SOUTHFIELD – Two Lawrence Technological University seniors will be honored as recipients of LTU’s Edward Donley Distinguished Graduate Awards as they are presented their diplomas at the University’s Commencement Saturday, May 11.
Winning the award for women students is Marissa Bradley of Haslett, who will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering.
Winning the award for men students is Sahil Jaggi of Bingham Farms, who will receive a Bachelor of Science in computer science.
LTU will hold three Commencement exercises Saturday—at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m.—for graduates of different colleges and departments within the university. All ceremonies will be held in LTU’s Ridler Field House. Bradley and Jaggi will be recognized at the 1 p.m. ceremony.
Bradley has excelled inside and outside of the classroom throughout her four years at Lawrence Tech. She was the Academic All-American team captain of LTU’s women’s cross country team and has shared her love of the sport with elementary girls as a coach for the Girls on the Run program. She has also held numerous leadership positions on campus, including vice president of the American Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology student group and president of the Society of Women Engineers.
With all of her involvement, Bradley has also stayed connected to her community on and off campus, serving as a tutor in LTU’s Academic Achievement Center, and an emergency room volunteer at St. John Providence Hospital. She has also worked hard to contribute to her field of study by completing summer research projects at Michigan State University, Kettering University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Bradley’s coaches, supervisors, mentors, and professors described her as “well rounded and high-achieving,” “an excellent mentor,” “a strong and effective leader,” and “a champion of character.”
Jaggi has been both a dedicated and involved student and an entrepreneur during his years at LTU. In addition to maintaining a 3.35 GPA, Sahil has worked on campus as an undergraduate teaching assistant and owns his own company, Micro Wise Inc., which provides support and services in information technology. Jaggi has also dedicated his time and energy to numerous organizations, including the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, Focus: HOPE, and Gleaners Community Food Bank. He is an award-winning member of LTU’s chapter of Collegiate DECA, an international organization of students who participate in business case study competitions.
Jaggi received many nominations for this award, ranging from classmates and professors to employers and DECA competitors. One of his nominators said, “Sahil is an extremely hardworking individual who has managed to complete his degree while maintaining a full time student status and also managing and partially owning a large company. He is the only student at LTU to compete at the International Career Development Conference in Washington, D.C., representing LTU DECA, where he won an event. He is well rounded and puts everyone else’s needs before his own.”
The awards are named for Edward Donley (1921-2017), a 1943 engineering graduate of LTU, who went on to become chairman and CEO of Air Products and Chemicals Inc., an Allentown, Pa.-based company that has 16,000 employees and annual revenue of $9 billion. He was also a national figure in education, serving on numerous boards dedicated to improving teacher training and certification, and was a longtime LTU board member and benefactor.
Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, and Engineering. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 15 percent of universities for the salaries of its graduates, and U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best Midwestern universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.