Engineering Science senior Benjamin Ross will be this year's spring 2006 commencement ceremony student marshal.

He has chosen Akhlesh Lakhtakia, distinguished professor of engineering science and mechanics, to be his faculty escort.

Ross is the son of Judy and Dan Ross of Allentown, PA. He is a 2002 graduate of Parkland High School in Allentown.

A member of the Schreyer Honors College, Ross was the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, including the John W. Oswald Award, the Paul Morrow Endowed Scholarship, the Richard McNitt Scholarship, the Gerald Boyles Scholarship, and the Undergraduate Discovery Grant. His extracurricular activities included the Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society, the Golden Key International Honour Society, the Society of Engineering Science, and the Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society.

Following graduation, Ross will spend the summer conducting research at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He will return to Penn State in the fall to pursue at master of science degree in engineering science.

Fourteen undergraduate students from the College of Engineering will serve as student marshals for the College's spring commencement ceremony on May 12. Chosen for their academic achievement and contributions to college life, the students represent each major within the College, as well as the Penn State Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Program.