DUNMORE, Pa. — Penn State Scranton is highlighting the campus' student marshals who will lead their fellow graduates during the 58th commencement ceremony procession on May 9 at The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple. In this series, we will feature students selected as marshals for their academic programs. Join us as we explore their academic journeys, insights and advice for future students.
Ian Kramer, majoring in mechanical engineering, shares insights about his Penn State Scranton journey, future plans and advice for incoming students.
Q: What are your post-grad plans?
Kramer: After graduation I will be working full-time as an engineer in the Design Analysis group at Talen Energy’s Susquehanna Steam Electric Station in Berwick.
Q: What was your favorite memory at Penn State Scranton?
Kramer: Taking part in this year’s ASME e-human powered vehicle competition in Dallas, Texas, was probably my favorite memory as a student at Scranton. Our group ran into problem after problem with our trike that we designed and built and still managed to make it through the competition (with a lot of help from some of the other teams at the competition) and perform better than we initially expected. We got to learn a lot, see some very cool bikes and trikes that the other teams built, and had a blast even with all of the setbacks along the way.
Q: What was your favorite learning experience?
Kramer: My favorite learning experience at Penn State was probably when a few of my friends and I entered into the undergraduate research fair during our sophomore year at Penn State Hazleton. We entered into the fair late (we signed up on the last day of registration) and had about a week to complete our project (essentially from the beginning) and create our poster for the research fair. We initially hadn’t planned on entering the research fair, so everything had to be rushed. Our group pulled 10-12 hour days that entire week on campus to put the project together and in the end, turned in a solid project and poster. Even though there was a lot of pressure on us to get the project done in time, it ended up being a lot of fun since the project was kind of “mad scientist-y” and our group had been friends for years, so we were able to make the best of a stressful situation.
Q: What experience prepared you the most for what is next?
Kramer: Last summer I interned with Talen Energy working in the same group that I will be moving into after graduation. Those 12 weeks were invaluable, as I got to see what the day-to-day of an engineer truly looks like and see how what I have learned in school is applied to a real-life setting.
Q: Who at Penn State Scranton has supported you and how?
Kramer: Some of the professors in the engineering department have supported me during my time at Scranton. For example, this year my capstone group was able to attend the ASME e-human powered vehicle (eHPV) competition in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Abraham Tchako, who oversaw the project, was the driver for this, as he pushed us to tackle this project in the fall and attend the competition, which ended up being a great learning experience and a ton of fun. Dr. Mizanoor Rahman has also supported me, as he allowed myself and two of my friends to take part in a paid undergraduate research project this semester where we got to travel to University Park to present our work at their Undergraduate Research Fair and Exhibition.
Q: Do you have any advice for incoming students beginning their Penn State journey?
Kramer: My biggest piece of advice to incoming students would be that you need to be willing to sacrifice if you want to do well in your degree. For engineering majors in particular, sophomore year can be brutal. If you are willing to grind your way through it, things get better the rest of the way, and you will be thankful that you did.
Meet the Marshal series
This concludes the 2026 ‘Meet the Marshal’ series. Throughout this series, Penn State Scranton’s student marshals have been recognized for their dedication, achievements and contributions that define the campus community.
Stay tuned for more coverage about Penn State Scranton’s 58th commencement ceremony, as we continue to highlight all of our graduates for their outstanding accomplishments.