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College of Engineering

Engineering Alumni Society Presents Annual Awards

Engineering Alumni Society 2016 Award Recipients
Anne Roby, PhD, ’86 ChE; Brian Bozzo ’07 ME; Brian Glaister ’03 ME; Joanne Dahme ’80 CE; Karen Damara ’11 CpE; Drosdick Endowed Dean of Engineering Gary A. Gabriele, PhD; The Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 CLAS, University president; Hasshi Sudler ’92 EE; Sachin “Dave” Duggal ’01 ChE; Alexander Myers ’08 ChE, ’10 MSChE; Joshua Smolinsky ’03 CE, ’13 MSCE; Stephanie Dantos ’16 CLAS and William M. Brown ’84 ME, ’87 MSME.

On October 22, 2016, Villanova’s College of Engineering hosted the 40th annual Engineering Alumni Society Awards Reception. More than 135 guests were on hand to celebrate the evening’s honorees. Robert Merkert ’59 EE, president of the Engineering Alumni Society, opened the program by applauding the College’s students, faculty, staff and alumni for “all of the good work that takes place on campus and across the world, wherever Villanova engineers are present.” He was followed by George Kolb ’84 VSB, Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations, and University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 CLAS, who lauded the night’s award recipients, saying: “They have taken the lessons they learned here at Villanova and created successful, but even more importantly, rewarding careers. Each of them found a way to bring the Augustinian ideals of Veritas, Unitas, and Caritas into what they do.”

Meritorious Service and Professional Achievement

Drosdick Endowed Dean Gary A. Gabriele, PhD, presented the honors, beginning with the Meritorious Service Award, which recognizes those who have provided continuing support to the College and been instrumental in directing promising young men and women to Villanova. This year’s recipients are:

  • Brian Bozzo ’07 ME, project engineer and program manager for Lockheed Martin Space Systems
  • Karen Damara ’11 CpE, software engineer, Comcast
  • Alexander Myers ’08 ChE, ’10 MSChE, process engineer, GlaxoSmithKline
  • Joshua Smolinsky ’03 CE, ’13 MSCE, structural engineer, JD Eckman, Inc.

The Professional Achievement Award recognizes a graduate’s contributions to technology through substantial achievements in marketing, management or entrepreneurship, as well as achievements in strictly technical fields. The 2016 awardees are:

  • Joanne Dahme ’80 CE, general manager for public affairs, City of Philadelphia Water Department
  • Christos Dantos ’80 ME, former manager of business aircraft accounts for United Technologies Aerospace Systems (Chris passed away on October 2, 2016; his daughter Stephanie ’16 CLAS accepted the award on his behalf.)
  • Sachin “Dave” Duggal ’01 ChE, senior managing director, Energy Trading and Marketing, Macquarie Bank Limited
  • Hasshi Sudler ’92 EE, chairman and CEO of Internet Think Tank

Deans’ Awards

Four of the alumni awards are named in honor of the College of Engineering’s past deans:

Presented at the College’s Recognition Ceremony last May, the Robert D. Lynch Award acknowledges a graduating senior for outstanding academic achievements and exemplary dedication to serving the community. The 2016 recipient, Brandon T. Wesley ’16 ChE, is pursuing his doctorate in Surgery as a Gates Cambridge Scholar at the University of Cambridge.

The John J. Gallen Award recognizes the technical achievements of an alumnus who graduated from the College less than 15 years ago. John Gallen Jr. ’61 CE was on hand to present the memorial award named for his father, the late Dean John Gallen. The 2016 recipient is Brian Glaister ’03 ME, co-founder of Cadence Biomedical. Brian shared his experience as an entrepreneur in a College of Engineering alumni career panel event.

The Carl T. Humphrey Award recognizes the professional achievements of an alumnus who earned a master’s degree from the College more than five years ago. The 2016 recipient is William M. Brown ’84 ME, ’87 MSME, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Harris Corporation. Brown serves on Villanova’s College of Engineering Advisory Board and has been instrumental in building a strategic relationship between the College and his company. Harris Corporation has supported invaluable experiential learning opportunities for Villanova students, including capstone design projects and a signature initiative of the College, the Villanova Summer Innovation Incubator.

The J. Stanley Morehouse Award recognizes outstanding leadership at the highest level. The 2016 recipient is Anne K. Roby, PhD, ’86 ChE, senior vice president of Praxair, Inc. Dr. Roby serves on Villanova’s College of Engineering Advisory Board, and has taken a leading role in building a strategic relationship between Praxair and the College, including recruiting and mentorship, support for STEM outreach activities and membership in the RISE Forum, the corporate consortium of Villanova’s graduate program in Sustainable Engineering.

Learn more about our 2016 awardees and find a complete list of past recipients on the College website.