By Julia Davis
July 17, 2025
More than 250 graduates were honored during a ceremony featuring student speeches, awards, a keynote address and the presentation of diplomas.
Top to bottom: Zach Flinkstrom, Kalli Gallegos and Gage Santa Cruz shared personal reflections during the ceremony.
The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering celebrated the Class of 2025 on June 7 at Alaska Airlines Arena. The ceremony recognized more than 260 graduates who earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
Catherine Petroff, Chief of the Engineering Division at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Seattle District and a former CEE faculty member, delivered the keynote address. In her remarks, Petroff encouraged graduates to embrace uncertainty, act with purpose and take pride in the work that often goes unnoticed, because good engineering prevents problems before they start.
Top to bottom: Grace Zhang, Jeron Griffin and Alexa Haucke, who were honored with departmental awards.
Undergraduate students Kalli Gallegos (BSCE ’25) and Gage Santa Cruz (BSCE ’25), along with doctoral student Zach Flinkstrom (CEE Ph.D. ’25), also addressed the audience. Their reflections touched on themes of community, growth and lifelong learning.
The ceremony also included a presentation of departmental awards. Grace Collins (MSCE ’25) received the Outstanding TA Award for her support and mentorship in the classroom. Alexa Haucke (BSCE ’25) received the Community Award for her contributions to student leadership, DEI efforts and departmental engagement. Jeron Griffin (BSEnvE ’25) was named runner-up for the Hawkins Prize, and Grace Zhang (BSCE ’25) received the top honor for her exceptional academic record and undergraduate research achievements.
This year’s Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented to Amy Haugerud (BSCE ’77), founder of Rosewater Engineering and a longtime supporter of the department. In her speech, Haugerud reflected on her career and the importance of giving back. She also noted the changes she has seen in the field, expressing joy at the increased number of women graduating in engineering compared to when she earned her degree.
The evening concluded with graduates crossing the stage to receive their degrees, followed by a traditional cap toss to mark the occasion.
2025 graduation ceremony
A recording of the June 7 graduation ceremony is available at the link below.