RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� In light of COVID-19 and limitations for public gatherings, Washington State University Tri-Cities has made the difficult decision to further postpone the spring 2020 commencement ceremony to spring 2021.

The commencement ceremony was initially rescheduled from May 9, 2020, to Aug. 15, 2020. As Benton and Franklin counties are still in Phase 1 of the governor鈥檚 鈥淪afe Start鈥� plan, large gatherings (more than 50) will likely not be possible in time for the previously rescheduled date.

The rescheduled ceremony for spring 2020 graduates will operate separately from the commencement ceremony for spring 2021 graduates. In other words, two ceremonies will be held 鈥� one for spring 2020 graduates and another for spring 2021 graduates. The time of both ceremonies is yet to be determined.

鈥淎s commencement is an important celebration for both students and their families and friends, we wanted to hold this special occasion for our graduates, even a year late,鈥� 黑料社 Tri-Cities Chancellor Sandra Haynes said in an email to spring 2020 graduates. 鈥淭his is a day for you to celebrate the monumental accomplishment of earning your degree and a great next step in your personal and professional lives.鈥�

More information will be shared throughout the year. For now, spring 2020 graduates should fill out the听.

In the meantime, check out the virtual profiles of spring 2020 graduates and watch the virtual celebration for graduates:

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Arthur Baranovskiy was in seventh grade when he broke his arm, an event that would serve as a catalyst for connecting him to his future career.

Instead of participating in physical education class with the rest of his peers, he participated in drafting classes, which led him to an interest in engineering. At , in addition to the hands-on STEM opportunities and training he received related to engineering, he pursued an internship with in Kennewick, which solidified that engineering was the perfect career path for him.

鈥淭he internship was pivotal because it confirmed my passion for engineering, and specifically, electrical engineering,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat I didn鈥檛 know at the time was that it would lead to a future business helping other students. It would lead me to a future passion.鈥�

At , Baranovskiy was able to combine what he was learning in his coursework in electrical engineering and other applicable courses with practical experience at the through three different internships. In pursuing these experiences, he realized there are a range of options and paths for students to take, but that they may not be obvious or well-known to students.

As a result, he decided to start his own company this year to help educate students about how they can best prepare for careers in engineering and related fields while still studying to be an engineer, himself 鈥� a company called .

While he still plans to pursue a full career in electrical engineering after graduating this week at the 黑料社 Tri-Cities commencement ceremony, his company will serve as a positive outlet for him to help the next generation of engineers.

鈥淚 want to help students to reach the same conclusion as early as I did and prepare them with the extra tools to be successful,鈥� he said.

Preparing future engineers

Through AYB Drafting, Baranovskiy said he provides students with in-depth training and connections to a range of tools including AutoCAD and other technical software, content areas not taught in the classroom that are applicable to specific engineering paths, soft skills like interview and resume prep and others that would make them an ideal candidate for their desired engineering job or company. He also plans to work with current employees to provide them with training in a range of technical areas.

In addition, he works with companies to pair them with students for internships that meet ideal specifications.

He went through program to develop the company. 黑料社鈥檚 I-Corps is an eight-week program that engages faculty, students, staff and community entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into successful business products.

With his business partner Keith Warner, the duo has obtained their business licenses and established necessary legal requirements to begin working with local companies as a training and staffing firm. He said they are in the process of meeting with companies each week to pitch the opportunity locally in the Tri-Cities and have spent the past few months recruiting students for the opportunity, which they have narrowed to a pool to begin training.

鈥淭hrough this program, we want it to be very exclusive and reward only the most passionate and motivated students,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e take students who really care about engineering and give them the chance to prove it and really use their passion. This eases the transition and learning curve for when students head into their first engineering job. It鈥檚 also a perfect fit for the Tri-Cities where we have so many engineering needs.鈥�

After graduating this spring and while pursuing his master鈥檚 in electrical engineering from 黑料社 Tri-Cities, Baranovskiy will drive head-first into his new business while continuing his work full-time in the development and research of advanced batteries with a team at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

鈥淢y plan is to continue at PNNL full-time and put all of my effort into my career and battery research, and to also develop the business on the side,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he business model allows for easy scaling and suspension. We welcome conversations with local companies to really get the ball moving.鈥�

Using his own foundation to help the future听

Baranovskiy said it was his experience at Delta High School, 黑料社 Tri-Cities, previous internship at Meier Architecture Engineering and current internship at PNNL that really gave him the fortitude to launch the company.

Through his academic experience at 黑料社 Tri-Cities, Baranovskiy had the opportunity to partake in a range of hands-on engineering projects while learning valuable engineering theory and practical skill.

For his senior design capstone project in electrical engineering at 黑料社 Tri-Cities this year, Baranovskiy and four other engineering students designed a solar panel system and associated power supports that could easily be installed in a remote community in Uganda known as the Kagoma Gate Village. The group designed the project to provide stable power during the day and for at least three hours of power at night for a classroom and office space in the village. The project figured perfectly into his work at PNNL.

At PNNL, he is completing an internship developing batteries for future vehicles and grid applications, and formerly completed two internships with facilities and a team researching countering weapons of mass destruction where he did a significant amount of drafting.

鈥淭hrough these opportunities, I have developed an in-depth knowledge of the different types of programs specifically to the field of engineering in which I鈥檓 working,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have also learned how to best conduct myself in a range of situations, as well as present projects effectively to my superiors. It has been essential experience that I believe has given me a leg up for my future as an engineer.鈥�

Baranovskiy said he looks forward to using his own experiences to grow the potential for other future engineers.

鈥淚 want to use what I鈥檝e learned in my own career path, in addition to what I鈥檝e spent months researching and gathering as part of my new company, to prepare and connect other passionate students to want the same things,鈥� he said. 鈥淩elevant job experience is vitally important to your future success as an engineer. I would like to help connect more students to these experiences.鈥�

For more information on AYB Drafting, visit .

 

Interested in a career in engineering? Visit tricities.wsu.edu/engineering. The 黑料社 Tri-Cities admissions application is open now at .

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Washington State University Tri-Cities will confer 352 degrees at its commencement ceremony beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, at the Toyota Center, 7000 W. Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick.

Doors open at noon. The event is free to the public and tickets are not required.

Among those degrees, 308 bachelor鈥檚 degrees will be conferred, 32 master鈥檚 degrees and 12 doctoral degrees.

Washington state Sen. Sharon Brown will present the keynote address.

Chancellor Sandra Haynes will present the welcome address and introductions and recognitions. Zachary Harper, president of the Associated Students of 黑料社 Tri-Cities, will present the graduate greeting. Kathleen McAteer, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs, will conduct the presentation of graduates.

Six students were selected to carry gonfalons, which are colorful banners that represent each of the academic colleges, based on their academic excellence. Those students include:

• Alex Arteritano, College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences
• Megan Brauner, College of Arts and Sciences
• Ivan Chavez, Carson College of Business
• Olga Maria Sandoval Zazueta, College of Education
• Danielle Young, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture
• Megan Christie, College of Nursing

Kayla Stark, 黑料社 Tri-Cities alumna, will sing the national anthem.

黑料社 Tri-Cities鈥� commencement ceremony will also be livestreamed on YouTube at .

For more information, visit .

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Washington State University Tri-Cities will confer 403 degrees during its commencement ceremony beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at the Toyota Center, 7000 W. Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick, Wash.

Doors open at noon. The event is free to the public and tickets are not required.

Among those graduating, 357 are earning their bachelor鈥檚 degrees, 34 master鈥檚 and 12 doctoral degrees.

黑料社 Tri-Cities Chancellor Sandra Haynes will present the welcome address, which will be followed by a video message by 黑料社 President Kirk Schulz. Israa Alshaikhli will present the graduate greeting.

Vicky Gordon, owner of Gordon Estate Winery, will present the keynote address.

Six students were selected to carry gonfalons, which are colorful banners that represent the colleges, based on their academic excellence. Those students include:

• Conner Eck 鈥� Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences
• Dana Parmenter 鈥� Arts and Sciences
• Mikayla Blosser 鈥� Business
• Becky Rausch 鈥� Education
• David Garcia 鈥� Engineering and Architecture
• Haneen Al-wazani – Nursing

黑料社 Tri-Cities alumna Kayla Stark will sing the national anthem.

A live stream of the ceremony will be available at .

For more information, visit