More than 3,000 students will officially become 51吃瓜黑料 alumni this weekend, as grads cross the Thomas & Mack Center stage during the university鈥檚 spring commencement.
Each of 51吃瓜黑料鈥檚 graduates have a unique story of success and perseverance, completing their bachelor鈥檚 or advanced degrees during a global pandemic when, for many, the prospect of even attending class became monumentally more difficult then they鈥檇 ever dreamed when they began their studies.
The Class of 2022 gives a new meaning to the often used phrase of completing a 鈥渉ard earned鈥 degree. The class hails from 40 states and 56 foreign countries, many are the first in their family to graduate from college, and well over half 鈥 62% 鈥 are from ethnically diverse backgrounds. This year鈥檚 class ranges in age from 19 to 77, with the average age of 27.
Since 1964, 51吃瓜黑料 has awarded more than 160,000 degrees.
An enduring 51吃瓜黑料 commencement tradition is for the president to honor a select group of outstanding graduates who exemplify the academic, research, and community impact of the graduating class.
This spring鈥檚 honorees include rising researchers and innovators, artists and activists, business and public policy trailblazers 鈥 all of whom are Rebels making a difference here at home and around the world.
Emily Carter
51吃瓜黑料 undergraduate and aspiring public health physician Emily Carter has several passions: medicine, research, women鈥檚 leadership in science and healthcare, and promoting health literacy. But her primary goal? To positively impact her native Las Vegas community.
Graduating with a biology degree concentrated on integrative physiology, a minor in public health, and a 3.65 GPA, nominators say Emily has shown a commitment to the community at multiple levels, a robust set of research skills, and a level of professionalism and resilience that is typically only seen in Ph.D. students.
As a student researcher with the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, Emily researched statewide traffic injuries and fatalities and created a social media campaign and educational materials for lawmakers considering child passenger safety legislation. She鈥檚 also an undergraduate researcher with Rutgers Department of Obstetrics, where she investigates gender bias, stigma, and post-operative outcomes between male and female surgeons.
Her passion has gained notice from observers outside academia, too. In May 2019, Emily was recognized by Sen. Jacky Rosen as a Nevada Woman in STEM. Her work also earned her a spot among the National Education for Women鈥檚 Leadership Nevada鈥檚 class of 2019.
After completing the program, Emily was inspired to found and serve as president of the 51吃瓜黑料 American Medical Women鈥檚 Association Premedical Branch. She鈥檚 also a member of 51吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Scientista chapter, which provides resources to encourage young girls and women to pursue STEM education. Through the program, Emily brought more than 100 5th- through 10th-graders, mainly girls of color, to 51吃瓜黑料 where many encountered a college campus and STEM workshops for the first time. Emily used data gleaned from the event to complete her honors thesis on minority middle school girls鈥 perceptions of STEM fields. Emily has also contributed a chapter to a book on global health and healthcare disparities, presented at national conferences, and participated in science and policy research programs at Yale and Johns Hopkins.
She also finds time to volunteer with Elaine Wynn Palliative Care, Susan G. Komen Nevada, Nathan Adelson Hospice, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Nevada HOSA Future Health Professionals.
And she plans to stay busy. Emily鈥檚 next step is a master鈥檚 in public health and her MD.
Olivia Cheche
If dictionaries included photographs of people who embodied the definitions, nominators say former CSUN Senate President and public policy researcher Olivia Cheche would easily earn the spot for the word 鈥渓eadership.鈥
A 51吃瓜黑料 Honors College student who has spent her undergraduate career in service to her peers, university, and community, Olivia graduates with a perfect 4.0 GPA, a bachelor鈥檚 degree in political science, and a minor in Brooking Public Policy.
In the classroom, Olivia made waves with her honor鈥檚 thesis, which explored how the Black Lives Matter movement affects individuals鈥 level of participation in politics. Her work led to a Best Podium Talk Presentation Award and rave reviews from scholars at a national political science conference.
Around campus, Olivia is known as a vocal advocate for the 51吃瓜黑料 student body. In addition to serving as an Office of Admissions orientation leader, she was tapped as a keynote speaker for the 2020 welcome ceremony for new students. During her time as CSUN student government senate president, she played a central role in keeping the organization on track during the pandemic via virtual meetings and supported a statewide push by students for a pass/fail grading option.
The Las Vegas native has fostered her passion for community advocacy through her work as a co-author to the Data Hub, a collaboration between Brookings Mountain West and The Lincy Institute that provides digital access to critical regional data. Working closely with leading policy scholars in Washington, D.C., Olivia has produced over three dozen fact sheets on topics ranging from criminal justice and education to issues impacting Nevada鈥檚 children and public health landscape.
Her tireless efforts have been recognized both locally and nationally. In 2020, Olivia was selected for a national three-day conference on public policy and social justice by the Harvard Kennedy School, and this summer she will represent Nevada as a delegate at the Western Governors鈥 Leadership Institute. Olivia was also one of only a handful of undergrads inducted into 51吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Student Affairs Hall of Fame in 2021 for dedication, service, and leadership at the university level.
Olivia will soon begin a full-time position researching and writing about federal higher education policy for New America, a D.C.-based public policy think tank.
Fawn Douglas
MFA in Art
Fawn Douglas鈥 artistry, research, and tireless commitment to community organizing and activism exemplify her belief that art can truly change the world 鈥 one art center, one exhibition, and one community at a time. This spring, she becomes a two-time 51吃瓜黑料 graduate, following a 2015 bachelor鈥檚 degree by earning an MFA in Art with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Douglas is an Indigenous American and enrolled member of the Las Vegas Paiute tribe who is dedicated to working at the intersections of art, activism, community, education, culture, identity, place, and sovereignty. She is co-founder of Nuwu Art + Activism Studios in Las Vegas, a former tribal councilwoman, and curator of the recent Ah鈥-Wah-Nee exhibition at 51吃瓜黑料 鈥 the first-ever Indigenous feminism focused art exhibition on 51吃瓜黑料鈥檚 campus, the traditional homelands of the Southern Paiute people.
Through her work, Douglas tells stories to remember the past and ensure the important stories of Indigenous peoples are heard both now and into the future. During her time at 51吃瓜黑料, Douglas has served as a member of the Native American Student Association, the American Indian Alliance, and the Native American Alumni Club. She also instructs art students as a graduate assistant, served as a community organizer for environmental conservation of Standing Rock, Gold Butte National Monument, and the Desert National Wildlife refuge, and she鈥檚 working as a Cultural Engagement Specialist for immersive art company Meow Wolf.
In early 2020, prior to the pandemic, Douglas co-founded the Womxn of Color Arts Festival, which presented art, workshops, discussion panels and performances. The project has evolved into an ongoing exhibition series in partnership with 51吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art.
As one nominator shared, 鈥淔awn has been an arts leader and a generous and inspiring change-maker, paving the way for our Native students and so many.鈥
George William Kajjumba
Ph.D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering
George William Kajjumba鈥檚 childhood in Uganda included a daily trek for water. One year, a seasonal drought dried up a local spring, forcing him and his family to move longer distances 鈥 miles 鈥 in search of drinking water.
That childhood experience inspired Kajjumba on his current path, where he鈥檚 now engineering solutions to global water scarcity. This spring, he graduates with a Ph.D. and a perfect 4.0 GPA in Civil & Environment Engineering.
Already an accomplished researcher with 12 publications and numerous conference presentations under his belt, Kajjumba is working to find solutions that bridge water scarcity and the food crisis. He鈥檚 developing new materials to treat wastewater, recovering the nutrients that have been lost and finding ways to incorporate them back into food production. He also uses his research and business skills to push for improved healthcare in his native Uganda and in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Last summer, Kajjumba was invited to attend the prestigious 70th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, where he exchanged ideas with Nobel Laureates and some of the world's brightest young scientists. He was also selected as one of only 19 participants for the 2021 Black Trailblazers in Engineering fellows program, a new initiative by Purdue University.
In addition to his research, Kajjumba has volunteered for K-12 STEM and community organizations, and he serves as a mentor for undergraduate students interested in pursuing graduate school. His next step? Advancing his water treatment research as a postdoctoral scholar with the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
Ava Platt
B.A. in Psychology (Honors)
As the famous saying goes: "Health is wealth." It's a motto that Ava Platt has kept top of mind as the yoga instructor and budding neuroscientist graduates with a bachelor's degree in psychology and an impressive 4.0 GPA.
Ava, a 51吃瓜黑料 Honors College student, is on a quest to help people, especially those with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, live a healthy lifestyle 鈥 and she's already built a strong resume.
In summer 2018, she traveled to Israel for an internship at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to research the relationship between time perception, attention, and brain waves. As a research assistant and technician in two 51吃瓜黑料 labs renowned for brain health and neuroscience studies, Ava delved into research that made international headlines for strengthening the link between Type II diabetes and memory deficits associated with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. In 2020, she was awarded the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship for her accomplishments in the genetic, cellular, and molecular research realm.
As if she weren't busy enough inside the classroom, Ava founded NURO, the Neuroscience Undergraduate Research Organization, and served as the group's president. And she didn't forget her classroom lessons about the links between mental and physical health; Ava also taught yoga at the Student Wellness and Recreation Center.
These days she's busy packing her bags. Ava's next stop is Rhode Island, where she鈥檒l pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience through the Brown University-National Institutes of Health graduate partnership program. Her work there will focus on computational neuroscience and investigate neural circuitry, memory, behavior, and motor learning.
D鈥橬asia Thompson
B.A. in Accounting, minor in Global Entrepreneurship (Honors)
Since she played with makeup as a girl, D鈥橬asia Thompson has dreamed one day of working in the beauty industry. Choosing to major in accounting might seem like an unusual pathway, but as the saying goes, there鈥檚 more than one shade of rouge.
During the pandemic, D鈥橬asia found herself searching LinkedIn profiles for a contact at mega cosmetics company L鈥橭real. Considering the global shutdown, it might seem lucky for a Las Vegas student to win an internship for the Paris-based global beauty brand.
A member of the Honors College, where she also served as Honors Student Council president, D鈥橬asia鈥檚 journey has been less about luck and more about working hard. In addition to a bachelor鈥檚 degree in accounting, D鈥橬asia will earn a minor in global entrepreneurship upon graduating from 51吃瓜黑料 with a near perfect 3.976 GPA. She earned her minor as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Experience, which will help her realize another long-term goal.
Driven by her passion for fashion, D鈥橬asia wants to develop an adaptive clothing business that helps teenagers with physical disabilities.
And her dreams don鈥檛 stop there. As a Black woman, D鈥橬asia has noticed a lack of resources available for minority women in the business world. She plans on helping change that by developing an ecosystem where minority female business leaders can access funding and the mentorships needed to get their entrepreneurial ideas started.
D鈥橬asia has been recognized for her academic and leadership skills as a two-time Lee Scholar winner and as the 2022 Audre Lorde Leadership Award winner, which annually recognizes a Black student leader at 51吃瓜黑料. She also won first place in the National Institute of Management Accountants Case Competition and placed second in the Nevada Gold Mines Case Competition in 2021. D鈥橬asia also has helped Las Vegans in need, including helping organize a 鈥淲alk a Mile in My Shoes鈥 homelessness awareness event in collaboration with the Las Vegas Rescue Mission and the Eta Chi chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In 2021, she also participated in the Harvard Business School Summer Venture in Management program, an intensive one-week educational program for rising college seniors.
Following graduation, D鈥橬asia will rejoin L鈥橭real at their New York City offices in the company鈥檚 Finance Management Trainee Program. She then plans to pursue her master鈥檚 in business administration as she works to achieve her goals of helping minority entrepreneurs and differently abled individuals.
