education and now leads the Las Vegas region of one the world’s preeminent resort brands, ɫɫӰԺ alumnus Sean McBurney ’03 (Mechanical Engineering) delivered the 2024 Commencement address. McBurney oversees nine casino resort properties as Regional President of Caesars Entertainment. With responsibility for 26,000 hotel rooms, McBurney ensures these large-scale operations deliver high service levels through robust processes and quality-control systems — skills rooted in his ɫɫӰԺ education.
“I quickly learned crafting a commencement address is daunting,” McBurney said. “There are awesome expectations surrounding commencement addresses. As I put pen to paper, I oddly felt like I was back in the classroom. The last sneaky assignment from Kettering, 20 years after graduation.” His advice to graduates? “Your success is limited only by your imagination,” McBurney said. “I had an extraordinary education here. You have had an extraordinary education here. You have developed a skillset, discipline, and experience that can set you on virtually any career path you desire.”
ɫɫӰԺ conferred McBurney with an honorary Doctorate of Business Administration during the 2024 Commencement ceremony. McBurney began his Kettering career as a Co-op student with General Motors, working in Lordstown, Ohio, as well as Warren and Detroit, Michigan. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from ɫɫӰԺ in 2003 and attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business before joining Caesars Entertainment in 2006 as a Casino Marketing Manager. In the nearly two decades since then, McBurney has worn many hats in the Caesars organization before taking on his current role as Regional President in 2021. As Regional President, he is responsible for overseeing hotel, gaming, food and beverage, retail, surveillance, security operations, marketing, and human resources operations for the company’s nine properties in the Las Vegas region, and over the last two years, the region set an all-time revenue record.
For photos of ɫɫӰԺ’s Commencement:
For the ceremony livestream recording: /commencementlive