19552 GW Mag 26_Final_singles - Flipbook - Page 7
Commencement
speaker Rebecca
Kutler, BA ’01
A CELEBRATORY SENDOFF
Lien-Yung (Nyima) Kao
MATH’S KAO
WINS CAREER
AWARD HONORS
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF
Mathematics Lien-Yung (Nyima)
Kao received a prestigious Faculty
Early Career Development Program
(CAREER) award from the National
Science Foundation for his work
exploring questions in ergodic
geometry, an interdisciplinary field
connecting ergodic theory and
geometry. Ergodic theory investigates
systems that evolve over time—
like planetary motion, weather
patterns and stock markets. Geometry,
meanwhile, studies the shape and
structure of objects.
Kao’s CAREER project aims to
deepen our understanding of the
relationship between an object’s shape
and key dynamical quantities associated
with it. In his work, he eschews
well-studied orderly systems by adding
chaotic elements—testing how system
theories hold up under stress.
“If a system has no bad points—if
everything is perfect—then it can be
well understood. But bad situations
can completely destroy all the theories
that we know,” he said.
THE CLASS OF 2026 WAS CELEBRATED
for their achievement and resilience
during four days of graduation
festivities in May. This year’s CCAS
graduating class was made up of
2,370 students, which included 112
graduates receiving their doctorate,
802 awarded a master’s and 1,456
awarded undergraduate degrees.
With the Washington Monument as
her backdrop, MS NOW President and
CCAS alumna Rebecca Kutler, BA ’01,
delivered a stirring Commencement
address on the National Mall. She
urged graduates to “show up” through
moments of uncertainty, self-doubt
and personal hardship.
The Commencement’s student
speaker was Ethan Fitzgerald, BA ’25,
MA ’26, who earned his master’s in
political management and his
undergraduate degree in political
science and organizational sciences.
He reminded students that, while the
world ahead may feel turbulent, their
experiences at GW had given them the
tools and resolve to help determine
what comes next.
Congratulations graduates!
GW Arts & Sciences | BRIEFCASE | 7
