Submit your class notes news by e-mail or snail mail to Jane
Harris at Penn State College of Engineering, 101 Hammond Building, University Park, PA 16802.
Go to:
2000s
- Howard A. Berkof (ME '00) received the Old Guard Young Engineers Award from the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Berkof was recognized for his tireless efforts and achievements
in ASME, professional success, and outstanding dedication and involvement with students and young engineers.
(posted 7/20/06)
- Daniel W. Boeringer (EE PhD '04) is the recipient of the 2006 R.W.P. King award,
which is given annually for the best paper published in the IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.
The paper, which deals with a novel application of particle swarm optimazation, is titled
"Efficiency-Contrained Particle Swarm Optimization of a Modified Bernstein Polynomial for Conformal
Array Excitation Amplitude Synthesis," was published in August 2005.
- Paula C. Garcia (ChE '03; MS '03) and Douglas K. Todd (ChE '02) were married
in Puerto Rico on July 1, 2006. The newlyweds reside in Midland, MI, where they both work for Dow Chemical.
(posted 8/8/2006)
- Matthew Kostick (CE '03; MS '04) married Kristen Voigt
(CE '04) on May 27, 2006. The couple resides in Northampton, PA. (posted 7/21/2006)
- Eli Mastin (AE '01) has been promoted to project manager at Mortenson Energy
Group. Since joining Mortenson in 2001, Mastin has worked on multiple projects and in multiple roles. These
include onsite field engineer, project engineer and assistant project manager on more than 170 MW of wind
projects from Minnesota to Texas and east to Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Justine, also relocated to
Australia when Mortenson was pursuing customers and projects there. Currently, they reside in Davis, WV,
where Mastin is working on the company's Mount Storm project. (posted 3/6/2007)
- Erin Steck (ChE '02) married Anthony Miller
(Journ '00) on February 16, 2008. They live in Newark, DE. (posted 3/5/2008)
[Top of page]
1990s
- Jeremy Colello P.E. (CE MS '98) has been selected as the 2007 Delaware Valley
Young Engineer of the Year. He was selected for this award by the Engineers Club of Philadelphia based on
his leadership and contribution to the engineering profession. Colello is employed by Pennoni Associates Inc.
as a project engineer in the firm's Philadelphia transportation division. He has more than eight years'
experience in highway design, drainage design, erosion and sediment control, stormwater management,
river hydraulics, bridge scour, and NPDES permitting. He has been involved in preliminary and final
design of transportation projects in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, Pennsylvania, and across the United
States (Arizona, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, Washington, DC, and West Virginia). He is a member of the
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE). An
active member of ASCE's Environmental and Water Resources Institute, Colello currently serves as the
Chair of Environmental and Water Resources Technical Group in ASCE's Philadelphia Section. In addition,
he serves as Director for ASCE's Philadelphia Section, Past-President for the ASCE Philadelphia Younger
Member Forum, and Corresponding Member for ASCE's National Committee on Younger Members. (posted 3/6/2007)
- Wade Conlon (AE '95) and his wife, Willa, announce the birth of their second
child. Gretchen Louise was born in July 2006 and joins older sibling Padraic Ford, who will turn two in
December. The Conlon family resides in Winter Garden, FL.
- Timothy Fahrney P.E. (CE '99) has been named an associate of Erdman, Anthony
and Associates, Inc., in Mechanicsburg, PA. Fahrney joined Erdman Anthony's Mechanicsburg office more than
six years ago and has worked in both the bridge and construction units. He currently assists with managing
a staff of up to 95 construction inspectors serving projects throughout the state. He also provides fall
protection and Red Cross First Aid/CPR training to internal staff, serves as an internal auditor for the
firm's ISO 9001 certified quality program, and is a member of the Mechanicsburg office's Quality Steering
Committee. (posted 7/21/2006)
- Brian J. Harkless (Aero '95) married Claire Richey on Aug. 13, 2005, in New
Orleans, LA. The couple resides in Fort Worth, TX, where Harkless is a senior structural engineer with
Computer Sciences Corporation, Applied Technology Division. (posted 7/20/06)
- Frank Harper (IE '99) and his wife, Heather (EDU '99),
announce the birth of their first child, Joshua Paul Harper, on Feb. 4, 2005. Frank is a systems engineer
at Fred Hill & Son, Inc., in Philadelphia. Heather teaches eighth grade history in the Centennial School
District. (posted 7/20/2006)
- T. "Kesh" Kesavadas (IE PhD '95) and his colleagues, James Mayrose and Kevin Chugh,
received the 2005 Western New York Inventor of the Year Award. The trio was recognized for a medical device
that measures the shape and hardness of tumors. The glove-like device is embedded with sensors that connect
to a computer, allowing doctors to record changes in tumors over time and to share the results with others.
Kesavadas is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the State
University of New York at Buffalo, where he serves as director of the Virtual Reality Laboratory.
(posted 7/20/2006)
- Alan J. Leonori P.E. (CE '93; MEng '95) has been promoted to transportation
division manager at the State College office of Pennoni Associates Inc. Leonori specializes in highway
design, traffic control design, traffic and roadside safety, construction management, and value engineering.
He is currently one of the project managers working with various transportation clients in an effort to
continue the goals of the firm. In his new position, he will be responsible for the day-to-day operations
of the transportation division. He resides in Bellefonte, PA, with his wife, Deborah
Moore Leonori (BUS '98) and their two daughters. (posted 9/29/2006)
- Melody Matter (CE '99, MEng '01) married Noel Caron on Aug. 7, 2004. The
couple met in graduate school at Penn State in 2000. Among the wedding guests were 29 Penn State graduates,
including 20 with engineering degrees. (posted 7/20/2006)
- Susan McNulty-Atwater (ABE '99) is a senior process engineer for Rich
Products Corporation, a market leader in the non-dairy segment of the frozen food industry and a leading
supplier and solutions provider to the food service, in-store bakery and retail marketplaces food
companies. Headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Rich's products are sold to nearly every major resturant chain
in the United States and Canada. McNulty-Atwater and her husband, Benjamin Atwater, live on a
150-year old, 1000-cow dairy farm located along the shore of Lake Ontario in Barker, NY.
(posted 11/28/2006)
- Diane Perry (IE '92) was promoted to U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander
in December 2006. She will leave her current position as Senior Executive Leadership Conference
Coordinator/Budget Officer this summer for a new position as one of the following: Sector Logistics
Department Head, Contingency Planning (risk mitigation for major national impact events) or East Coast
Industrial Engineering Program Manager (maintenance/repair of ships-cutters, aids to navigation, and
structural composites). Perry notes that the Industrial Engineering Program has become a critical fill
specialty as more engineers move into joint capability. Engineers must not only be able to design/build but
must also be able to market, budget/reconcile, and integrate with all agencies seamlessly. This was
exemplified by the Coast Guard's ability to work with state, local, and federal agencies/components
using standard taxonomies (language) during and after Hurricane Katrina. (posted 2/8/2007)
- Dean F. Poeth II P.E. (IE MS '90; PhD '93) is an adjunct professor at the
Graduate College of Union University in Schenectady, NY. Poeth teaches MER-573, Case Studies in Failure
and Ethics in Engineering, and MER-507, Design for Manufacturing. He is also a principal engineer
at Lockheed Martin's Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory. He can be reached at dpoeth@worldnet.att.net. (posted 11/28/2006)
- José A. Porras (IE '99) and Solena S. Quick (BUS '02)
were married on Apr. 8, 2005, in Panama City, Panama. José is employed at Bristol-Myers Squibb as a packaging
engineer. Solena, who was a member of the 1999 NCAA Championship Penn State women's volleyball team, is a
quality control manager at Quick Roll Leaf Manufacturing Co. The couple lives in Morristown, NJ.
(posted 7/20/2006)
- Philip Tsang (Aero '96) received a master's of science degree in engineering
management and systems engineering from George Washington University in December 2006. (posted 3/6/2007)
- Jeremy R. Wallace (IE '99, MS '01) married Allesandra
Cerreti (COM '02) on Aug. 13, 2005. They reside in St. Louis, MO. (posted 7/20/2006)
- Catherine McDonald Watson (IE '97) and her husband, David, announce the birth
of their twin daughters, Sarah and Natalie, on Oct. 6, 2005. (posted 7/20/06)
[Top of page]
1980s
- Michael Blaszkiewicz (NucE '89, Mat
'94) is a senior scientist at Bayer Material Science LLC in Pittsburgh,
PA, where he was the recipient of Bayer's first Science and Technology
Award for his team's work on developing an improved method of
measuring hydrogen cyanide in fire smoke. In addition, he received
a Best Presentation Award at the Polyurethanes Technical Conference
in October 2004. He currently serves as chair of the Rigid Polyurethane
Foam Market Focus Group of the Alliance for the Polyurethanes
Industry. (posted 7/20/2006)
- Dante Bonaquist (ChE '80) has been
named a senior corporate fellow and chief scientist at Praxair,
Inc. Bonaquist works at Praxair Technology Center, the industrial
gases company's research and development (R&D) organization
located in Tonawanda, NY. Since joining Praxair in 1980, Bonaquist
has held various technical and managerial positions in engineering
and R&D. Most recently, he served as director
of process and systems R&D. In his new position, he will
continue to direct hydrogen and energy technology and ceramic
membrane development programs. He will also direct the identification
and evaluation of developing technologies worldwide. Bonaquist
resides in Grand Island, NY, and is an inventor or co-inventor
on 110 U.S. patents. (posted 9/21/2006)
- Lance B. Bush (Aero '85; PhD '96)
is vice president of programs at Paragon Space Development
Corporation in Tuscon, AZ. Founded in 1993, Paragon's vision
is to be the world leader in thermal control and life support
in extreme environments. The company's expertise has been recognized
by wins on NASA's Orion and COTS (Commercial Orbital Transfer
to Space) teams. Paragon plays a major role on these next
generation human spaceflight projects as the lead for life
support and thermal control. The company recently opened a
new office in Houston, TX, and is in the process of opening
an office in Denver, CO, to support its expanding customer
base.
- Diego F. Calderin (ESci MEng '88)
is the winner of the Ernst & Young
Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Greater Philadelphia and
Central Pennsylvania Region in the "Emerging
Business" category. Calderin is president and CEO of Anexinet,
a technology solutions provider. He and his wife, Linda, have
three children and reside in West Chester, PA. (posted 7/20/2006)
- Richard J. Clemson P.E. (CE '87)
has been promoted to manager of the civil/site/landscape architecture
division at the Vineland, NJ, office of Pennoni Associates
Inc. Prior to this appointment, he was a senior engineer at
Pennoni's Atco, NJ, office. Clemson's employment with Pennoni
began in September 2006 when the staff of GS Winters & Associates
joined Pennoni Associates, and their office in Atco became
the firm's nineteenth location. He has more than 19 years'
experience and is a registered professional engineer in New
Jersey and Pennsylvania. Clemson specializes in the design
of residential, commercial, and industrial land development
projects, as well as site design and stormwater management.
In his new role, he will be responsible for the day-to-day
operations of the division. He resides in Washington Township,
NJ, with his wife, Margaret, son, Alex, and daughter, Dana.
(posted 3/6/2007)
- Steven C. Devine P.E. (CE '84;
MEng '86) has been promoted to vice president of structural
engineering at Bala Consulting Engineers, Inc., in King of
Prussia, PA. Devine joined the firm 14 years ago as a structural
engineer. In his new position, he will continue utilizing his
design expertise, while expanding his efforts into business
development and account management. Devine lives in Haddonfield,
NJ, with his wife, Kathy, and 10-year-old daughter, Christine.
(posted 6/13/2006)
- Anietie O. Effiong (CE '80; MS
'82) returned to Nigeria following graduation from Penn State
and joined the Federal Ministry of Works as a highway engineer.
Currently, he is the federal controller of works in charge
of Akwa Ibom State, one of the 36 states in Nigeria. His duties
include supervision of all federal road and bridge construction
within the state. He is married with four children. (posted
5/3/2006)
- Douglas G. Evans (ESci '86) was
recently named an outstanding scholar alumnus by the Schreyer
Honors College Scholar Alumni Society. He will be recognized
at a reception and ceremony in September. Evans is the chief
operating officer of Kensey Nash Corporation and was instrumental
in leading and managing the start-up medical device company.
He has supported the Schreyer Honors College through his leadership
as the president, vice president and charter member of the
Scholar Alumni Society Board. He has also been instrumental
in the development of current scholars through his support
of internship and mentoring opportunities. Evans and his wife,
Regina, reside in Downingtown, PA. (posted 7/21/2006)
- Thomas J. Friese P.E. (AE '83)
has been named division manager for Philadelphia Civil/Site/Landscape
Architecture Technology at Pennoni Associates, Inc. Friese
lives in West Chester, PA, with his wife, Margaret
Meere Friese (BUS '82), and their two
children. (posted 7/20/2006)
- James W. Gutshall P.E. (CE '87)
has been promoted to division manager for Camp Hill Transportation
Technology at Pennoni Associates, Inc. He resides in Camp Hill,
PA, with his wife, Tina, and son, Luke. (posted 7/20/2006)
- Norman J. Hahn (Aero '88) is employed
by Paragon Space Development Corporation of Tucson AZ, where
he is the engineering lead on the NASA Orion program. Founded
in 1993, Paragon's vision is to be the world leader in thermal
control and life support in extreme environments. The company's
expertise has been recognized by wins on NASA's Orion and
COTS (Commercial Orbital Transfer to Space) teams. Paragon
plays a major role on these next generation human spaceflight
projects as the lead for life support and thermal control.
The company recently opened a new office in Houston, TX, and
is in the process of opening an office in Denver, CO, to support
its expanding customer base. (posted 03/06/2007)
- Andrew Marusich P.E. (AE '87) has
been promoted to head of electrical engineering at Girard
Engineering in McLean, VA. (posted 7/21/2006)
- Paul Nedwick (ChE '86) is the recipient
of the 2006 Heroes of Chemistry Award from the American Chemical
Society. Nedwick is currently is a technical service group
leader for Rohm and Haas Company's adhesives and sealants
business team. (posted 7/20/06)
- John J. Palko (IE '85) spent 16
years with Alcoa, leaving in 2001 to found Palko Aluminum,
Inc., where he developed a proprietary aluminum flake casting
process. Palko sold his company in 2003. He currently teaches
lateral entry math to seventh graders. Says Palko, "My experiences
as an engineer make my math examples meaningful for the children's
leaning." (posted 11/28/2006)
- Scott K. Purnell (ChE '89) has
been named general manager, North America, for the Grace Davison
Refining Technologies business unit of W. R. Grace & Company
in Columbia, MD. Purnell and his wife,
Terry Kennedy Purnell (HHD '89), live
in Ellicott City, MD, with their two children, Emily, 8, and
Jack, 6. (posted 7/21/2006)
- Heather Rarick (Aero '87) was recently
named a space flight director by NASA. As such, she is one
of 28 space shuttle and International Space Station flight
directors leading space flights from mission control at NASA's
Johnson Space Center in Houston. After completing her training,
Rarick will work at mission control and become the sole flight
manager responsible for directing the mission operations of
spacecraft launches at Cape Canaveral, FL. (posted 7/21/2006)
- Susan O. Schall (IE '82; MS '86;
PhD '88) has been appointed by James Turner, acting director
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to the
2008 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality
Award. The award, created by public law in 1987, is the highest
level of national recognition for performance excellence that
a U.S. organization can receive. As an examiner, Schall is
responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted
for the award. The board is composed of approximately 500 leading
experts selected from industry, professional and trade organizations,
education and healthcare organizations, and government. (posted
5/22/2008)
- Donna Cowell Senft (ESci '83) has
been appointed chief of the Spacecraft Component Technology
Branch at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles
Directorate, located in Albuquerque, NM. The branch conducts
research and development activities relating to spacecraft
composite structures, large deployable structures and their
dynamics, thermal management and protection, power generation
and photovoltaics, controls, and autonomy.
- Angela Miller Smith (CE '87) was
recently named Deputy Director of the Office of Highway Development
for the Maryland State Highway Administration. Located in Baltimore,
the office is responsible for the design, management, and
advertisement of highway projects throughout the state of Maryland;
the administration of state regulations pertaining to state
highway access for commercial and subdivision development;
the design of stormwater management facilities, small drainage
structures, and erosion/sediment control; data collection
for use in plan development; and property surveys and plat
development. (posted 11/28/2006)
[Top of page]
1970s
- Larry Beam P.E. (AE '78) has been promoted to president of Girard Engineering,
a mechanical/electrical consulting engineering firm in McLean, VA. Beam has been with Girard for more than 23
years and previously served as a principal with the firm. During his tenure, he has designed electrical power
distribution and life safety systems and managed overall building mechanical/electrical design for several of
the Washington metropolitan area's landmark commercial and government buildings. Projects include
corporate headquarters for Fortune 500 companies, major downtown mixed-use developments, law firm offices,
trade association headquarters, educational facilities, and local government complexes. (posted 7/21/2006)
- Donald L. Brandt (EE '74) received a Distinguished Service Award from the
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) at its 2005 annual
meeting. The award honors members for giving freely of their time and talent on behalf of ASHRAE. Brandt
resides in Phoenix, AZ. (posted 7/20/2006)
- Scott A. Brown P.E. (CE '77; MS '79) has joined Pennoni Associates Inc. as a
senior engineer in the firm's Vineland civil/site/landscape architecture division. Brown most recently
served as a residential site development specialist for the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center. His
specialties include residential and commercial site development, stormwater management and urban drainage
design, and river and watershed engineering. In his new role, Brown will be completing the development of
residential site improvement standards for Pennsylvania, will help develop business and marketing strategies
for advancement of water resources expertise at Pennoni, and will assist with ongoing water resource and
land development projects in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. A registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania,
New York, and New Jersey (pending), he resides in Cape May, NJ, with his wife, Janie. (posted 3/6/2007)
- Jim Haag (CE '75) is the author of a recently published book titled The
Acquisition and Divestiture Of Petroleum Property: A Guide To The Strategies, Processes and Tactics Used
By Successful Companies. Haag spent 27 years with Texaco as a business development manager. He currently
works as a consultant and teaches seminars related to the petroleum industry. (posted 7/20/2006)
- Stephen T. Mahan (AgE '79) is a registered patent attorney with Cichosz &
Cichosz PLLC in Milford, MI, where he is responsible for drafting and prosecuting patent applications.
Mahan is licensed to practice law in Michigan, in Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan,
and in front of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He and his wife, Karen Zimmerman
Mahan (AgE '80) have five children, including a daughter, Ellen, who is majoring in food science at
Penn State. (posted 7/20/2006)
- John C. Wagner P.L.S. P.E. (CE '74) has joined Pennoni Associates Inc. as a
senior engineer for its Lehigh Valley Civil/Site/Landscape Architecture Division in Bethlehem, PA. In his new
role, Wagner will oversee medium and large civil/site projects in the division. Wagner comes to Pennoni from
Centex Destination Properties in Lincoln, NH, where he served as land development manager. Prior to that,
he spent 17 years with Spotts, Stevens and McCoy, Inc., in Whitehall, PA, as the director of municipal
services and director of land development services. In addition to his Penn State degree, Wagner holds a
master of science degree in transportation engineering from Villanova University. He is a member of the
American Society of Civil Engineers, Lehigh Valley Chapter, where he currently serves on the Land-Use
Committee. He is also involved with the Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors, Lehigh Valley Chapter,
where he served as founding president. A resident of Washington Township, Wagner lives with his wife, Nancy,
and has three sons and two grandsons. In his free time, he enjoys hunting, volunteering with the Boy Scouts
and serving as an Anglican priest. (posted 11/29/2006)
- John B. West (CE '78) has been named president and CEO of Acclaris, Inc., a
business process outsourcing firm in Tampa, FL. Prior to joining Acclaris, West was CEO of System One
Services, a Tampa-based company he founded in 1987 to provide technology consulting and staffing services.
(posted 7/20/2006)
- Timothy Woerner (AE '79) is a senior project manager at Setty & Associates,
Ltd., in Fairfax, VA. (posted 7/31/2006)
[Top of page]
1960s
- Marc T. Apter (EE '64) has been selected by the IEEE board of directors as a
candidate for 2008 president-elect. Apter is the current past-chair of IEEE's Regional Activities Board.
He resides in Alexandria, VA. (posted 11/28/2006)
- John R. Bell (Aero '69) retired from Boeing in 2004 to run Willis Hall, a
winery he established in Marysville, WA. A long-time member of the Boeing Wine Club, Bell's wines have been
awarded best-of-class, gold, and best-of-show awards. Vintage 2003 is Willis Hall's inaugural vintage.
(posted 7/20/2006)
- Dennis Seeley (CE '65) is president of National Fuel Gas Distribution
Corporation in Williamsville, NY. The firm provides natural gas service to approximately 730,000 customers
in western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. (posted 7/20/2006)
[Top of page]
1950s
- Robert L. Horst P.E. (EE '58), consultant and founder of Peak Productivity USA
in Lancaster, PA, is the inventor of a statistical method for SPC data analysis called Six Sigma Isogrammetric
Analysis Method (SSIAM), which has been released as a software product. Horst can be reached by e-mail at
rlhorst@att.net. (posted 7/20/2006)
[Top of page]
Obituaries
- David C. Bach (EE '96) passed away Aug. 8, 2005. He was 31. Bach resided in
Chandler, AZ, where he was a senior design engineer with Maxim Integrated Products. An avid music enthusiast,
computer gamer, and sports fan, he is survived by his wife, Teri, a son, Lance, and two stepchildren, Taylor
and Tucker Welch.
- Russell F. Berthot (EE '53) passed away on October 12, 2006, in Florence, SC.
He was 79. Bethot's early career included five years as a project engineer for the Air Force Logistic Command
at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, where he was directly responsible for the design and upgrades to Air Data
computers on the F-101, F-105, and F-106 fighter aircraft. In 1967, he joined the Bureau of Naval Weapons as
a project engineer in the Display Branch of the Avionics Division. There, he became a recognized expert on
display and control systems and was instrumental in inserting new display technology into many Navy aircraft.
At the time of his retirement in 1992, Berthot was a senior project engineer for the Naval Air Systems Command
in Washington, DC. He is survived by his wife, Celia.
- E.V. Bishoff died Jan. 4, 2006, at the age of 82. Bishoff attended Penn State
in the 1940s, and went on to found the E.V. Bishoff Company. He is also the founder of the E.V. Bishoff
Engineering Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program at Penn State, which brings successful engineering entrepreneurs
to Penn State for extended interactions with faculty and students. Bishoff is survived by his wife, Joan,
three children, and five grandchildren.
- William J. DeMauriac II (ME '31) died Mar. 23, 2005, at the age of 96. DeMauriac,
who spent his entire career with the Philadelphia Electric Co., resided in Ocean City, NJ. He is survived by
his wife, Barbara DeMauriac.
- William E. Diefenderfer (ME '38) passed away Mar. 15, 2005, in Hartford, CT. He
was 88. Diefenderfer joined the Hamilton Standard Division of United Aircraft in 1941. During his long tenure
with the company, he advanced through a series of positions that included general manager, division president,
group vice president, and senior vice president. Diefenderfer was an active supporter of the College of
Engineering and a charter member of the Industrial and Professional Advisory Council. He received the
College's Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award in 1967 and was named an Alumni Fellow by the Penn State
Alumni Association in 1994. He is survived by his wife, Francesca, a daughter, Barbara J. Moore (SCI '63),
and a son, William R. Diefenderfer (ESci '63).
- Neil N. Diehl (CE '53) died in a traffic accident on Jan. 3, 2005, in Nashville,
TN. He was 74. Diehl's career included 24 years with U.S. Steel, followed by four years as president of Ohio
Barge Line, Inc., and Warrior and Gulf Navigation Co. He joined Nashville-based Ingram Barge Co. in 1984,
serving as chairman and chief executive officer until 1995. His wife, Judith Kraft
Diehl (HHD '54) preceded him in death in 2002.
- Charles M. Kearns Jr. (EE '36) passed away in Tuscon, AZ, on July 30, 2006,
following a stroke, at the age of 91. Kearns enrolled at Penn State at the age of 15 and graduated with honors
in 1936. He began his career with Hamilton Standard in the propeller division, earning the Lawrence Sperry
award in 1939 and the Franklin Institute Longstreth Medal in 1942 for his invention of a device measuring
the stress of airplane propellers. The carbon resistance strain gauge was credited for insuring the safety of
pilots in the US and UK airforces in World War II. He went on to receive fourteen patents throughout his career.
His career advanced with United Technologies, where he retired as a vice president and member of the
corporation's operating and policy committee. He was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronnautics
and Astronautics and received a Doctorate of Humane Letters in Honoris Causa from the University of Hartford,
where he was vice chairman of the Board of Regents. His lifelong devotion to music included serving as chairman of
the trustees of the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, and he would listen whenever possible to
the radio broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera, particularly when the works of Wagner were featured. A
long-time supporter and friend of the College of Engineering, Kearns was strongly committed to the advancement
of engineering education and was an inaugural member of the Leonhard Center Advisory Board, on which he served
for 14 years. He received Penn State's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1990. His wife, Margaret, preceded him in
death. He is survived by five children, Elizabeth, Margaret, Deborah, Charles M. III, and Christopher;
five grandchildren, Ian and Andrew Pirie, Peter and Meghan Kearns, and Jonathan Rex; three brothers, Robert,
John, and Richard; and many loving nieces and nephews.
- Donald R. F. Harleman (CE '43) passed away Sept. 28, 2005. He was 82. Harleman
joined the faculty at MIT in 1950 and retired as professor emeritus in 1991. A renowned engineer, scientist,
and educator, his research and innovations were directed toward improving water quality and making wastewater
treatment available and affordable to all. Harleman is survived by his wife, Martha, three children, and
six grandchildren.
- William F. Holdren (ME '51) died Jan. 16, 2006, at the age of 77. He is survived
by his wife, Suzanne, three children, and four grandchildren.
- Luis Modesto Marina Jr. (Aero '95) of Steamboat Springs, CO, died October 23, 2005,
in an airplane accident. He was 32. At the time of his death, Marina was employed by Kitty Hawk Partners in
Steamboat Springs as an aerospace managing consultant; previously, he managed the purchase of precious metals
at Ford Motor Company in Detroit. Marina served in the U.S. Air Force from 1996 to 2002, achieving the rank
of captain. He is survived by his wife, Tracey. Contributions may be made in his memory to Dollars for
Scholars Rome Chapter, P.O. Box 473, Rome, NY 13442.
- Stanley W. Mason (CE '36) passed away Oct. 1, 2005. He was 90. Mason spent his
entire career in the steel industry, working first with Jones-Laughlin and then with United States Steel Corp.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Edna, two children, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
- Jef Raskin (MS CmpSc '67) passed away Feb. 26, 2005, at his home in Pacifica, CA.
He was 61. Known as the "father of the Macintosh," Raskin joined Apple Computer in 1978, where he pitched the
idea of developing a computer that was easy to use. In 1979, he became director of the Macintosh project, a
position he held until he left Apple in 1982. The College of Engineering named Raskin an Outstanding
Engineering Alumnus in 1999. He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Linda Blum, and their three children,
Aza, Aviva, and Aenea.
- Steven S. Silwones (ME '49) of New Providence, NJ, died Oct. 7, 2004, at the age
of 78. Silwones, who also held an M.S. in metallurgical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, spent
42 years at Amerace-ESNA in Union, NJ, as quality control manager. He received several patents during his tenure
with the company, was a member of the American Society of Metallurgical Engineers, and taught metallurgy at
Union County Vo-Tech School. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Wilma, and their two children, Laura
Rupp and William Silwones.
- H. Bruce Ta (Aero '95) of State College, PA, died on Aug. 7, 2005. Ta worked
as a corporate trainer for the South Hills School of Business and Technology. He held professional certifications
as a Cisco Systems instructor and MSCE trainer. He enjoyed planes and flying and was an accomplished private pilot.
He is survived by his wife, Lisa, and two sons, Christopher and Elliott.
- William Thompson Jr. (Acoustics PhD '71), former professor of engineering science
at Penn State, passed away on February 13, 2007, at home, after a valiant battle with cancer. He was 70 years
old. Thompson came to Penn State in 1966 as a research assistant at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL).
After receiving his Ph.D. in engineering acoustics, he joined the engineering science and mechanics faculty.
In 1973 he became a member of the faculty of the graduate acoustics program. Thompson also served as head of
the Transducer Group at ARL from 1971 to 1980. He retired with emeritus status in 2001. During his tenure at
Penn State, Thompson taught 14 courses in engineering science, engineering mechanics, and acoustics. In the late
1980s, he developed and taught acoustics courses via satellite TV, giving researchers at private and government
laboratories on both the east and west coasts the opportunity to earn master's degrees in acoustics. His research
interests included acoustics, vibrations, mathematical analysis, and the design and development of electroacoustic
transducers. He was co-holder of two patents related to transducers. Thompson received the Penn State Engineering
Society's (PSES) Outstanding Teaching Award in 1984, the PSES Premier Teaching Award in 1993, and the PSES Outstanding
Advising Award in 1998. He is survived by his wife, Martha; three daughters, Melanie DeRenzo, Sharon Frandsen, and
Jennifer Wagner; a son, Keith Thompson; and nine grandchildren.
[Top of page]
Click on the link above to make a gift to the College of Engineering.
If you want your gift to be used where the need is greatest, select
College of Engineering Future Fund in the
drop-down menu under Designation of
Gift. If you want your gift to go to a specific department
or program within the College, select
Other in the drop-down menu and type the
department or program name in the Additional
Information box.
Related Links: