2015 Awards and Recognition Banquet Program

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DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

2015 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION BANQUET

Thursday April 9, 2015 Phillips Event Center at Briarcrest Formerly Briarcrest Country Club

1929 Country Club Drive, Bryan, TX 77802



RECEPTION - 6:00 P.M. DINNER - 7:00 P.M. WELCOME DR. ANDREAS A. POLYCARPOU DEPARTMENT HEAD

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION ACADEMY OF DISTINGUISHED GRADUATES INDUCTEES ROBERT HARVEY ‘77 RYAN SITTON ‘97


REMARKS FROM THE DEPARTMENT HEAD It gives me great pleasure to be in the midst of some of the brightest stars in our department. We would cease to function properly without your work ethic and your pursuit of excellence. We are blessed to have such hardworking faculty and staff who strive to build a legacy that will provide continuing advancements and improvements for the department, allowing us to continue towards our goal of being the greatest mechanical engineering program in the country. I am also proud of the achievements of our distinguished graduates. Their numerous accomplishments are impressive, and we are proud to have them representing our department in their various facets of employment in all corners of the world. Tonight is a celebration of our success and a chance to recognize the people who have made it all possible. The significant investment of your time and resources have made this department what it is today, and will lead to its continued excellence in the future. Sincerely,

Andreas A. Polycarpou Department Head


AWARDS AND RECOGNITION The James J. Cain Staff Excellence Award In recognition and reward of outstanding staff support. Their abilities, personalities, methods and commitment have resulted in the highest level of staff excellence; as well as inspired others to their best efforts.

Recipients: Ms. Laura Rueda Laura has worked for the department as a Senior Office Associate since April 2014. Her colleagues describe her as instrumental in planning seminars and say her welcoming personality makes the office more enjoyable. She always makes sure to do her job accurately, and makes it a point to be attentive and organized in her duties. Mrs. Gina Gressett Gina has served as the Business Coordinator for the Department of Mechanical Engineering since April 2013. Greatly admired by her coworkers, Gina maintained the department’s business operations through a time of transition. She balanced her own responsibilities while training and supporting new staff members, and she remains enthusiastic and helpful to anyone in need of assistance.

The James J. Cain Outstanding Staff Award In recognition and reward of outstanding staff support. Their abilities, personalities, methods, and commitment have resulted in the highest level of staff excellence; as well as inspired others to their best efforts.

Recipients: Ms. Nicole Latham Nicole joined the department as a Lead Office Associate in August 2013. Her warm, upbeat, cheerful demeanor makes her incredibly approachable and likable. She is attentive to student needs, and always goes above and beyond to ensure they are adequately taken care of. Her commitment to providing quality customer service shines in all that she does. Ms. Rachal Thomassie Rachal has been the Senior Academic Advisor for the undergraduate program in the department since December 2013. She does an incredible job managing the high volume of requests that she receives, and she carries out her tasks professionally and efficiently. Her experience in the field of engineering is a valuable resource when it comes to advising the students.


The Peggy L. & Charles L. Brittan ’65 Teaching Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching In recognition and reward of undergraduate teaching excellence. Her ability, personality, methods and commitment have resulted in the highest level of undergraduate teaching excellence; as well as inspired others to their best efforts.

Recipient: Dr. Andrea Strzelec Dr. Strzelec joined the department as an Assistant Professor in 2011. She is dedicated to providing the highest quality education and demonstrates this through the time and effort she devotes to preparation of her lectures, classroom exercises, homework, projects and exams. She is interested in educating the students rather than merely training them to do the problems, and her enthusiasm for the subject shows in the classroom and in her interactions with faculty and staff members.

The James J. Cain Graduate Teaching Award In recognition and reward of graduate teaching excellence. His ability, personality, methods and commitment have resulted in the highest level of graduate teaching excellence; as well as inspired others to their best efforts.

Recipient: Dr. Eric Petersen Dr. Petersen joined the department in 2008 and became the Nelson-Jackson Professor in 2013. His basic teaching philosophy includes showing genuine care for students, being organized and well-prepared for lectures, and effectively communicating the primary concepts of his courses. During his tenure at Texas A&M, Dr. Petersen has served as the primary research advisor for 49 current and past Texas A&M students and 14 visiting students in addition to his classroom teaching.

The Industrial Advisory Council Outstanding Faculty Contribution Award In reward of excellence to faculty at the undergraduate level including teaching, club support, Formula SAE; work that has contributed to the final product for Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate students.

Recipients: Dr. Harry Hogan Dr. Hogan joined the department in 1986 and became an Associate Professor in 1992. His research efforts focus on bone biomechanics, particularly using rodent animal models to study the effects of exercise, diet, and simulated microgravity, with a long history of projects sponsored by NASA. In the classroom, he challenges students with high standards but also has a


reputation for showing care and concern, generosity in helping students, challenging students with lots of homework (earning him the nickname “Homework Hogan�), and emphasizing an appreciation of concepts as well as calculations. Dr. Daniel McAdams Dr. McAdams joined the department in 2008, and was appointed Graduate Program Director in Fall 2014. As Graduate Program Director, he enjoys helping students have the best, and most personalized graduate experience possible in mechanical engineering. His goal is to help them achieve their dreams. For the last several years, Dr. McAdams has been integral in the department’s senior, capstone, design program. He has served as a lecture instructor and coordinated the solicitation and organization of class projects. In this role, Dr. McAdams has worked with industry partners to identify, develop, and sponsor projects of real need and interest to industry. These projects allow students a transition from the engineering classroom to engineering practice.

The Industrial Advisory Council Graduate Student Teaching Award In recognition and reward of graduate student teaching excellence. Her ability, personality, methods and commitment have resulted in the highest level of graduate student teaching excellence; as well as inspired others to their best efforts.

Recipient: Ms. Elissa Morris Elissa Morris is pursuing her PhD in mechanical engineering under the advising of Dr. Daniel McAdams. Her research focuses on the development of bio-inspired design methods for self-assembling systems as well as topics in engineering education. Upon her anticipated graduation in August of 2016, Elissa will pursue a career in academia due to her love for learning and teaching.

The Industrial Advisory Council Outstanding Faculty Mentoring Award In recognition and reward of excellence in faculty mentoring. His ability, personality, methods and commitment have resulted in the highest level of excellence; as well as inspired others to their best efforts.

Recipient: Dr. Arun Srinivasa Dr. Srinivasa joined the department in 1997, received the Holdredge/Paul Professorship in 2014, and currently serves as Associate Department Head. He has a passion for education and an abiding interest in the use of technology for education. He has been commended for his commitment to mentoring new faculty who enter the department, for his heartfelt sincerity, and his selfless service.


ACADEMY OF DISTINGUISHED GRADUATES Dr. Richard M. Alexander ‘65

Mr. Mike Fossum ‘80

Mr. Leslie Appelt ‘41

Mr. James H. Foster ‘49

Mr. Joseph W. Ashy ‘62

Mr. Morris Foster ‘65

Mr. Quentin Baker ‘78

Mr. Don Fowler ‘66

Mr. David G. Barker ‘66

Dr. Joe R. Fowler ‘68

Mr. Stuart Bell ‘79

Mr. Louis S. Gee ‘44

Mr. Tony Best ‘72

Dr. Fred Goldsberry ‘68

Dr. Ray M. Bowen ‘58

Mr. Robert H. Gruy ‘69

Dr. Lola Boyce ‘73

Dr. William T. Guy, Jr. ‘40

Mr. William B. Boyd ‘45

Mr. Robert ‘Bud’ Hagner ‘48

Mr. Douglas E. Broussard ‘44

Mr. C. Melvin Harrison ‘52

Mr. Jack E. Brown ‘46

Mr. Robert Harvey ‘77

Mr. James Cain ‘51

Mr. William M. Hays, Jr. ‘64

Mr. Charles Castine ‘70

Mr. Donald Hervey ‘65

Dr. Aaron Cohen ‘52

Mr. Joe Hoffman ‘56

Mr. Don H. Davis, Jr. ‘61

Mr. Charles Jackson ‘50

Mr. Howard E. Decker ‘44

Mr. Peter E. Jacobson ‘55

Mr. Richard L. Engel ‘68

Mr. Scott Josey ‘79

Dr. Bannister Farquhar, Jr. ‘57

Mr. Chang-Ho Kim ‘82

Dr. L. ‘Skip’ Fletcher ‘58

Mr. Michael C. Kostelnik ‘68

Mr. Michael Flynn ‘73

Dr. Arnold N. Levine ‘68


Mr. Earl Logan, Jr. ‘47

Mr. Robert L. Poland ‘42

Mr. Larry V. Macicek ‘71

Mr. Larry Porter ‘64

Mr. Gary Markham ‘72

Dr. Thad H. Sandford ‘62

Mr. Raymond Marlow ‘53 Mr. Charlie A. Mast ‘51

Mr. Oscar W. Schuart ‘43 Mr. Ryan Sitton ‘97

Mr. William C. McCord ‘49 Mr. Richard L. McGannon ‘50 Mr. Arthur McKnight ‘31 Mr. Hugh D. McMillian, Jr. ‘46

Mr. Edwin Snead ‘51 Mr. C. ‘Bill’ W. Soltis ‘55 Mr. Karl J. Springer ‘57

Mr. Reid P. McNally, Jr. ‘65

Dr. Charles R. Steele ‘56

Mr. Harvey O. Mohr ‘58

Mr. Harry J. Sweet ‘56

Mr. William ‘Ed’ Nelson ‘51

Mr. Ed Szymczak ‘61

Mr. Donald Niederer ‘53

Mr. David G. Tees ‘66

Dr. Ozden Ochoa ‘77 Mr. C.E. Pat Olsen ‘23 Mr. James R. Partridge ‘58

Mr. Lee P. Thompson ‘38 Dr. Bill G. Tompkins ‘65 Dr. J. Mike Walker ‘66

Mr. Thomas C. Paul ‘62 Mr. G. Paul Pepper ‘54 Dr. George ‘Bud’ Peterson ‘85

Dr. Jack V. Walker ‘58 Mr. Barton B. Wallace, Jr. ‘47

Mr. Herman Philipson, Jr. ‘45

Dr. Jack R. Woolf ‘45

Mr. Michael J. Plank ‘83

Mr. John Wright ‘76

Mr. Henry O. Pohl ‘56

Mr. Oscar S. Wyatt ‘45


ACADEMY OF DISTINGUISHED GRADUATES 2015 INDUCTEES Mr. Robert Harvey ‘77 Robert Harvey demonstrated his leadership potential early in his career as a student at Texas A&M. En route to earning his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, he was selected as the Corps Commander, becoming the highest ranking cadet in the premier student organization on campus. The following year, he was elected to the position of Student Body President. He began his career with Amoco Production Company and then completed a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1982. Following that, he served as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, Inc. for 17 years; and then as the Vice-Chairman and Executive Vice-President of Reliant Energy. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of TRC Companies, Inc., an engineering and environmental services company headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut. At Texas A&M, he is a member of the Legacy Society of major donors to the Texas A&M Foundation, where he previously served as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Harvey currently serves as the President & CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, an organization of 1,200+ companies dedicated to improving the quality of life and commerce in Houston and the surrounding region; and to guaranteeing Houston’s continued presence as a leader on the national and world stage. Mr. Ryan Sitton ‘97 Ryan Sitton is a native Texan who grew up in the Irving area. He earned his degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University in 1997. Following college, Sitton went to work as an engineer in the energy industry. In 2006, Sitton and his wife, Jennifer, founded PinnacleAIS, an engineering and technology company focused on reliability and integrity programs for the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. Since 2006, PinnacleAIS has grown substantially and today employs more than 350 people. With more than 15 years of experience in oil, gas and petrochemical industry, Sitton is considered a leading expert in his field. He has been an active member of several industry groups including the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Petroleum Institute. Active in higher education, Sitton is a member of the Mechanical Engineering Industrial Advisory Council, and regularly works with leaders in Texas higher education to support the principles that will keep our state’s institutions among the best in America. Sitton was elected as the Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2014.



Department of Mechanical Engineering Texas A&M University 3123 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843 Ph: 979-845-1251, Fax: 979-845-3081 engineering.tamu.edu/mechanical


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