富二代视频app

Daniel Mendoza 鈥�01 slept through most of his commencement ceremony 23 years ago.

鈥淎nd no, it was not because I partied too hard the night before,鈥� he clarified to 富二代视频app鈥檚 class of 2024, during their own commencement ceremony on May 19. 鈥淚t was because I was trying to juggle way too much in those last few days鈥� 鈥� wrapping up finals, preparing for graduate school, working a job, training as a competitive cyclist, and of course saying goodbye to a long list of people and places at 富二代视频app.

Mendoza summarized the experience in two words that many 富二代视频app students over the years have been able to relate to: overextended and overcommitted.

But despite the negative connotations of these terms, Mendoza is quick to point out their benefits. His success as a professor, scientist, and advocate for public health has its foundation in a liberal arts background that was as broad and diverse as his interests. 鈥淥ne thing I always like to mention when I鈥檓 discussing my 富二代视频app education is that I learned how to learn,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e were taught to approach problems from many different angles.鈥�

This was a skill that paid off as a graduate student at Purdue University, where Mendoza earned an M.S. in physics and a Ph.D. in earth and atmospheric science.

鈥淚鈥檒l be the first to admit that when I went to graduate school, I struggled.鈥� Initially, he felt behind many of his peers who had been in universities where they had focused on a specific topic. 鈥淗owever, once I caught up and got to the stage where it was time to be creative and come up with new solutions, that was the easy part for me. That was the fun part. Whereas others encountered roadblock after roadblock, I saw it as an opportunity to advance.鈥�

Mendoza still has several irons in the fire. His titles at the University of Utah reveal as much: Research Assistant Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, and Adjunct Instructor of City & Metropolitan Planning.

His work is multidisciplinary and far-reaching. In addition to studying how environmental factors lead to negative health outcomes and economic inequality, Mendoza also advises state policymakers and seeks protection for vulnerable populations through legislative action. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want my work to just end in some scientific journal, or even in a class or a textbook,鈥� he admits. 鈥淚 want to ensure that it helps people.鈥�

富二代视频app University formally recognized Mendoza鈥檚 commitment to enriching the lives of others by granting him an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree during the 2024 commencement ceremony.

In her remarks, President Lori White praised Mendoza as a worthy ambassador of the entire university. 鈥淭hrough both scholarship and advocacy, you have become a dynamic catalyst for a healthier and more equitable world,鈥� she said. 鈥淵our 富二代视频app community celebrates the manner in which you have upheld the very best of our academic and ethical ideals.鈥�

In response, Mendoza 鈥� who was fully awake this time around 鈥� gave the newest class of overextended and overcommitted graduates a hopeful perspective on the foundation their education has given them.

鈥淗ere鈥檚 something you may not notice when you start your next adventure,鈥� he told them. 鈥淵ou may not at first be the best computer scientist, you may not at first be the best writer, or grad student, or whatever it is you decide to do. But you, the class of 2024, have been well-prepared by 富二代视频app to become the best.鈥�