AFIT celebrates Fall 2024 Commencement Published Oct. 24, 2024 By Air Force Institute of Technology WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio - The Air Force Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management held their annual fall commencement ceremony Sept. 12 at the Dayton Masonic Center to celebrate 99 new graduates. Dr. Walter Jones, Director and Chancellor, Air Force Institute of Technology, introduces commencement ceremony guest speaker Lt. Gen. Linda S. Hurry, Deputy Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, at AFIT’s commencement ceremony held Sept. 12 at the Dayton Masonic Center. (U.S. Air Force photos by Daniel Peterson) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res The Graduate School conferred 84 master’s degrees and 15 doctorate degrees in science, technology, engineering and math fields. Additionally, one doctoral student who graduated earlier in the academic year returned to participate in the ceremony. The graduating class included 81 Air Force officers, 6 Space Force officers, 1 Naval officer, and 10 Department of Defense civilians. One international student from the Royal Saudi Air Force received a master’s degree in computer engineering. The keynote speaker was Lt. Gen. Linda S. Hurry, Deputy Commander, Air Force Materiel Command. She oversees activities across multiple centers, responsible for installation and mission support, discovery and development, test and evaluation, life cycle management services and sustainment of virtually every major Air Force weapon system, to include the entire scope of nuclear weapons sustainment. Hurry expressed gratitude for the invitation to speak to AFIT’s newest graduates and emphasized the importance of the relationships built between students during their time at AFIT. “It is indeed an honor to be a part of this ceremony and to recognize all your hard work, all of your studying, all of the partnerships, all the teamwork, all the camaraderie that you learned right here at AFIT.” Hurry said. “That’s what is going to make our Air Force and Navy and Space Force and our civilian workforce so unbelievably strong.” Air Force Institute of Technology graduates are pictured during a commencement ceremony held Sept. 12, 2024 at the Dayton Masonic Center. (U.S. Air Force photos by Daniel Peterson) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res During her commencement speech, Hurry reminded graduates that the challenges they face today are very different from those she faced as an AFIT graduate 30 years ago. “We’re focused now on the great power competition…I’m going to challenge you to not just think, not come up with innovative ideas and do nothing with it—but to push the envelope. Make us stronger, make us faster, make us more agile,” Hurry said. Hurry is an AFIT alum having earned a M.S degree in Logistics Management in 1994. Hurry came to AFIT as a graduate of the Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Pre-law and Legal Studies. Prior to her current role as Deputy Commander of Air Force Materiel Command, Hurry served as Director of Logistics, Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. Hurry concluded her remarks by encouraging the graduates, “Challenge the status quo, drive change, learn how to think differently, drive innovation—but get results. We want our adversaries to take a look at what’s going on in the United States Department of Defense and say, ‘Maybe today’s not the day we mess with them’—that’s the goal.” Lt. Gen. Linda S. Hurry, Deputy Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, speaks at AFIT’s commencement ceremony held Sept. 12, 2024, at the Dayton Masonic Center. (U.S. Air Force photos by Daniel Peterson) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, AFIT’s mission is to educate defense professionals to innovatively accomplish the deterrence and warfighting missions of the U.S. Air and Space Forces. The following students met all degree requirements and were approved for the designated degree (in bold): DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING (ENG) Master of Cyber Systems Second Lieutenant Nathanael S. Bean Second Lieutenant Isabella N. Gentile Second Lieutenant Price D. Johnson Second Lieutenant Homin Key Second Lieutenant Ethan J. Schofield Second Lieutenant Ryan N. Stiffler Second Lieutenant Karli E. Wallace Master of Science in Computer Engineering First Lieutenant Turki M. Alamri (Royal Saudi Air Force) Master of Science in Computer Science First Lieutenant Ryan D. Winz Master of Science in Electrical Engineering First Lieutenant Samuel J. Campbell (US Space Force) DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING PHYSICS (ENP) Master of Science in Applied Physics Mr. Jordan C. Mindrup Master of Science in Materials Science Second Lieutenant Alexis A. Bishop Mrs. Cayla C. Eckley Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering Mr. Benjamin M. Knight Master of Science in Optical Sciences and Engineering Mr. Mitchell A. Manzardo Master of Science in Scientific and Technical Intelligence Mr. Joshua M. Grubbs Mr. Samuel J. Lemmon DEPARTMENT OF OPERATIONAL SCIENCES (ENS) Master of Operations Analysis Second Lieutenant Garth L. Knutson Second Lieutenant Corban C. Hodge Second Lieutenant Marlene T. Lorber Master of Operations Logistics Second Lieutenant Wyatt D. Benge Second Lieutenant Blake A. Carette Second Lieutenant Blake P. Covin Second Lieutenant Hayden G. Isenhart Second Lieutenant John D. Krolick Second Lieutenant Maya I. Thorson DEPARTMENT OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT (ENV) Master of Engineering in Applied Systems Engineering Second Lieutenant Jennifer T. Bahna First Lieutenant Paul R. Bean Second Lieutenant Andrew J. Cabo Second Lieutenant Avery M. Dollarhide Captain Jacob S. Ehrenstrom Second Lieutenant Shaun Freeman Second Lieutenant Colleen M. Gayheart Second Lieutenant Beck T. Grasser Second Lieutenant Stephanie R. Gregersen Second Lieutenant Julia B. Gundlach Second Lieutenant Tommie J. Lamarche Granger Second Lieutenant Matthew E. Lashua Captain Erica M. Lawlor Second Lieutenant Grant E. Leap Second Lieutenant Kristof C. Lotivio Mr. Joseph A. Neeld Second Lieutenant Benjamin T. Nguyen Captain Nicholas G. Orfitelli Second Lieutenant Justin W. Parsons Captain Matthew T. Rommel Second Lieutenant Spenser R. Schwalm Captain Ryan T. Schwarz (US Space Force) Second Lieutenant Alexandre M. Some Second Lieutenant Micah H. Treptau Master of Science in Engineering Management Major Eric D. Danko Master of Science in Systems Engineering Mr. Walter T. Scott II Second Lieutenant Long Tran Major Derek W. Zima DEPARTMENT OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS (ENY) Master of Engineering in Aeronautical Engineering Second Lieutenant Motaz M. Ahmed Second Lieutenant Trevor M. Anderson Second Lieutenant Shelby G. Apodaca Second Lieutenant Joshua T. Bates Second Lieutenant Dylan S. Bumpus Second Lieutenant Graeme B. Clougher Second Lieutenant Jaden V. Clunie Second Lieutenant Aidan C. Ellisor Second Lieutenant Tate H. Fletcher Second Lieutenant Aidan J. Gardiner Second Lieutenant Suhas Jeevanand Second Lieutenant Justin I. Jung Second Lieutenant Joseph L. McCollum II Second Lieutenant Jason D. Muff Second Lieutenant Tomas F. Olivas Second Lieutenant Austin M. Park Second Lieutenant Adam J. Pelzman Second Lieutenant Christian Presas Ensign Dayton C. Sette (US Navy) Second Lieutenant Jacob A. Stenslie Second Lieutenant Woodrow V. Turbyfill Master of Engineering in Space Systems Second Lieutenant Connor A. Barberi Second Lieutenant Connor M. Chase Second Lieutenant Abigail M. Fletcher Second Lieutenant Tristen G. Paller Second Lieutenant Ethan S. Patel Second Lieutenant Joseph L. Skotnicki Second Lieutenant John R. Snider Master of Science in Astronautical Engineering Mr. Christopher E. Koellhoffer Second Lieutenant Nicholas S. Reid DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major Jeffrey L. Choate Lieutenant Colonel Justin P. D’Agostino Captain Jacob A. Dahlke Captain Virbon B. Frial Major Graig S. Ganitano Lieutenant Colonel Carl Gotwald Major Alex C. Hollenbeck Colonel Frederic W. Lathrop Captain Mark R. Mercier (US Space Force) Captain Tyler J. Myers Lieutenant Colonel Douglas B. Ruyle (US Space Force) Major Joshua S. Sprang Mr. J. Scott Thompson Major Stephen K. Tullino (US Space Force) Major Kullen W. Waggoner (US Space Force) Lieutenant Colonel Kyle S. Wilkinson Major Derek B. Worth (US Space Force)