Fall 2024 Departmental Graduation Ceremony

The Fall 2024 graduation ceremony was held on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 3:00 PM in SAS Hall 2203. This momentous occasion honored the accomplishments of approximately 75 graduating students, including undergraduates, master’s students, and PhD candidates.

Following the ceremony, a reception was held in the SAS Hall 5104 Commons, where graduates, their families, and faculty and staff celebrated this milestone together.

The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Michael Crotty, a distinguished alumnus of NC State’s Statistics Department and a leader in the field of statistical discovery. On being invited to speak, Dr. Crotty shared, “I was excited (and a little surprised) to be invited to serve as this semester’s commencement speaker. I hope that I can share some insights from my career since my own graduation from the NCSU statistics department 18 years ago. Thanks for the opportunity to speak with the newest graduates of the department!” The Class of Fall 2024 was honored with pride and celebration!

Click here to view the photo gallery from graduation.

About Our Speaker

Dr. Michael Crotty is a principal statistical writer at JMP Statistical Discovery LLC, where he leads the team responsible for creating and maintaining statistical documentation for JMP and JMP Pro. He holds a PhD in Statistics from NC State (earned in 2006), after completing both his BS and master’s degrees in statistics at the university.

As a student, Crotty received the SAS Institute Scholarship for undergraduate studies and the prestigious Gertrude Cox Fellowship for his first year of graduate studies. His dissertation focused on financial statistics, and he gained teaching experience as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate research course collaborating with environmental agencies.

Dr. Crotty began his career as an analytical software tester, focusing on numerical accuracy and reliability methods, before transitioning to statistical documentation. He has made significant contributions to the field, writing materials for many JMP features. An active member of the American Statistical Association, Crotty has held multiple leadership roles, including serving as Program Chair for their Section on Physical and Engineering Sciences program at major conferences.