CMNS Master's and Graduate Certificate Commencement Ceremony
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
8 a.m.
Reckord Armory
Light reception to follow.
- Graduates will walk across the stage during this ceremony. Regalia is required.
- Graduates are limited to 6 guests.
- The ceremony will be live-streamed at youtube.com/user/cmnsumd.
- Student Speaker: Tauksik Anil Kumar (M.S. '26, Data Science)
Schedule
- 7:15 a.m. - Graduates arrive, enter Reckord Armory through the ground floor (see map below), and proceed to graduate check-in.
- 7:30 a.m. - Guests begin arriving at Reckord Armory through the front door by the steps (see map below)
- 8:00 a.m. - Procession of Platform Party and Ceremony begins
- ~9:15 a.m. - Reception immediately following the ceremony
The ceremony will last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Graduates and guests are expected to remain and stay seated for the entirety of the ceremony.
Read the full Armory bag policy and prohibited items, parking and accessibility information.
Parking
- The closest parking is Regents Drive Garage. The Reckord Armory is a ~10-minute walk from Regents Drive Garage or a short ride on the UM Shuttle’s Armory/Chapel Loop (see the parking and shuttle map for route details; times are subject to change).
- Parking permits are not required and meters will be turned off on campus. Be sure to obey all posted signage throughout campus as details may change.
Accessibility
- Accessible parking spaces will be available in most lots on a first-come, first-served basis and still require a state-issued license plate or hang tag.
- Guests with limited mobility can be dropped off before parking.
- ADA access is located on the access lane (parking Lot QQ) between Miller Administration Building and Armory. Guests with limited mobility can be dropped off at this point before parking.
- Accessible parking is located at Regents Drive Garage.
- Wheelchair-accessible shuttles are available between Regents Drive Garage and Reckord Armory.
- All seats in the Armory are ADA accessible from the rear entrance of the building.
- More information and accessibility resources, such as wheelchair rentals, is available at https://commencement.umd.edu/main-ceremony/accessibility.
- If you need special arrangements for hearing impairment or other disabilities, please contact Amy Chester (alevine@umd.edu).
Program
Processional
Presiding
Amitabh Varshney
Dean, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS)
Student Speaker
Tauksik Anil Kumar
M.S. ’26, Data Science
Recognition of Master's Degree and Graduate Certificate Recipients
Reading of Recipients:
Gene Ferrick, Director of Operations, CMNS
Recessional
Reception (outside)
Student Speaker
Tauksik Anil Kumar will graduate in May 2026 with a Master of Science degree in data science from the University of Maryland. His academic interests lie in artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies, as well as applications in financial technology, real estate and sports analytics.
During his time at UMD, Kumar served as a graduate teaching assistant for multiple courses in the College of Information (INFO), including Data Science Techniques, Transforming Unstructured Content with AI, and Digital Preservation of Data. He currently works with INFO Assistant Professor Julia Mendelsohn on natural language processing, focusing on misinformation detection across news and social media platforms.
He gained industry experience through a data science internship at the startup Futuralis and through his role as a data science and machine learning engineering intern at GA Software Technologies and SIEPL Innovations in India. Kumar also worked with Maryland Athletics as a fan development and event marketing intern, supporting data-driven marketing initiatives and game-day operations. He was an audit specialist with Conferences & Visitor Services, a Terp host and intramural sports referee with Maryland Athletics, and an active participant in the Terrapin Leadership Institute.
Kumar currently works at his own startup, Finlo Technologies, an AI-driven fintech platform in development that aims to help students manage income, expenses and financial decisions across multiple systems, currencies and cross-border payments. The platform focuses on enabling smarter financial decision-making through artificial intelligence and financial modeling.
After graduation, he will pursue a career in data science and apply the skills he’s learned in artificial intelligence and analytics to solve real-world problems and continue building impactful solutions at the intersection of technology and finance.