Rob Ferl and Anna-Lisa Paul Fall 2024 Commencement Speech
Rob Ferl and Anna-Lisa Paul delivered the Fall 2024 Commencement speeches.
At the 2024 UF Fall Commencement, Dr. Rob Ferl and Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul delivered an inspiring speech emphasizing the power of collaboration and shared journeys. They encouraged graduates to embrace teamwork as their ultimate “superpower,” highlighting how collective effort and persistence lead to extraordinary achievements.
Ferl and Paul shared stories from their remarkable scientific work and personal adventures. They described how their teamwork enabled them to grow the first plants in lunar soil, a historic milestone in space exploration.
Ferl: Graduates, you are each about to embark on your own amazing journeys. Our message to you is to join hands with others, counting on shared persistence over individual heroics. You’ll get more done and experience more joy in your journey.
Both Ferl and Paul: You will find your greatest superpower in sharing your powers.
Paul: Rob and I have dedicated our lives to a science exploration journey. We’re a team but we’re very different people. Rob knows I’ve got all manner of survival gear in my backpack, and I know that if the GPS breaks, Rob can pilot us out with his crazy internal compass.
Ferl: It’s that kind of synergy that has helped us ask one of humanity’s biggest questions: Can life, our form of terrestrial life, exist away from Earth?