Embry-Riddle Commencement Ceremonies Ready Graduates for Lift Off

Families and friends packed the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, to celebrate nearly 800 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduates. 

Featuring a short video honoring Embry-Riddle’s rich 100-year history, the commencement ceremony was the first held at the Daytona Beach Campus during the university’s centennial celebration.  

Alumnus Dr. Vivek Lall, chief executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, served as keynote speaker for the Daytona Beach Campus undergraduate commencement ceremony. “Today, as you join the ranks of over 160,000 alumni, you become part of a global community defined by the relentless pursuit of excellence,” Embry‑Riddle President P. Barry Butler, Ph.D., told the graduates. “Your passion for lifelong learning and desire to imagine what’s next will define our next 100 years as an institution.”

A total of 782 students earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at the Dec. 11 commencement ceremonies. At the undergraduate commencement, 611 students were awarded bachelor’s degrees, including 17 who earned their degrees through the Worldwide Campus. The ceremony also included 36 graduating ROTC students who commissioned as officers: 16 Air Force cadets, nine Army ROTC cadets, eight Navy ROTC midshipmen and three Marine ROTC midshipmen.

Dr. Vivek Lall, chief executive of General Atomics Global Corporation and an Embry-Riddle alumnus, delivered the event’s keynote address. The aerospace leader currently oversees a variety of initiatives at General Atomics, including work related to uncrewed aircraft, nuclear energy, high-temperature materials technologies, and defense and security.

Lall previously held leadership positions at The Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin, and he holds multiple high-level appointments on business, education and government advisory boards.

“Over the course of my career, I have learned that leadership is less about having all the answers and more about asking the right questions,” Lall told the graduating class. “Whether you design aircraft, develop new technologies, or serve your community, the key is to stay curious, stay ethical, and stay grounded in your values.”

Graduating class speaker Julia Dentinger, who earned her Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science, recalled her journey from being a little girl from Kentucky who dreamed of flying to achieving her goal of becoming a pilot at Embry-Riddle.

“Today marks a pivotal moment in our lives, a day where achievement meets anticipation,” she said. “Looking out at hundreds of accomplished peers and friends, I’m filled with pride for what we’ve accomplished together, and gratitude for everyone who helped guide us here.”

Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony

Dr. Sirani M. Perera, associate professor of Mathematics, gave the keynote address at the Daytona Beach Campus graduate commencement ceremony.The university’s Graduate Hooding and Commencement ceremony honored 171 graduates, including 141 students earning master’s degrees and 30 receiving doctorates.

Dr. Sirani M. Perera, an associate professor of Mathematics at Embry‑Riddle, gave the keynote address at the graduate commencement ceremony. Her convergence research has led to transformative theories in linear algebra, facilitating the design of low-complexity algorithms for spacecraft trajectory predictions, wireless communication systems and data or model-driven learning. Perera was named a Rising Star by the Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine of Florida in 2024 and a National Science Foundation Convergence Research Fellow under the NSF’s Convergence Accelerator Program at the University of California, San Diego in 2023.

“Whatever your path, remember this: your equations, your data, your research: they are not just about efficiency, precision, or publication metrics,” said Perera. “They are about people — about making life better, safer, and more meaningful for those who come after you.”

Esteban Ruiz, who earned his master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, was the graduating class speaker. Originally from Aruba and raised in South Florida, Ruiz completed two internships at Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation and was a graduate research assistant at the Eagle Flight Research Center.

“The first person you must win over every day for every challenge is yourself,” said Ruiz. “Do not be afraid to say yes to your dreams and aspirations.”