Celebrating the Class of 2026
UVA Engineering’s Class of 2026 is a shining example of engineering for the greater good. We can’t wait to see what they will do next as they leave Engineer’s Way for the world beyond Grounds. But first, let’s celebrate these important members of our UVA Engineering community for the accomplishments they’ve made and the relationships they’ve built.
Final Exercises
Explore photo galleries from Final Exercises on May 17, 2026, including the Lawn ceremony and department diploma ceremonies across Grounds, and join us in celebrating the remarkable achievements of the Class of 2026.
Department Diploma Ceremonies
Celebrating Excellence
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Outstanding Undergraduate Student Awards
The 2026 winners of the undergraduate Outstanding Student Award reflect the range of individuals who contribute to UVA Engineering’s robust intellectual community and represent the spirit of engineering for the greater good.
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2026 Outstanding Ph.D. Students
UVA Engineering’s 2026 Outstanding Ph.D. Student Award recipients are advancing AI, medicine, materials and infrastructure through research, leadership and service.
Meet the Class of 2026
Learn more about just a few of the many outstanding members of the Class of 2026 — what kept them busy at UVA, where they're headed next, the people they're grateful to, their favorite memories and traditions, and what engineering for the greater good means to them.
As these graduating students move on to even bigger things, UVA Engineering celebrates their achievements and looks forward to watching them build a brighter future in research, education, public service, industry and beyond.
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Anne Marie Branch
B.S., Aerospace Engineering
"It’s been incredibly fulfilling to watch as my fellow Rocketry leads and younger team members develop as engineers and learn new skills.”
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Zachary Palazzotto
B.S., Biomedical Engineering
"Engineering for the greater good means understanding that we are real human beings with values, goals and ethically framed decisions."
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Hannah Zook
B.S., Biomedical Engineering
Hannah Zook was 4 when she tried adaptive climbing for the first time at a recreation center. Now, she’s scaling walls the world over.
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Preyonty Rabbani
B.S., Chemical Engineering
"Engineering for the greater good means being intentional about tradeoffs, designing systems while also considering the broader social context."
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Natasha D’Cunha
B.S., Chemical Engineering
"Being part of the AIChE student chapter has given me my closest friends and helped me feel the community UVA Engineering is best known for.”
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Harkiran Singh
B.S., Chemical Engineering
"Not only did I get to foster meaningful connections with professors outside of the classroom, I also mentored first- and second-year students."
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Taran Gupta
B.S., Civil Engineering
"Making so much music with my best friends has pushed me creatively — an essential skill for engineering — and made me smile and laugh more times than I can count."
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Samantha “Sam” Saks
B.S., Civil Engineering
"E-Schoolers are collaborative and supportive and genuinely care about one another. This doesn’t just take shape in the classroom; E-Schoolers build true camaraderie, as engineers but also as people."
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Shreyas Mayya
B.S., Computer Science
"Engineers don’t exist in a vacuum. We have a responsibility to ensure that the work we do positively impacts the people around us."
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Soumee Guha
Ph.D., Computer Engineering
"There’s something profoundly satisfying about transforming mathematical concepts into algorithms that benefit people — for example, by improving health care outcomes."
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Pratik Pandit
B.S., Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering
"I have always been curious. I wanted to know why things work the way they did instead of accepting them as a black box. This is what led me to electrical engineering."
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Joseph “Joey” Geno Zambotti Giordano
B.S., Materials Science and Engineering
"UVA has a beautiful campus and people with many different interests. If you’re interested in something, from STEM to linguistics to politics to anything else, there are people at UVA that will share that interest.”
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Gracelin Ann Jones
B.S., Mechanical Engineering
"Being a resident advisor has taught me more than any other leadership role I’ve ever held. I’ve learned how to be an empathetic leader, trust my abilities and recognize that I have an impact on the UVA community.”
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Katie Fidler
B.S., Systems Engineering
"The Policy Internship Program showed me the deep value of bringing engineers into the policy space."
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Giovanna Camacho
Ph.D., Systems Engineering
"Engineering for the greater good is the entire reason I’m engineering — to make things better for the end user!"
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Lauren Elizabeth Horde
Ph.D., Systems Engineering
"UVA Engineering strikes a rare balance — the program maintains academic and research excellence while its staff and faculty are among the warmest I’ve encountered."
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Eleanore “Nora” Rae Scheer
Ph.D., Systems Engineering
"I hope to create solutions that are not only efficient, but also inclusive, practical and responsive to real needs."
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William Carter McGee
B.S., Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering major William Carter McGee will commission in the Air Force upon graduation, but it didn't come easily after a health scare.
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Order of the Engineer
During UVA Engineering's second annual Order of the Engineer ceremony, 304 engineering students and faculty accepted the "Obligation of an Engineer."
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Fourth-Year Garden Party
The annual garden party for fourth-year students, sponsored by the Engineering Student Council, is an opportunity for students to gather, socialize and celebrate.
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Ph.D. Graduate Reception
UVA Engineering hosted a reception honoring the Class of 2026 Ph.D. graduates in front of Thornton Hall.
Cavman is an Engineer! 2026 Cavman Reveal
Meet the Hoos revealed to be behind this year’s Cavman, including UVA Engineering's Class of 2026 systems engineering major Alison Pike.
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Materials Science and Engineering Celebrations
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Class of 2026 News
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Are Smarter Sonograms Possible? Researcher Uses Generative AI To Advance Medical Imaging
Soumee Guha, a Ph.D. student graduating this year, works to solve medical imaging problems in electrical and computer engineering professor Scott Acton’s Virginia Image and Video Analysis Lab.
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UVA Engineering Capstone Teams Recognized at Statewide Event
UVA Engineering students earned statewide recognition at the ASCE Student Symposium, placing first in water resources and excelling in concrete canoe and steel bridge competitions.
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UVA Students Win Entrepreneurship Cup
UVA students Armaan Chakrabarti and Collin Togher won the Entrepreneurship Cup for developing Cambrient AI, an AI-powered email security tool.
Capstone Design Projects
Capstone design projects represent the culmination of undergraduate engineering training in UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. In these team-based projects, fourth-year students apply their technical knowledge and professional skills to tackle real-world challenges, often in partnership with external stakeholders. Through a structured design process — from identifying needs to delivering tested solutions — students demonstrate their abilities in engineering, communication, collaboration and teamwork. Capstones prepare students for success in their chosen professions.
Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering students presented their capstone projects during a poster and demo session in April 2026.
Chemical Engineering
Fourth-year chemical engineering students presented their capstone projects in April 2026.
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Fourth-year civil engineering majors presented their capstone projects during a poster session.
Computer Science
Students in the computer science capstone practicum course (CS 4971) presented their capstones during an in-class expo in April 2026.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Fourth-year electrical and computer engineering majors presented their capstone projects during a "Demo Day" event in December 2025.
Materials Science and Engineering
Fourth-year materials science students take part in a two-semester capstone experience where groups of students bring together their entire curricular coursework and laboratory skills to develop solutions to a major engineering design problem.
Systems and Information Engineering
Fourth-year systems engineering students presented their capstone projects during the 2026 Systems and Information Engineering Design Symposium. SIEDS is a student-focused international forum for applied research, development, and design in systems and information engineering.