Convocation 2024

Caltech's annual convocation ceremony will take place on Monday, September 23, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in Beckman Auditorium. Convocation marks the Institute's formal and official welcome to all incoming undergraduate and graduate students.

We invite all members of the Caltech community—new and returning students, staff, faculty, and postdocs—to come together to celebrate the beginning of the academic year and to help welcome our new students. The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. with all new students processing into Beckman Auditorium from the south end of Beckman Mall. Current faculty, staff, students, and postdocs are encouraged to arrive by 10:15 a.m. to take their seats in the auditorium and be part of the warm welcome for the incoming students as they enter the space.

This year's program, hosted by Vice President for Student Affairs Kevin M. Gilmartin, will feature a welcome from President Thomas F. Rosenbaum and a keynote panel discussion on sustainability led by Jonas Peters, Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Resnick Sustainability Institute. The panel will also include John Dabiri (MS ‘03, PhD ‘05), Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering; Azita Emami, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Medical Engineering and Director of the Center for Sensing to Intelligence; Dianne Newman, Professor of Biology and Geobiology and Merkin Institute Professor; and Mark Simons, Professor of Geophysics and Director of the Brinson Exploration Hub.

A community lunch will follow immediately after the event on Beckman Mall.

Sustainability Through Science, Innovation, and Education

Featured Speakers:
Dr. Jonas Peters
Bren Professor of Chemistry and Director, Resnick Sustainability Institute

Dr. Jonas Peters, Bren Professor of Chemistry at Caltech, has been the Director of the Resnick Sustainability Institute since 2015. His research centers on innovative approaches to catalysis with applications in renewable energy and sustainability, including solar fuel technologies and nitrogen fixation. Peters earned his PhD from MIT and joined Caltech's faculty in 1999. In addition to his leadership at the Resnick Institute, he collaborates on key sustainability projects with the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis. Peters was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021.

Dr. John Dabiri
Centennial Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering

Dr. John Dabiri is a Centennial Professor at Caltech, with research focused on unsteady fluid mechanics and flow physics, particularly in areas intersecting biology, energy, and the environment. A MacArthur Fellow and a Fellow of both the American Physical Society and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Dabiri's innovative work spans biological fluid dynamics in the ocean to next-generation wind energy. He holds a PhD in Bioengineering from Caltech and previously served as Dean of Undergraduate Students. Dabiri also contributes to national science policy through his roles on PCAST and the Energy Secretary's Advisory Board.

Dr. Azita Emami
Andrew and Peggy Cherng Professor of Electrical Engineering and Medical Engineering; Director, Center for Sensing to Intelligence

Dr. Azita Emami is the Andrew and Peggy Cherng Professor of Electrical Engineering and Medical Engineering at Caltech, where she also serves as the Executive Officer of Electrical Engineering. Her research focuses on designing high-performance, low-power integrated circuits and systems, with applications spanning mixed-signal integrated circuits for digital communication, optoelectronics, and biomedical implants. Emami earned her PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and previously worked at IBM. She is a distinguished lecturer for the IEEE and contributes to various technical program committees in the field of integrated circuits and systems.

Dr. Dianne Newman
Gordon M. Binder/Amgen Professor of Biology and Geobiology; Merkin Institute Professor

Dr. Dianne Newman is the Gordon M. Binder/Amgen Professor of Biology and Geobiology at Caltech and a Merkin Institute Professor. Her research focuses on the bioenergetics and cell biology of metabolically diverse bacteria, with applications in understanding chronic infections and microbial roles in environmental processes. Newman's pioneering work in molecular geomicrobiology explores electron-transfer reactions and their implications for both ancient Earth processes and modern biomedical challenges. She is a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and the National Academy of Sciences Award in Molecular Biology, and she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2019.

Dr. Mark Simons
John W. and Herberta M. Miles Professor of Geophysics; Director, Brinson Exploration Hub

Dr. Mark Simons is the John W. and Herberta M. Miles Professor of Geophysics at Caltech and the Director of the Brinson Exploration Hub. His research integrates observational data and geodynamic models to understand spatial and temporal deformation at tectonic plate boundaries, with a focus on earthquake cycles, volcanic processes, and crustal deformation. He utilizes space geodesy techniques, including interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and GPS, alongside other geophysical methods. Simons has studied geological structures across diverse regions, including the Andes, Japan, and the western United States. He also applies his research to magma migration in active volcanoes and planetary geodynamics, such as the exploration of ocean worlds like Enceladus.