Student speakers, Chancellor’s Medallion recipients honored during commencement ceremonies

University of Michigan-Dearborn recognized two student speakers and six Chancellor’s Medallion winners during the university’s commencement ceremony April 28.

Student speakers
Ife Oyedele II (Inkster, Mich.) graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a dual major in marketing and information technology management. He earned a place on the Dean’s List during the summer 2012 semester.

Oyedele, originally from Nigeria, completed internships with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, JRV Consulting and Perficient, Inc. He was a research assistant at iLabs, UM-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation Research.

He served as vice president of social media for the American Marketing Association, secretary of the ITM Club and as an orientation leader for incoming freshman and transfer students. He participated in an Alternative Spring Break trip to New Orleans and completed the university’s Blueprints Leadership Program, in which he partnered with United Way for Southeastern Michigan to bring River Rouge High School students to UM-Dearborn to experience campus life.

Oyedele is seeking a full-time position and eventually plans to attend graduate school and start his own IT consulting business.

Dennis Lienhardt (Riverview, Mich.) graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and criminal justice. He earned University Honors in 2010.

Lienhardt was an active member of Student Government, serving as senator, treasurer and director of clubs and organizations before being elected president for the 2012-2013 school year. He has been awarded the Leadership Synergy Award and the Emerging Leadership Award. In 2013, he was named one of 50 UM-Dearborn Difference Makers.

As part of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters’ Cooperative Education program, he served as a legal file clerk at Bodman PLC law firm. He also was a University Center ambassador and worked as a cook at his family’s banquet center.

Lienhardt will begin law school in the fall at Wayne State University.

College of Business
Edwin Huang (Dearborn Heights, Mich.) received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in supply chain management and a minor in information technology management. He graduated with high distinction. He appeared on the Dean’s List three semesters and earned University Honors in 2011 and 2012.

He was a member of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity and has earned the Professional U certificate of achievement. He was inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society, which recognizes undergraduate students in the top 15 percent of their class.

Huang completed an internship in scheduling and forecasting with Detroit Diesel during the Fall 2012 semester.

He is seeking full-time employment in the automotive industry and plans to attend graduate school in the future.

College of Engineering and Computer Science
Molly Pohutski (Trenton, Mich.) graduated with high distinction with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer and information science. She was named to the Dean’s List seven times, was awarded University Honors each year, was named the James B. Angell Scholar in 2011 and 2012 and was awarded the William J. Branstrom Prize in 2010.

Pohutski served as president of both Dearborn Campus Engineers and Alpha Omega Epsilon, the professional engineering sorority. She was a member of Upsilon Pi Epsilon—the international honor society for computer sciences— and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and was part of the ACM Regional Programming Contest team in 2011. She also volunteered for CECS’ Engineering/Computer Science Experience for high school students.

She completed multiple co-op rotations at Urban Science in Detroit, which provides consulting and software solutions to automotive clients.

Pohutski has accepted a full-time position at Urban Science and plans to enroll in graduate school in the future.

School of Education
Steven Pascoe (Northville, Mich.) graduated with high distinction with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education science studies. He has been on the Dean’s List five times, graduating with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

Pascoe is a member of the Gamma Iota Chapter of Pi Lambda Theta, the School of Education’s national honor organization, and was inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society, which recognizes undergraduates in the top 15 percent of their class. Outside of the university, Pascoe volunteers at his church and cares for his elderly grandmother, who lives with his family.

He completed his student teaching in a fifth grade classroom in the Livonia Public School District, where he co-coached a Battle of the Books team with his cooperating teacher.

Pascoe intends to become an elementary school teacher.

College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters
Amanda Bower (Melvindale, Mich.) received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in mathematics and minors in applied statistics and computer and information science. She graduated with high distinction. Bower earned University Honors in 2010, 2011 and 2012, was named a James B. Angell Scholar in 2011 and 2012, was placed on the Dean’s List seven times and was the 2013 Undergraduate Honor Scholar in mathematics.

Bower was a member of UM-Dearborn’s Putnam exam team and participated in summer research programs at Williams College and the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University. She has presented research at several conferences and contributed to five research papers that are either published, in press, submitted or in preprint form.

She was a member of the American Mathematical Society, the Association for Women in Mathematics and the UM-Dearborn chapter of Autism Speaks U.

Bower will attend the Princeton Research Training Group Summer School in Financial Mathematics and the National Science Foundation’s Research in Industrial Projects for Students program at UCLA. She plans to apply next fall to Ph.D. programs in either mathematics or computer science.

Mary Fastiggi (Dearborn Heights, Mich.) graduated with high distinction with a Bachelor of Arts degree with double majors in environmental studies and history. She was named to the Dean’s List eight times and earned University Honors in 2012.

Fastiggi served as the primary student leader of natural history and environmental interpretation programs on campus, leading and conducting more than 120 educational programs for more than 4,000 school children. She organized the Children’s Gardening Program and the annual Rouge River Water Festival. Off campus, she completed multiple co-op experiences with DTE Energy.

She was named one of 50 UM-Dearborn Difference Makers for 2013, which recognizes students for academic achievement, integrity, leadership and creative contribution.

Fastiggi plans to seek an internship within the environmental field and will apply for graduate school for Fall 2014.

Cory Page (Harrison Township, Mich.) received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, graduating with high distinction. He appeared on the Dean’s List every semester, received University honors from 2009-2012 and earned the William J. Branstrom Prize in 2010.

Page has published eight pieces for UM-Dearborn’s literary journal, Lyceum, and three op-ed pieces for the student newspaper, The Michigan Journal. While an intern at the Oakland Press, he initiated and developed the online health blog Junkfood Rehab.

He has volunteered on behalf of victims of domestic violence and abandoned animals. Through the Humanities Internship Program, he worked with First Step to plan and get funding for ARK, which allows entire families—including pets—to leave dangerous situations together.

Page will apply to Master of Fine Arts programs across the country. He also is applying to copy-editing positions.