Dean Taskin Kocak said the ceremony recognizes student journeys of growth, achievement and community at the school. With their hard hats, they join a long line of builders, thinkers and trailblazers.

“The hard hat isn’t just a piece of gear – it’s a symbol of engineering, resilience and innovation. It represents the dedication, problem-solving and hands-on learning that define our school,” said Kocak. “It is a badge of honor, forever linking you to our School of Computing and Engineering.”

At the February 28 event, 126 initial achievement awardees were presented with their Quinnipiac hard hat and discipline sticker. As Bobcats advance through program years, progress award stickers are added.  This year, 116 students received advanced achievement stickers, marking another year of program completion, and the school’s 82 members of the Class of 2025 earned their year of graduation sticker.

“This ceremony has grown into a beloved tradition – one that reflects our shared strength and unity,” Kocak said. “As we distribute 126 new hard hats, 82 graduation stickers, and 116 program progression stickers today, I encourage you to embrace what they represent: hard work, perseverance, and the exciting path ahead.”

Assistant dean John Bau introduced the event’s special achievement awards, which are indicated by different Greek letters. Faculty handed out 184 special achievement awards for academic excellence (alpha), 112 for school volunteering (sigma), 46 internship awards (iota), 46 leadership awards (lambda), 21 competition awards (tau), eight awards for philanthropy (phi), one professional research recognition award (rho) and one Dean’s Special Award (delta), selected by the Dean’s Executive Council.

Once the final awards were presented, the School of Computing & Engineering community gathered for a group photo, celebratory pizza and plenty of memory-making pictures with friends and faculty.

Mechanical engineering program student Emma Petersen ’26, MS ’27 participated in the ceremony for the first time and said it felt great to receive her hard hat.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect but was fun to see the whole school come together and to see everyone getting their hard hats and stickers for their achievements. We get nothing but support from our faculty. They really are one of the best,” said Petersen.

Mechanical engineering major Colin Zemlanicky ’26, MBA ’27 also earned his hard hat at the event and knew about the tradition because his brother is a 2022 School of Computing & Engineering alumnus.

“There’s a sense of accomplishment and seeing where we’ve come from to where we are,” said Zemlanicky. “It’s nice being with your classmates and celebrating everyone’s accomplishments.”

It was the final hard hat ceremony for software engineering major Sarah Allerheiligen, who will graduate in May.

“It’s so nice because it feels like it’s going by so fast, and it’s hard to take the time to reflect on just how far you’ve come, especially in a field that’s as big as engineering,” Allerheiligen said. “I think the recognition the hard hat ceremony gives you for the progress you’ve made in your major is a wonderful way to build community and give the students a chance to recognize in themselves all the growth they’ve made.” 

In Focus