May 2026 CMNS Undergraduate Commencement Information

Congratulations Graduates!

CMNS Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
9 a.m.
XFINITY Center

The ceremony will be live-streamed at youtube.com/user/cmnsumd.

The ceremony will last approximately 3 hours and graduates must remain seated on the floor for the entirety of the ceremony.

Program

Processional

Presiding
Amitabh Varshney, Dean, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS)

Master of Ceremony
Gene Ferrick, Director of Operations, CMNS

National Anthem
Lu-Hsuan Lucy Chen (D.M.A. ’00, Voice Performance)

Keynote Speaker
Andrew Balo (B.S. ’70, Microbiology)

Student Speaker
Raina Saraiya (B.S. ’25, Neuroscience)

Recognition of Bachelor’s Degree Recipients
Readers:

Gene Ferrick, Director of Operations, CMNS
Melissa Hayes-Gehrke, Principal Lecturer, Astronomy
Natalie Lightfoot-Solomon, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies, Computer Science
John Merck, Principal Lecturer, Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences

Recessional

Reception
In tent in front of the XFINITY Center

Keynote Speaker

Andrew Balo (B.S. ’70, microbiology) spent the past 50-plus years applying the science he learned at Maryland to the business of health care. In 2024, he retired as executive vice president of clinical, global access, and medical affairs after 22 years at Dexcom, a startup that developed a continuous glucose monitoring device that can dramatically improve the daily lives of people with diabetes.

Widely regarded as an industry expert in regulatory and clinical strategies, Balo was instrumental in bringing many medical devices to market, including a neurological cooling device, mechanical and tissue-based heart valves, pacemakers, pacing leads and a 3D electrophysiology mapping device. He also admits that he failed twice at his first two startups. He served on many Food and Drug Administration panels and was recognized for his unwavering support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the diabetes community.

In 2015, he embraced the opportunity to give back to Maryland by teaming up with Nicholas Simon (B.S. ’76, microbiology) to establish the university’s first endowed chair in the life sciences.

Student Speaker

Raina Saraiya (B.S. '25, neuroscience) graduated summa cum laude with a minor in general business. She is a member of the College Park Scholars International Studies program. With the mentorship of the program’s director, Stacy Kosko, she founded PERIOD.@UMD, an organization dedicated to eradicating period poverty and stigma. Through it, she has helped donate hundreds of hygiene products and care packages to women in need.

Saraiya has pursued research across multiple fields. As a UM Scholar, she worked with Nevil Singh on targeted immunotherapy in the Nevil Lab at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Her research was selected for presentation at the Association for American Minority Physicians Conference. She also contributes to developing culturally sensitive autism interventions with Assistant Professor of Special Education Veronica Kang. Inspired by her mentors, including Chemistry and Biochemistry Senior Lecturer Christiana Guest, Saraiya supported fellow students as a biology and biochemistry teaching assistant and as a tutor with The Every Child Project.

One of her favorite passions is dance. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Kathak, an Indian classical dance, in 2024 from Bharati Vidyapeeth University in India. Throughout college, she competed nationwide as a dancer with UMD EntouRaas, the university’s premier Indian classical dance team. In her spare time, she loves traveling, exploring new cultures, and spending time with her family and friends.

This fall, Saraiya will begin medical school, aspiring to become a physician-advocate committed to advancing equitable care for underserved communities both locally and globally.