Embry-Riddle Commencement Ceremonies Ready Graduates for Liftoff

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University celebrated more than 980 total graduates at commencement ceremonies held this past week at its campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona.

Featuring a short video honoring Embry-Riddle’s rich 100-year history, the ceremonies were the first held at the university’s residential campuses during its centennial celebration. 

“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 graduates. “Your passion for lifelong learning and desire to imagine what’s next will define our next 100 years as an institution.”

The Prescott Campus

Chris Sembroski — an Embry-Riddle alumnus, U.S. Air Force veteran, and pioneering commercial astronaut — served as keynote speaker at the Prescott Campus ceremony.

Chris Sembroski — an Embry-Riddle alumnus, U.S. Air Force veteran, avionics engineer and pioneering commercial astronaut — spoke at the Prescott Campus ceremony, telling the graduates that they came to Embry-Riddle to learn how to “lift off.”

“The real gift of Embry-Riddle isn’t knowing the answers,” he said. “It’s being trusted to find them.”

After graduating from Embry-Riddle with a bachelor’s degree, Sembroski served in the Air Force, deploying to Iraq and maintaining a fleet of nuclear Minuteman missiles.

Sembroski was working for Lockheed Martin as a data engineer when he was offered the opportunity to serve as mission specialist on Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to orbit. Commanded by fellow alumnus Jared Isaacman, the crew traveled to an altitude of 367 miles above Earth — higher than the International Space Station and the Hubble Telescope.

“Space doesn’t change you because of how far you go,” he said. “It changes you because of what you now see differently. Graduates, that perspective is now yours.”

A total of 206 graduates were awarded their degrees at the Dec. 13 ceremony, including 11 earning master’s degrees. Twenty-two graduates earned their degrees through the Worldwide Campus. The commencement also included five graduating ROTC students commissioned as officers: four Air Force cadets and one Army ROTC cadet.

The graduating class speaker was Patrick Odone, who earned bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and is a Distinguished Military Graduate, which recognizes top-tier graduating seniors.

Patrick Odone, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and was commissioned as an Army officer, served as the graduating class speaker at the Prescott Campus ceremony.

“Each of you has helped contribute to a culture that encourages curiosity, prizes innovation, and I am so grateful to have gotten to know so many of you over the last four years,” he told his fellow graduates.

Odone, who grew up in a military family and graduated from high school in Germany, was also chosen for the Prescott Campus Chancellor Award, which is the highest award bestowed to a graduate for exceptional academic and leadership achievements.

Odone worked as an intern at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station and at Kairos Power, where he assisted with the design and testing of a safety system for next-generation nuclear reactors. He also led a two-year research collaboration between Embry-Riddle and Trek Performance Research, contributing to the design of a system used to test the cooling and aerodynamics of bicycle helmets used by professional cyclists.

Next, he plans to work in the nuclear industry as a test engineer, while serving part-time in the U.S. Army National Guard as an aviator.

“Whatever you’re passionate about or interested in, you have the chance to learn, develop those skills, and find success through Embry-Riddle,” said Odone.

Aerospace Engineering graduate Christopher Sorensen received the Ed King Community Service Award. He is joining Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, where he completed two internships as a systems engineer. Sorensen, who is from Wisconsin, was active in seven clubs, held five campus jobs, and was inducted into two honor societies, including serving as president of the Student Government Association. While serving as president, he partnered with the Prescott Chamber of Commerce to help link students and campus organizations with local volunteer opportunities. 

 The Daytona Beach Campus

Alumnus Dr. Vivek Lall, chief executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, served as keynote speaker for the Daytona Beach Campus undergraduate commencement ceremony

A total of 782 students earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Dec. 11 commencement ceremonies at the Daytona Beach Campus. 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.”