Columbia Engineering Announces 2024 Valedictorian and Salutatorian

Columbia Engineering has announced this year’s valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2024. Andrei Coman, a senior in computer science and an Egleston Scholar, was chosen as the valedictorian and Illig Medal winner, and will address his fellow graduates May 13 on Class Day. Tina Liu, a senior in biomedical engineering from Shanghai, China, was chosen as salutatorian. 

Originally from Bucharest, Romania, valedictorian Andrei Coman is one of nine students in the Class of 2024 to receive the prestigious Egleston scholarship. Named after the founder of the Columbia School of Mines, the scholarship recognizes graduates of Columbia Engineering who have made exceptional contributions to the world of engineering. Coman has also received the Class of 1985 scholarship and the Lewis G. Burnell Memorial Scholarship, whose namesake, Lewis G. Burnell, aimed to support engineering students with Eastern European roots.

During Coman’s time at Columbia, he joined Columbia’s engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi, and the inaugural chapter of the Upsilon Pi Epsilon Computing Honor Society. 

Salutatorian Tina Liu spent her summers at Columbia conducting research in multiple facets of biomedical engineering, specializing in neuroscience and immunology. As a research assistant in Shirley ShiDu Yan’s lab in the Department of Surgery at Columbia, Liu investigated more than 10 Alzheimer's risk factors with linear regression models to study the mitochondrial and neuronal stress in neurodegenerative disorders. As part of the Chi-Min Ho lab at Columbia’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, she processed more than 20 sets of raw cryo-electron microscopy data to reconstruct the protein makeup of malaria for identifying drug targets. 

In addition to her research, Liu is the president of the badminton club at Columbia and the host of the Good Fight podcast. Liu will continue her studies at Columbia Engineering through the integrated BS/MS program to complete a master’s degree in biomedical engineering.