UC Berkeley IEOR celebrates Class of 2026 at commencement reception

A large group of UC Berkeley graduates in blue and gold caps and gowns pose together on outdoor campus steps in front of a tall stone tower, surrounded by trees on a sunny day.
Photo by Andrew Kim

UC Berkeley’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research celebrated the Class of 2026 on Monday, May 18, during its commencement reception and awards ceremony at the Campanile Esplanade.

The event honored 315 students who earned degrees across the department’s graduate and undergraduate programs. Graduates gathered with family, friends, faculty and staff to mark the milestone.

The program opened with remarks from Class of 2026 student emcee Xenia Chen, who welcomed graduates and guests. Professor and Department Chair Xin Guo delivered commencement remarks reflecting on the interdisciplinary nature of the field and the responsibilities graduates will carry into a rapidly changing world.

“As IEOR graduates, you are uniquely prepared to navigate and embrace a world in which traditional scientific boundaries continue to disappear. Your education has equipped you not only with technical expertise, but also with the ability to think critically across disciplines, to model complex systems, and to make decisions under uncertainty. Most importantly, you carry forward the broader vision of serving as responsible citizens in the age of AI. Your training equips you to understand the societal consequences of technological decisions and to design systems that are robust, human-centered, ethical, and socially beneficial.”

Helen Chang, this year’s department citation recipient, also addressed the audience. In her remarks, Chang reflected on her path through the department and the evolution of her answer to a question often asked of IEOR students: What is IEOR?

“We utilize mathematical models, such as stochastic or queuing models, to transform complex real world systems to computer-solvable problems. We create simulations, write optimization programs and analyze data to identify inefficient workflows. And then we design solutions.”

Chang also reflected on the wide-ranging impact of IEOR, from supply chains and finance to safety, ergonomics and artificial intelligence.

“In IEOR, instead of specializing in building rockets, we help ensure that rockets can actually be built — economically, operationally and through resilient supply chains,” she said. “As the world adapts to new technologies such as AI, IEOR graduates are prepared not only to understand change, but to help drive it.”

Sanchit Arvind represented graduate students with remarks on how optimization has shaped the way he understands and approaches the world. He reflected on how even everyday experiences, such as waiting at an airport, have become optimization problems, prompting him to think in real time about how to improve the flow of people and systems.

The following students were honored with awards at the reception:

  • Department Citation
    Helen Ton Chang

  • Outstanding Analytics Bachelor of Arts Student
    Nila Delilah Mendez

  • Undergraduate Faculty Award
    Helena Gu Su

  • The Jengyee Prize
    Achyut Subramanian Chebiyam

  • IEOR First Year Faculty Fellowship
    Xuchen Liu

  • IEOR Faculty Fellowship
    Ziheng Cheng

  • Outstanding GSI Awards
    Isabel Agostino
    Yifu Tang
    Ang Xu

  • The Marshall-Oliver-Rosenberger Award
    Tingyu Zhu

  • The Katta G. Murty Prize
    Denise Cerna

Department Chair Xin Guo’s full speech:

Xin Guo Commencement Remarks

2026 UC Berkeley IEOR Commencement webpage:

Class of 2026 Commencement Webpage

Photos from the 2026 UC Berkeley IEOR Commencement Reception:

Photos