Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award
Established in 1966, the Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award is the highest honor bestowed by the College of Engineering and recognizes graduates who have reached exceptional levels of professional achievement.
2026 Recipients
Dr. Corey J. Cochrane
Electrical Engineering
B.S. 2004
M.S. 2007
Engineering Science and Mechanics
Ph.D. 2013
Research Scientist, Technologist
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Dr. Corey J. Cochrane is a research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology, where his work centers on the measurement and interpretation of magnetic fields and plasmas in space. His research emphasizes moon–magnetosphere interactions and advancing electromagnetic sounding techniques to probe planetary interiors.
Cochrane’s career at JPL spans more than a decade. Prior to his current position, he served as a technologist in the Advanced Optical and Electro-Mechanical Microsystems Group, where he focused on solid-state quantum magnetometer development, and as a NASA postdoctoral program scholar, advancing time-resolved Raman spectrometers and quantum sensing technologies. He is also co-founder and co-owner of Blue Spin, LLC, a startup developing low-field continuous wave electrically detected magnetic resonance spectrometers. Earlier in his career, he worked as a Satellite Communications Systems Engineer at Boeing, contributing to advanced signal processing and application-specific integrated circuit design for major satellite programs, and began his research journey as an intern at NASA Ames, developing neural network–based stabilization systems for robotic imaging platforms.
He holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering, master of science in electrical engineering, and a doctoral degree in engineering science and mechanics from Penn State and is an active member of the American Geophysical Union and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Cochrane has received numerous honors recognizing both his technical innovation and leadership, including multiple NASA Group Achievement Awards, JPL Voyager and Team Awards, the JPL Charles Elachi Director Award, and Penn State Early Career Recognition Awards
Dr. Adrien Couet
Nuclear Engineering
M.S. 2011
Ph.D. 2014
Professor
University of Wisconsin—Madison
Dr. Adrien Couet is a professor and associate chair for graduate studies in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Before joining University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2015, he worked as a nuclear materials research engineer at Électricité de France, where his work focused on high-temperature aqueous corrosion and the modeling of corrosion processes in nuclear materials.
Since graduating from Penn State with a master of science in nuclear engineering in 2011 and doctorate in nuclear engineering 2014, Couet has built a research group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, dedicated to advancing the fundamental understanding of materials degradation in extreme environments, particularly in light water and molten salt reactor systems.
Couet has served as the lead organizer of the Nuclear Innovation Bootcamp, an initiative aimed at training future entrepreneurs in the nuclear energy sector, and is a member of the American Nuclear Society, the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, and the Radiation Damage in Accelerator Target Environments international community.
Dr. Matthew P. Ferringer
Aerospace Engineering
B.S. 2002
M.S. 2005
Ph.D. 2009
General Manager Digital Innovation Division, Deputy Chief Information Officer for Mission
The Aerospace Corporation
Dr. Matthew P. Ferringer is general manager of the Engineering Technology Group's Digital Innovation Division and deputy chief information officer at The Aerospace Corporation, where he leads the company's digital transformation initiatives in modeling and simulation, data operations, artificial intelligence, and mission IT infrastructure.
Since joining The Aerospace Corporation in 2003, Ferringer has held progressively senior roles across national security space programs and has been recognized with the President’s Distinguished Achievement Award and Director of National Intelligence Meritorious Service Certificate of Distinction. He holds twelve U.S. patents in evolutionary algorithms and optimization systems. His technical contributions span satellite constellation optimization, multi-objective decision support systems, and space enterprise architecture. Ferringer has briefed senior U.S. Department of Defense and intelligence community leaders, delivered invited lectures internationally, and authored numerous publications on systems engineering and optimization. Before joining The Aerospace Corporation, he performed spacecraft design and systems engineering at Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
Ferringer earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering from Penn State.
Thomas E. Lawson
Civil Engineering
B.S. 1972
Senior Consultant
Verdantas
Thomas E. Lawson, PE, PLS, is the founder of Borton-Lawson, a multi-disciplinary architectural and engineering firm established in 1988 that grew to 200 employees before its acquisition by Verdantas. A distinguished professional engineer and land surveyor, Lawson has been recognized four times as Engineer of the Year by his peers in Luzerne County in Pennsylvania. His firm received national recognition when the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) named it Small Business of the Year in 1992.
Lawson began his career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Baltimore, where he contributed to the design of major flood control dams in northern Pennsylvania. His work includes structural engineering, land development, transportation infrastructure, and flood mitigation. With decades-long involvement with the Wyoming Valley Flood Control System, a 15-mile levee network developed in response to the devastation of Hurricane Agnes, Lawson played a key role in rebuilding and later elevating the levee system, a project that earned him the Pennsylvania ACEC Grand Conceptor Award in 1999. During major flood events, including the near-record crest in 2011, Lawson led large-scale flood-fighting efforts that helped prevent catastrophic damage.
In addition to his engineering achievements, Lawson developed specialized expertise in glass furnace structural design, serving major industrial clients such as Corning Glass and Owens-Illinois. He has held numerous leadership roles in professional and community organizations, including past presidencies within engineering societies and the chairmanship of the Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce.
He holds a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Penn State.
Justin J. Leto, PE
Computer Engineering
B.S. 2003
M.B.A. 2006
Global Principal Solutions Architect for Private Equity
Amazon Web Services
Justin J. Leto, PE, is a global technology leader, author, and speaker with more than two decades of experience at the forefront of large-scale data engineering and artifical intelligence (AI) transformation. As a global principal solutions architect for private equity at Amazon Web Services (AWS), he advises top-tier global private equity firms on cloud and AI value creation across their portfolios. He is the author of Data Engineering with Generative and Agentic AI on AWS: Building an AI-Augmented Data Practice for the Enterprise (Apress). He has delivered keynote presentations at global conferences and universities and contributed to more than ten AWS publications.
Prior to AWS, Leto led big data and AI strategy at Bechtel Corporation, the world's largest civil engineering firm, driving digital innovation across global infrastructure projects spanning six continents. He delivered a keynote presentation to more than 4,000 technology leaders at the global Spark+AI Summit.
Leto founded Nova Labs, one of the largest member-driven innovation labs in the world, featuring fabrication shops and incubator businesses. In addition to its member programs, the organization sponsors youth STEM initiatives including FIRST Robotics teams and regional Maker Faires—work that earned national recognition from MAKE Magazine as "America's Most Interesting Makerspace" and an invitation to the first White House Maker Faire. Leto currently leads the largest generative and agentic AI Meetup in New York, a community of more than 12,000 members.
Earlier in his career, he served in a senior engineering role at the Penn State Facilities Engineering Institute, providing engineering and technology consulting to 20 agencies of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the federal government. Shortly after obtaining professional engineering licensure, he was selected by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying to serve as an exam writer for the Electrical and Computer PE exam.
Leto holds a bachelor of science in computer engineering and an M.B.A. from Penn State. He is a licensed professional engineer and certified project management professional.
Luke C. Leung, PE
Architectural Engineering
B.A.E. 1987
M.S. 1990
Principal
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Luke C. Leung, PE, is a global sustainability engineering leader at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), where he focuses on advancing high-performance buildings and net-zero design strategies. He integrates energy optimization, embodied carbon reduction, and human-centered design into complex projects, helping guide early design decisions and overall project strategy. He also oversees team performance, mentors engineers, and contributes to firm-wide innovation in climate-responsive and resilient design.
Leung has held key leadership roles across major design firms. He previously served as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing director at Epstein and held senior positions at SOM, Perkins and Will, and Cannon Design. His work has contributed to some of the world’s most iconic and ambitious buildings, including the Burj Khalifa, the proposed Pertamina Tower, and several other tallest buildings globally.
Leung holds a bachelor of architectural engineering and a master of science in architectural engineering from Penn State and is a licensed professional engineer across multiple states and in Canada. He is deeply involved in industry leadership, serving on boards and committees for organizations such as ASHRAE and the U.S. Green Building Council, and contributing to major decarbonization initiatives. His achievements have earned widespread recognition, including being named a Notable Leader in Sustainability by Crain’s Chicago Business and receiving multiple ASHRAE Excellence in Engineering awards.
Dr. Edward G. Liszka
Electrical Engineering
B.S. 1965
Acoustics
M.S. 1967
Director, Emeritus
Applied Research Laboratory, Penn State
Dr. Edward G. Liszka is director emeritus of the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State, where he served as director of the Navy’s ARL and defense-related research units from August 2002 to September 2014. Upon retiring, Liszka was granted emeritus status and continues to contribute as a member of the ARL Advisory Board. During his leadership, ARL delivered major technological and engineering advancements supporting the U.S. Navy and other defense services.
Under Liszka’s direction, ARL made impactful contributions across a wide range of undersea and defense technologies, including advanced propulsors, submarine design, high-performance materials, cost-efficient manufacturing, and hydrodynamics research. The laboratory also advanced torpedo systems, anti-torpedo technologies, unmanned undersea vehicles, navigation systems, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) applications, significantly strengthening naval capabilities.
Prior to serving as director, Liszka was chief scientist and director of research and technology at the Office of Naval Research. He joined ARL in 1984 as associate director for the Undersea Systems Office and previously held key roles with the Naval Sea Systems Command, including technical director and deputy program manager for the Mk50 Advanced Lightweight Torpedo Program. His distinguished career has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award in 2014. He holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering and master of science in engineering acoustics from Penn State, and a doctorate in acoustics from The Catholic University of America.
James S. McGlone
Bioengineering
M.S. 1985
President and CEO
Vitara Biomedical
James S. McGlone is president and CEO of Vitara Biomedical, where he leads strategic direction and innovation in advancing neonatal care technologies.
Prior to his current role, McGlone held leadership positions across several prominent medical technology firms. He served as president of Auregen BioTherapeutics and ChemImage, and earlier as president and CEO of Oncura and Galil Medical, where he oversaw global operations and commercialization efforts. His career began at Siemens Medical Systems, where he advanced through roles in sales, product specialization, and executive leadership, ultimately serving as vice president of government and national accounts. In addition to his executive leadership, McGlone has served on multiple corporate boards, including Vitara Biomedical, Auregen BioTherapeutics, Lightsphere Diagnostics, Oncura, and Galil Medical, as well as nonprofit organizations such as Hawk Rowing Club.
He holds an executive M.B.A. from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business, a master of science in bioengineering from Penn State, and a bachelor of arts in engineering and applied science from Yale College. An inventor on multiple patents in medical technology, McGlone has also remained active in professional and community organizations, reflecting a longstanding commitment to innovation and leadership.
Dr. Matthew M. Mench
Mechanical Engineering
B.S. 1994
M.S. 1996
Ph.D. 2000
Dean and Wayne T. Davis Chair, Tickle College of Engineering
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Dr. Matthew M. Mench is dean of the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, a role he has held since July 2021, after serving as interim dean. Since becoming dean, Mench has led a period of significant growth and transformation, including the launch of new academic departments and programs and record-setting gains across key performance indicators such as enrollment, research expenditures, faculty and staff growth, and national rankings. He has also overseen major infrastructure expansions, including the opening of the Zeanah Engineering Complex, Innovation South, and Tennessee Manufacturing and Design Enterprise facilities, while guiding the development of a strategic plan to further advance the college’s research and educational mission.
Mench joined the University of Tennessee in 2010 as the Condra Chair of Excellence and professor of mechanical engineering, with a joint appointment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He became head of the University of Tennessee’s Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering in 2013, serving in that capacity until 2021, with an additional role as interim vice chancellor for research from 2019 to 2020. Under Mench’s leadership, the department experienced substantial increases in research funding, enrollment, private investment, and national prominence. Prior to joining the University of Tennessee, he was an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State.
An internationally recognized researcher, Mench maintains an active scholarly program with a Hirsch index of 66 and more than 18,000 citations. He is a frequent invited speaker, author of a widely used textbook, former associate editor for leading journals, and an inventor on multiple patents and licensed technologies related to fuel cells, flow batteries, and medical devices.
He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from Penn State and an M.B.A. from the University of Tennessee.
Dr. John E. Palamara
Chemical Engineering
B.S. 2000
Ph.D. 2003
Vice President and General Manager, LNG
Honeywell
Dr. John E. Palamara is vice president and general manager at Honeywell, where he leads the liquefied natural gas equipment business—a global energy business established through Honeywell’s $1.8 billion acquisition of Air Products’ LNG division.
A chemical engineer and inventor with twelve patents spanning power generation, carbon dioxide capture, and hydrogen systems, Palamara brings technical depth, and a people-first executive leadership style. His career has been defined by building and scaling complex industrial businesses at the intersection of energy infrastructure and innovation. Palamara’s contributions to the LNG and broader energy technology sector reflect a sustained commitment to advancing the systems that power the global economy.
Palamara holds bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from Penn State. He served on the Penn State Department of Chemical Engineering Industrial and Professional Advisory Committee from 2015 to 2022.
J. Whitney Shlesinger
Industrial Engineering
B.S. 2004
Vice President Global Planning & Logistics
McCormick and Company
J. Whitney Shlesinger is vice president of global supply chain & logistics with McCormick, based in Hunt Valley, Maryland. She oversees supply planning, demand planning, materials management, customer collaboration, logistics, integrated business planning, inventory, and supply chain insights and analytics. Her work is focused on creating global processes, value delivery, and competitive capabilities.
Shlesinger joined McCormick in 2017 and has had regional and global leadership roles in cost savings, continuous improvement, and business transformation programs. Prior to McCormick, she held positions across manufacturing, supply planning, customer service, ecommerce, and sales functions.
Shlesinger holds a bachelor of science in industrial engineering from Penn State and an M.B.A from Indiana University. She is a member of the World Trade Center Institute CEO Counsel and multiple Penn State College of Engineering boards.
Dr. Aniruddha S. Vaidya
Computer Science and Engineering
Ph.D. 1999
Senior Director, AI Computing
Nvidia
Dr. Aniruddha S. Vaidya is senior director of artificial intelligence (AI) computing at NVIDIA Corporation, where he leads a global engineering organization of more than 130 engineers advancing the company’s position as a leader in AI infrastructure. His team plays a central role in shaping the development of graphics processing units (GPU), systems-on-a-chips (SoCs), and hardware systems spanning data center–scale AI factories, workstations, autonomous vehicles, and robotics, as well as high-performance inference software frameworks. His work focuses on maximizing system performance through architecture analysis, modeling, benchmarking, validation, and the development of advanced performance tools.
Over his tenure at NVIDIA, Vaidya has held multiple leadership roles, building teams from the ground up and contributing to the development of GPU architectures from Kepler through Rubin, along with multiple SoCs and two generations of NVSwitch systems. Prior to joining NVIDIA, he spent more than a decade at Intel Labs as a senior staff research scientist, where he led research in central processing unit server platforms, cache coherence protocols, network-on-chip architecture, and GPU computing. Beyond his technical work, he has been actively involved in service, including volunteer leadership roles with the Association for India’s Development.
Vaidya earned his bachelor of technology in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Varanasi), followed by a master of science in engineering by research from the Indian Institute of Science. He completed his doctorate in computer science and engineering at Penn State. He continues to engage with academia through service on the Industrial and Professional Advisory Council for the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Penn State.
Dr. Jisheng Wang
Electrical Engineering
Ph.D. 2008
Vice President of Engineering
Cisco Systems
Dr. Jisheng Wang is vice president of engineering at Cisco Systems, Inc., where he leads cross-product network assurance and AgenticOps product development. Based in Palo Alto, California, he brings deep expertise in artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML)-driven networking, security, and large-scale distributed systems.
Prior to his current role, Wang served as vice president of engineering and head of AI/ML at Traceable AI (acquired by Harness Inc.), beginning in 2022, where he led AI/ML innovation and product development for applications programming interfaces (API) protection. From 2018, he served as head of AI/ML and senior director of engineering at Mist Systems (acquired by Juniper Networks), where he led the creation of the artificial intelligence for IT operations (AIOps) engine Marvis, widely recognized as a transformative innovation in networking. Earlier, at Niara Inc. (acquired by Hewlett Packard Enterprise), he served as chief scientist and senior director of data science, leading development of the industry’s first modular, data-agnostic user and entity behavior analytics solution. He began his career at Cisco Systems, Inc. in 2008 as a technical lead, where he architected and directed the Cisco Security Intelligence Operations Center.
Wang earned a bachelor of engineering and a master of engineering in electrical engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He received his doctorate in electrical engineering from Penn State. Wang is an active member of Penn State’s Industrial and Professional Advisory Council for the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
