VCU Engineering alumni to deliver 2025 commencement address
Bentley Chan, PE, MBA, Director of Public Utilities for Henrico County and VCU College of Engineering alumnus, will deliver the commencement address for the VCU College of Engineering Class of 2025.
Bentley Chan, PE, MBA, director of public utilities for Henrico County, will deliver the keynote address at Virginia Commonwealth University College of Engineering’s 2025 commencement ceremony, alongside remarks from two recent graduates, Jesseanne Lichtenberg and Darrell Otoo.
A 2003 graduate of VCU Engineering’s mechanical engineering program, Chan has built a distinguished career in utility design, management and operations. He has led Henrico County’s response to major infrastructure challenges, including the Richmond Water Crisis, chemical contamination mitigation in the White Oak Swamp Creek Basin and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on water services.
Chan is the author of technical papers on utility sustainability and innovation, and he has shared his expertise at conferences hosted by organizations such as the American Waterworks Association, Virginia Water Environment Association, Cityworks, and Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI). A registered Professional Engineer in Virginia, Chan also serves on the engineering advisory board for Randolph-Macon College.
Chan earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from VCU. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.
Joining Chan on stage will be Jesseanne Lichtenberg (B.S., Biomedical Engineering, December 2024) and Darrell Otoo (expected B.S., Mechanical Engineering, May 2025), who will share reflections on their VCU College of Engineering journeys and the bright futures that lie ahead.
“We are thrilled to welcome Bentley Chan, Jesseanne Lichtenberg, and Darrell Otoo as speakers for our 2025 commencement ceremony,” said Azim Eskandarian, D.Sc., Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. Dean of the College of Engineering. “Their stories reflect the values at the heart of our mission—using engineering to serve society and improve lives. As we champion Engineering for Humanity, these speakers represent the innovation, purpose and leadership our graduates will carry into the world.”
The College of Engineering’s 2025 commencement ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at Altria Theater. Approximately 420 graduates will be recognized for earning their engineering degrees. The ceremony will be live-streamed for remote audiences and available for later viewing.
The VCU College of Engineering offers innovative undergraduate and graduate degree programs tailored to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving engineering field. As part of a premier research university, students are given the opportunity to perform real-world research in our state-of-the-art facilities as soon as they enroll. Browse videos and recent news to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.
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