Frank Agosti '58
Frank Agosti joined Detroit Edison as a student engineer in 1957, earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1958, and returned to the company full-time. Agosti progressed upward through a number of engineering and management posts at Edison's coal-fired power plants and was responsible for the start-up of the Monroe power plant. He later served as vice president for nuclear operations (1982-1987) during the start-up of the Fermi 2 plant.
After more than 30 years experience at Detroit Edison's coal-fired power plants, he was elected senior vice president for power supply in 1990. Agosti has been awarded the Board of . . .
Mike Agostini '97, '99
You start with a cause.
Or, at least you do if you are Mike Agostini '97, who has run two Boston Marathons: one properly, one not so well.
"I started running in Japan in 1993–94 during a study abroad trip," he says. "I did it to curb my hunger, since running is an appetite suppressant, and I was broke."
Fast-forward thirteen years. Agostini is living and working in Boston, home of the world's most famous 26.2-mile jaunt. No longer hungry, he found a different inspiration to take up running in a serious way.
Beau Anderson '08
Beau Anderson wants to engineer a planet with more heart.
The earnest alumnus says, "Humanity is something I would love to bring to the whole world; make sure every single person has water to drink, every person has shelter, food, health, and people around them caring for them.
Carl E. Avers '62
Carl Avers earned a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1962. He continued his education in 1968 at Stanford University completing a special course in Special Finance, Economics, Accounting and Engineering Economy. Carl began his career in 1962 at the San Diego Gas & Electric Company as a Junior Engineer. He advanced in the company to the level of Project Manager before becoming a successful entrepreneur and consultant in the thermal energy area beginning in 1970 when he first developed Applied Energy, Incorporated. From 1975 until 1980 he was the Director of Advanced Energy Systems Division for . . .
Richard Bayer '44
Dick Bayer earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with honor from Michigan Tech in 1944. Three years later, he joined the Michigan Tech faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. During succeeding years he was promoted to associate professor and full professor. He retired in 1983, after 37 years of service.
In addition to his career at Michigan Tech, he also served as an officer in the U.S. Army combat engineering battalion in France and the Pacific during World War II. While at Tech he served as a faculty advisor to the Michigan Tech chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers for more than . . .
Joseph Berger '05
Most magna cum laude graduates of Michigan Tech seek jobs in their field of study to begin their career. For 2005 alumnus Joe Berger (pronounced Bur-jur), who earned his bachelor's degree with a 3.8 grade point average in mechanical engineering, this was not the case. His career started on the field - playing in the National Football League.
Wilfred S. Bobier '43
Wilfred Bobier earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1943. He was a member of the Michigan Patent Lawyers Association and received the Engineer of Year Award from the Engineering Society of Detroit in 1949. Retired from his career as a registered patent agent, Wilfred Bobier holds over 100 U.S. and foreign patents, alone, with some classified as military secrets and withdrawn from issue.
Prior to his retirement, he served as vice president of the Dana Corporation. He was also the former president (and founder) of Hydura Inc. and Cyberflo Inc. In 1988 he established the Wilfred S. Bobier Jr. . . .
Michelle Boven '99
While Michigan Tech is a predominantly male university, women have many opportunities to excel. Michelle Boven, a 1999 mechanical engineering graduate is just one real-world example of this. She was selected as the 2006 Distinguished New Engineer by the Detroit Chapter of the Society for Women Engineers for her accomplishments.
Steven Burdgick '90
Two thousand years before the Industrial Revolution, the Greek mathematician Hero came up with the idea for the steam turbine. English engineer Sir Charles Parsons built the first one in 1884, to generate electricity. And for the last twenty years, Steven Burdgick has fiddled, tweaked, and tinkered with steam turbines and their close cousins, gas turbines, ultimately revolutionizing aspects of a stogy, old technology.
John F. Calder '67, '76
John F. Calder earned a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1967 at Michigan Tech and went on to earn an MS degree from Michigan Tech in Business Administration in 1976. After graduating from Michigan Tech he started his career as a Design Engineer with Digital Integrated Circuit Systems in 1967.
From 1968-1975 he rose from Application and Field Service Engineer for the east coast to Regional Sales Manager for the Midwest and West Coast Regions. In 1975 he joined Dorsey-Alexander in Cincinnati, Ohio and in 1987 purchased the company. Dorsey-Alexander is a Manufacturer’s Agent for motion control, sensing and machine guarding . . .
Margaret Cobb (Pennock) '83
Margaret graduated from Michigan Tech with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1983. As the thirteenth child of fourteen and one of ten daughters, she is the first in her family to receive a degree in engineering.
John Cook '42
John Cook earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1942. Following graduation, he served as a lieutenant in the Navy. He then went to work for Wright Aeronautical Corporation as a Production Engineer, and Checker Motors and Fisher Body Division, GMC, in the Automotive Body Engineering areas. He became Vice President of Operations for Wolverine Brass Works after working in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Conway, South Carolina, plants. His experience has been mainly in manufacturing, supervisory and management positions. Cook moved to Chicago Faucet in 1976, was named president of the company in 1981 and chairman in . . .
Jason Cousineau '98
Jason Cousineau earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and has engineered a distinguished career. Cousineau has been published by the Society of Automotive Engineers and was honored by Design News Magazine for his contributions to global engineering. He also earned a bachelor's degree in engineering management at Lake Superior State University.
Charles D. Cretors '63
Charlie Cretors earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1963 and began his career with Commonwealth Edison of Chicago. In 1967 he joined his father and brother at C. Cretors and Company, a family business specializing in commercial popcorn machines since 1885. In 1980 he was named President and in 1991 he became sole owner of C. Cretors and Company.
Charlie is responsible for the successful expansion and continuous growth of C. Cretors and Company. To accommodate the expanding needs of the company, and diversified product line, he has had to redesign and relocate the factory two times in the last . . .
Charles D. Cronenworth '44
Charles Cronenworth earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with honor from Michigan Tech in 1944. After graduation and serving in World War II, he was a research design engineer with Chrysler Corp. in Detroit. In 1947, he joined the Diamond Crystal Salt Co. as a design draftsman. He held a number of managerial positions before being promoted to assistant chief engineer in 1956. In October 1975, he was elected to the position as the president and CEO.
While at Tech he was an active member of Tau Beta Pi, Blue Key, Tau Nu Tau, Theta Tau, Keweenawan staff, track team, Varsity hockey team, . . .
Robert A. D'Amour '48
Bob D'Amour earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1948, after serving in the United States Navy in World War II. He began his engineering career as a Laboratory Analyst and Test Engineer with Cummins Engine Company. He later joined their Marketing Division and was assigned to Washington, D.C. as a representative to obtain government business.
In 1952 he joined Waukesha Motor Company as a Marketing Specialist and enjoyed a twenty-five year career with the company. Waukesha Motor Company designs, builds, and markets gasoline, diesel, and natural gas engines in sizes to three thousand horsepower. Bob held many positions at . . .
Dean J. Diver '65
Dean Diver earned B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in December 1965 and began his career as a Project Engineer with Amoco Chemical Corporation in Joliet, Illinois. In 1968, Dean became a Project Engineer for Corporate Engineering of Owens-Illinois, Incorporated. Six years later he joined a small consulting engineering firm in Toledo, Ohio, AVCA Corporation, Dean's background allowed AVCA to diversify and provide engineering services in new areas and in 1976 he was promoted to Manager of the Mechanical Department. In 1978 he became a partner in the firm and was named President of AVCA in 1995. In 1999 . . .
John Drake '64, '69
Hold on Tight to Your Dreams
John Drake did that for the duration of his career - what he calls a "forty-four-year run." The ensuing success has put him and his wife, Cathi, in the position of being philanthropists.
Theodore R. Edwards '50
Ted Edwards earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech with honor in 1950. Prior to attending Tech he was a corporal in the U.S. Army, stationed in Europe, during World War II.
He began his career in the pulp and paper industry with Marathon Corporation as a Management Trainee. In 1957, Marathon was acquired by American Can Company and Ted assumed various positions in management for the company. In 1980, he became Vice President of Productivity. In 1982, American Can's paper-based businesses were purchased by James River Corporation and Ted became Vice President of Manufacturing Productivity. His final positions prior to . . .
Jayson Eurick '99
The year was 1986 and Jayson Eurick, a junior-high student from Saginaw, Mich. was watching the movie Top Gun, featuring Tom Cruise as "Maverick," a young naval aviator aspiring to be a top Navy pilot. Little did Eurick know that he would eventually follow Maverick's footsteps and his own childhood dreams, earning his own way to top gun instructor in the Navy.
Laura K. Farrelly '93
Laura graduated with honors from Michigan Technological University in 1993 earning a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan–Dearborn. And she also earned an MBA in marketing and finance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Paul Fernstrum '65
Paul Fernstrum recalls his father, Robert, with fondness and admiration. He says his father was a “self-made man” who started out as a draftsman and ended up a chief design engineer. “The right place. The right time. No college education,” Paul recalls.
Edward J. Gaffney '51
Edward J. Gaffney Ted Gaffney earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1951. After serving in the U.S. Navy and working as an engineer at Allis Chalmers for three years, he formed Neodyne Corporation, a research and development company.
In 1963, he founded Ortho-Kinetics, Inc., a manufacturer of health care products with manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe and sales offices in England, Germany, and France. He has won a number of honors and awards and holds ten patents and was named the U.S. Small Business Person of the Year in 1978.
Gaffney has served on advisory boards and councils for . . .
Joseph A. Gemignani '53
Joseph A. Gemignani earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1953. After graduation he served two years in the United States Air Force. He then continued his education at the University of Michigan Law School where he received his J.D. Law in 1958.
He began his career in patent law with McGraw Edison Company in Milwaukee. In 1961 he joined Michael Best & Friedrich, one of the oldest and largest business law firms in the Midwest, and was made a partner in 1967. His professional affiliations include the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Bar . . .
Dr. James C. Gerdeen '59
Dr. James C. Gerdeen (BSME '59) retired as Professor and Department of Mechanical Engineering Chair from the University of Colorado - Denver. After graduation, Jim worked in industry before completing his MS in 1962 from Ohio State University and later his PhD from Stanford in 1965, both in mechanical engineering. He returned to Michigan Tech as a faculty member from 1968 to 1989. He received his M. Divinity, Theology, Association of Free Lutheran Seminary, Medicine Lake, MN in 1980 and has served various churches as lay pastor.
Jim continues to teach on-line courses in Industrial Management at Missouri State University and technical . . .
John O. Hallquist '74, '72
John Hallquist earned his B.S. in Industrial Engineering, magna cum laude, from Western Michigan University in 1970. He received an M.S. degree in Engineering Mechanics from Michigan Tech in 1972. He continued his advanced education from Michigan Tech and earned a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics in 1974. John joined the weapons laboratory at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) after receiving his degrees from Michigan Tech. During the next fifteen years he worked on mathematical models that predict the effectiveness of bombs. While at Livermore he developed a massive finite element program called LLNL DYNA 3D that . . .
Douglas J. Hamar '84
Douglas J. Hamar (BSME ’84) is president of Hamar Group, president/CEO/co-owner of Horner Flooring, president of Denver Hardwood Co Inc, Denver CO, president of Cascade Pacific Floor Distributors, Portland OR and Seattle WA, president and treasurer of Rio Grande Flooring Distributors, Albuquerque NM, and president/co-founder/principal of CRT & Associates, a firm specializing in custom computer software and hardware.
Horner Flooring, a privately owned company is known worldwide for its Pro-King basketball floors. In 2002, Horner Flooring Inc received the Business of the Year Award from the 15Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and in 2003 the US Dept of Commerce's Export Achievement Award. Doug . . .
William F. Hartwick '48
Bill Hartwick graduated with honor in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. While a student at Michigan Tech he was elected a member of Tau Beta Pi and played varsity football. After completing the required thesis, Bill received a professional degree of Mechanical Engineer from Tech in 1955. His entire professional career was devoted to the technology of heavy, continuous duty, reciprocating gas compressors.
Bill began his career at Cooper Industries where his work included research and development, design, application and performance analysis. In 1978 he joined Anglo Compression as Manager of Consulting Services. He pioneered the development . . .
Gerald Haycock '68
Jerry Haycock earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1968 and started as a Development Engineer for the Detroit Diesel Division of General Motors. In 1971 he joined Ford Motor Company as an Emission Development Engineer and has held various supervisory and management positions in the powertrain area. In 1995 he was appointed the Director of Core/Advanced Powertrain Engineering in the Advanced Vehicle Technology Department of Ford.
Haycock is Ford's Corporate Relationship Sponsor for Michigan Tech and has served on the Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics Industrial Advisory Committee and is a current member of the College of Engineering Industrial Advisory . . .
Ralph Hayden '33
Ralph Hayden graduated in 1933 with a BS in mechanical engineering, with honor. Following graduation he was first employed by the Carrier Corporation, which he later left to join the Foxboro Company, a manufacturer of industrial instruments for processing industries, in 1937. He was elected vice president in 1962, became a member of the board of directors in 1964, and president and chief executive officer in 1968. He was named chairman of the board in 1970. He retired from Foxboro in 1976 and became president of the Association for Land-Use Alternatives, Inc.
While at Michigan Tech, he was a member of Blue Key and . . .
Richard Henes '48
Richard Henes fashioned considerable success from diligence and opportunity.
A native of Menominee, Henes earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1948, followed by a law degree from the University of Michigan. In 1958, after working as an engineer and lawyer, he moved to Arizona and established what was to become the Henes Manufacturing Company, Henes Products and Henes Stamping. He also became a successful real estate investor in Phoenix.
David Hill '65
David (Dave) Hill graduated from Michigan Technological University in 1965 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He went on to earn a Masters in Engineering from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 1970. He has served as vehicle line executive for the Chevrolet Corvette since 1995, the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird since 1997. He has also been the Corvette chief engineer since November 1992.
Dave began his General Motors career in 1965 as a senior project engineer with the Cadillac Motor Car Division. In 1973 he became a staff project engineer for Cadillac engine design and release. Dave held that position . . .
Dante A. Iacovoni '56, '52
Retired
Lindberg General Signal
International Marketing
BS EMY 1952, MS EMY 1956, MBA 1971
Dante graduated with B.S. & M.S. degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1952 and 1956. Earned his MBA in 1971 from Western Michigan University. Began career in 1955 at Chrysler Corp.; went on to hold various managerial positions at Lindberg General Signal in Chicago, IL, becoming Vice President in 1975.
Retired as Vice President of International Marketing, Lindberg General Signal, in March of 1995. Also owned Gemini International, a consulting business dealing with international marketing and sales. Returned to area in 2001 and built new home on Bete Gris property. Enjoys gardening and traveling . . .
Greg Ives '03
It’s heady stuff for a self-professed car nut from a small town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Greg Ives, a 2003 mechanical engineering graduate from Michigan Technological University, was recently named crew chief for NASCAR driver Regan Smith. In NASCAR, the driver, owner and crew chief are the most important members of any race team.
It’s a quantum leap from lead race engineer, his previous job with Jimmie Johnson’s team, Ives says. Before that, he was a setup engineer for race driver Jeff Gordon, all with Hendrick Motorsports (HMS), a premier NASCAR racing team.
Colleen L. Jones-Cervantes '83
Colleen earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1983.
After graduation, Colleen joined Chevron Corporation as a Project Engineer. She has been challenged for twenty-eight years by progressing through a variety of assignments in Chevron’s Marketing business, product supply operations, asset management, lubricants and retail functions. Her varied assignments have required eleven relocations, including two international assignments.
Daniel R. Kapp '76
Daniel R. Kapp (BSME '76) is Director, Powertrain Research and Advanced Engineering at Ford Motor Company. He is also a graduate of the Ford College Graduate Program (FCG). After graduation from Michigan Tech, Dan went to work at Ford Motor Company as an engineer in the Car Product Development Group and has spent his entire career at Ford in positions of increasing responsibility in the area of engine and Powertrain product development.
His work at Ford included work on the 3.0L Vulcan Engine Team through its launch in 1986, development and launch of all of the modular engine derivatives including the 4.6L 2V & . . .
Raymond Kauppila '60
Ray Kauppila earned bachelor degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Michigan in 1951. He then came to Tech as a teacher in 1957 and received a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1960. He left Michigan Tech briefly to earn his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1968.
Kauppila served Michigan Tech as a teacher and researcher from 1957 until his retirement in 1988. He came to Tech after working in industry for several years, bringing to the design curriculum an invaluable background, steeped in the realities of industrial design, yet firmly based on a . . .
Tanya Klain (Wareham) '90
The 2012 Outstanding Service Award posthumously honored Tanya Wareham Klain, who died on December 7, 2008.
Tanya earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1990 and was a vibrant presence on campus. She was active in her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, Undergraduate Student Government, residence hall councils, the Alpine Ski Club, and the Michigan Tech Student Foundation. Besides earning a degree, she made friendships that endured. "Tech is famous for that—people staying together," she recalled.
John Kline '49
From his earliest days, Kline ’49 has made a specialty of dodging bullets, both literal and figurative. The first calamity he remembers was falling head first into a rock-lined basement back in 1927 or so, when he was three or four years old. "My mother staunched the bleeding with spider webs," he recalls.
Kline emerged unbloodied from his second big disaster, unlike 3,684 other American servicemen who became casualties of war on December 7, 1941.
Pamela S. Klyn (Rogers) '93
Pam earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1993. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1993 and an Executive MBA from Bowling Green State University in 2002.
K. Peter Knudsen '64
Pete Knudson earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1964 and began his career with the Budd Company as a management trainee. He would spend the next 19 years with the company, including stints as executive vice president and general manager of Auto Manufacturas and as president and general manager of Budd's Canadian subsidiary.
He became group vice president of automotive products for Budd in 1974 and president of the wheel and brake division in 1976. In 1983 he served four years as vice chairman and chief executive officer for Galtaco, Inc.; Redlaw Industries, Inc.; GRM Industries, Inc.; and Johnson . . .
Martin G. Lagina '77
Marty Lagina graduated with honor in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. While a student at Michigan Tech he was a member of Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma. He continued his education in the field of law and received his Juris Doctorate, with honor, from the University of Michigan in 1982.
Marty began his career working as a petroleum engineer for Amoco Production Company. In 1979, while attending law school, he was an independent petroleum engineer doing consulting engineering work for various Michigan corporations. In 1982 Marty founded Terra Energy Ltd., an oil and gas exploration . . .
Charles Lamoreaux '56
Charles (Chuck) Lamoreaux earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1956. After graduation, he worked in California for Northrup Industries, Fairchild Instruments, TRW Inc, and Hyper-Air Engineering Company. In 1965, Chuck and his wife, Gayle, started American Bristol Industries Inc. The company manufactures high and low pressure air and gas systems, and air purification and air monitor equipment used in scuba diving and fire services. Chuck has several patents in this field. American Brisol Industries was sold in 2002 and Chuck is now retired.
While a student at Tech, Chuck served as vice-president of his junior class and president . . .
Charles J. Laurila '59
Chuck Laurila earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1959 and began his career as a field engineer with Boeing Company's Aerospace Division. He spent seven years with Boeing, becoming a senior engineer working on the Minuteman missiles at Air Force bases in the Western states. Chuck then worked for Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company and was responsible for the maintenance program in the crushing and concentrating section.
In 1969 he joined Champion Incorporated and has spent the last twenty-nine years with the company. Chuck's career at Champion has encompassed many positions in the Mechanical Division including Sales Engineer, Chief . . .
Gary L. Lawrey '79
Gary Lawrey earned a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1979. He continued his education at the University of Detroit towards an M.S. degree in Engineering Management in 1986. Gary began his career in the automotive industry with Ford Motor Company in 1979 as a Process Engineer. He advanced to Plant Manager in 1996 at Ford's Berlin Plant in Berlin, Germany.
Upon his return to the United States he took a position with Visteon as an Advanced Engineering Manager for the Interior and Exterior Division. In that role, Gary managed systems-related technologies and advanced plastics and processing initiatives. After twenty . . .
Craig C. Lazzari '42
Craig Lazzari graduated from Michigan Tech with a BS in Mechanical Engineering with honors, then served in the U.S. Navy in World War II. He began work in 1947 as a project and sales engineer for the Fish Engineering and Construction Corporation. He participated in the engineering and design of the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Project, the Pacific Northwest Pipeline and various projects for Humble Oil Company, Shell Oil Company, El Paso Natural Gas, and Colorado Interstate Corporation. Twelve years later he became vice president of the Fish Engineering International Corp. In 1958 he negotiated a natural gas and oil pipeline with . . .
Albert J. Maki '48
Abbie Maki earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1948. He spent three years in the gas turbine division of General Electric, then four years on the staff of the vice president for manufacturing at North American Aviation.
In 1955, he joined AVCO, where he was the program manager for the Titan and Atlas reentry vehicle program. Under his direction, the company performed the research, development and manufacturing of the Apollo heat shield. From 1973 through 1975, he was vice president and general manager for Centex Corporation’s Castle Woodworking Company.
In 1975, he moved to Brunswick’s defense division as director of . . .
Paul Masini '69
Paul Masini was born and raised in Hancock and earned a B.S. in both Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration from Michigan Tech in 1969. He also received a MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 1975.
After graduation from Michigan Tech he joined Giddings & Lewis Machine Tool Company where he held various sales and manufacturing positions. Masini joined Mercury Marine in 1973 and has held several positions, including Vice President of Distribution, Vice President of Quicksilver Parts & Accessories, and currently, Vice President and General Manager of the Mercury Marine Propeller Company. He is responsible for worldwide engineering, sales, and manufacturing . . .
Thomas G. McKie '47
Tom McKie began his mechanical engineering education in 1941, enlisted in the Navy Air Corps in World War II, and returned to Michigan Tech after completing his military service in 1945 to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation in 1947 he joined the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company.
In 1953 he joined Beloit Corporation in their engineering division and enjoyed a thirty-three year career with the company. Tom held many positions at Beloit Corporation including Chief Engineer, Vice President of Engineering, General Sales Manager, General Manager of Paper Machinery Division (PMD), and Group Vice President of PMD and . . .
Fred C. Mitchell '61
Fred Mitchell earned a bachelor of science degree from Michigan Tech in Mechanical Engineering in 1961. During his 31 - year career with Boeing, Fred Mitchell has held numerous positions within the company. He has worked in the Renton Division Program Management Office, the Air Freight Systems Group, New Product Development, Payloads Engineering, and Project Engineering and Tooling. He was manager of payloads engineering for the 7J7 airplane program in Renton, Washington before he joined the Customer Service Division.
In August 1987, he was named director of maintenance engineering prior to being named vice president. As vice president, he was head of Technical . . .
Robert E. Monica '50
Bob Monica attended Michigan Tech after serving in the United States Army during World War II, and in 1950 he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He continued his education at Princeton University, earning a Master of Science degree in Plastics Engineering in 1952. That same year Bob began his successful career with The Dow Chemical Company as a Plastics Technical Service Engineer. He held several management positions as well as product director for the Corporate Product Department. In 1968 he was elected to the Board of Directors of Asahi Dow, Ltd., of Tokyo.
In 1981 he became . . .
Lawrence Mulholland '55
Lawrence (Larry) Mulholland earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1955. After graduation, he held positions with Clow Corp in Chicago, IL, and then with Saginaw Products, Republic Corp, and Beckton Dickinson in Los Angeles, CA, before starting his own company, Mulholland Positioning Systems Inc., in 1971. The company designs, manufactures, and markets equipment designed to meet the needs of physically challenged children. Larry holds several patents in this field.
While a student, Larry was a member of Theta Tau and active in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In 2000, he established the Mulholland Positioning Systems Inc Annual . . .
Brian Murphy PhD '90, '92, '96
Starting Companies Comes Naturally to Alum
“I used to fish at Cole’s Creek,” says Brian Murphy ’90 ’92 ‘96. “I’d eat half my sandwich on the way out there, fish for thirty minutes, and finish my sandwich on the way back to my lab to continue my research.” That mix of nature and technology forms the core of Murphy’s environmentally focused career.
Eric A. Nielsen '80
Eric A. Nielsen earned a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1980 at Michigan Tech and went on to earn an MBA-Finance & International Business, at the University of Chicago in 1988. After graduating from Michigan Tech he started as a consulting engineer with Hazard Engineering in Morton Grove, IL. From 1983 to 1994 he held engineering and management positions at Omron Electronics in Illinois, Conveyor Equipment Division in Mississippi and FMC Corporation in Pennsylvania. In 1994 he joined Volvo Construction Equipment Parts in Eskilstuna, Sweden as Vice President – Business Control and Information Systems. From 1997-1998 he was Chief . . .
Dr. Merle Potter '58, '61
Merle Potter '58 was awarded the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 2008 James Harry Potter (no relation) Gold Medal. Potter received the award "for making a renowned impact on thermodynamics through forty-two years of outstanding teaching and through published textbooks on thermal sciences and applied mathematics, and for research on energy consumption in dwellings and industrial plants."
Norman R. Pratt '42
Bob Pratt joined Dow Chemical after earning a B.S. in mechanical engineering in 1942. He enjoyed a 39-year career with Dow in various engineering capacities, retiring in 1981 as Manager of Nuclear Projects for the company. In retirement, Michigan Tech called on Pratt to coordinate a design team for the Process Simulation and Control Center (PSCC). The team includes faculty and staff, active design engineers from industry, and retired design professionals.
The PSCC consists of a complete multipurpose pilot plant with centralized direct digital control. Pratt received the Board of Control Silver Medal in 1992, the Alumni Association’s Outstanding Service Award in 1994 and . . .
Kamlakar Rajurkar '81, '78
K.P Rajurkar received his MS degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1978 and his PhD in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics in 1981, both from Michigan Tech. He received his BS degree with honors from Jabalpur University, India, in 1966. Dr. Rajurkar is Mohr Professor of Engineering at the College of Engineering and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is the Director of the Nontraditional Manufacturing Research Center, Professor of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering Department, and Chairman of the Manufacturing Systems Program of the College of Engineering and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
In the past he has worked as Associate Professor at the University of . . .
Jack G. Real '37
Jack Real began his aviation career two years after graduating from Michigan Tech with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1937. He joined Lockheed Aircraft as a design engineer in 1939, flew for Pan Am during World War II, then worked as a test pilot and flight test engineer for Lockheed until 1965, when he became vice president and general manager of the Lockheed Rotary Wing Division. He became Howard Hughes chief aviation advisor and left Lockheed to join the Hughes organization in 1971.
He served as president of Hughes Helicopter from 1979 until 1984, when he supervised the sale of the company . . .
James L. Reum '53
James L. Reum graduated from Michigan Tech in 1953 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and later earned an MBA from Xavier University in 1965 and his P.E. license from the State of Ohio in 1959. Jim started his career at General Electric (GE) in 1957 after serving in the United States Army Aviation Division as a company commander and as a pilot in Korea. He began as a process engineer at GE and later held various management positions in quality control and manufacturing. He later held the positions of Director of Engine Maintenance at United Airlines in California, Executive Vice . . .
Daniel Rivard '59
One of the most recognizable mottos in the world was coined not by a copywriter but by an engineer. Ford Motor Company's "Quality Is Job One" was a slogan and a corporate touchstone for seventeen years, practically forever in the short-attention-span world of marketing. It originated with one man's obsession with making everything better.
Richard J. Robbins '56, '96
Richard J. Robbins graduated from the Michigan College of Mining and Technology (MCM&T) in 1956 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Since 1958, Dick has been a major contributor and a prominent influence in the mining and tunneling industry.
Dale J. Roberto '69
Dale J. Roberto (BSME '69) is President/Owner of Smalley Manufacturing Co. Inc. in Knoxville, TN. Prior to working for Smalley, Dale worked for the Post Company in Battle Creek, MI. He was the project manager responsible for installing the Fruity Pebbles line.
Smalley Manufacturing Company Inc. was founded by the Smalley family and is a privately owned company that incorporated in 1940. It has progressed from designing and manufacturing a nut shelling machine to become one of the most respected designers/ manufacturers of customized product conveying, storage and distribution systems equipment for the dry food industry, e.g. belt conveyors, bucket lifts, vibrating . . .
Christine Roberts (Przybysz) '91
Christine Roberts is a senior executive and technology leader in the telecommunications industry. Currently she is the Senior Director of Asia Product Operations for Motorola Inc, a Fortune 100 company. As Senior Director, she manages a complex global team that is responsible for launching over 100 different models of mobile phones per year into the Asia Pacific region.
Dorothy Ruohonen (Daavettila) '85
Dorothy (Daavettila) Ruohonen had a strong connection to Michigan Tech prior to her attending the University in 1982. Dorothy’s father, Donald Daavettila, was named Michigan Tech Professor Emeritus of Physics in 2000. Working as a nurse while attending Michigan Tech, Ruohonen graduated in 1985 with a degree in Mechanical Design.
By 1987, Ruohonen was President and Owner of Hawk Technologies, executing everything from mechanical design to detail drawings. Ruohonen built her company from the ground up. At the time, she did not even own a computer and purchased her first drafting board for $400; a major purchase for a recent college graduate in the 1980s.
Sylvia A. Salahutdin (Matranga) '91
Sylvia graduated from Michigan tech in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and is first in her family to become an Engineer. She is currently the owner of seven LLC’s companies operating under the DBA Little Caesars Pizza franchises.
Harold Schock '79, '74
Dr. Harold Schock received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1974 and his MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 1975. He then returned to Michigan Tech and earned his PhD in Engineering Mechanics in 1979. While earning his PhD at Tech, Dr. Schock worked as a research assistant and a teaching assistant.
Dr. Schock is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Automotive Research Experiment Station at Michigan State University. In 2002, Dr. Schock was selected as an International Fellow by the Society of Automotive Engineers in recognition of his 20 years of . . .
James Schwerin '87
Alums Team up to Engineer a Better Beer
Chas Thompson '91, computer science, had a good reason for becoming a brewer. "I was thirsty," he says, pouring beers from the Schmohz Brewery counter at the recent Grand Rapids alumni tailgate party. Jim Schwerin '87, owner and brewer at Schmohz (pronounced shmoes), had a similar reason. "I couldn’t find a beer I liked," he says.
Frederic Sherriff '63
Fred Sherriff earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1963. After graduation he began a 33 year career in the food business as a Project Engineer with General Foods Corporation at Post Cereals in Battle Creek. He has held various positions of leadership in Plant, Division, and Corporate Engineering with what today is known as Kraft Foods, a subsidiary of the Philip Morris Companies.
Sherriff held the positions of Director of Engineering for General Foods, Operations Vice President for the company's Entenmann's subsidiary and the Kraft Frozen Foods Division, and Plant Manager of Post Cereals Plant and Entenmann's Bakery . . .
James Sorenson '61, '60
Jim Sorenson earned a B.S. with honor in Mechanical Engineering in 1960 and a M.S. in Engineering Mechanics in 1961, both from Michigan Tech. Following graduation, he joined the staff of Battelle Memorial Institute as a research engineer and spent his career with the organization. After six years with the organization he was promoted to engineering management.
Sorenson held the titles of Section Manager, Manager of the Structures and Mechanics Department, and Manager of the Engineering and Manufacturing Department. In 1988 he was transferred to their corporate offices in Germany as the Deputy General Manager of Battelle Europe. He retired in 1994 as a . . .
Mike Stewart '94
Mike Stewart '94 and a resourceful six-man crew have won the 2010 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, beating the big guys and bringing honor and glory to their hometown on Lake Michigan's eastern shore. Muskegon is a perfectly respectable town with a perfectly respectable harbor. Yet no member of the Muskegon Yacht Club had ever won the longest annual freshwater sailing race in the world, which just happens to take place in their backyard.
James B. Stone '40
Jim Stone earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, with honor, from Michigan Tech in 1940 and made his career with the General Foods Corporation. He later attended the Advanced Management Training Program of the Harvard Graduate Business School. He started as a student engineer in the Post Division, Battle Creek.
In 1960, he began work in Jell-O operations and in the Post division where he rose through various positions before being elected a vice president of General Foods Corp. and vice president-corporate engineering in 1967. He retired in 1982 as president of Pacific Operations and vice president of General Foods Corporation.
He was awarded a Board . . .
Martha N. Sullivan '80
Martha N. Sullivan earned a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1980 from Michigan Tech and completed studies toward a Masters in Business Administration at the University of Michigan. She started her career at Texas Instruments (TI) in 1984. In 1986 she was named District Manager of Texas Instrument’s Control Products Division in Farmington Hills, MI, and in 1987 was named Field Sales manager for the Division. From 1998-2001 she held the position of Vice President , Sensors & Controls Business at Texas Instruments Inc., headquartered in Attleboro, MA. She also assumed the position of President, Sensor Acquisition Corporation in 1999 . . .
Paul Swift '33
Paul Swift earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1933 and attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business & Engineering. After nine years of working as a corporate industrial engineer for Carnegie Steel and F.V. Gardner, he returned home to Houghton to join the family hardware business. He worked as a partner in the I.E. Swift Company, with his father and uncle, and then became sole owner in 1968.
Swift has earned a number of awards and served on many local boards, including the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan State Chamber of Commerce, and the Michigan Retail Hardware . . .
Camiel E. Thorrez '70
Camiel Thorrez graduated from Michigan Tech with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1970. In 1970 he served a one year, apprenticeship in Tool Engineering, in 1972 became General Manager of C. Thorrez Industries-Concord, and in 1988 he became President of C. Thorrez Industries-Jackson.
He received the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award in 1975 and was a member of the College of Engineering Industrial Advisory Board. He continues his interest in technical education issues through his professional and community affiliations, including: SME, ASME, National Tooling and Machining Association, American Society for Training & Development, American Society of Precision Engineering, National Employer Leadership Council, and . . .
Robert Thresher '67, '62
Bob Thresher earned a B.S. Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1962. He returned to Michigan Tech after working for the Boeing Company to receive a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1967, followed by a Ph.D. from Colorado State University in 1970. After completing his doctorate, he worked as a Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington D.C. He then spent four years as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Oregon State University and was the Acting Director of the Energy Research and Development Institute.
Currently he serves as Director of the National Wind Technology Division of the National . . .
Dr. Kimberly Turner (Passerello) '94
Besides being a professor at UCSB, Turner is also the Sensors Task co-leader in a collaboration involving UCSB, the California Institute of Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Army Institute for Collaborative Biotechnology.
William A. Turunen '39
Bill Turunen joined General Motors in 1939, after graduating from Michigan Tech with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. After four years with the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942-46 and earning a MS in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University in 1946, he spent his career in various capacities at the GM research laboratories before retiring in 1979. Beginning as a research engineer, he was promoted to head the mechanical engineering department in 1948, became head of the gas turbines department in 1954, and was named head of the engineering development department in 1958.
Turunen has a distinguished career as an inventor, engineer, and . . .
Nancy Vandermey '89
Nancy Vandermey is a rocket scientist, volunteer zookeeper and amateur photographer.
Vandermey joined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, in 1996 and is presently Science Planning Systems Engineer for the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn.
Leanne Vernier '87
It’s a rare gray day in Central Texas, but the walls of Leanne Venier’s gallery in South Austin are radiant with the rich colors of her art.
"Into the Depths" glows a deep shade of garnet. Brushstrokes of cobalt and indigo in "Ageless, Boundless, Timeless" suggest the undulation of seagrass.
The center of "Duration" is belted with a thick cream-colored line dividing the eggplant hue above it from the burgundy below. Venier thinks she may have painted the line, vaguely reminiscent of a horizon, because she likes landscape photography. But it might also be a visual depiction of the conscious and unconscious mind. She points to the lower half.
James G. Vorhes '47
Jim Vorhes earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1947 and immediately began a 39 year career with General Motors. Following a series of sales and service assignments in the Pontiac field organization, he served as a zone manager in a number of locations.
He became assistant general sales manager of western area field operations in 1970 and was named general sales manager of the Pontiac Division in 1973. He held that post until he was appointed GM's vice president of consumer relations and service staff in 1977. In 1984, all consumer relations, service, sales, and dealer-related activities were combined . . .
Thomas K. Walker '68
Tom Walker earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1968. He spent eight years with General Motors, then joined Volkswagen of America in 1976 as general superintendent of the assembly plant in New Stanton, Pennsylvania. From 1979-1985, he was general manager of a Volkswagen subsidiary producing air conditioning evaporator and condenser coils in Ft. Worth, Texas.
From 1985-1992, he was president and general manager of Allied-Signal Automotive Catalyst Co., a $250 million subsidiary of Allied-Signal in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He moved to ITT Automotive and his current position in 1992 as president of ITT Automotive and vice president of ITT . . .
Scott Wazny '94
Renowned climber Yvon Chouinard said that when scaling mountains, he never felt scared, instead totally alive.
By that standard, Scott Wazny '94 is on cloud nine literally and figuratively. On May 30, 2005, he reached the summit of Mt. Everest.
Harold Wiens '68
Harold Wiens graduated from Michigan Tech with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1968 and started work at the 3M Company, headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota. Wiens took on managerial responsibilities in 1980, which included six years with 3M Europe and three years as head of 3M's largest international company in Japan.
Dr Terry J Woychowski '78
Terry Woychowski has done so much for so many and is clearly worthy of being the first recipient of the newly established Humanitarian Award.
With his immediate family, Terry founded the Woychowski Charitable Foundation, sponsoring a Michigan Tech Senior Design Team to build a “Human-Powered Hammer Mill.” He has formed a partnership with the World Hope organization to manufacture these grain processors and deploy them in sub-Saharan Africa to assist local villages in the preparation of their food staple. A second version was recently designed by yet another senior design team and Terry’s daughter Jamie, is travelling to Africa to manufacture and distribute them.
Hussein M. Zbib '87, '83, '81
Hussein M. Zbib earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1981, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1983 and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics in 1987 all from Michigan Tech. In 1988 he was hired as an Assistant Professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University. He was promoted to Professor in 1998. Currently he is Interim Director and Professor of the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University (WSU) Pullman, WA. While at Michigan Tech he taught for seven years as a graduate student, Instructor and Visiting Assistant Professor. He is . . .
Paula Zenner (Feira) '87, '93
She began work at Michigan Tech in the Mechanical Engineering Department as an academic advisor in 1991 and has advanced to her current position as Director of Operations and Finance. She directs the financial and operational activities for this nationally ranked academic department with annual external research expenditures of over $4 million and a salary and wage budget of $7.5 million.