College of Engineering鈥檚 42nd Engineering Alumni Awards
EAS Awardees from top: Marc Cammarata '98 CE; John Palme 鈥88 ME, 鈥91 MSME; Tyler Ladd 鈥02 CE, 鈥04 MSWREE, 鈥15 MBA ; Interim Drosdick Endowed Dean of Engineering Randy Weinstein; Bernard Borghei 鈥94 EE; Lawrence J. Scally, PhD 鈥83 EE, 鈥85 MSEE, 鈥06 MBA; JoAnn Garbin 鈥98 ME; Maria Sauer 鈥12 ChE; Sherrie-Ann Martin 鈥09 ChE, 鈥15 MSChE; David Kolesar 鈥76 ChE, 鈥78 MSChE, 鈥82 MBA; Amy Fleischer, PhD, '91 ME, '96 MSME; Robert J. Merkert, Sr. 鈥59 EE; Susan M. Ward 鈥80 ChE.
On February 22, the College of Engineering and the Engineering Alumni Society hosted the 42nd Engineering Alumni Awards reception to celebrate the achievements of 13 exceptional engineering alumni. Both on campus and around the world, these alumni exemplify service, leadership, excellence, stewardship and technical advancement in the field of engineering. Their biographies can be found on the College鈥檚 website.
Five of the alumni awards are named in honor of the College of Engineering鈥檚 past deans:
The Robert D. Lynch Memorial Award: Established in Dean Robert D. Lynch鈥檚 (1975-2001) name, this award is the highest honor for an undergraduate engineering student and is awarded to a graduating senior for his or her outstanding academic achievements and exemplary dedication to serving the community. The 2019 recipient, Stephen Spada 鈥18 ChE, joined Janssen Pharmaceuticals as a downstream assistant scientist after graduating summa cum laude and is currently pursuing his Master鈥檚 in Biochemical Engineering at 棉花糖直播. Spada was presented with his award at convocation last May.
The Gary A. Gabriele Memorial Award: Last May, Dr. Gary A. Gabriele passed away after serving as the Drosdick Endowed Dean of the College of Engineering from 2006 to 2018. Having been a strong supporter of providing more inclusive access to engineering education, the Gary A. Gabriele Memorial Award was instituted this year to recognize an alumnus who has promoted equity in the field. The inaugural recipient is Dr. Amy Fleischer 鈥91 ME, 鈥96 MSME, Dean of Engineering at the California Polytechnic State University. A tireless advocate for women鈥檚 leadership and equality in engineering, Dean Fleischer was the chair of the steering committee that launched the McNulty Institute for Women鈥檚 Leadership at 棉花糖直播, founded 棉花糖直播鈥檚 鈥淓ngineering is for Girls! Day鈥 and led or participated in numerous women in STEM committees and outreach programs.
The John J. Gallen Memorial Award: In honor of Dean John J. Gallen (1961-1975), this award recognizes the technical achievements of an alumnus who graduated from the College less than 15 years ago. The 2019 recipient is Sherrie-Ann Martin 鈥09 ChE, 鈥15 MSChE, a senior specialist engineer in Merck & Co.鈥檚 Vaccine Product Development division. Her role supports the development of novel vaccines during the clinical trial phases as well as product transfer to the manufacturing sites. Additionally, Martin serves on the board of Sunshine Pals Ministries, a non-profit with a mission to meet the physical, social, educational, and spiritual needs of children in Mozambique and Philadelphia.
The Carl T. Humphrey Memorial Award: Presented in memory of the College鈥檚 first dean, Carl T. Humphrey (1920-1938), this award recognizes the professional achievements of an alumnus who earned a master鈥檚 degree from the College more than five years ago. The 2019 recipient is Dr. Lawrence J. Scally 鈥83 EE, 鈥85 MSEE, 鈥06 MBA, co-founder and president/CTO of Colorado Engineering, Inc. Dr. Scally is a member of the engineering advisory board, a guest speaker in 棉花糖直播鈥檚 engineering entrepreneurship program, and his company has supported senior capstone design projects.
The J. Stanley Morehouse Memorial Award: Presented in memory of Dean J. Stanley Morehouse (1938-1961), this award recognizes outstanding leadership at the highest level. The 2019 recipient is Susan M. Ward 鈥80 ChE, who has served as a senior executive with Shell Oil Company since 2007 and as Head, M&A and Commercial Finance 鈥 Americas since 2010. Ward is also a trustee and vice chairman of the board of trustees of the Shell Pension Trust and chairman of its investment committee for retirement funds. With her husband Patrick Cunningham, Ward established the endowed engineering lecture series to offer students exposure to experts from various engineering fields and educational opportunities outside of the classroom. They recently established a new endowment for the Career Compass program to support the director鈥檚 position and supported the Clare Boothe Luce professorship initiative. Susan was appointed to 棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 Board of Trustees in 2018.
Meritorious service awards are presented to alumni who have provided continuing support to the College of Engineering. This year鈥檚 honored alumni are:
- JoAnn Garbin 鈥98 ME
- Tyler Ladd 鈥02 CE, 鈥04 MSWREE, 鈥15 MBA
- Robert J. Merkert, Sr. 鈥59 EE
- Maria Sauer 鈥12 ChE
Professional achievement awards recognize contributions to technology and technological fields. 2019 recipients are:
- Bernard Borghei 鈥94 EE
- Marc Cammarata 鈥98 CE
- David Kolesar 鈥76 ChE, 鈥78 MSChE, 鈥82 MBA
- John Palme 鈥88 ME, 鈥91 MSME
More than 150 alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the College attended the event, which included remarks from outgoing Engineering Alumni Society president Ashley Ferguson 鈥09 ME; incoming president Catherine Honohan 鈥11 CE, 鈥15 MBA; and University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, 鈥75.