Four graduating students at Missouri S&T were chosen to speak during four commencement ceremonies May 14-15 at the Gale Bullman Building on the Rolla, Mo., campus. During the ceremonies, over 1,100 degrees will be awarded to graduate and undergraduate candidates.

Elizabeth Pomerenke, a senior in chemical engineering from Marshall, Missouri, will speak during the 6 p.m. ceremony on Friday, May 14, and the 9 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, May 15. 

Pomerenke was an active member of the S&T Honors Academy, the International Genetically Engineered Machine design team (iGEM), Chi Alpha and competitive tennis club. She held co-op positions at Mid-Missouri Energy, DuPont and Kent Grain Processing Corp. and worked as an undergraduate research student, focusing on optimizing the production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil. She earns a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering. After graduation she will join Ingredion’s operations talent development program as a process engineer in Kansas City, Missouri.

Alissa Keller, a senior in civil engineering from St. Louis, will speak at the noon ceremony on Saturday, May 15.

Keller held internship positions at Kiewit and ARCO Construction Co. and studied abroad in the Netherlands. A member of the Concrete Canoe Design Team, she was active in the Trap and Skeet Club, Kappa Delta sorority and Lambda Sigma Pi women’s service organization as Girl Scouts of the USA. After graduation, she will begin work for Whiting Turner in Kansas City, Missouri. She earns a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering and a minor in engineering management.

Ashley-Ann Davis, a senior in engineering management from Jefferson City, Missouri, and Alivia Dean, a senior in mechanical engineering from Clyde, Ohio, will speak at the 3 p.m. ceremony on Saturday, May 15.

A native of Jamaica, Davis served as president of the National Society of Black Engineers for two consecutive years and was the student representative to the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for African American Recruitment and Retention. She was also a student admissions ambassador and a research assistant for Dr. Joel Burken, Curators’ Distinguished Professor and chair of civil, architectural and environmental engineering. Davis authored a book titled Partying with a 4.0: Finding Balance in College, and plans to pursue a Ph.D. as a Kummer Innovation and Entrepreneurship Doctoral Fellow while working part time for Turner Construction. She earns a bachelor of science degree in engineering management with an emphasis in civil engineering.Dean moved to Rolla for experiential learning and that she achieved. Dean invested a year of co-op job experience and a semester abroad, earned two foreign language minors, worked two campus jobs, served as president of three student organizations, and competed internationally on S&T’s Human Powered Vehicle Design Team. She spent a few years mentoring each of S&T’s design teams and managing their Leadership Team, for which she was featured in the expansion reveal of her second home, the Kummer Student Design Center. A member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Associated General Contractors, after graduation Dean will work in project management of federal healthcare construction. She earns a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.