Each year during National Engineers Week, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, and software engineering students don their gold Quinnipiac hard hats at the ceremony, where they also receive progressive award and recognition stickers.

On February 27, Dean Taskin Kocak welcomed 308 student recipients to the Mount Carmel Auditorium, together with nearly 100 family and friends joining the ceremony via Zoom.

“This week, during National Engineers Week, we celebrate our fields through various events, each one reinforcing the passion and the excellence that brings us together. And today we culminate that celebration by recognizing you, our students, our future engineers and computing professionals,” Dean Kocak said. “I’m honored to be part of this incredible community, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together. Let’s celebrate, support one another, and keep shaping the future.”

Wearing blue Quinnipiac hardhats, faculty helped hand out 131 new gold hardhats, 138 program progression stickers, 413 award stickers, and 125 graduation stickers. This year, a commemorative 10th anniversary sticker was also distributed.

“It’s something you can proudly place on your hard hat as a symbol of your connection to this historic moment in our school’s journey,” Dean Kocak said.

Additionally, for the first time ever, two Class of 2016 engineering alumni who have since joined the school as adjunct professors, Alexander Thimineur ’16 and Andrew Peccerillo ’16, were presented with blue hard hats.

Since its official inception in 2016, the School of Computing and Engineering’s focus on enhancing facilities, expanding academic programs, increasing enrollment, and strengthening industry partnerships has garnered national recognition and fueled its legacy.

“In just ten years we have grown tremendously,” said Dean Kocak. “What began as a bold vision has become a thriving, innovative community, and each of you are now part of that legacy.”

The Quinnipiac hard hat is not simply a piece of gear, but a symbolic tribute to engineering, resilience and innovation, he said.

“It represents the dedication, problem-solving and hands-on learning that defines our school. When you wear this hard hat, you join a long line of builders, thinkers and trailblazers. It’s a badge of honor forever linking you to our School of Computing and Engineering,” Dean Kocak said.

During the ceremony, Dean Kocak also welcomed and recognized Richard Benton as a valued partner and true friend of the school. Benton, who serves as Vice President and General Manager of Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, was presented with a blue Quinnipiac hard hat.

As Dean Kocak shared, with decades of experience in the aerospace industry, Benton has played a key role in advancing the design, development, and production of next-generation rotary-wing aircraft. His work has supported mission-critical aviation programs serving national defense, global security, and commercial transportation needs.

“But what stands out most to us is his commitment to supporting students, education, and the future of engineering,” Dean Kocak said. “Last year, Rich honored us by serving as our commencement speaker, where he inspired our graduates as they prepared to begin their professional journeys. Since then, he has remained closely connected to our community and has become a great friend of the school and of Quinnipiac University as a whole.”

This academic year, Benton and Sikorsky have sponsored three exceptional School of Computing and Engineering student projects. The highly sought project opportunities are providing mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, and cyber security student teams with the opportunity to work on meaningful, real-world challenges.

Benton said engineering innovation is built on developing solutions to solve problems. When founder Igor Sikorsky solved the problem of vertical lift, he ushered in 100 years of innovation at Sikorsky.

\“We’ve never quit innovating,” Benton said. “And when I think of the next 100 years of innovation, it won’t be the people that are there now innovating and solving those problems. It will be the men and women in this room. So having this relationship and getting them excited not just about what they’re learning, but how they’re going to apply that and solve problems, is pretty exciting to me.”

Mechanical engineering major Grace Foley ’26, MBA ’27, said being among those selected to work on a Sikorsky project has made her Quinnipiac academic journey even more impactful.

“We’re all very proud because we worked really hard to get here, and we earned the spot,” said Foley.

Mechanical engineering major Cynthia Staroscik ’26 said working on a project with Sikorsky has been a great opportunity to get real world experience. Mechanical engineering major and student project team member Colin Zemlanicky ’26, MBA ’27, agreed.

“It’s Lockheed Martin – you can’t really say more about it. It’s the number one defense company in the world,” said Zemlanicky. “It’s a great opportunity, and something you really can’t get anywhere else in Connecticut, or the world. It’s a great resume builder and a great foot-in-the-door into the industry.”

Providing invaluable experiences such as these reflect Benton’s deep commitment to student success and workforce development, Dean Kocak said.

“Rich has been instrumental in building and strengthening the relationship between Sikorsky and our school. Because of his leadership and support, our students have greater access to mentorship, opportunities, and industry engagement that help prepare them for successful careers,” said Dean Kocak.

Sikorsky is a company that is deeply rooted in community, said Benton.

“Part of the community is Quinnipiac, and the students there, and the parents that support them. We get a lot from community, and I think it’s important that we give back,” said Benton.

Benton also met with many student project team members at the ceremony on February 27. 
To close the Hard Hat Ceremony, the school community gathered for an impressive hard hat group photo and enjoyed New Haven-style pizza.

Zemlanicky said the annual Hard Hat Ceremony is always a special time for School of Computing and Engineering students.

“It’s great to see the progress that everyone’s making and being able to share this accomplishment with all of our fellow students,” Zemlanicky said. “It’s been great to be able to cheer each other on, and to see the long hours pay off, and get recognition from our professors. They know all the hours we’ve put in and what it means.”

On February 26, students, faculty, staff and alumni also celebrated National Engineers Week during a highly attended Bingo Night at On the Rocks Pub & Grill on the York Hill Campus.

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