Dear Class of 2021:

Congratulations on your graduation from UC Berkeley! We are very proud of each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication to reach commencement.

This year 75 undergraduates, 75 masters of engineering, 9 masters of science, and 5 PhD students will graduate from the IEOR department. These 123 students will join the ranks of nearly 5,000 IEOR alumni who are making a positive impact in industry, government, and academia all over the world.

This past year has been challenging for all of us. We would like to offer our sincere condolences to those of you who have been sick or lost someone close to you during the pandemic. There are surely countless untold stories from this global tragedy, and we know that many of you had to struggle in a variety of ways to reach this point. Our thoughts have been with you and your families, and we are very proud of what you have accomplished in the face of this adversity.

I am truly inspired by how you all have continued to push yourself to not only continue to learn the course materials and they apply to the real-world, but also support each other as a community while staying safe.

As an alum, we want to encourage you to continue learning and teaching others the tools of our trade, so that you can empower not only yourself and those around you to make a larger impact wherever you go.

The IEOR department is your home. Please stay in touch with us on our LinkedIn Alumni Group, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share with us your success stories, and let us know when you need a helping hand. We want to see you at the next alumni networking event – hopefully, in person!  Remember, we are the only IEOR department in the UC system. You are now part of a unique group of UC alumni with analytical skills who can take on challenges in any sector of the economy and any company with the confidence of your strong training.

I wish you the best of luck as you take on new challenges and change the world for the better.

Congratulations! And Go Bears!

Alper Atamturk
Professor and Chair
UC Berkeley IEOR