The Spring 2024 Launch ceremony at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering saw record attendance by graduating senior engineering students. (Scott Holstein/FAMU-FSU College of Engineering)
On Tuesday, April 23, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering held a Launch and Order of the Engineer Ring ceremony on the campus lawn for graduating seniors.
A record number of senior engineering students from the nation’s joint college participated in the event, which marks their transition from student to professional engineer.
More than 275 students took the Order of the Engineer oath and accepted the stainless-steel ring “on their working hand,” which signifies a commitment to upholding professional and ethical standards in their engineering career.
Kathy Crandall, president of the mission networks sector at L3Harris Technologies and a college alumna via Florida State University, was the event’s keynote speaker. Her message to the graduating seniors focused on upholding the professional ethos while remaining true to oneself. She left participants with this advice:
- Know your true north.
- Make conscious decisions. You may not always be correct, but you can rest easy knowing you decided thoughtfully.
- Strive to be honest with yourself and others.
- Be assertive and speak up, especially when you see something wrong.
- Embrace continuous learning and maintain a growth mindset.
Associate Dean Michelle Rambo-Roddenberry led the event. Lora Hollingsworth, P.E., chief safety officer for the Florida Department of Transportation, helped conduct the ceremony with Lisa Spainhour, Ph.D., P.E., chair of the college’s Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.
The college hosts a Launch! Order of the Engineer induction ceremony at the end of each fall and spring semester. The Order is open to any professional engineer with at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering. At the ceremony, graduating undergrads and graduate students, as well as the engineering faculty, staff, and alumni of the joint college, take the oath together.