Speakers named for fall Graduate School Commencement events
Events include a Dec. 15 reception for graduates in Alexandria and the Dec. 19 commencement ceremony in Blacksburg.
Two graduates students will be the featured speakers at the fall Graduate School Ceremony on Dec. 19.
Whitley Johnson, who will receive a Ph.D. in higher education, and Binita Saha, who will receive a Ph.D. in macromolecular science and engineering, will speak at the event that begins at 2:30 p.m. in Cassell Coliseum.
Alumni Achievement Award
During the ceremony, the Graduate School will present its Alumni Achievement Award for 2025 to Thomas Debass ’97, M.S. ’01. Debass earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master's degree in agricultural and applied economics, and he has worked in senior and leadership roles with the U.S. Development Finance Corporation, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Department of State. Currently, he is managing director of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Partnerships.
Debass serves as an adjunct instructor at Virginia Tech and at George Washington University, and he has authored several articles and blog posts for the U.S. Department of State. He is the founder of several nonprofit organizations and programs.
His nominators noted he is an award-winning leader in the field of public-private partnerships and finance.
Recognition ceremony in Alexandria
The Graduate School will hold a graduate recognition ceremony and reception at 6 p.m. Dec. 15 at the new academic building in Alexandria for students receiving their master’s and doctoral degrees from programs based in the greater Washington, D.C., area and online.
Lance Collins, vice president of the greater Washington, D.C., area, will offer remarks at the recognition ceremony, and former Virginia Tech Board of Visitors member and current Alumni Association Board member Sharon Brickhouse Martin '83, M.S. '88 will be guest speaker at the event. She earned her bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and operations research and master's degree in engineering administration, which she received in Northern Virginia.
Martin’s career focus has been health care administration. She is vice president of health services integration at VHC Health, a nonprofit healthcare system in Arlington. She also is the founder and president of Brickhouse Martin Healthcare Engineering. She has received several awards in the health care field.
Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril R. Clarke will deliver the keynote address at Virginia Tech’s University Commencement ceremony on Dec. 19. Find details on all Virginia Tech's fall commencement ceremonies at vt.edu/commencement.
