Umit Ozkan delivers summer commencement speech focused on unity and the power of learning

Umit Ozkan delivered the 440th commencement speech, focused on her life experiences and advice for graduates, for Ohio State’s summer commencement ceremony at the Schottenstein Center on Sunday. 1,769 students were granted degrees, with 973 graduates in attendance for the ceremony. 

Ozkan, a distinguished College of Engineering professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Ohio State, began her speech by appreciating not only the graduates, but their families as well. Students were asked to stand and give their loved ones a round of applause, to which the graduating class did, with some hoots and hollers. 

Despite admitting that she was overwhelmed to be giving this speech, Ozkan joked to the graduating class that she is a faculty member and not a celebrity. 

“Graduates, I hope you’re not too disappointed that a faculty member is your commencement speaker, rather than a celebrity from outside,” Ozkan said. “I can almost see some of you thinking, ‘Oh no, another lecture by a faculty member? Didn’t we have enough of those in the last four or five or how ever many years?’”

Ozkan then assured the graduating class that her speech wouldn’t be a lecture, but rather her sharing her life experiences and offering advice for the new graduates. 

Ozkan described her life in Turkey, growing up in a middle-class family as the youngest of three daughters.

“We didn’t have a lot of material things, but there was a lot of love and support in my family, especially in love of education and learning,” Ozkan said. 

Ozkan went on to describe how her father motivated her and her sisters to go out and achieve whatever they believed in. Ozkan took those words with power, deciding to go to the United States to continue her doctorate studies. 

After graduating with a Ph.D. from Iowa State University, Ozkan told the audience she was offered a faculty position at Ohio State and has been there ever since. She was the first female chemical engineering faculty member to be hired at the university. 

“This was at a time when engineering was still considered, quote unquote, non-traditional for women,” Ozkan said. “In the entire country, there were fewer than eight or nine female chemical engineering faculty members, so I’m deeply grateful to Ohio State for taking a chance on hiring me into the chemical engineering college, not only as a woman, but as an immigrant woman.”

Ozkan continued to thank the university for taking a chance on her, saying that she “could not have chosen a better institution” to start her career at. At Ohio State, Ozkan said she was able to not just fulfill her passion for teaching, but also for seeking new ideas, in her research and beyond. 

Throughout her speech, Ozkan described research she has done with Ph.D. students, masters students, postdoctoral researchers and undergraduate researchers. Ozkan said her research group “is like the mini United Nations.”

“These young researchers are the ones who keep challenging me, motivating me by their curiosity, their endless energy and their brilliant creativity,” Ozkan said. “I learn so much from them, much more than they learn from me, and any research recognition that I received so far…really belongs to my students.”

Ozkan took this time to shout out one of her own graduating Ph.D. students, Snehal Sanjay Patil, mentioning that her parents came all the way from India to witness her graduate with her PhD. 

“I’m grateful to all of my students, thousands of students, for being part of my journey for the last four decades,” Ozkan said. 

Ozkan shared the life lessons she has learned, hoping that they serve the graduating class well. She told the graduates to not fear failures as they are “the best dress rehearsals for success.”

Ozkan went on to discuss why graduates should continue to challenge themselves throughout the rest of their lives.

“Don’t settle for what seems easy and comfortable,” Ozkan said. “Choose the path that seems more difficult, oftentimes you will see that it makes all the difference in the world.”

Ozkan then told the audience why continuing to learn is so important.

“Actual graduation is the beginning of lifelong learning. That’s why we call it commencement,” Ozkan said.  “Be curious and question everything. Don’t take anything at face value, whether it is something you see on social media or on Chat GPT or even in scientific literature. Question everything.” 

Ozkan spoke on the power of unity between people, saying that there is no “us versus them,” but rather just us. 

“It is our humanity that really connects us together, living in dignity regardless of their race or skin color or religion or language that they speak,” Ozkan said. “All human beings deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.”

Ozkan ended her speech by telling the graduating class to stay connected to their alma mater, as they have a whole family of Buckeyes here, and are now a part of Ohio State’s history.

“Graduates, go out and be a catalyst for change, and change the world for the better,” Ozkan said.