First Ph.D. graduates in UDC’s history from SEAS and CAUSES celebrated

Dr. Juan F. Ramirez Rochac, Dr. Carletta S. Hurt, Dr. Temechu G. Zewdie, Dr. Camille P. Range and Dr. Vincent Tanoe.

The walk across the stage at Commencement represented the culmination of challenging work for the first doctoral cohorts to graduate from Ph.D. programs in the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the College of Agriculture Urban Sustainability & Environmental Sciences (CAUSES). The doctorates were developed to offer students an expanded body of knowledge, credentials and the necessary tools to take their careers to the next level.

The Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering was initiated by the faculty of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. After the approval by the Board of Trustees and the Department of Education, it was launched in 2018. Dr. Paul Cotae was appointed as the program director. The Ph.D. program specializes in Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science.

The SEAS Ph.D. program has 21 students enrolled, with the first four graduating from the Computer Science Department this year.

The Ph.D. Computer Science graduates were Vincent Tanoe, Temechu Zewdie and Juan Rochac. In addition, Marzieh Savadkoohi, a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering, will complete her requirements in the summer of 2023.

“I am incredibly happy to be here in the first class of Ph.D.’s graduating from the University of the District of Columbia representing different parts of the community,” Ramirez said. “I wish UDC the best to keep graduating more students and changing the world.”

The new Ph.D. program is unique in the United States. It has an interdisciplinary focus emphasizing design thinking and the ability to solve complex problems. The research component focuses on the interface between computer science and engineering, including additive manufacturing, biomedical engineering, mechatronics, underwater communication, nanotechnology, simulation, modeling, smart grids, rehabilitation engineering, cyber security, big data analysis, robotics, geo-transportation, environmental engineering and urban engineering. Ph.D. research thesis results are published in peer-reviewed publications aligning thesis outcomes with research priorities supported by NSF, DoD, NIST, DOE and NIH.

“I am really excited about the graduation of three Ph.D. candidates from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences for the first time in our history,” said SEAS Dean Devdas Shetty. “The new Ph.D. program has become very selective. Dr. Vincent Tanoe, Dr. Temechu Zewdie and Dr. Juan Rochac have undergone rigorous courses in their field. After completing the comprehensive examination, they pursued their independent research and thesis in computer science and engineering. Their research findings are published in leading scientific journals. I am proud of their accomplishments.”

Cotae shares Shetty’s enthusiasm.

“It’s fantastic,” he said. “We are changing the landscape of this institution. We are in the upper league with other universities in the DC area as an HBCU and land grant institution, and we are moving toward becoming an R2 research institution.”

Admission to the Ph.D. program is competitive, with a 39% acceptance rate targeting Washington, DC residents. More than 65% enrolled are African American students from the DMV area.

“The Ph.D. program provides UDC undergraduates and M.S. students with a continuous path for obtaining advanced higher education opportunities in various computer science and engineering disciplines,” Cotae said. “The Ph.D. program enhances the research capacity and productivity of SEAS and the University as a whole.”

The College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) graduated two students in its Ph.D. program in Urban Leadership and Entrepreneurship (ULAE), which equips students to become scholar-practitioners through advanced, doctoral-level studies, applied research and practical application.

The graduates from CAUSES are Camille Range, whose concentration is in Urban Governance and Policy Leadership, and Carletta Hurt, whose concentration is in Urban Education Leadership.

“Their unwavering dedication, resilience and perseverance have set a new standard of excellence, and they have undoubtedly made their mark in the history of this esteemed institution. Congratulations to each of these outstanding graduates, and I do not doubt they will continue to make significant contributions to their communities and the world,” said CAUSES Dean Dwane Jones.

“It’s very rewarding to have two of them graduating now,” said Dr. Sabine O’Hara, distinguished professor and ULAE Ph.D. Program Director. “We successfully launched in 2019 when the first students were admitted, and the initiative came from President Mason.”

The program seeks current, aspiring, and emerging leaders who desire to employ critical thinking principles and evidence-based practices associated with an entrepreneurial mindset and a commitment to finding solutions. The University of the District of Columbia offers the program with Fielding Graduate University.

The Urban Leadership and Entrepreneurship program is the only doctoral-level program of its kind in the United States. It uses a scholar-practitioner approach to learning and research and a commitment to engage students in shaping their course of study.

Students may select one or more concentrations to focus their course work and dissertation: Urban Sustainability and Resilience Leadership, Urban Governance and Policy Leadership, Urban Education Leadership or Urban Entrepreneurial Leadership.

“Urban leadership is needed in all kinds of  professions and fields of study,” said O’Hara. “Urban communities are growing, not just in the U.S. but worldwide. The U.S. leads the world in urbanization, yet very few programs focus on urban leadership. We set out to have a program that would develop urban leadership in a disciplined manner.”

There are another 30 students currently enrolled in the ULAE Ph.D. program, and another ten are expected in the fall. Students are admitted with a master’s degree from most fields.

For more information on the Ph.D. programs, click here for SEAS, and click here for CAUSES.