"Vitality, Inquisitiveness, and Innovation"

As the ceremony begins, Kelly notes that "in ways that the founders of this program had not anticipated, the graduate program has brought a spirit of vitality, inquisitiveness and innovation to the institute."

A Ph.D. degree from the Kellogg School of Science and Technology takes an average of five years, in which the candidate attends classes, completes lab rotations, and writes a dissertation that offers an original contribution to the field. The institute's first commencement in 1993 graduated a single student. Since then, the program has grown rapidly in both size and reputation. With 31 graduates, this year's class is among the largest in the institute's history.