Robert “Kwamina” Orleans-Pobee of Annandale, Virginia, received Virginia Tech’s 2015 College of Engineering Outstanding Senior Award.

Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association and the senior class, the Outstanding Senior Award recognizes exceptional academic achievement and leadership by a graduating senior from each of the university’s eight colleges. Recipients have a minimum grade point average of 3.75 on a 4.0 scale and are selected by faculty and students within the respective colleges.

Orleans-Pobee will receive bachelor’s degrees in computer science, physics, and philosophy with a minor in mathematics during the University Commencement ceremony May 15 in Lane Stadium.

He appeared on the dean’s list (with distinction) and earned a University Honors Calhoun Full Scholarship and the Department of Physics Robert C. Richardson Scholarship.

Committed to serving others, he was the co-creator of two software development projects, Abolishop and Mxit Freedom Line, designed to combat human trafficking. The projects won first and second place, respectively, in the USAID Challenge Slavery competition.

Orleans-Pobee has been a resident of the Honors Residential College, where he is a formal mentor to the community’s students as an apartment fellow.

He was the men’s captain and vice president of the Virginia Tech Fencing Club and VT Club Fencing Team, has been an honors application and University Honors scholarship reviewer, and has participated as a team captain in Relay for Life.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.

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