Class Notes

See what our Michigan Tech alumni are doing.

1960s

Douglas Kriebel, PE ’65 (Chemical Engineering) has been named a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers by the board of directors. He is a principal and founder of Kriebel Engineered Equipment, Ltd. and was named the 2011 Delaware Valley Engineer of the Year by the Technical and Professional Societies of the Delaware Valley.

1970s

Christopher Lenicheck ’70 (Geological Engineering) retired, US Army, 1991; retired, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), 2005; vice commander, American Legion Post 74, Charlottesville, Virginia; chairman, Virginia American Legion Boys State Program.

John R. Baker ’71 (Mechanical Engineering) has retired after 35 years with Siemens PLM Software as a senior technical product manager. He and his wife, Barb, reside in Irvine, California.

1980s

Chris Orr ’81 (non-degree) is a board-certified consulting meteorologist providing consulting services as Chris Orr LLC. He specializes in long-range weather forecasting (three months to three years), and serves as an expert witness for criminal and civil court cases and for insurance claims. He is also a consultant to traders, capital management firms, and hedge funds about weather impacts on stocks and commodities.

1990s

Matt Kramer ’98 (Electrical Engineering) recently took a position with Thyssenkrupp System Engineering in Auburn Hills, Michigan, as an engineering supervisor. He and his wife, Kristen, reside in Berkley, Michigan, with their three children.

David Claus, PE ’99 (Civil Engineering) has joined HDR Inc. as the structural engineering manager. He works in their Ann Arbor office after relocating with his family from Colorado.

Brenda Polk ’99 (Scientific and Technical Communication) was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan and is practicing as an estate planning and elder law attorney in rural Michigan, with a focus on helping family farms transition between generations.

2000s

Jennifer Bzura ’05 (Chemical Engineering) married Jeff Lanzafame in August 2015 at Squaw Valley Resort in Lake Tahoe. The couple met playing kickball in the San Francisco Bay Area and still reside there today. Jennifer recently received her PMP certification and started a new job as a senior project manager for process improvement in the Development Sciences Group of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. 

Frank Mathias ’05 (non-degree) and Jody (Kositzky) Mathias ’01 (Chemical Engineering) proudly announce the birth of their son, Conor Kendrick, born July 6, 2016.

Jacob Huggard ’05 (Mechanical Engineering) and Sara (Flessert) Huggard ’04 (Electrical Engineering) are happy to announce the birth of their third daughter, Scarlett Mina, on February 9, 2016. Scarlett joins her big sisters, Fiona and Avalyn.

Eric Baum ’09 (Mechanical Engineering) and Lyndsey (Marino) Baum ’09 (Exercise Science) welcomed future engineer Carson Jay Baum into the world on August 4, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois.

2010s

Nick Deming ’11 (Civil Engineering) and Carol (Ostrowski) Deming ’12 (Materials Science and Engineering) are happy to announce the birth of their daughter, Eleanor Mae, on May 27, 2016.

Christina Mae Basso ’14 (Chemical Engineering) and Benjamin Lee Cottrill ’13 (Biomedical Engineering) were married in September 2016. Both are employed by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). Christina is a thermal system integrative responsible and Ben is a design release engineer. In their spare time, Christina is pursuing a dual MBA and Master’s in Management at Walsh University in Troy, Michigan, and Ben is pursuing a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. They reside in Rochester with their dog, Rocko.

In Memoriam

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.