Ronald Botsko ’59
Granbury, Texas
Ron took a special interest in NASA’s recent mission to Mars, having invented methods and instruments used to test the integrity of spacecrafts in the Saturn and Apollo missions to the Moon. He was featured in his local newspaper, the Hood County News. Ron earned his bachelor’s degree in metallurgy at Case Institute of Technology.
Joel Third ’60
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Joel gave a virtual presentation on Currier & Ives prints at the Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center in January and February. He’s a passionate collector of antique prints, including those of the firm created by Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives. Their lithographs were among the most popular wall hangings in 19th-century America.
Antony E. Champ, PhD ’63
Crozet, Virginia
Antony was named the 2020 Distinguished Graduate Alumnus of the Year by the College of Arts and Sciences at CWRU. He and his wife, Edie, run White Hall Vineyards in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Antony earned his doctorate in chemistry from Case Institute of Technology and enjoyed a successful career in the chemical industry as a scientist and entrepreneur. Upon retirement, he became a vintner. An emeritus trustee of CWRU, he established a graduate fellowship fund in memory of Professor J. Reid Shelton, his doctoral advisor and a leading rubber chemistry researcher.
Bruce Banks ’64
Olmsted Township, Ohio
Bruce, the most patented researcher in the history of the NASA Glenn Research Center, was inducted into the 2020 class of NASA’s Inventors Hall of Fame. He has developed and patented numerous innovations in electric propulsion technology, including a method of hydroforming ion optics that enabled ion thrusters to be used to keep commercial telecommunications spacecraft in their orbits. Bruce earned his bachelor’s degree in physics at Case Institute of Technology and began inventing for NASA in 1966. Today, he’s a senior physicist for NASA contractor Science Applications International Corporation.
Stephen Carr, MS ’67, PhD ’70
Evanston, Illinois
Stephen has been named professor emeritus of materials science and engineering and chemical and biological engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University. He was a teacher, researcher and administrator at Northwestern for 23 years. Stephen retired in January.
Michael Diamant ’68
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Michael was named to the 2021 SVAMC Tech List of the World’s Leading Technology Neutrals. SVAMC, the Silicon Valley Arbitration & Mediation Center, promotes efficient and effective technology dispute resolution by vetting and identifying leading experts. Michael earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering science from Case and his law degree from Harvard Law School. He serves on the board of the Case Alumni Foundation.
Claire Lohr ’68
Reston, Virginia
Claire was a speaker at STAR West Expo 2020 in October, where she shared her expertise in software process improvement and testing. Claire is the president of Lohr Systems, a consulting services for government and commercial clients. She is a Lloyd’s Register trained ISO 9000 Lead Auditor and has been active in IEEE for more than 50 years. Claire earned her bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at Case Institute of Technology.
Marc Karon ’70
Wellington, Florida
Marc was inducted into the Heavy Duty Aftermarket Industry Hall of Fame during virtual Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week in January. He’s president and CEO of Total Trucks Parts in Florida. Marc entered the trucking business in the 1970s as an engineer for Bendix, where he earned two patents before moving to Florida to open a distribution business in 1979. Headquartered in West Palm Beach, Total Truck Parts has six locations across Florida and employs more than 100 people. Marc reports he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
Stephen Becker, MS ’74, PhD
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Steve, an astrophysicist, is president of the Pajarito Astronomy Club in Los Alamos and has presented shows at the local planetarium on a variety of astronomical topics. He is a Scientist Level 5 and a Los Alamos National Laboratory Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he has worked for 37 years. A private pilot, Steve’s hobbies include flying aerobatic planes.
Tom Tribone ’74
Arlington, Virginia
Tom is the founder and CEO of Franklin Park, a developer of power infrastructures that is working to help Hawaii achieve its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045. His uncommon career was profiled in the November 2020 issue of The Chemical Engineer. Tom earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case Institute of Technology and went to work for BP before earning law and business degrees and pioneering the independent power industry. In 2013, he received the Gold Medal award from the Case Alumni Association.
Leonard C. Uitenham ’75, MS ’81, PhD ’85
McLeansville, North Carolina
Leonard was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), which represents the top medical and biological engineers in the nation. He’s the National Institute of Aerospace Liaison Professor at North Carolina A&T State University, where he founded the first ABET-accredited bioengineering program at an historically black college. Leonard earned three degrees in macromolecular science and engineering at Case Institute of Technology, including his doctorate. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 31 years, was a naval aviator and retired as a colonel.
Peter Galen ’76
Portland, Oregon
Peter is the co-founder and chief innovation officer of Hemex Health, a Case-connected startup that aims to create affordable, life-changing medical diagnostics for underserved populations. He has worked in the medical device field for 30 years as an engineer, project manager, director and CEO and holds 17 patents. Peter earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
Robert Weiler ’76
Medina, Ohio
Robert received the 2021 Honored Service Members Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers. He recently retired as the North America Sales Manager and Product Line Manager for Non-Halogen Flame Retardants at Amfine Chemical Corp. Robert earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case Institute of Technology.
Julie Gerberding ’77, MD
Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Julie, a physician and infectious disease expert, was chosen to address returning graduates at Washington University in St. Louis during in-person Commencement ceremonies May 30. She made history in 2002 as the first woman appointed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She went on to become president of vaccines at Merck, where today she is the executive vice president and chief patient officer.
Debra Wilfong, '78, MS '82, PhD '85
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Debra shared her rich industry experience as part of the Women of Wonder: Sharing HERstory series, which celebrated Women’s History Month at CWRU. The former Vice President of Technology at BP, she also played innovation leadership roles at Donaldson Company and 3M. Debra earned three degrees in polymer science and engineering at Case Institute of Technology, including her doctorate. In retirement, she enjoys traveling and pursuing her love of art, wine and music.
Lawrence S. Olanoff, PhD ’80, MD
Johns Island, South Carolina
Larry has joined the Board of Directors of Ichnos Sciences, a New York biotech startup, where he’ll share his insights as a leader in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 30 years. He serves on numerous boards and has authored more than 40 scientific publications. Larry is the special advisor to the president for corporate relations at the Medical University of South Carolina. He earned his doctorate in biomedical engineering at Case Institute of Technology and his medical degree at CWRU School of Medicine.
John Rezabek ’81
Wapakoneta, Ohio
John, a process control specialist for Ashland Corp., was inducted into the 2021 class of the Control Process Automation Hall of Fame, recognizing his contributions to process control and instrumentation in the energy industry. John earned his bachelor’s degree in systems engineering at Case Institute of Technology. A lifelong musician and trombonist, he’s an alumni member of the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps, which has performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and at Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans.
Keith Bowman ’81, MS ’83, PhD
Baltimore, Maryland
Keith was recently recognized by the American Ceramic Society as one of its leading volunteers. He’s dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology and Constellation Professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Keith joined UMBC in 2017 from San Francisco State University, where he served as dean of the College of Science and Engineering. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in material science at Case.
Michael J. Folise ’81, Law ‘84
Seattle, Washington
Mike is a patent lawyer and the author of The Inventor’s Handbook. He led a webinar on attaining and protecting intellectual property rights as part of a Veale Skills Lab in March. Mike earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and applied physics at Case Institute of Technology and his law degree at CWRU. He’s an attorney for Lowe Graham Jones PLLC in Seattle.
Laurence B. Glass ’81
Laramie, Wyoming
Brett is the founder and owner of LARIAT.net, which Broadband Communities magazine describes as the world’s first wireless Internet service provider, or WISP. LARIAT.net has been in continuous operation since 1992 deploying rural broadband to unserved areas of Albany County, Wyoming, where the average population density is five people per square mile. Brett earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
Mike Bothe ’83
Uniontown, Ohio
Mike has joined Middough Inc., a Cleveland-based Engineering, Architectural and Management firm, as Senior Project Manager. Previously, he was a senior process design engineer at Marathon Petroleum, where he worked for a dozen years. Mike earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
Mike Sieger ’83
Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Mike, the Claims President at Progressive Corporation, discussed the power of leading with accuracy and efficiency as part of the CWRU Entrepreneurship Speaker Series March 10. His career journey to the top of the insurance world began with an electrical engineering degree from Case.
Ron Cass ‘84
Granger Township, Ohio
Ron is the founder and CEO of DonorPoint, a donor engagement software developer formerly known as Big River. The company recently changed its name to reflect a refocusing of mission and business model. DonorPoint guides non-profit organizations toward ecommerce practices that make it easier for donors to support them. Ron, who earned his Case degree in Systems & Control Engineering, is 1st Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Case Alumni Association.
Ka-Pi Hoh ’84, MS ’87, PhD ’89
Painesville, Ohio
Ka-Pi was a presenter at the second annual Mentoring Monday, a Feb. 22 summit that gathers hundreds of Northeast Ohio women to discuss and promote professional development. A three-degree alumna, she’s the Organizational Change Management Director at Lubrizol Corp. and was named one of Northeast Ohio’s Notable Women in STEM by Crain’s Cleveland Business.
Fares Mubarak '84, MS ’85
Pleasanton, California
Fares is the CEO of SPARK Microsystems, a Montreal-based semiconductor company specializing in low power wireless communications for the Internet of Things. He’s a seasoned Silicon Valley executive with more than 30 years of management and hands-on experience in semiconductor design and software development. Fares earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering at Case Institute of Technology.
John Peppler ’84
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
John in 2021 will celebrate his 15th year as Education Lab Manager at ASM International, the world’s largest organization of materials scientists and engineers. He leads training classes emanating from ASM’s headquarters in Geauga County. (Find information on courses at www.asminternational.org/learning/courses). John earned his bachelor’s degree in metallurgy from Case Institute of Technology
Venkata Raja Gosula ’85, MS ‘87
San Diego, California
Raja is the Digital ASIC DSP Technical Leader II at Cisco, leading project teams in the design of computer architecture. He held similar positions at Luxtera and Qualcomm. He came to Case as an international student from Brazil and earned bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering. His microchip is in the Ingenuity helicopter that the Perseverance rover carried to Mars.
Elie Habib, MS ’85
San Jose, California
Elie is the founder and CEO of MotivaimLeaders, where he applies his years of experience as a Silicon Valley corporate executive and entrepreneur as an executive coach. He’s also the co-founder and a board member of Lebnet, a network of Lebanese American professionals in the high-tech industry. Elie earned his master’s degree in computer engineering at Case Institute of Technology.
Kimberly Wiefling '86
Redwood City, California
Kim is the founder and president of Wiefling Consulting, Inc., where she leads behavior-changing “WorkShoks” for global teams. In February, she led a workshop on design thinking and strategies for career success as part of the Women of Wonder series at CWRU. Kim earned her bachelor’s degree in physics at Case Institute of technology. She’s the author of Scrappy Project Management.
Jeffrey Wilcox ’86
McLean, Virginia
Jeff is the Vice President for Digital Transformation at Lockheed Martin. He shared insight into leveraging emerging digital technologies in a recent online presentation sponsored by the Veale Center for Entrepreneurship at Sears think[box]. Jeff earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Case Institute of Technology. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Lee Morgan ’87
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Lee is the official veterinarian of Alaska’s Iditarod Sled Dog Race, performing veterinary care for 300+ canines at checkpoints during the annual 30-day Nome-to-Anchorage dogsled race. He’s the owner of Georgetown Veterinary Hospital in Washington, D.C. Lee earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in chemistry from Case, where he ran track and field for legendary Coach Bill Sudeck and worked summers as a dolphin trainer at Kings Island.
Christine Wolak ’87
Dublin, California
Chris, a software architect for Oracle, is embracing the Agile and DevOps revolution by diving into containerization of microservices. “I’ve moved around geographically in my professional career but one thing has remained constant — it’s always been for enterprise scale software development.” Her adventure began with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
Aarti Chandna MS ’88
Atherton, California
Aarti was a featured speaker in October in an investing seminar sponsored by the Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship at Sears think[box]. Her topic, “Investing in Entrepreneurial Ideas with an Impact focus” offered insight from her position as a board member and partner in the Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund.
Hang Loi ’88
Woodbury, Minnesota
Hang was honored by the Society of Women Engineers at the WE20 Virtual Conference in November for two patents she attained for a primer layer for multilayer optical films. The innovation protected by these patents are found in LCD mobile phones and TVs, making them brighter and smaller. Hang is the Global Supplier Relationship Manager for 3M’s consumer electronics business. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Case Institute of Technology while earning a bachelor’s degree in music (piano) from CWRU.
Mark Zettler, PhD ’88
Indianapolis, Indiana
Mark joined the Board of Directors for Cultiva LLC, a provider of food-grade biofilms used in agricultural markets. He is president of AgroAdvisors International and a principal consultant with NGT BioPharma Consultants. Mark earned his doctorate in chemistry from Case Institute of Technology
Randall Dearth, MS ’89
Concord, Massachusetts
Randy has become Senior Director at SK Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on specialty materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the chemicals industry, most recently as the President and CEO of GCP Applied Technologies. Previously, he was president and CEO of Calgon Carbon in Pittsburgh. Randy earned his master’s degree in polymer science and engineering from Case.
Linda Rae, MS ’90
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Linda has joined GE Digital in Cleveland as General Manager of its Power Generation and Oil & Gas Business Unit. Previously, she was president of Qualitrol and before that Commercial President of Tektronix. Linda earned her master’s degree in electrical engineering from Case Institute of Technology and her MBA from the Weatherhead School. Soon after, she joined Keithley Instruments, where she rose to become President and led Keithley through the acquisition by Tektronix. She’s a member of the board of directors of the Great Lakes Science Center.
Datuk Mohd Anuar Taib ’90
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Anuar in March was named CEO of Malaysia’s Sapura Energy, an oil services and exploration company that employs more than 11,000 people in 20 nations. He replaces company founder Shahril Shamsuddin in a planned succession. Anuar earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case Institute of Technology and began his oil and gas career with Royal Dutch Shell. Previously, he was chairman of Shell Malaysia and CEO upstream of Petronas, Malaysia’s national oil company.
Chris Allshouse ’93
Plain Township, Ohio
Chris completed an extraordinary endurance swim in late November when he swam the eastern coast of the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. The 50 year old completed the 23-mile, open-water swim in 12 hours, 8 minutes and 58 seconds, according to his local newspaper, The Independent of Massillon, Ohio. Chris swam for the Spartans while earning his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He’s the vice president of sales for McAuliffe Sales, a manufacturer’s representative in the electrical industry.
Michael Finley ’93, PhD
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Michael was promoted to Scientific Director of Lead Evaluation & Cellular Pharmacology at Janssen R&D, a division of Johnson & Johnson. In May of 2020, he and his colleagues were recognized with the Hofmann Award, the second highest research award at Johnson & Johnson, for their work in identifying a new class of inhibitors of the inflammasome, which may lead to therapies to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Michael earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at Case.
Chris Holt ‘95
Columbus, Ohio
Chris is the co-founder and COO of Power to Hydrogen, a Columbus startup that won a NASA grant to develop a power source for a future Moon base. The company was awarded $3.4 million to develop a prototype of its reversible fuel cell technology, which uses solar energy to produce hydrogen and power around the clock. It spun off from pH Matter LLC, a materials science company which Chris also co-founded. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics at Case, where he was a brother of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Rohit Kashyap, MS ’95, PhD ’00
San Antonio, Texas
Rohit joined MiMedx Group, a company focused on advanced wound care and emerging biological therapies, as executive vice president and chief commercial officer. He has more than 20 year’s experience in the medical device sector. Rohit earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering.
Tshilidzi Marwala '95, PhD
Johannesburg, South Africa
Tshilidzi discussed entrepreneurship and the startup culture in transitioning economies as part of the Open Class series of the Veale Institute of Entrepreneurship at CWRU. He’s the Vice Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg and a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Institute. Tshilidzi earned his bachelor’s degree in a mechanical engineering at Case and his doctorate specializing in artificial intelligence and engineering from the University of Cambridge.
Feno Monaco ’95, MD
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Feno is a pain management physician at Keystone Pain Consultants in Pittsburgh. He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at Case and later earned his medical degree at CWRU School of Medicine.
Constance (Boua) Akani, MS ’96
Arlington, Texas
Constance is the chief executive officer at Texas IT Consultants. Previously, she was a Principal Application Architect at Sabre Holdings and a manager of Data Warehouse Development at Travelocity. She earned her master’s degree in computer engineering from the Case School of Engineering.
Marzell Brown '96
Euclid, Ohio
Marzell is the Talent Management Lead for Rockwell Automation, where he develops relationships with colleges and universities and helps to build a talent pipeline of engineers. He also volunteers his time and skills to design and open MC2STEM and Design Lab high schools. Marzell, a product of Cleveland public schools, earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Case School of Engineering.
Jeffrey Goldmeer, PhD ’96
Fairfield, Connecticut
Jeff was promoted to the role of Emergent Technologies Director for Decarbonization at GE Gas Power, where he received a GE CEO award for his work in leading the company’s decarbonization activities. Jeff is the co-creator and co-host of the “Cutting Carbon” podcast, where he explores our energy future. He earned his Case doctorate in mechanical engineering.
Matt Whittaker '96, MSE '00, PhD '07
Kirtland, Ohio
Matt is a crystal growth scientist and ICF Manager at Gooch & Housego, a global leader in photonics technology in the Cleveland suburb of Highland Heights. His team’s crystals were packed aboard the Perseverance rover to help analyze soil on Mars and team members were featured on local news reports after the successful landing Feb. 18. Matt earned three degrees in materials science at Case, including his doctorate.
Sandra Oh Lin ’97
Sunnyvale, California
Sandra, the founder and CEO of KiwiCo, in September was featured in How I Built It, the popular NPR podcast that explores entrepreneurs and their motivations. She described how Kiwi Crate, a subscription service that delivers science and art kits to kids, scrambled to meet demand during the pandemic. Sandra earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Case and went into the e-commerce business with companies like PayPal. Her company, launched in 2011, was inspired by her efforts to find enriching projects for her children.
Vanessa Maier ’97, MD
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Vanessa, a family doctor and the medical director of the MetroHealth School Health Program, began her career with a mechanical engineering degree from the Case School of Engineering. She was featured Nov. 6 in the Women of Wonder series sponsored by the Alumni Association of CWRU and the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women.
Maria Bennett, MS ’98
Beachwood, Ohio
Maria has been named one of the Top 25 Women in Medical Devices for 2021 by The Healthcare Technology Report. She is the founder and CEO of SPR Therapeutics, a medical device company that has commercialized a non-opioid, nerve stimulation therapy designed to relieve pain. She also serves as vice president of the Beachwood School Board. Maria earned her master’s degree in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering.
Jennifer Baus, ME ’01
South Euclid, Ohio
Jennifer has been named Senior Vice President of Design & Entitlements at The NRP Group, a Cleveland-based apartment developer and general contractor with projects nationwide. She has risen steadily at NRP since joining the company as a project manager in 2005. In 2019, she was named a Women of Professional Excellence by the YWCA of Greater Cleveland.
Sujata (DeChoudhury) Day ’01
Studio City, California
Sujata made her full-length film directorial debut with Definition Please, a movie about a spelling bee champion whose life didn’t unfold as expected. The film won the Narrative Award at San Francisco’s Center for Asian American Media Fest 2020. Sujata, an actress and screen writer, earned her bachelor’s degree in Systems & Control Engineering from Case. She worked briefly for Accenture before following her heart to Hollywood.
Rosa Rivera-Hainaj, PhD ’01
Schertz, Texas
Rosa is the new provost of McDaniel College in Maryland. She was selected following a national search and will join the college in July as its chief academic officer. Previously, she served as associate vice president of academic affairs at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, and as dean of science and mathematics at Lorain County Community College. Rosa earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, and came to Case to attain her doctorate in biochemistry.
Jason Bradshaw ‘02
Kirtland, Ohio
Jason is the Director of Design and Engineering at Sears think[box], the innovation center at CWRU, where he helps students to build innovations and realize their maker dreams. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the Case School of Engineering.
Marcie Finney, MS ’02
Westlake, Ohio
Marcie, the Executive Director of the Cleveland Cord Blood Center, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Cord Blood Association, one of the industry’s foremost organizations. She has helped lead the industry conversation on topics such as driving cord blood usage through research and development, to cord blood banking in the era of Covid-19. Marcie earned her master’s degree in chemistry at Case.
Kathryn (Bauer) Kamp ‘02
Dayton, Ohio
Kathryn has been named the North American Environmental Director—Air Programs for Cargill. She joined the agribusiness giant in 2016 as an environmental advisor after positions at DuPont and Dow Chemical. Kathryn earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case.
Justin Haselton ’03
Broadview Heights, Ohio
Justin is the new engineer for North Royalton, Ohio, effective January 14. He and his employer, CT Consultants, will provide engineering services to the Cleveland suburb of 30,000 people. John joined CT in 2018 and has 13 years’ experience as a civil engineer.
Scott Bindel ’04, MEM ‘05
Northfield, Ohio
Scott was named to the 2020 class of “40 under 40” business leaders by Crain’s Cleveland Business. He’s a project executive at the Gilbane Building Company in Cleveland, where he has led many impactful building projects, including Goodyear’s world headquarters and the expansion of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Scott earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and his master’s in engineering management at Case.
Steve Cerveny ’04, MS ’08
Raleigh, North Carolina
Steve was named to the 2020 class of “40 Under 40” business leaders in the Raleigh-Durham region by the Triangle Business Journal. He’s the founder and CEO of Kaleido, a blockchain service provider. Previously, he spent 14 years at IBM, where he left as the program director for blockchain. Steve earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer engineering at Case.
Andrew Stewart ’04
Huntington Woods, Michigan
Andrew has been installed as an equity partner at Exchange Capital Management in Ann Arbor, where he serves as the firm’s chief investment officer. He earned his bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from Case.
Maxwell H. Briggs '06, MS '08, PhD '15
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Maxwell in September became program executive of NASA iTech, responsible for connecting entrepreneurs and startups to the nation’s space program. Previously, he was the portfolio manager of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and an economic development specialist at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Maxwell joined NASA Glenn in 2009 as a mechanical engineer. He earned three mechanical engineering degrees at Case, including his doctorate.
Hillary Emer ’07, MSE ’07
Cary, North Carolina
Hillary has accepted the position of Senior Director of Business Systems at Intelerad Medical Systems, a Montreal-based medical imaging software provider. Previously, she was Director of Strategic Programs, Business Analytics and Systems at Relias Learning. Hillary earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at Case. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Case Alumni Association.
Ya-Ting Liao, MS '07, PhD '11
Highland Heights, Ohio
Ya-Ting, an assistant professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Case School of Engineering, received a $111,494 grant from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in South Korea to examine the fire hazards of lithium-ion batteries in energy storage systems. She will serve as principal investigator on the 18-month project. Ya-Ting, a fire behavior specialist, earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Case.
Bryony DuPont ’08, PhD
Corvallis, Oregon
Bryony led a discussion on the Role of Engineering Design in Offshore Renewable Energy Dec. 1 for the Penn State College of Engineering. Her remote presentation tapped her expertise in green technology and design automation. She’s an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and the Boeing Professor of Engineering Design at Oregon State University. Bryony earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Case and her master’s and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon.
Matthew Iorio '08, MS'12
University Heights, Ohio
Matt is the manager of clinical affairs at Neuros Medical, a Cleveland startup working to develop an implantable medical device for treating chronic pain. Previously he served as a science and technology researcher at NineSigma and worked for CWRU’s Technology Transfer Office. A champion of Cleveland’s entrepreneurial community, Matt earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering.
Eric Diller '09, MS ’10, PhD
Toronto, Canada
Eric was honored by the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers with its 2021 Young Engineer Medal for professional accomplishments and service to the community. He’s an associate professor of mechanical engineering and the Dean’s Catalyst Professor at the University of Toronto. Eric specializes in micro-scale robotics and non-invasive medical devices. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at Case, where he was president of Sigma Nu fraternity.
Andrew Freyer ’09
Denver, Colorado
Andrew, an associate in the Denver law offices of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, has joined the board of directors of the Clyfford Still Museum. The Denver museum is focused on the legacy of American painter Clyfford Still. Andrew, a specialist in intellectual property law, earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Case.
Kyle Niemeyer ’09, MS ’10, PhD ’14
Corvallis, Oregon
Kyle was awarded tenure in September and promoted to Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University. He earned three degrees at Case, including a doctorate in mechanical engineering.
Susan (Lingenfelter) Paterson ’09
Highland Heights, Ohio
Susan is a Roadway Engineer for the Cleveland offices of TranSystems, where she specializes in transportation engineering. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at the Case School of Engineering and her master’s at Cleveland State University.
Aishwarya Arjunan ’10
Chicago, Illinois
Aishwarya was named the 2020 Distinguished Young Alumna of the year by the College of Arts and Sciences at CWRU. For the past decade, she has assisted the university in its outreach to prospective students as an Alumni Admission Ambassador. She also serves on the board of directors of the Alumni Association of CWRU. Aishwarya, a genetics specialist, is a faculty member in the Northwestern University Genetic Counseling Program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Aaron Colorito ’10, MS ’11
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Aaron was chosen as the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania’s Young Engineer of the Year for 2020. He’s a senior structural engineer in the bridge design group of Michael Baker International, where he specializes in complex bridge analysis and bridge inspection and rehabilitation. He and his wife–Laura (Thompson) Colorito, CWRU ’12–have two young sons, Leo, 2, and Walker, 6 months.
Michael Ponting, PhD ’10
Broadview Heights, Ohio
Mike is president of PolymerPlus, a company he co-founded while earning his doctorate degree in chemical engineering and macromolecular science at Case. He recently added the title of Chief Science Officer at Peak Nanosystems, which acquired PolymerPlus and announced expanded operations in Cleveland.
Brandon Wenning ’10, PhD
San Diego, California
Brandon started a new role as a senior scientist at Roswell Biotechnologies, a life-sciences start-up that is developing molecular electronic chips to read and sequence DNA. Previously he was a senior chemist for the Dow Chemical Company in Massachusetts. He earned degrees in engineering and chemistry at Case, where he was a member of the Case Symphonic Winds.
Abirami Muralidharan, PhD ’11
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Abirami is a biomedical engineer for Abbott Laboratories, where she develops devices that promote the restoration and improvement of neurological and cardiac functions. She earned her doctorate in biomedical engineering at the Case School of Engineering.
Erin (Hollinger) Gdaniec ’12
Twinsburg, Ohio
Erin, a manufacturing engineer for Parker Hannifin, volunteers as an assistant coach for the Varsity Women’s Basketball Team at CWRU. She has much to share. Erin was an Academic All-American for the Lady Spartans while earning her bachelor’s degree in macromolecular science and engineering.
Deepak Langhe, PhD ’12
Houston, Texas
Deepak is now a director at Aegle, a Houston startup that specializes in respirators and masks. It was founded by Silicon Valley social impact investors to respond to the pandemic. Previously, he was the senior vice president of research at PolymerPlus, a Cleveland company he co-founded while a student at the Case School of Engineering and which was recently acquired by Peak Nanosystems.
Oluwakayode Omoyosi ’12, MEM ’14
Lakewood, Ohio
Kayode is the Project Technical Lead at Clear Image Technology, a Cleveland medical device company specializing in miniature imaging devices. He’s also a mentor for Minds Matter Cleveland. Kayodie earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at the Case School of Engineering, where he was a member of the National Society of Black Engineers and the Case African Student Union.
Joel Carr, PhD ’13
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Joel, a polymer scientist, is the U.S product team leader for Braskem America, a major polypropylene producer. Plastics News named him a Rising Star for developing new polypropylene copolymers. Joel earned his doctorate in macromolecular science and engineering at Case, where he was a PhD student of Professor Eric Baer and a Charles Reed Fellow.
Katherine Colbaugh '13, MS '15
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Katie is the Value Stream Manager and a materials scientist at Gooch & Housego, a global leader in photonics technology in the Cleveland suburb of Highland Heights. She was part of the team that grew crystals packed aboard the Perseverance rover to help analyze soil on Mars. Katie earned her master’s degree in materials science and engineering at Case.
Sarah Corwin ’13, PhD
Atchison, Kansas
Sarah has been named Principal Scientist at MGP Ingredients, a leading producer of distilled spirits and specialty wheat proteins and starches in Kansas. She has taught courses on food product and presented at national and international symposia on agricultural biological engineering. Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree in biology at Case and her doctorate at Purdue.
Poorva Limaye ’13, MEM '14
Cleveland, Ohio
Poorva has started a new position as Project Leader, CHG, at Avery Dennison Medical. Previously she was the lead color specialist for protective & marine coatings at PPG Industries in Pittsburgh. Poorva earned a master of engineering and management and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at the Case School of Engineering, where she was active in the Case Ballroom Dance Club.
Ross Widenor '13, MS '13
Munroe Falls, Ohio
Ross is now the Sustainable Mobility Solutions PMO at Bridgestone Americas. Previously, he was the Open Innovation Project Manager and a chemical engineer at the Akron tire maker. He also serves on the Munroe Falls Park Board. Ross earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from the Case School of Engineering, where he sang with the Case Men’s Glee Club.
Kate Hart ’14
Cleveland, Ohio
Kate is a singer/songwriter who performs in the Cleveland area and a systems engineer for Echogen Power Systems. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case, where she was a member of Engineers Without Borders and the Swing Club. Her folk album, 2018, resulted from her effort to write one song every week in 2018.
Zhuoying (Zoey) Jiang, MS ’14
Cleveland, Ohio
Zoey, a PhD candidate in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Case School of Engineering, was selected to participate in the 2020 CEE Rising Stars workshop hosted by Carnegie Mellon University. The workshop targets outstanding women doctoral students and postdocs interested in pursuing teaching and research careers in civil engineering. Zoey earned her master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Case.
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Ross Nanopoulos ’14
Quincy, Massachusetts
Ross has joined the Product Security team at Digital Ocean, a cloud-computing infrastructure provider with data centers worldwide. He was a founding software engineer at Komand, an Internet security firm that was acquired by Rapid7, where he became Lead Security Engineer. Ross earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science at Case, where he was a member of the Association of Computing Machinery and the Hacker Society.
Valencia Williams ’14
Alexandria, Virginia
Valencia joined the board of directors of the Case Alumni Association. She’s a management consulting manager at Accenture Federal Services, where she started as a technical analyst in 2014. Valencia earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case and was chapter president of the National Society of Black Engineers.
Brooke Beecher ’15, MS ’17
Cleveland, Ohio
Brooke is the Sports Performance Nutritionist for Case Western Reserve University varsity athletes and the owner and operator of Nutrition with Brooke. She helps to assess, educate and counsel Spartan athletes on their nutritional needs in order to optimize performance. A former CWRU women’s basketball player, Brooke ranks 10th in school history with 551 career rebounds. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nutrition from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Joseph Toth ’15, PhD '20
Rockledge, Florida
Joe has joined NASA’s Kennedy Space Center as a physicist. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at the Case School of Engineering. While pursuing his doctorate, he received a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct electrostatics research at the University of Turku in Finland. In May, he shared his insights on a panel for ChEGO, the Chemical Engineering Graduate Organization.
Kristina Collins ’16, MS ’19
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Kristina was the primary convener for the session, “Amateur Radio in Geophysics with HamSCI” at the virtual fall 2020 meeting of the American Geophysical Union, a major scientific conference. She also organized a worldwide citizen science campaign to look at the ionospheric effects of the Dec. 14 solar eclipse. Kristina earned her degrees in electrical engineering at Case, where she was president of the Case Amateur Radio Club.
Derek Slovenec, MS ’16, PhD ’19
Hinckley, Ohio
Derek is a Senior Engineer at the Equity Engineering Group, where he’s a member of the Mechanical & Structural Engineering Team. On October 15, 2020, he delivered an online presentation on earthquake engineering for EEG that addressed how to mitigate risk for buildings and other structures subject to seismic events. Derek earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in civil engineering from Case.
Kayla Andersen ’17, MS ’17
Rosemead, California
As a mechatronics engineer for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, Kayla helped design robotic systems for the Perseverance rover and its Mars mission. She worked on the caching system that will collect samples seeking evidence of past life on Mars. Kayla earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at Case. An internship led to a full-time job with NASA. In addition to working on robots for space exploration, she rock climbs, plays the trumpet and sings in local bands.
Nihar H. Chhatiawala ’17, MS ’18
Santa Monica, California
Nihar started a PhD program in Policy Analysis with the RAND Corporation at the Pardee RAND Graduate School in California. Previously, he was a technical solutions engineer for Epic, which he joined soon after earning his master’s degree in physics and entrepreneurship. He was a ThinkEnergy Fellow at the Case School of Engineering.
Deepa Chhetri, MS ’18
Seattle, Washington
Deepa is a software development engineer for Amazon. She earned her master’s degree in computer and information sciences at Case, where she was a graduate teaching assistant.
Elizabeth Fregoso ’18
Mountain View, California
Elizabeth, a software engineer for Google, has become a mentor for the Women in Science and Engineering Roundtable (WISER) at CWRU. She earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science at Case, where she was president of the Association of Computing Machinery and founded CWRU’s ACM-Women’s chapter. Before joining Google in 2019, she was a Student Cyber Intern for the U.S. Department of Justice.
Kara Hageman ’18
Lawrence, Kansas
Kara is pursuing a doctorate degree in bioengineering at the University of Kansas. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at the Case School of Engineering, where her research explored drug delivery with synthetic platelets. She went on to earn masters’ degrees in public health and in bioethics and biomedical humanities from CWRU. As a member of the women’s varsity basketball team, Kara was a President’s Council Scholar-Athlete.
Corey Kopchak ’18
Rochester, New York
Corey joined the design engineering team of Abtex LLC, which designs and produces abrasive filament deburring brushes. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case.
Darshan Parikh ’18
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Darshan is a hardware engineer in the Pittsburgh office of Netronome, a California-based designer of data center infrastructure. He earned two bachelor’s degrees at Case, in mechanical and electrical engineering, and served the school as president of the Case Engineers Council.
Jessica Qian ‘18
Cleveland, Ohio
Jessica is a consultant and business technology analyst for Deloitte Consulting. She earned bachelor’s degrees in biomedical and mechanical engineering at Case, where she was president of the Case Engineers Council.
Chris Carr ‘19
New York, New York
Chris is an astrophysicist-in-training and a graduate student at Columbia University, studying galaxy evolution and the Milky Way. He earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and astronomy at CWRU, where he hosted the science radio talk show, Enter Galactic, on campus radio station WRUW-FM 91.1.
Sarah Deng ’19
Liverpool, New York
Sarah is an electrical engineer for Lockheed Martin in Syracuse. She earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Case, where she was a member of the Case Amateur Radio Club–KE8IKD.
Phoebe Huang ’19, MS ’20
Norwood, Massachusetts
Phoebe joined Siemens Healthineers’ Operations Leadership Development Program this summer after completing the Masters in Engineering Management program at Case. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, with a concentration in environmental engineering. Phoebe was a member of the Case Engineers Council and president of the Asian American Alliance at CWRU.
Andrew Jimenez ’19
Cleveland, Ohio
Andrew has been named secretary of the board of the Latinx Alumni Association of CWRU. The Los Angeles native is a graduate research assistant at the NASA Glenn Research Center, working full time while pursuing his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at the Case School of Engineering.
Adi Alkalay ’20
Lincolnshire, Illinois
Adi has accepted a position as a Technical Solutions Engineer for Epic. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at the Case School of Engineering, where she served as president of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society. She also earned UAA All-Academic recognition as a member of the Women’s Swimming & Diving team.
Patrick Crossey ’20
Falls Church, Virginia
Patrick is an engineer for Grunley Construction in the Washington D.C. area. The former captain of the Spartan football team has been awarded the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, which recognizes excellence on the field and in the classroom and includes $10,000 for graduate school. He’s the seventh player in the history of CWRU football to receive the award. Patrick earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with a focus on construction management.
Alexander Gordon ’20
Deerfield, Illinois
Alex is an Automation Engineer at PCC Structurals, a Portland, Oregon-based supplier of structural castings to the aerospace industry. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case, where he was active in the improv comedy troupe, IMPROVment, and played trumpet for the Spartan Marching Band.
Emily Herrmann ’20
Ogden, Utah
Emily is an Associate Systems Engineer for Northrop Grumman. She earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Case, where she earned UAA All-Academic recognition as a member of the Women’s Track & Field team. She was also a campus tour guide and a member of the Society of Women Engineers.
Edward Kerekes ’20
Cleveland, Ohio
Eddie is a systems engineer for RoviSys, a global provider of process automation solutions and services. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case, where he was Executive Editor of The Observer.
Emily Long ‘20
Washington D.C.
Emily has started a new position as a biomedical engineer at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Previously, she was an Edison Engineering Intern at GE Healthcare. Emily earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Case, where she was active in the Global Health Design Collaborative
Marques Manta ’20
Baltimore, Maryland
Marques joined the medical device company Sonavex as an operations and product development associate as a member of the 2020 class of Venture for America, which recruits college grads to work for emerging startups and early-stage companies in about a dozen U.S. cities. Marques earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Case, where he played varsity soccer and was active in Camp Kesem as a counselor and Teen Coordinator.
Ellie Martin ’20
Warren, Ohio
Ellie is a process engineer and associate scientist for Procter & Gamble, where she works in the skin care division. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case, where she was active in student government and the Society of Women Engineers.
Jackson Routhier ’20
Westlake, Ohio
Jack has joined Invacare Corp. in Elyria as an associate development engineer. He began with the medical device maker through a co-op while earning his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. Jack brought humor to Case Quad as a member of the campus comedy troupe IMPROVment.
Ern Tan ’20
Cleveland, Ohio
Ern has joined OverDrive, a leading developer of online reading platforms, as an Education Product Support Specialist. She earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Case, where she was a project leader for the Humanitarian Design Corps and wrote for The Observer.
@2020 Case Alumnus Magazine
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