At Michigan Tech, we want to to hear from and stay engaged with all our alumni! Class Notes are your go-to source for reading about the latest happenings in the lives of fellow alumni, including new jobs, promotions, news coverage, awards, government appointments, and weddings.
Tell Your Story
Share your milestones with the Michigan Tech alumni community. From promotions to marriage announcements, stay connected and let your fellow alumni know what you’ve been up to!
Note: Please review our Submission Rules before submitting a class note. If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to the Office of Alumni Engagement.
Recent Submissions
Steve Soderman '98 (BS Chemical Engineering) was elected to the Bay College Board of Trustees and began his term in January 2025. He is CEO and co-owner of VanAire, Inc., an engineering and manufacturing company based in Gladstone, Michigan.
Posted 06/2025
Paul Brandes '04 (MS Geology) was awarded the 2024 Michigan Notable Author award for his book Michigan Rocks! A Guide to Geologic Sites in the Great Lakes State, which takes readers to 56 sites of geologic significance. He is also involved with other similar books and just completed the full-color revision to the Roadside Geology of Texas.
Posted 06/2025
Class Notes
1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s
1960s
Lester E. Hendrickson, PhD '63 '64 (BS MS Metallurgical Engineering)
Lester was recognized by the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State
University for his dedication to ASU's materials science and engineering program with
an endowed award established in his name, the Dr. Lester E. Hendrickson Leadership
& Teaching Excellence Award.
Posted 01/2025
1970s
John Ryder '76 (BS Civil Engineering)
John and a group of Tech alumni who first met in Co-Ed Hall (now McNair Hall) in 1973
reunited in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a 50-year reunion. The gathering included
Pete Volk '74, Sieg Hein '76, Bill Quade '74, Mark Kuehl, Dave Gustafson '75, Les
Miller '75, Steve Manett '74, and Richard Gady '75.
Posted 01/2025
1980s
Amiee (Larchar) Modic '84 (BS Chemistry)
Amiee has received the 2025 James Bryant Conant Award in High School Chemistry Teaching
from the American Chemical Society. She teaches at Duchesne Academy of the Sacred
Heart in Houston, Texas, and is currently president-elect of the American Association
of Chemistry Teachers. Amiee’s story was featured in Michigan Tech Alumni and Friends Stories.
Posted 05/2025
Doug Lansky, PS '86 (BS Surveying)
Doug has been named senior survey project manager at Spalding DeDecker's Grand Rapids
office. Spalding DeDecker is a consulting engineering, planning, and surveying firm,
headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan, specializing in infrastructure, land development,
urban planning, and surveying.
Posted 01/2025
Dan Aird '88 (BS Computer Science)
Dan has been named assistant vice president, operations finance, at SRC, Inc. He has
been at the company since 2012, starting as a manager in program finance.
Posted 01/2025
1990s
Diane Chamberlain Cesarz '94 (BA Scientific & Technical Communication)
Diane was appointed foundation treasurer of the board of trustees for the Delta Zeta
Foundation on July 1, 2024. Her term will run through June 30, 2026.
Posted 01/2025
Steve Soderman '98 (BS Chemical Engineering)
Steve was elected to the Bay College Board of Trustees and began his term in January
2025. He is CEO and co-owner of VanAire, Inc., an engineering and manufacturing company
based in Gladstone, Michigan.
Posted 06/2025
Michelle O'Neill '99 (BS Civil Engineering)
Michelle was honored as one of six recipients of the 2024 Michigan Department of Transportation
(MDOT) Director's Award, the department's highest recognition for outstanding employee
service.
Posted 01/2025
2000s
Tony Gonzalez '00 (BS Surveying)
Tony has been promoted to partner at Giffels Webster, a Detroit-based civil engineering
firm. With 24 years at the company, he has advanced from survey crew chief to senior
project manager, overseeing land surveys for private and public developments across
Southeast Michigan. A former tight end for Michigan Tech’s football team, Tony now
lives in Sterling Heights with his wife and two daughters.
Posted 02/2025
Scott Blecke '04 '13 (BS Electrical Engineering, Tech MBA®)
Scott has been named CEO of Yampa Valley Electric Association, a member-owned electric
cooperative based in Colorado serving over 23,000 members. He previously served as
the chief strategy officer for the Great Lakes Energy Co-operative headquartered in
Boyne City, Michigan.
Posted 01/2025
Paul Brandes '04 (MS Geology)
Paul was awarded the 2024 Michigan Notable Author award for his book Michigan Rocks! A Guide to Geologic Sites in the Great Lakes State, which takes readers to 56 sites of geologic significance. He is also involved with
other similar books and just completed the full-color revision to the Roadside Geology of Texas.
Posted 06/2025
Drew Vettel '05 '06 (BS, MS Mechanical Engineering)
Drew co-founded the Kohler WasteLAB, an initiative born out of a "what if" workshop
during an Innovation for Good retreat. The WasteLAB focuses on transforming manufacturing
byproducts into functional, sustainable products.
Posted 03/2025
Maruthi Devarakonda '08 (PhD Mechanical Engineering)
Maruthi was elected a 2024 Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME), a prestigious honor recognizing outstanding contributions to the engineering
profession.
Posted 02/2025
Peipei Zhao '09 (MS Applied Natural Resource Economics)
Peipei Zhao was named to Automotive News' 2024 Champions of Diversity list alongside
10 individuals from companies across the auto industry who lead their employers' efforts
to achieve greater diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Posted 01/2025
2010s
Niigaanii-Animikii Inini Kalvin Hartwig '10 (BS Social Sciences, AA Humanities)
Kalvin was cast as the voice actor for Red Leader in the Ojibwe-language dubbing of
Star Wars: A New Hope—the first major Hollywood film to be dubbed in Ojibwe. Kalvin’s involvement in the
project was featured in Michigan Tech Alumni Stories.
Posted 01/2025
Haley (Vingsness) Jarasz '10 (BS Scientific & Technical Communication)
Haley '10 and Michael Jarasz '16 were married on February 15, 2025, in Bloomfield
Hills, Michigan. Their shared Huskies spirit brought them together—and Heikki Lunta
delivered four inches of snow for their wedding day. The couple resides in Milford,
Michigan.
Posted 04/2025
Brittany (Barry) Feria '13 (BS Accounting)
Brittany published her first children’s book, Sammy Goes to the Doctor. The book helps prepare young readers for visiting a doctor through the adventures
of a lovable goldendoodle named Sammy.
Posted 05/2025
Audra Thurston '18 (BS Chemical Engineering)
Audra was named to the Fierce Electronics Forty Under Forty list, which honors young
leaders advancing innovation in the electronics industry. She is Chief R&D Engineer
at Calumet Electronics, where she has worked since 2017.
Posted 05/2025