The University of South Florida posthumously awarded doctoral degrees to Bangladeshi PhD students Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon during its Spring 2026 Doctoral Commencement Ceremony on Friday morning, May 8. USF President Moez Limayem presided over the ceremony. “I want to personally acknowledge the loss of two of our amazing students, Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon. We honor their spirit and their work ethic,” he said in his opening remarks. A moment of silence was observed at the start of the ceremony. Two gowns, caps, and stoles rested over two empty chairs among the more than 280 doctoral graduates in attendance. Zamil was pursuing his doctorate in geography, environmental science and policy, while Nahida was studying chemical engineering. The Consulate General of Bangladesh accepted the posthumous degrees on behalf of the two families. Nahida’s professor Dr. Vinay Gupta said her goal was to do advanced research in electrochemical processes and that she had hoped to use what she...