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PEG SKORPINSKI PHOTOS
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Inventor
Dean Kamen addresses 2003 graduates
It was a cool and overcast
day, but the only degrees on their minds were the ones they were
about to receive, the nearly 1,000 bachelor’s, master’s,
and doctoral degrees that were conferred last May at the College
of Engineering’s 140th commencement at the historic Hearst
Greek Theatre.
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Dean Kamen
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By popular demand of the graduating
class, inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen gave the keynote address.
Bioengineering graduate Alice Ann Chen was student speaker, and
31 top students received awards and scholarships, including Bechtel
Achievement Awardee Ankur Luthra, Bechtel Engineering Scholar
Jengyee Liang, and student citation winners from each of the College’s
eight departments.
Kamen, an inventor and entrepreneur
who holds more than 150 patents for devices such as an infusion
pump for people with diabetes and a wheelchair that climbs stairs,
is best known for his Segway Human Transporter. He gave a droll
speech that promised "99 Things You Need To Do To Succeed
in Life." In the end, he said, only two really matter: finding
something important to do in life and not giving up on that commitment.
He also entreated engineers to "spread knowledge among the
savages out there," by claiming a stronger voice in an ever-more
complicated world.
The Segway itself made a surprise appearance just before Kamen
got up to speak, as ME graduate George Ban-Weiss glided across
the stage on one, clearly exhibiting an engineer’s delight
at its smooth handling.
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FOREFRONT takes you into the
labs, classrooms, and lives of professors, students, and alumni
for an intimate look at the innovative research, teaching, and
campus life that define the College of Engineering at the University
of California, Berkeley.
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