ACADEMY OF DISTINGUISHED ENGINEERS AND HALL OF FAME

About the Academy

The Academy of Distinguished Engineers at the University of Connecticut, founded in 2003, honors School of Engineering alumni whose careers are characterized by their sustained and exemplary contributions to the engineering profession through research, practice, education, policy or service. Members are individuals who bring enduring honor to their alma mater as practitioners and as citizens.

They are elected and inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Engineers yearly and play an important advisory role to the School of Engineering, providing: advice and counsel to the Dean, Department Heads, Center Directors, faculty and students; service as role models for undergraduate and graduate engineering students, thereby exemplifying and strengthening their commitment to standards of academic and professional excellence; and support, advice and counsel for the purpose of improving the School of Engineering development programs and in securing significant financial support for the School.

Upon induction, each new member of the Academy of Distinguished Engineers is presented a handsome engraved plaque and a distinctive medallion; a twin of each Academy of Distinguished Engineers plaque also will be displayed permanently in the designated Hall of Fame within the new Information Technology Engineering building.

Members


2005		 Matthew Adiletta (B.S. 1985; Electrical Engineering)

Matthew Adiletta is an Intel Fellow and Director of Communication Processor Architecture in the Massachusetts-based Digital Enterprise Group of Intel Corporation. After joining Intel in 1998, he led the completion of the Intel® IXP1200 network processor and subsequently developed the Intel® IXP2XXX network processor product line. Mr. Adiletta is currently driving the next-generation of network processors for greater packet processing capability and security in future Internet, wireless and enterprise equipment. He holds 46 patents, with more than 44 patents pending. Prior to joining Intel, Mr. Adiletta worked at Digital Equipment Corporation. He led the development of Digital’s first-generation network processor in 1996.

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2004		 Samuel Altschuler, Jr. (B.S. Electrical Engineering '50)

Mr. Samuel Altschuler is President of Altschuler Financial Services, Lexington, MA and the founder and former Chairman and President (1970-1998) of Altron Inc. of Boston, MA, a leading contract manufacturer of interconnect products used in advanced electronic equipment. In 1998, Altron agreed to a merger with Sanmina, a West Coast based electronic manufacturing company, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary. Following the merger, Mr. Altschuler became an Executive Vice President of Sanmina and a member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Altschuler is also formerly a Director of Massbank Corp., a bank holding company. He served on the Advisory Board of the University of Connecticut School of Engineering from 1993-1995 and previously received the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award (1992). With his brother, Stephen, Mr. Altschuler established the Altschuler Family Scholarship in Engineering in 1993.

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2004		 Stephen Altschuler(B.S. Electrical Engineering '54)

Mr. Stephen Altschuler is founder and President of Altek Company, Torrington, CT. Begun in 1972, Altek has two divisions, Altek Electronics, a full-service manufacturer of electronic printed circuit board assemblies, and Tech? Products, which develops and manufactures can testing equipment for the food and beverage industry, including customers such as Anheuser Busch and Coca Cola. Earlier in his career, Mr. Altschuler was Vice President of Computer Dynamics (1963-72) and Manager of Quality Assurance for Adage Inc. (1959-63). He served on the Board of Trustees for the University of Connecticut from 1986-93 and is the former Director and Vice President of the Northwestern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. With his brother, Samuel, Mr. Altschuler established the Altschuler Family Scholarship in Engineering in 1993.

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2004		 Craig W. Ashmore(B.S. Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering '85)

Mr. Craig Ashmore is Group Vice President, Telecommunications Products, of Emerson Electric Company (EMR), St. Louis, MO, a $24 billion company employing more than 100,000 employees worldwide. His division supplies solutions for the telecommunications, information technology, medical, industrial and contract manufacturing end markets. Mr. Ashmore assumed this position in 2002 following two years service as Vice President-Profit Planning, where he was responsible for determining and implementing EMRs operational direction worldwide. He commenced employment with EMR in 1991 as a Corporate Strategic Planner and served in various administrative capacities of increasing responsibility, including Assistant to the President of EMR; Director, Investor Relations and Assistant to the Chairman and CEO; and Presidents of the EMR companies Fusite and Fisher Controls International. Before joining Emerson, he was employed as a manager for Andersen Consulting.

Mr. Ashmore was awarded his MBA from Harvard University.

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2005		 Richard Ballantyne (B.S. 1965; Mechanical Engineering and MBA 1966)

Richard Ballantyne served, until his retirement in January 2005, as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Harris Corporation, a $3 billion revenue, Melbourne, FL-based communications equipment company. Harris Corporation, which employs 11,000, provides product, system, and service solutions for customers in the microwave, broadcast, secure tactical radio, and government communications markets. Previously, Mr. Ballantyne was Vice President and General Counsel at Prime Computer in Natick, MA. He is admitted to practice before the bars of Florida, Massachusetts and the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

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2003		 James E. Barger (M.S. Mechanical Engineering '60)

Dr. Barger is semi-retired from his position as Chief Scientist at Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN) of Cambridge, MA. He joined BBN as a senior scientist in 1964, soon after earning his Ph.D. degree at Harvard University, and throughout his career was involved in helping BBN pioneer some of the worlds most sophisticated acoustical and telecommunications technologies. An expert in sonar, underwater noise detection and reduction, broadband medical ultrasound, geophysical seismic sensing, and noise and vibration cancellation, Dr. Barger designed prototypes of the explosive line arrays used by the Navys new Distant Thunder Sonar System, analyzed and designed sound sources for geophysical seismic exploration, and developed the initial science-based understanding of turbulence-induced noise as relevant to submarine stealth technology. He serves on the Engineering Deans Advisory Board and in 2002 received the School of Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award.

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2005		 Robert Becker (B.S. 1982; Electrical Engineering)

Robert Becker is Senior Vice President of Engineering and Operations at Mercury Computer, a $240 million revenue company with over 700 employees. Previously, Mr. Becker was Vice President of Engineering at Microtouch Systems (now part of 3M) and Vice President of Engineering at PictureTel. He also held various design and management positions at Sun Microsystems, Wang Laboratories, and Amdahl Corporation. Mr. Becker has 11 U.S. design patents related to computer architecture to his credit.

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2004		 Chatschik Bisdikian(M.S. Electrical Engineering '85, Ph.D. Electrical & Systems Engineering '88)

Dr. Chatschik Bisdikian is a Research Staff Member with IBMs T.J. Watson Research Center, Hawthorne, NY. He joined the center in 1989 following receipt of his doctoral degree, and he is responsible for developing and analyzing communication protocols and leading efforts in developing standards for CaTV and wireless personal area networks. Dr. Bisdikian has worked in a variety of research areas with IBM, including pervasive computing and personal area networking, broadband services and protocols, and modeling and analysis of local and metropolitan area networks. During his career, he has written more than 90 scholarly papers appearing in prestigious archival publications, co-authored the first and second editions of Bluetooth Revealed: the Insiders Guide to an Open Specification for Global Wireless Communications, and is co-inventor on seven U.S. patents as well as nine pending patents. He was elected a Fellow of IEEE in 2004 and in 1995 he was recognized as one of only three finalists for the Eta Kappa Nu Honor Societys Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer Award Program.

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2006		 Derek J. Blazensky (B.S. Computer Science & Engineering, ‘81)

Derek Blazensky is a founder and General Partner of Cardinal Venture Capital, a $125 million private equity fund that invests in early stage software companies. Prior to forming Cardinal, Mr. Blazensky managed venture investments for Adobe Ventures.

Before Adobe Ventures, Mr. Blazensky was a marketing director at Adobe Systems. Earlier in his career, he held engineering positions at Teknowledge Inc., an early pioneer of artificial intelligence, and Grid Systems, developer of the first laptop computer. He serves on the Board of Directors of three private California companies: GuardianEdge Technologies, Nimblefish Technologies and Telcontar.

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2005		 Benjamin Bulkley (B.S. 1982; Electrical Engineering)

Benjamin Bulkley is Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for Invitrogen Corporation, a $1 billion revenue biotechnology firm with over 3,000 employees. He leads the effort to create and maintain strong bonds with the company’s global client base through innovative sales, e-commerce and distribution initiatives. Before joining Invitrogen in 2003, he was Vice President of Global Services for GE’s Medical Systems Information Technologies division, where he was responsible for a 1,500-person global service business. Earlier, he served in marketing and managerial capacities with GE’s Transportation Division and in GE’s operations in Germany, where he was Chief Operating Officer.

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2003		 Dennis M. Bushnell (B.S.E. Mechanical Engineering '63)

As Chief Scientist at NASA Langley Research Center, Mr. Bushnell is responsible for Technical Oversight and Advanced Program formulation, with technical emphasis on areas of atmospheric sciences and structures, materials, acoustics, flight electronics/control/software, instruments, aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, spacecraft, space access and other areas. He has authored more than 230 publications and major presentations, and delivered nearly 200 invited lectures and seminars often on the future of technology and the shape it will take for humans and society. He holds five patents and has received numerous awards, including the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement and Outstanding Leadership Award. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, serves on the Engineering Deans Advisory Board and was awarded the School of Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award in 1997.

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2003		 Michael A. Cantor (B.S. Chemical Engineering/Materials Engineering '80)

Mr. Cantor is a partner in Cantor Colburn LLP, a leading national firm specializing in intellectual property law. He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, Connecticut Patent Law Association, American Bar Association, American Intellectual Property Law Association, International Trademark Association, and Tau Beta Pi. He is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. He also teaches patent law and procedure as an Adjunct Professor in Patent Law at the University of Connecticut School of Law. After graduating with his J.D., Mr. Cantor joined the firm of Fishman & Dionne. Within five years, he was named a partner and the firm evolved into Fishman, Dionne & Cantor. Today, Cantor Colburn LLP has more than 50 attorneys and patent agents. Mr. Cantor has been actively involved in educational outreach geared to introduce school-age children to engineering and the world of invention.

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2006		 Timothy “Scott” Case (B.S. Computer Science & Engineering, ‘92)

Timothy “Scott” Case is co-founder of priceline.com, the “Name Your Own Price” Internet service. As Chief Technology Officer, he was responsible for building the technology that enabled priceline.com’s hyper-growth. Moving beyond technology, he successfully launched several priceline.com businesses, including Priceline for Gasoline, by far the firm’s fastest growing business. At the Walker Digital Invention Laboratory, Mr. Case helped build a portfolio of intellectual property, and he is a named inventor on dozens of U.S. patents, including the underlying portfolio for priceline.com. During his final year at UConn, Mr. Case co-founded Precision Training Software, a software company that developed the world’s first PC-based simulated flight instructor and photo-realistic flight simulator.

Mr. Case currently serves as the Chairman of Network for Good, a national nonprofit that has distributed $86 million to 20,000 nonprofits. Network for Good provides online fundraising and communications services to over 4,000 nonprofit organizations.

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2003		 Franklin R. Chang-Diaz (B.S.E. Mechanical Engineering '73)

Dr. Chang-Diaz is a NASA astronaut who directs the Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center. After earning his Ph.D. at MIT, he joined the NASA astronaut corps and has flown aboard seven shuttle space flights while logging more than 1,600 hours in space; started the Astronaut Science Colloquium Program; and helped form the Astronaut Science Support Group, which he directed until January 1989. As a researcher, he developed a novel concept to guide and target fuel pellets in an inertial fusion reactor chamber, and led development of a plasma propulsion technology for future human missions to Mars. Dr. Chang-Diaz has been awarded seven NASA Space Flight Medals, two NASA Distinguished Service Medals, three NASA Exceptional Service Medals, four honorary doctoral degrees including one from the University of Connecticut, and the Liberty Medal. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the School of Engineering in 1984.

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2005		 Gerard L. Coté (M.S. 1987, Ph.D. 1990; Bioengineering)

Dr. Gerard L. Coté is Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University and holds the Charles H. and Bettye Barclay Professorship. His research focuses on the development of macro-scale to nano-scale systems for biosensing and diagnostics. Dr. Coté develops systems using lasers, optics and electronics for noninvasive ways to test blood sugar levels in diabetes, to detect other body chemicals such as beta amyloid for Alzheimer’s disease, and to diagnose cancer. Dr. Coté is a co-inventor on three U.S. patents and one provisional U.S. patent. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

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2003		 Hugh l. Cox (B.S.E. Mechanical Engineering '50)

Mr. Cox retired as President and CEO of Raymond Engineering in 1993 following four decades of dedicated service. He is credited with transforming Raymond Engineering from a privately-held entity to a publicly-traded company. The company, which was acquired by Kaman Aerospace Corporation in 1995, designs, develops and manufactures precision electromechanical and electronic devices primarily for military and aerospace markets. The company's products include electromechanical devices used on the original U.S. space satellites, advanced recording machines and media used to capture, store and transmit the inspiring visual images from deep space probes we enjoy today, and firing mechanisms for advanced ordnance. Today, he remains actively engaged in the affairs of the University of Connecticut, as a member of the Founders Society, Alumni Association and Engineering Alumni Association. Mr. Cox and his wife, Judith, generously support the School of Engineering through the Hugh L. and Judith R. Cox Scholarship Endowment.

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2004		 Robert C. Daigle (B.S. Chemical Engineering and Materials Engineering '86)

Mr. Robert Daigle is Vice President of Research & Development and Chief Technology Officer for Rogers Corporation, Rogers, CT. Rogers develops and manufactures high-performance specialty materials focusing on the wireless communications and computer markets. Mr. Daigle joined Rogers in 1988 as a Development Engineer and remained in research and development until 1994, when he transferred to Corporate Marketing. He joined the Microwave Materials Division (now Advanced Circuit Materials Division or ACMD) in 1996, was promoted to Division Manager the following year and later assumed the role of Vice President of ACMD.

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2006		 Bassel Daoud, P.E. (B.S., M.S. Mechanical Engineering, ‘83, ‘85)

Bassel Daoud, P.E., is a Consulting Member of Technical Staff at Lucent Technologies Corporation. He holds the distinction of being the fourth most prolific inventor in the world in 2000, with 270 U.S. patents, according to a press release prepared by Lucent. He joined Lucent/Bell Labs in 1986 as a Member of Technical Staff and has held positions of increasing responsibility. In October 2005, Mr. Daoud was named a Bell Labs Fellow—the company’s highest honor—for “pioneering and implementing innovative design and manufacturing principles for cost reduction optimization which has resulted in him being awarded the highest number of patents in the history of Bell Labs and the fourth highest in the world (2000). For developing cost reduction business processes and tools that delivered phenomenal margin improvements.”

In his current position, he coordinates the cost-reduction efforts of the cross-functional Network Solutions Group’s Mobility team, comprising members of the R&D design group, product management and supply chain network groups.

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2004		 Anthony J. DeMaria (B.S. Electrical Engineering '56, Ph.D. Electrical Engineering '65)

Dr. Anthony DeMaria is Chief Scientist with Coherent-DEOS, LLC, Bloomfield, CT, which manufactures lasers for remote sensing and infrared counter-measures and employs approximately 170 staff members. He is also a Distinguished Professor-in-Residence in the University of Connecticuts Electrical & Computer Engineering Department. Dr. DeMaria founded DeMaria Electro-Optics Systems, Inc. (DEOS) in 1994 after purchasing intellectual property of the CO2 laser unit of Hamilton Standard. He was chairman and CEO of DEOS, polishing the company into the worlds leading manufacturer of sealed-off, RF excited waveguide CO2 lasers for industrial and governmental applications. The company was purchased in 2001 by Coherent, Inc. Before founding DEOS, Dr. DeMaria devoted 37 years of his career to the Hamilton Standard (now Hamilton Sundstrand) division of United Technologies Corporation and to the United Technologies Research Center. He is a member of both the National Academy of Engineering (1976) and the National Academy of Sciences (1997), the Connecticut Academy of Science & Engineering, the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the recipient of many named awards. He received the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award in 1983. Dr. DeMaria has served as an inventor on 45 U.S. patents.

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2006		 Anthony "Tony" W. DeSio (B.S. Electrical Engineering, ‘57)

Tony DeSio is the co-founder and former Chairman, President, and CEO of Mail Boxes Etc.® (currently known as The UPS STORE). He launched the company's franchising business in 1980 and built the company from a single store into the world’s largest non-food franchise with almost 4,000 stores in 30 countries at the time of his retirement in 1998.

Earlier in his career, he was an aerospace executive with Hughes Research and Development Labs, Lockheed Martin, GE, and Western Union. He held several key management positions with Lockheed Missiles & Space Company during the initial stages of the U.S. Space Exploration program. In 1971, he was nominated to participate in the President’s Executive Interchange Program and served for two years as a staff assistant to the Aeronautics and Space Counsel in the Executive Office of the President.

Mr. DeSio has received an outstanding achievement award from the President of the United States (1972), and Entrepreneur of the Year awards from the International Franchise Association (1996), Inc. magazine (1989), and Franchise Times magazine (2001).

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2005		 Joel Douglas (B.S. 1977; Civil Engineering)

Joel Douglas is co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of MysticMD of Groton, CT. As inventor of 64 U.S. patents and 28 FDA product clearances, Mr. Douglas was named in 2004 as one of the 100 Notable People in the Medical Device Industry. Mr. Douglas co-founded Amira Medical, where he developed the first alternate site blood glucose meter. He also founded three other startup firms and pioneered the development of medical patch technologies. At MysticMD, Mr. Douglas’ latest inventions apply proprietary conductive coatings, films and inks, to create forgery-resistant micro devices for discreetly storing biometric and other information for large-scale security applications.

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2008

Wayne A. Eckerle (Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, '85)

Wayne A. Eckerle, Ph.D., is Vice President of Corporate Research and Technology at Cummins Inc., Columbus, IN, which he joined in 1989. He has progressed through the company, which has $13 billion in revenues, beginning as a technical advisor and continuing through various leadership roles, including Senior Technical Advisor - Fuel Systems Manufacturing, Chief Engineer of Fuel Systems Technology, Executive Director of Thermal and Fluid Sciences, Executive Engineer of Advanced Engineering and Executive Engineer of Research and Technology.

Dr. Eckerle is recognized for his introduction of design and analysis tools for the new generation of diesel engines built by Cummins Inc., leading to reduced costs while allowing Cummins to surpass EPA performance standards on NOx emissions. Earlier in his career, he served as a faculty member (Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, ¹86-¹89) and consultant (United Technologies Research Center and Los Alamos National Laboratory), research engineer and adjunct faculty member at the University of Connecticut. He has received nine patents and published numerous articles on his work. He received the J. Irwin Miller Award of Excellence for combustion development breakthroughs to meet Tier 3 and 2004 emissions. Dr. Eckerle is a member of the External Advisory Board of the UConn Mechanical Engineering Department. He earned his M.S. degree from Purdue University.

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2005		 Ferdinand Engel (M.S. 1972; Computer Science and Engineering)

Ferdinand Engel is Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Concord Communications, Inc., a $100 million revenue global provider of software solutions with more than 600 employees. Mr. Engel came to Concord in 1989 and grew it to its present size, bringing it public in 1997. Previously, Mr. Engel was Vice President and principal of TCI/Bell Atlantic at the time the company was bought by Bell Atlantic. He earlier spent seven years at Digital Equipment Corporation, where he helped pioneer network technology, working on the ARPAnet and developing the first implementations of TCP/IP, the first laser printer server, and the underlying network architecture for the DEC Cluster. Mr. Engel has received six patents and has served on several boards of high technology companies.

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2003		 Samuel D. Ewing, Jr. (M.S. Electrical Engineering '64)

Mr. Ewing is President of Ewing Capital, Inc., an investment firm he founded in 1981 and one of the largest and most prestigious minority-owned brokerage and research firms in the nation. He has more than 30 years’ professional experience in investment and financial management, security analysis, investment banking, venture capital and computerized investment techniques. In addition to Ewing Capital, Mr. Ewing is the founding principal of two other successful organizations, Broadcast Capital Fund Inc. and Bankers Trust Company Private Placement Department. He earned his MBA at Harvard University. Mr. Ewing serves on the Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board. In 2001, he received the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award.

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2005		 Robert Glorioso (M.S. 1964 and Ph.D. 1967; Electrical Engineering)

Dr. Robert Glorioso recently retired as President and Chief Executive Officer of Marathon Technologies of Boxborough MA, a privately-held company delivering fault-tolerant software solutions. Dr. Glorioso co-founded Marathon Technologies, after serving as Vice President at Digital Equipment Corporation, where he managed worldwide engineering, marketing, and manufacturing for the company’s Information Systems Business. He currently serves on several Boards, including those of AllergyBuyersClub.com, NaviTag Technologies and Solar Trade.

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2007		 Ronald D. Goldblatt (M.S., Ph.D. Materials Science, ‘84, ‘87)

Ronald Goldblatt, Ph.D., is an IBM Distinguished Engineer and Senior Manager of Advanced Silicon Science and Process Technology at the T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, NY. He joined IBM in 1981 and has held technical positions of increasing responsibility culminating in his appointment to the executive position of Distinguished Engineer in 2005. Dr. Goldblatt has made outstanding contributions to silicon processes and engineering and is a leader in semiconductor materials research. He was instrumental in IBM’s transition to copper metallurgy in semiconductor processing in the mid 90’s. As the technical leader and—later—technical manager, he was responsible for initial feasibility, proof of concept, scale-up into development, and technology transfer to manufacturing. He holds key patents in this area. The transition to copper afforded IBM a 15% performance increase and a clearleadership position lasting several years.

Since 2002, Dr. Goldblatt has led a joint research-development team that creates prototypes for many of the breakthrough technology concepts originating in IBM Research and has enabled implementation of these processes in the 300mm manufacturing line in IBM’s semiconductor fabrication facility. He is currently leading his team in expanded new directions, exploring the ultimate capabilities of silicon based devices as well as novel post-CMOS concepts.

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2008

Jorge L. González-Velázquez (Ph.D. Metallurgy, '90)

Jorge L. González-Velázquez, Ph.D. is a Professor of Metallurgy & Materials Engineering at the Instituto Politecnico Nacional (IPN) and founder and Director of the Pipeline Integrity Assessment Group, a $15 million/year firm that provides research and technical services on integrity and risk assessment, metallurgical, corrosion and failure analyses of oil and natural gas pipelines located all across Mexico. The company has more than 350 employees and 10 offices. Dr. González-Velázquez has published over 160 scholarly papers and authored the books, Mecánica de Fractura (first ed. '98, now in third ed.) and Metalurgia Mecánica ('99), both published by Limusa Noriega, Mexico. In 2007, the President of Mexico presented him the Lazaro Cardenas Award, which is conferred upon IPN¹s most outstanding professor and researcher; he also received the 2007 Outstanding Alumnus Award presented by the UConn Materials Science & Engineering program. He received the Amalia Solorzano Award for outstanding research ('06) and the Hilario Ariza Award as an outstanding alumnus of IPN ('02). He was a top finalist for Mexico's National Prize of Science and Technology ('05 and '06) and remains an active candidate.



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2003		 Paul B. Greenberg (B.S. and M.S. Civil Engineering '60 and '65

Mr. Greenberg has had a long and notable career with Pratt & Whitney Aircraft that spanned nearly four decades, beginning in 1962 when he joined the company as a Design Engineer. During his career, he held various positions that included Design Manager/Chief of Design, Chief of Design V2500 Programs, Chief of Design 4000 Programs, Chief of Engineering – Design – 4000 Programs, and Chief of Systems Design. He is a member of the Pratt & Whitney Technical Advisory Committee and has played a key role in establishing collaborative linkages between the University of Connecticut School of Engineering and United Technologies Corporation (UTC). He holds eight patents through his work with UTC, primarily inventions relating to gas turbine engines. Mr. Greenberg was awarded the Pratt & Whitney Leadership Award in 1994.

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2003 Richard J. Grossi (B.S. Mechanical Engineering '57)

Mr. Grossi retired in 1998 as Chairman and CEO of United Illuminating (UI), an investor-owned electric utility in New Haven, following a 41-year career with the utility. He is now chairman of the Science Park Development Corp. in New Haven. Mr. Grossi is also completing a four-year term as Chairman of the New York Independent System Operator Board of Directors. He joined UI in 1957 as an engineering assistant and filled various managerial positions of increasing authority, including New Haven Harbor Project Manager, Vice President of Engineering and Planning, Vice President of Corporate Planning and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard in 1986 and received an honorary doctoral degree from Albertus Magnus College in 1998. He serves on the Board of Directors of New Haven Savings Bank, Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield of CT, the University of Connecticut Foundation, Inc., and he is a member of the Representative Policy Board of South Central Regional Water District.

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2004 Janet M. (Callahan) Hampikian (B.S. Chemical Engineering '83; M.S. Metallurgy '86; Ph.D. Materials Science '90)

Dr. Janet M. Hampikian is an Associate Professor of Materials Science & Engineering and Director of Undergraduate Recruitment & Scholarship Programs at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She began her career with the university in 1992. Her areas of specialization include thermal barrier coatings, biomaterials, radioactive coatings, nanomaterials, and she is co-inventor on two U.S. patents. While on leave from Georgia Tech, she co-founded RadioVascular Systems, Inc. (now doing business as Medluminal Systems, Inc., CA) a medical device company, and served as Director of Research from 1998-2001. After earning her doctoral degree, she spent two yeas as a Visiting Scientist with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Melbourne, Australia, as part of a National Science Foundation post-doctoral fellowship. In 1996, Dr. Hampikian was awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation Early Career (CAREER) award for her work in high temperature coatings.

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2003		 Michael J. Hartnett (Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering '78)

Dr. Hartnett is President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Roller Bearings Company of America and Holdings, an international company. Previously, he held several executive positions at The Torrington Company, including Vice President and General Manager of the Aerospace Business Unit and Vice President of the Research and Development Division. Dr. Hartnett owns six patents, has authored 25 publications, and is internationally recognized for his contributions in the field of tribology (the study of friction). In 1999, he was presented the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award. Dr. Hartnett has been a steadfast champion of technology education and a staunch supporter of research and development in emerging technologies throughout Connecticut.

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2006		 Stephen N. Heath (B.S. Mechanical Engineering, ‘73)

Stephen Heath is President of Pratt & Whitney’s Commercial Engines business. He is responsible for the company’s world-wide Commercial Engines operations, including overseeing a fleet of 15,000 engines, new and developmental engine program initiatives, customer and technical support, sales and marketing, new and serviceable spare part sales, and the airplane manufacturer liaison offices located in Toulouse, France and Seattle, WA.

Mr. Heath progressed through a variety of leadership positions since joining the company in 1973, including President of International Aero Engines (IAE), a joint venture company with which Pratt & Whitney is a leading partner, which produces the V2500 engine for the Airbus A320 family of aircraft. Prior to this current assignment, he was Vice President of Commercial Engines Programs. Mr. Heath also has served as Vice President of Customer Service, Vice President of Marketing and Sales, and Director of Pratt’s V2500 program. He serves on the Board of Directors of IAE; the Engine Alliance (EA), another joint venture company with Pratt & Whitney; and the P&W Institute of Collaborative Engineering (PWICE).

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2005		 William B. Hewitt (M.S. 1968; Electrical Engineering)

William B. Hewitt is Chairman of Polymer Group, Inc., an $850 million revenue global nonwovens manufacturer and Global Vantage Inc., a global business process outsourcing company. He also chairs Water Missions International, a Christian not-for-profit which provided water systems to serve over 330,000 in Sri Lanka and Indonesia following the tsunami. He was previously President and CEO of the Union Corporation. Mr. Hewitt has been awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by the Medical University of South Carolina and an honorary Doctor of Business Administration by the Citadel. He was named the 2004 Distinguished Alumnus of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

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2006		 G. Michael Howard (Ph.D., Chemical Engineering ‘67)

Dr. G. Michael Howard, professor emeritus, has been a driving force within the University of Connecticut since 1961, when he joined the newly-formed Chemical Engineering Department as a faculty member. During his career, Dr. Howard was responsible for introducing many new courses and curriculum innovations in the department and the School. As an administrator, he served as Associate Dean of Engineering for undergraduate programs (‘74-’88); Acting Department Head; long-term member of the University Senate and its executive committee; and member and chair of the University Athletic Advisory Committee. He received the Outstanding Teacher Award from the University Student Government and, twice, the Rogers Outstanding Teaching Award in Chemical Engineering.

Nationally, Dr. Howard chaired the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) National Program Committee on Education and the Liaison Committee between AIChE and the ASEE Chemical Engineering Division. He remains active in teaching the senior lab course and advising students. In his honor, colleagues and former students established the Mike Howard Educational Excellence Fund in Chemical Engineering.

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2003		 Charles Klewin (B.S.E., M.S. Civil Engineering '71, '74)

Mr. Klewin is founder and Chairman of KLEWIN Building Company, ranked among the top 50 construction management firms in the nation based on annual construction volume. Among his company’s many noted projects are the Dodd Research and Archives Center, Storrs and the University of Connecticut Avery Point Marine Science Center, Groton. His company also is responsible for construction of the ABB Combustion Engineering building, Windsor; the Heublein Corporate Headquarters Office Relocation to Hartford; and significant portions of the Foxwoods Resort & Casino. In 1988, Mr. Klewin received the prestigious Inc. Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He has actively supported the School of Engineering through various avenues, including establishment of the C.R. Klewin Civil Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award, and support of a named professorship in engineering. In 1999, Mr. Klewin was awarded the University of Connecticut Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award.

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2003		 John Krenicki, Jr. (B.S.E. Mechanical Engineering '84)

Mr. Krenicki is President and CEO of GE Plastics. Mr. Krenicki has enjoyed a lengthy career with General Electric that began in 1984. He previously held the position of President and CEO of General Electric Transportation Systems, which he assumed in 2000. In addition, he has held several other leadership positions in GE, including that of Vice President and General Manager of GE Superabrasives, Vice President and General Manager of the Americas for GE Lighting, and CEO of GE Bayer Silicones. Earlier in his career, Mr. Krenicki served as Sales General Manager for GE Plastics Structured Products and European Commercial Director for GE Silicones. Mr. Krenicki was presented the School of Engineering Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award in 2000.

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2005		 Kevin Kulak (B.S. 1985; Mechanical Engineering)

Kevin Kulak is Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase & Co., New York. Mr. Kulak designs and originates debt and equity securities for corporate clients of JPMorgan. He specializes in convertible securities for technology, industrial, and financial services companies. Mr. Kulak has enjoyed an 11-year career at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in various businesses including securities, loans, derivatives, and asset management. Previously, Mr. Kulak was a Program Manager with IBM and a Senior Consultant with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture).

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2006		 John Lenard, (M.S. Civil Engineering, ‘61)

John Lenard is the founder and former President of Lenard Engineering, Inc., a consulting civil engineering firm headquartered in Storrs, CT with offices in Winsted, CT and Auburn, MA. Prior to establishing Lenard Engineering, Inc. he managed international projects for TAMS and Hydrotechnic Corp. in New York City. He served as President of the Connecticut chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) from 1979-80. Mr. Lenard received a Dipl. Ing. degree from the Budapest Institute of Technology. He taught at the University of New Haven and was an adjunct instructor in the University of Connecticut’s Civil Engineering Department. Mr. Lenard is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.

He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Benjamin Wright Award from the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers; the Edmund Friedman professional recognition award from ASCE; Distinguished Service Award from the University of Connecticut School of Engineering. He established the John Lenard Endowed Scholarship.

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2004		 Robert F. Leheny (B.S. Electrical Engineering '60)

Dr. Robert Leheny presently is Deputy Director of DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, VA. He first joined DARPA in 1993 as a program manager of optoelectronics and later served as Director of the Microsystems Technology Office before assuming his current position. His program interests at DARPA have focused on application of photonics, microelectronics and MEMS technologies to communication and RF systems and related materials and device technologies for information systems processing. Prior to joining DARPA, he worked more than 25 years with Bell Communications Research (Bellcore, now known as Telcordia Technologies), in positions ranging from technical staff work to Executive Director for Network Technology Research in the Applied Research Laboratory. He was named a Bell Labs Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff in 1992 and awarded the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award in 1991.

Dr. Leheny received his doctoral degree from Columbia University.

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2003		 Robert P. Madonna (B.S.E. Electrical Engineering '82)

Mr. Madonna is the founder and former President, Chairman and CEO of Excel Switching, which was purchased by Lucent Technologies in 1999. He founded Excel Switching in the early 1980s and served as principal designer pioneering the programmable switching industry. After graduating from the University of Connecticut, he worked for a Cambridge company designing what, at the time, was the world’s largest CT scan medical device. He is a member of the University of Connecticut Foundation Board of Directors and the University of Connecticut Foundation Development Committee. In 2000, the School of Engineering presented him the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award.

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2003		 Paul Mali (B.S.E, M.S.E., Ph.D. Electrical Engineering '53, '62, '66)

Dr. Mali retired after 15 years as a Director of General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, and 30 years as a professor at the University of Hartford, where he was a faculty member in the Project Engineering and Engineering Management area. He now conducts special programs at the Swiss Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland. Through a major donation, he and his wife, Mary, were instrumental in establishment of the undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Program and support generous scholarships for deserving students from underrepresented groups. Dr. Mali is the author of seven books, including the texts Magnetic Amplifiers (a first in the market) and Managing by Objectives, published during the ‘70s and ‘80s. He helped to institute the MBO system in such corporations as IBM, Westinghouse, U.S. Steel, Emhart, Nestlé, Boise Cascade, Kimberly Clark, General Motors, Alcan Aluminum and a host of others.

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2006		 Tom A. Martin (M.S., Ph.D. Electrical engineering, ’71, ’74)

Dr. Tom Martin is co-founder, President and Chairman of the Board of Phonon Corp., a manufacturer of high performance surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices and subsystems for the military and space electronics marketplaces. He is responsible for strategic direction and business development and remains actively involved in engineering and marketing aspects of the operation. Before co-founding Phonon Corp. in 1982, he was Vice President and Technical Director of NAPCO Division of Thermo Electron Corporation and, prior to that, Vice President and Technical Director of Andersen Laboratories Division of Andersen Group, Inc. At Andersen, he played a major role in building the company’s ultrasonic device business.

He has published six scholarly archival journal publications and holds two U.S. patents. Dr. Martin serves on the Industrial Advisory Board of the Connecticut Microelectronics/Optoelectronics Consortium and the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Connecticut.

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2005		 Fred Maryanski (Ph.D. 1974; Computer Science)

Dr. Fred Maryanski is president of Nevada State College, Henderson. Dr. Maryanski served as the first head of the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Connecticut from 1986 to 1989, and held administrative positions at UConn from 1989 until 2005, including terms as the Interim Chancellor, Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. He served on the faculty of Kansas State University and held a research position at Digital Equipment Corporation. He was the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Very Large Databases.

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2003		 Robert L. Mastracchio, P.E. (B.S.E., M.S. Chemical Engineering '64, '66)

Mr. Mastracchio is a retired Vice President of Research and Engineering at ExxonMobil Corporation, Florham Park, NJ. During his distinguished 33-year career with Exxon, he gained fame for his numerous accomplishments in the U.S. and in the company’s overseas divisions in Italy, Scotland and England. Mr. Mastracchio was Technical Manager overseeing cleanup efforts related to the Valdez oil spill in Alaska. The cleanup was among the largest environmental efforts ever undertaken. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the national accrediting agency for U.S. engineering schools, and is a member of the University of Connecticut Founders Society and an Engineering Charter member. Mr. Mastracchio and his wife support the Robert and Beatrice Mastracchio Endowed Scholarship for academically gifted graduate students. In 1998, Mr. Mastracchio was awarded the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award.

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2003		 Richard A. Mastracchio (B.S.E. Electrical Engineering/Computer Science '82)

Mr. Mastracchio is a NASA astronaut stationed at the Johnson Space Center, Houston. He joined NASA in 1990 as an engineer in the Flight Crew Operations Directorate and later worked as an ascent/entry Guidance and Procedures Officer (GPO) in Mission Control. During that time, he supported 17 missions as a flight controller. He was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1996 and flew as a mission specialist on STS-106. He has logged over 283 hours in space. Currently, he is assigned to the crew of STS-117, scheduled for flight in the fall of 2003. Earlier in his career, Mr. Mastracchio worked for Hamilton Standard (now Hamilton Sundstrand) as a systems design group engineer, and later the Rockwell Shuttle Operations Company at the Johnson Space Center.

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2003		 Michael E. McPhee (B.S.E. Electrical Engineering '81, MBA '94)

Mr. McPhee is President of McPhee Electric Ltd. LLC of Farmington, CT and Vice President of Operations for Xcelecom, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of UIL Holdings Corporation. McPhee Electric Ltd. was founded in 1974 and acquired by Xcelecom in September 2000. Specializing in the installation and design of sophisticated electrical power and communications networks, the company has specific skills in fiber optic long-haul, last mile, and premise installations; power generation plants; wireless tower installations; and design-build construction. Performing work from Florida to Vermont over the last 20 years, McPhee Electric Ltd. has worked on Foxwoods Casino, Mashantucket, CT; Husky Hot-Runner, Milton, VT; Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT; Providence Place Mall, Providence, RI; Jabil Circuits, Billerica, MA; Thunder Waters Casino; Niagara Falls, NY; Cross Sound Cable Project, New Haven, CT; as well as Rentschler Field, the University of Connecticut Chemistry Building, and Avery Point Marine Science Center. Mr. McPhee is a registered professional engineer in Rhode Island and Connecticut, President of the Connecticut Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association, and a member of the University of Connecticut Founders Society. He has provided generous support to the School of Engineering.

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2005		 William V. Moore (B.S. 1973; Electrical Engineering)

William V. Moore is a senior member of the technical staff at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Mr. Moore previously served as Technical Group supervisor at JPL managing Flight Communications Systems Development and other activities. He has contributed to 12 major NASA missions; two spacecraft developments at Hughes Space and Communications; and three major aircraft applications at Lockheed. Mr. Moore has received numerous NASA awards for telecommunications management and spacecraft development. He is a Senior Member of both the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics as well as a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the New York Academy of Sciences.

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2008

Jose L. Munoz (Ph.D. Computer Science, '88)

Jose L. Munoz, Ph.D., is Deputy Director and Senior Science Advisor for the Office of CyberInfrastructure at the National Science Foundation. He previously was Director of the Simulation and Computer Science Office at National Nuclear Security Administration¹s Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASCI) program. In this position, he was responsible for software development environments. As Program Manager and Assistant Director of DARPA¹s Information Technology Office, he led activities in embedded computing, adaptive computing and data intensive computing. Earlier in his career, Dr. Munoz was a Chief Architect for submarine combat systems at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center. He is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the IEEE Computer Society. He has several publications and one patent in the area of high performance sonar/signal processing.


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2003		 Robert B. Northrop (M.S. Systems Engineering '58)

Dr. Northrop retired in 1997 as a professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. In 1963, he established one of the first biomedical engineering graduate programs in the nation, with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He also broke new ground in engineering, using live animals in his biomedical studies funded by NIH, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and other agencies. Dr. Northrop developed numerous biological models, and designed and simulated various controllers to regulate drug concentrations or physiological parameters, such as blood glucose in diabetics. He authored seven textbooks, including Analog Electronic Circuits, Introduction to Instrumentation and Measurements, Endogenous and Exogenous Regulation and Control of Physiological Systems, and Introduction to Dynamic Modeling of Neuro-Sensory Systems, published by CRC Press and Addison Wesley.

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2006		 Sharon L. Nunes (M.S., Ph.D. Materials Science, ‘80, ‘83)

Dr. Sharon Nunes is Vice President of Business Development and Productivity in IBM’s Systems & Technology Group (STG). In this role, she works with leaders in STG to identify opportunities for revenue growth through, including venture capital companies and IBM business partners. She was previously Vice President of Technology, working with IBM’s Chairman and the senior executive team to set the technical agenda for the company. Earlier, Dr. Nunes was the Vice President of Emerging Business at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, NY. Dr. Nunes was responsible for the launch of IBM’s Computational Biology Center in 1997 and played a key role in developing IBM’s business opportunities in the Life Sciences market.

She is a member of the Advisory Council of the Whitaker Biomedical Engineering Institute at Johns Hopkins University and a member of the Board of Directors for the Center for Security Technologies at Washington University in St. Louis. She was a National Academy of Engineering (NAE) “Frontiers of Engineering” fellow in 2000 and has been a member of the NAE “Engineer of 2020” advisory board.

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2004		 Dominick A. Pagano (B.S. Electrical Engineering '68)

Mr. Dominick Pagano is President and CEO of Dapco Industries, Inc., Ridgefield, CT, a company he founded in 1972. A worldwide company with systems in Asia, Africa, Europe, the UK and the Americas, Dapco designs and manufactures computer-based ultrasonic inspection equipment, transducers and accessories for domestic and international markets. Under his leadership, Dapco has achieved important technological firsts, including development of testing and inspection systems for the U.S. military ordnance inspection, monitoring of nuclear reactors, pattern recognition and defect classification and other military and industrial applications. Early in his career, Mr. Pagano was an engineer with Cunningham Industries, Stamford; later, he served as a chief engineer for Harisonic Labs, also of Stamford. He holds 14 U.S. patents. Mr. Pagano serves on the Board of Directors of EDAC Manufacturing, Farmington; founded and served as a member of the Board of Directors of Brookfield Bank; and founded and chaired the Board of Directors of American Environmental Technologies, Bethel, CT. He was awarded the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award in 1988. Mr. Pagano has given generously to the School of Engineering and recently established an undergraduate scholarship in the School.

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2003		 Roland D. Pampel (B.S. Electrical Engineering '56)

Mr. Pampel retired in 1997 as President, CEO and Director of Microcom, Inc. He remained on the Board of Directors until Microcom was acquired by Compaq. He previously was President and CEO of Nicolet Instrument Corporation; President, CEO and Director of Bull HN Information Systems Inc.; Chairman of Zenith Data Systems Corporation; President and COO of Apollo Computer Inc.; Vice President, Research & Development of Prime Computer, Inc.; and Senior Vice President of Computer System Marketing with AT&T. His 37-year career in the information systems industry began when he joined IBM in 1960, working on SAGE, the first computer used in a comprehensive defense radar detection system. Mr. Pampel is a member of the University of Connecticut Founders Society and the Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board. He and his wife support the Roland and Carol Pampel Endowment Scholarship Fund for outstanding undergraduate engineering students. In 1991, Mr. Pampel was presented the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award.

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2007		 Julie A. Pollitt (B.S. Mechanical Engineering, ‘88)

Julie Pollitt is a Program Analyst in the Office of Program Analysis & Evaluations, Office of the Administrator at the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), Washington, DC. Her duties include development of an agency-level performance management system; negotiation of externally tracked performance metrics with the Office of Management and Budget; and product development and reporting on NASA programs and projects for the White House’s Budget and Performance Integration Initiative. Since joining NASA Headquarters in 2002,she also has served as Deputy Program Manager of NASA’s largest aeronautics research program and as a Strategic Analyst.

Ms. Pollitt began her career as a Design Engineer with the NASA-Ames Research Center’s Mechanical Systems & Controls unit, Moffett Field, CA in 1988. She held various positions of responsibility, including Mars Airplane Conceptual Design Team Co-Lead; Business Development Manager; and Intelligent, Digitized Shuttle Application Lead. As a Congressional Science & Technology Fellow assigned to Rep. Tony Hall (3rd District - OH), she was responsible for legislation affecting the U.S. Air Force and related to access-to-space/reusable launch vehicles, aging aircraft and the insufficient investment in defense aerospace science and technology. Ms. Pollitt has received numerous NASA honors, including the Special Achievement and Spotlight Awards. She earned her M.S. at Stanford University (1991).
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2003		 Robert L. Popp (Ph.D. Electrical Engineering '97)

Dr. Popp is Deputy Director of the DARPA Information Awareness Office, Arlington, VA. He is responsible for assisting the IAO Director in the oversight of programs and monitors the capabilities of existing and proposed information systems in the problem domains of the office to meet enhanced future threats and to identify and exploit advanced technologies offering potential solutions to deficiencies. He previously was Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Advanced Systems & Concepts; Principal Scientist, Program Manager and Director of Business Development with ALPHATECH; and Senior Scientist and Program Manager with Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN). He has published more than 60 journal and conference technical papers and holds two U.S. patents.

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2008

Thomas W. Prete (B.S. Mechanical Engineering, '85)

Thomas W. Prete is Program Chief Engineer, Military Engines at Pratt & Whitney, East Hartford. He joined Pratt & Whitney in 1989 as a Senior Thermodynamic Performance Engineer and progressed through managerial, engineering and operational roles of increasing leadership and responsibility leading up to his current position. He is responsible for the safety, airworthiness, life management, product improvements and technology insertion of engines powering such front-line military aircraft as the F-16, F-15, EA6B, B-52, C-17 and F-22 Raptor.

His career milestones include his successful leadership of efforts to resolve complex burner stability and augmentor ignition issues on the world¹s most advanced fighter engine, the F119, and completion of a $20 million global repair development program that initiated thousands of repairs for competitor engines. He has one patent pending and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Pratt & Whitney William G. Chamberlain Military Customer Service Award for Outstanding Customer Support ('03), the Pratt & Whitney/ASME Outstanding Engineer of the Year award (2000), the Pratt & Whitney Special Award for Significant Contributions ('98, '02 and '03), and the U.S. Navy NAVAIR Commanders Award (¹02). Mr. Prete received his M.S. degree from the University of Bridgeport and his executive MBA from the University of Connecticut.




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2007		 John R. Rhode, Jr. (B.S. Electrical Engineering, ‘60)

John Rhode is the Founder and Managing Director of Sound Consulting Associates LLC, which caters to service and manufacturing clients in the development and implementation of strategic plans, performance improvement and breakthrough management projects. Earlier in his career, as Director of Strategic Planning for Engelhard Corporation (1991-95), Mr. Rhode helped the company quadruple its stock price and led a key Engelhard re-engineering team whose successes were cited in Michael Hammer’s book, The Reengineering Revolution.

Prior to joining Engelhard, Mr. Rhode was a Senior Consultant, Director of Planning, and Vice President of Marketing and Planning for the Industrial Products Group of Combustion Engineering; Vice President of Marketing and Planning for the Power and Industrial Sector; and CEO of a Combustion Engineering subsidiary. He previously served as Vice President of LPL Technology’s Amphenol subsidiary, and Chief Engineer for the command and data links on the APOLLO Project for MIT’s Instrumentation Lab, where he was responsible for the command and data transmissions to and from the spacecraft and also participated in the preflight training of the astronauts. Mr. Rhode was a member of the Board of Directors of The Strategic Planning Institute. He earned his M.S.E. in Computer Applications from MIT and an MBA from Harvard University.

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2003		 Walter M. Rose (B.S.E. Mechanical Engineering '49)

Mr. Rose is the co-founder and former President and owner of Windsor Manufacturing Company, which was purchased by the Barnes Group in 1982 and now is known as Barnes Aerospace. Mr. Rose owned and managed the company for 30 years and developed scores of novel manufacturing equipment and processes that are used by the airline and aerospace industries today. In 1982, he subsequently co-founded Aero Gear, Inc. with his son, Doug Rose. The company is a core supplier of bevel and spiral bevel gearshafts and gearboxes to Pratt & Whitney, Hamilton Sundstrand and Sikorsky Aircraft. Mr. Rose supports the Walter M. Rose Endowed Scholarship for undergraduate engineering students. He and his wife, Barbara, are lifetime members of the Founders Society.

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2005		 Joseph L. Ross, P.E. (B.S. 1970; Civil Engineering)

Joseph L. Ross is Executive Vice President of Tishman Construction Corporation, one of the nation’s largest construction firms, having over $2 billion in annual revenue. Mr. Ross has led some of New York City’s most high-profile construction projects, including the 42nd Street Times Square redevelopment—the largest urban renewal project ever undertaken in New York. Individual projects include the Reuters Americas Headquarters, the Conde Nast Headquarters, The Westin New York at Times Square, and renovation of Disney’s New Amsterdam Theater. Currently, he leads the construction of the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, a 2.1-million square-foot tower expected to set new standards in environmentally sustainable design and construction. Mr. Ross serves on the Boards of Directors of the New York Building Congress and the Regional Alliance for Small Contractors.

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2006		 Mark P. Sarkisian (B.S. Civil Engineering, ‘83)

Mark P. Sarkisian, PE, SE, is a structural engineering partner with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, one of the world’s leading architectural/engineering design firms. His career has focused on developing innovative structural engineering solutions for building projects. His work includes the United States Embassy, Beijing; the NBC Tower, Chicago; The Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland; and the Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai—currently the fourth tallest building in the world. Mr. Sarkisian also holds a U.S. Patent for The Pin-Fuse JointTM, a structural seismic device for building frames. He is licensed to practice civil/structural engineering in 14 states.

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2007		 Sudhakar V. Shenoy (M.S. Electrical Engineering, ‘71; MBA ‘73)

Sudhakar V. Shenoy is founder (1981), Chairman and CEO of Information Management Consultants, Inc. (IMC), which received the Golden Hammer Award, presented by the Vice President of the U.S., and the Government Computer News Industry Information Technology Award. Earlier in his career, Mr. Shenoy was a Senior Business Analyst with American Management Systems (‘78-‘80), held technical positions with Windsor Manufacturing (‘73-‘78) and was an adjunct faculty member in the UConn School of Business (‘72-‘74).

Mr. Shenoy represented the U.S. in a Presidential trade and development mission to India (‘95) and on trade missions to Spain and Berlin. He was named among the Top 25 Most Influential People in the Washington, DC high-tech industry; the 2004 Small Contractor Executive of the Year by the Northern Virginia GovCon Council, the Professional Services Council and Washington Technology; and the Washington Area Minority and Small Business Person of the Year (1995). He received the Greater Washington High Technology Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1998. Mr. Shenoy served on the State of Virginia Technology Commission (‘98); he currently serves on the non-resident Indian Advisory Board on Foreign Direct Investment to the Prime Minister of India, and on the Board of Advisors of the UConn School of Business.

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2006		 Douglas C. Shidler (B.S. Electrical Engineering, ‘83)

Douglas C. Shidler is Vice President, BLACK HAWK Programs at Sikorsky Aircraft, a position that he has held since 2002. He is responsible for all domestic and international ongoing Army and Air Force programs, including the upgrade version of the BLACK HAWK. Mr. Shidler led a successful development program that culminated in a commitment by the U.S. Army to procure over 1200 new UH-60M BLACK HAWKs over the next 15 to 20 years. Annual BLACK HAWK production is expected to increase to levels up to 100 aircraft per year by 2008, representing revenues of approximately $1 billion per year for Sikorsky. Mr. Shidler has been with Sikorsky Aircraft for 22 years and joined them immediately after graduating from the University of Connecticut School of Engineering.

In addition to his work at Sikorsky, Mr. Shidler is a co-founder and mentor for the Cheshire High School FIRST Robotics program. The program is developed to encourage high school students to pursue a technical field, as well as to learn to design and develop in a team environment.

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2004		 Kumares C. Sinha (M.S. Municipal Engineering '66, Ph.D. Civil Engineering '68)

Dr. Kumares Sinha is the Edgar B. & Hedwig M. Olson Distinguished Research Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Joint Transportation Research Program at Purdue University, IN. He joined Purdue in 1974 following six years at Marquette University. His areas of specialization include transportation system analysis, economics and management, safety, and urban and regional planning. During his career, he has supervised 41 doctoral candidates to their Ph.D. degrees and 167 masters students. In addition, Dr. Sinha has served as a transportation consultant in more than 20 World Bank projects around the globe, including projects in Bangladesh, Nepal, Palestine and Yemen. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Wilbur S. Smith Distinguished Transportation Educator Award (2002), the ASCE Francis C. Turner Lecture Award (2001), the S.S. Steinberg Award presented by the American Road and Transportation Builders Assn. (2000), the ASCE Arthur Wellington Prize (1992) and the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award, University of Connecticut (1995). He has published nearly 175 scholarly papers in peer-reviewed technical journals.

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2007		 Jack E. Stephens (B.S. Civil Engineering, ‘47)

Jack Stephens, Ph.D., P.E., is a professor emeritus of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) at the University of Connecticut; a Public Service Specialist with the Connecticut Technology Transfer Center (T2); and a Senior Research Advisor to the Connecticut Advanced Pavement Lab (CAP Lab). Dr. Stephens served on the CEE faculty from 1950-89 and was Department Head from 1965-72. He was instrumental in the state’s decision to fund both the Connecticut Cooperative Highway Research Program (CCHRP)—jointly with the Connecticut Department of Transportation at UConn in 1962—and the Connecticut Transportation Institute (CTI), founded in Storrs in 1974. As CTI’s first Director, he established the T2 Center, which provides training for town employees, and the CAP Lab, which researches and tests hot-mix bituminous concrete.

Dr. Stephens is a life member and past president of the Connecticut section, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); past president, Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers; and past Chair, Transportation Committee of the Connecticut Academy of Science & Engineering. He received the University of Connecticut Alumni Association Distinguished Public Service Award (‘82), the Engineering Alumni Award (‘86) and the Connecticut section of ASCE Benjamin Wright Award (‘89). He received his M.S. (‘55) and Ph.D. (‘59) degrees from Purdue University.

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2003		 Joseph L. Stern (B.S.E. Electrical Engineering '44)

Mr. Stern passed away in November 2004. He was president of Stern Telecommunications Corp. (STC), New York City, a communications systems consulting company. STC has been responsible for the design of 26 CATV, three direct broadcast satellite, and seven private microwave systems. STC counsels municipalities and building owners on environmental impact matters and serves as expert witness on communications and patent matters. Following graduation, Mr. Stern worked for RCA and then served in the Army Signal Corps. In 1946, he began a long career with CBS. He was appointed Vice President of Engineering and was responsible for developing TV studio and transmitting facilities, including the Empire State Building plant, planning for the World Trade Center facility, and 12 other plants in North and South America and Israel. He worked on the development of color TV systems and converted all of the CBS transmitting plants to broadcast color. In 1975, he founded Stern Telecommunications Corp. He has five U.S. patents, including one awarded in December 2002 relating to the convergence of conventional TV and the Internet.

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2003		 Michael W. Toner (M.S. Mechanical Engineering '70)

Mr. Toner is President of General Dynamics Electric Boat Corporation and Executive Vice President of General Dynamics’ Marine Systems group, which is the U.S. Navy’s leading supplier of combat vessels—including nuclear submarines, surface combatants and auxiliary ships. He began his career with Electric Boat in 1965 as a test engineer and rose through the ranks, serving in a variety of capacities, including manager of Reactor Services, Vice President of Operations, and Vice President of Innovation. Before assuming the presidency in 2000, he served as Senior Vice President and directed the activities of the engineering and design departments. In 2000, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award. He is a member of the School of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board.

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2005		 Dr. Richard True (M.S. 1968 and Ph.D. 1972; Electrical Engineering)

Dr. Richard True is Chief Scientist at L-3 Communications, Electron Devices, in San Carlos, CA, a position he has held since 1991. Dr. True has pioneered theory and software for the design of advanced electron beam devices such as modern klystrons, traveling wave tubes and linear accelerators. These devices are used in key military, aerospace, commercial, medical, and scientific systems. He is author or co-author of numerous archival publications, and he holds 17 U.S. patents. He has received the 2000 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Third Millennium Medal, the 1999 Department of Defense Robert L. Woods Award, and the 1987 IEEE EDS Paul Rappaport Best Paper Award. He is an IEEE Fellow.

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2005		 Mark Vergnano (B.S. 1980; Chemical Engineering)

Mark Vergnano is Vice President and General Manager of DuPont Nonwovens, one of the major Strategic Business Units of E.I. DuPont de Nemours Co., Inc. Mr. Vergnano oversees more than 2,000 employees worldwide and is responsible for $1.3 billion in annual revenues. DuPont Nonwovens targets markets in personal protection, construction, health care, envelopes and apparel with brands including Tyvek®, Typar®, Sontara®, Softesse® and Suprel®. Mr. Vergnano has spent his entire 25-year career with DuPont, beginning within Research and Development and leading to management of several business units including Teflon® Fibers, Nomex® and Tyvek® as well as serving as Regional Director for DuPont Nonwovens in Europe, located in Geneva, Switzerland.

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2003		 Raymond H. Williams, Jr. (B.S.E., M.S. Mechanical Engineering '65, '69)

Mr. Williams is Director of Naval Architecture at General Dynamics Electric Boat Corporation. Throughout his 39-year career with Electric Boat, Mr. Williams has made significant contributions to all classes of submarines designed by the company, including the OHIO, VIRGINIA and SEAWOLF classes. He is responsible for engineering, structural analysis, and design of ship internal and external structures, arrangements, hydrodynamics, hydrostatics and weights. In 2001 he was distinguished with receipt of the General Dynamics Technology Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to technology.

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