Jace Cross Named to Kettering University's Spring 2026 Dean's List, Joshua Rutkowski and Nathan Zimmerman awarded bachelor’s degrees

Jace Cross of Portland was named to Kettering University's Spring 2026 Dean's List.

Cross is majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

The Dean's List recognizes overall academic performance based on the student's term grade point average (GPA). To be eligible for the Dean's List, students must satisfy the following requirements: be a degree-seeking student with a minimum term grade point average of 3.5, no grades below B, and a minimum of 16 earned credits for the term.

"Being named to the Dean's List is a testament to the dedication and excellence of our students," Kettering University Provost James Zhang said. "It reflects their hard work and their ability to thrive in a challenging academic environment. Our rigorous programs are designed for driven students to push boundaries and inspire growth. I am very proud that so many of our students have risen to that challenge with remarkable success."

More than 280 Kettering University students were named to the Spring 2026 Dean's List.

Kettering University awarded 347 bachelor's degrees during its 2026 commencement ceremony on June 20, setting the stage for these graduates to take on roles as leaders and innovators across a breadth of industries, including mobility, new energy vehicles, intelligent manufacturing, and AI and sustainability.

University President, Dr. Robert K. McMahan, said, "Class of 2026, you are not waiting to begin. You are already in motion, moving into industries ready for your contributions, stepping into roles that demand your professional judgment, advancing toward a future that will be shaped in no small part by your skills. You have shown that meaningful progress builds over time and that true momentum carries you forward with purpose. Congratulations!"

Delivering the Commencement address was alumnus Qasar Younis '04, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Applied Intuition. A graduate of Kettering University's Mechanical Engineering program, Younis began his professional career through the University's cooperative education program before helping build companies at the leading edge of software, intelligent machines, and physical AI.

Reflecting on his own path from Kettering to entrepreneurship, he challenged graduates to embrace change and pursue opportunity with purpose: "Run towards uncertainty, because that is where the opportunity lies. Go to the centers of industry and create technology that does not control us, but serves us. Build your own life, one where you are not just the byproduct of the whims of others, but the master of your own destiny."

Graduates include:

Joshua Rutkowski of Portland

Nathan Zimmerman of Portland

About Kettering University

Since 1919, Kettering University has pioneered unique educational experiences that blend classroom instruction with real-world wage-paying work at cooperative employer partners. The Flint, Michigan-based private nonprofit university is world-renowned for its engineering, mathematics, business, and science programs that produce some of the brightest, most successful entrepreneurs and business innovators. Leaders in the fields of autonomous vehicles and robotics, Kettering is consistently ranked among the country's best universities for return on investment and career preparation. Learn more at kettering.edu.