During the week of May 17, 2025, Morgan State University announced that it welcomed one of the largest graduating classes in the history of Maryland's preeminent public urban research university.
The institution, recognized as one of the most prominent historically Black colleges and universities, held its 148th Spring Commencement Exercises on its campus in Baltimore.
This year's ceremonies awarded a record high of 60 doctoral candidates, and a total of 1,022 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees were conferred during the two commencement celebrations, surpassing last year's total by more than 180 candidates.
Among the notable undergraduate recipients were the first three graduates to receive a Bachelor of Science in Mechatronics Engineering.
Spring graduates included a Computer Science major and an Industrial Engineering major, who were both honored with the President's Second Mile Award for their outstanding leadership and participation in student affairs.
A Ph.D. in Bioenvironmental Sciences from the Class of 2025, exemplifies the excellence produced by Morgan's graduate programs.
The multi-hyphenate grad, who previously attended the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Maryland, College Park, joined Morgan in 2020 to take advantage of its unique academic and research opportunities, particularly those supported by the Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL).
She completed her doctoral dissertation on the topic of "Microplastics With Co-Contaminants and Plastic-Degrading Microbes Found in the Chrysora Chesapeake of the Patuxent River, Chesapeake Bay."
At the Undergraduate Exercises held in Hughes Memorial Stadium, Katiana Guillaume, a Bachelor of Science in Biology graduate, addressed the audience after the diplomas were awarded.
"If there's one word that defines the Class of 2025, it's perseverance," said Guillaume.
The Undergraduate Exercises followed the School of Graduate Studies ceremony, which took place in the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center on Thursday, May 15.
Among the special guests at the Undergraduate Commencement was Sanjay K. Rai, Ph.D., secretary of the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
The Class of 1975 led the procession during the ceremony, receiving a place of honor as the last class to graduate from Morgan State College before it attained university status.