‘You are holding the pen’ – 1,300 Bowers graduates honored at recognition ceremonies

With eyes toward an uncharted, artificial intelligence-enabled future, 1,300 graduates from the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science's class of 2026 were encouraged to pen new maps during the department recognition ceremonies held Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23 in Barton Hall.

Speaking at the recognition ceremonies for the first time as the dean of Cornell Bowers, Sorin Lerner acknowledged the uncertainty around AI and its impact, framing AI's rise as a moment for Bowers graduates to seize.

"You are graduating into a moment when almost nothing is settled. This is the best possible news: the map is being redrawn, and you are holding the pen," Lerner said.

Cornell Bowers' recognition ceremonies are held each year in Barton Hall during Commencement weekend, when graduates formally accept their degrees. The ceremonies are opportunities for each of Cornell Bowers' three departments - computer science, information science, and statistics and data science - to honor their graduates from December 2025, May 2026, and August 2026.

"Building something is certainly glamorous. But maintenance is how things actually stay alive. This is true of codebases, bridges, friendships, and you," Lerner said. "Say 'I don't know.' Then go find out. This single habit will outperform almost every credential you have just earned."

Read the full story on the Cornell Bowers site.