On January 25, 2005, Medsphere Systems Corporation,
a leading provider of fully integrated electronic health records, announced the appointment of Larry Augustin (B.S., EE ’84) as chief executive officer of the company. Prior to joining Medsphere Augustin was a venture partner at Azure Capital Partners, which specializes in software, systems, and IT infrastructure technologies. He also founded VA Linux, now VA Software.

Alexander A. Balandin (M.S., EE ’95; Ph.D., EE ’97), currently an associate professor of electrical engineering at the University of California at Riverside, will chair the International Symposium on Fluctuations and Noise in Austin, Texas, from May 23–26, 2005. Issued in January 2005, the invitation to chair the symposium, which is considered one of the highest ranked scientific meetings in the field, came in recognition of Balandin’s contributions to the study of low-frequency noise in GaN-based high-power transistors.

Gerald M. Belian, PE, (B.S., CEGEOS ’62) was presented with the 2005 Outstanding Professional Engineer in Construction Award  by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan and the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers in February 2005.  Belian is currently the vice president/principal
at Soil and Materials Engineers Inc., which is headquartered in Plymouth, Mich.

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) elected Paul M. Bevilaqua (B.S., AERO ’67), manager of Advanced Development Programs at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Palmdale, Calif., a member. Bevilaqua
is one of the 74 individuals elected in February 2005. Membership in the NAE honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education …” and to the “pioneering of
new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.” Bevilaqua was cited for his practical innovations, specifically in the increased operational utility in vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

Northrop Grumman Corporation named Robert Burke (B.S., EE ’85)  vice president of Advanced Mission Programs in March 2005. A 19-year veteran of the company, he had previously served as a program manager at the Space Technology sector and also as deputy program manager
for the James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory.

In May 2005 Charles Calderaro (B.S., EE ’85) was appointed vice
president of corporate engineering at Genetech,Inc. Genetech is a leading biotechnology company based in South San Francisco. Calderaro joined the company in 2002 as senior director of biochemical manufacturing. Prior to joining the company, Calderaro held positions at Aventis Behring, Alcon Laboratories, and Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon division. He also served five years as a commissioned naval officer with the U.S. Navy. 

As president of Booz Allen Hamilton’s Worldwide Technology Business, Dennis O. Doughty (B.S.,
EE ’78) leads the firm’s government consulting business as it provides a broad range of management consulting, engineering, information technology systems development, and systems integration service. He also serves as chairman of the Trustees’ committee for the firm’s retirement program. In April 2005, the University and the departments of electrical engineering and computer science and engineering presented him with the College of Engineering Honor Award for distinguished alumni.

On November 19, 2004, Francis J. Harvey (B.S.,
MET ’65) was sworn in as the 19th  Secretary of the Army. As Secretary he leads a work force of more
than one mission active duty, Army National Guard,
and Army Reserve Soldiers, 220,000 civilian employees,
and thousands of contractors. He is also responsible
for an annual budget of $98.5 billion. Prior to his appointment, Harvey held various positions with Westinghouse Corporation, and most recently, he
served as director and vice chairman of Duratek, a company specializing
in the treatment of radioactive, hazardous, and other wastes.

In March 2005 the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced that Lawrence Kazmerski (B.S., EE ’67; M.S. EE ’68; Ph.D., EE ’71) was been elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Kazmerski is the director of the National Center for Photovoltaics located in the NREL. He is the author and editor of four books, holds three
R & D 100 Awards, and serves as the editor-in-chief
of the Elsevier journal, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Kazmerski is also a fellow of the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers, the American Physical Society, and the American Vacuum Society. 

Stanley R. Liberty (B.S., EE ’65; M.S., EE ’68; Ph.D.,
EE ’71), formerly the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Bradley University, became the sixth president of Kettering University in Flint, Mich., on July 1, 2005.  Liberty was at Bradley in Peoria, Ill., since 1998. Prior to his position at Bradley, Liberty served as dean of engineering at the University of Nebraska for 13 years; he also served as Nebraska’s interim vice chancellor for academic affairs.

The University and the departments of electrical engineering and computer science and engineering presented the College of Engineering Honor Award for distinguished alumni during an April 5, 2005 ceremony.

Mark S. Shander (B.S., EE ’94; M.S., EE ’97)
received the 2005 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)/InterRegs Standards and Regulations Award
for Young Engineers in May at the 2005 SAE Government/Industry Meeting in Washington, D.C.
The award recognizes a practicing engineer under the age of 40 who is involved in standards, regulations, or conformity assessment systems that improved safety or reduced emissions in mobility product.

Shander is the fuel electrical lead for the Boeing 787 program, a position he has held since early 2004. His team’s focus involves state-of-the-art variable frequency fuel pumps and motor controllers, fuel quantity indication systems, and onboard inert gas generating systems. Shander joined Boeing in 1997; he holds three patents with one additional patent pending.

Richard L. Stanley (B.S., AME ’80) serves as vice president and general manager of the Engineering Division of General Electric Aircraft Engines (GEAE). He has held assignments in turbomachinery blade and rotor design and systems engineering on many GEAE products since joining the company in 1980. He has also served as engineering manager for the Structures Center of Excellence, general manager of the Combustion & Configuration Center of Excellence, Engine Systems Design and Integration Department, Customer Technology Programs for GE Engine Services, and the CF6 Project department.

The University and the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering presented him with the College of Engineering Honor Award for distinguished alumni during an May 5, 2005 ceremony.

In March 2005 Douglas P. Tougaw (M.S., EE ’94; Ph.D., EE ’95) the Frederick W. Jenny Jr. Professor of Emerging Technology and chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Valparaiso University was selected as runner up/honorable mention from Eta Kappa Nu, the national honor society for electrical engineering, for “his notable contributions to the advancement of nanotechnology computer architecture and for contributions and leadership in engineering education. Prior to joining the Valparaiso faculty, Tougaw was a postdoctoral research associate at Notre Dame, he also served as system administrator in the College of Engineering’s Solid-state Computer Laboratory.

The only U.S. astronaut to command five space flights, James D. Wetherbee (B.S., AME ’74) retired from NASA in January 2005. Wetherbee was selected to the astronaut corps in 1984 and served as a pilot on his first space flight in 1990. His six shuttle flights included the first rendezvous by a shuttle with the Mir Space Station, a docking mission to Mir, and two flights to the International Space Station. He retired from the Navy in 2003 with the rank of captain. Most recently, Wetherbee served as the space shuttle lead in the Independent Technical Authority at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). At JSC he has also served as the technical assistant to the director of the director of safety and mission assurance, director of flight crew operations, and deputy director of the center.