College of Engineering announces 2021 alumni award honorees

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COE 2021 Alumni Awards logo

An elite engineer instrumental in transforming the Olay brand into a $2.5 billion powerhouse, an educator dedicated to providing access and opportunity to Buckeyes, and a pioneer in the development of DNA nanomachines are among the 16 recipients honored with 2021 Excellence in Engineering and Architecture Alumni Awards.

The honors recognize exceptional alumni from across the College of Engineering who have achieved distinction in their fields or through their extraordinary service contributions since graduating from The Ohio State University. A celebration of the 2021 winners will be held in 2022.

 

“We’re thrilled to celebrate these 16 exceptional alumni and their achievements in innovation, scholarship, leadership and service,” said Dean Ayanna Howard. “These Buckeyes not only inspire us and make us proud, they also illustrate how engineers, architects and planners benefit society and improve our world.”

COE Meritorious Alumni awardees
From left: Nancy Coultrip Dawes, Minnie M. McGee and Carlos Castro

The Benjamin G. Lamme Meritorious Achievement Medal will be awarded to Nancy Coultrip Dawes (BS ’81, chemical engineering), a rare cross-disciplinary serial innovator and business builder recognized by Procter & Gamble as one of their most elite technologists. During her 38-year career at P&G, Dawes developed multiple industry-defining products that materially transformed P&G’s business results across Duncan Hines, Pringles, Olay, and Head and Shoulders.

Meritorious Service Citation recipient Minnie M. McGee (MS ’76, mathematics) has dedicated her life to providing access and opportunity to students. For 40 years, she served as assistant dean of the Ohio State College of Engineering and director of the Minority Engineering Program. During her tenure, she helped countless young women and men exceed their potential, while helping raise millions for scholarships and program support.

The Texnikoi Outstanding Alumni Award will be presented to Carlos Castro (BS ’05, MS ’05, mechanical engineering), professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Ohio State. He has pioneered the use of engineering mechanics and design approaches for developing DNA nanomachines with complex motion, dynamic behavior and programmed stimulus response. Castro’s DNA origami research aims to develop nanodevices for measurement, manipulation and drug delivery in biological systems.

Thirteen alumni will receive Distinguished Alumni Awards for outstanding professional achievement in three distinct categories.

Distinguished Alumni Award for Academic Excellence

  • COE Distinguished Alumni Award for Academic Excellence recipients
    From left: Santosh Kumar, Ah-Hyung (Alissa) Park and Nadine Sarter
    A leading researcher in artificial intelligence for wearables, Santosh Kumar (MS ’02, computer and information science; PhD ’06, computer science and engineering) is the Lillian & Morrie Moss Chair of Excellence Professor in Computer Science at the University of Memphis. Since 2006, he has led and participated in federally-funded multidisciplinary projects totaling over $50 million.
  • Ah-Hyung (Alissa) Park (PhD ’05, chemical and biomolecular engineering) is the Lenfest Earth Institute Professor of Climate Change, and chair of earth and environmental engineering at Columbia University. She studies the sustainable conversion of energy sources and the development of carbon capture and storage technologies. Her research is advancing efforts to capture carbon dioxide from emissions and sustainably dispose of it.
  • National Academy of Engineering member Nadine Sarter (PhD ’94, industrial and systems engineering) is the Richard W. Pew Collegiate Professor in Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. Her research in cognitive systems engineering focuses on the design and evaluation of tasks, protocols and interfaces that support safe and effective human-robot interaction and human-machine teaming.

Distinguished Alumni Award for Career Achievement

  • COE Distinguished Alumni Award for Career Achievement recipients
    From left: Aisha Barry, Jacqueline H. Chen, William (Bill) L. Clippard III and Donald R. Graber. From bottom left: Timothy Hawk, Shivkumar (Shiv) Kalyanaraman and Ed Smariga
    Experienced strategic business leader and technical innovator Aisha Barry (BS ’95, chemical engineering) is president of Advanced Sterilization Products, a global leader in infection prevention. She is also a member of the Kaman Corporation Board of Directors and national vice chair of the Jeremiah Program, a nonprofit that helps families transform from poverty to prosperity.
  • Jacqueline H. Chen (BS ’81, mechanical engineering) is a senior scientist at Sandia National Laboratories’ Combustion Research Facility. Her broad research contributions in turbulent combustion elucidating turbulence-chemistry interactions through direct numerical simulations has helped advance predictive models used to design automotive, gas turbine and jet engines, as well as led to her election to the National Academy of Engineering.
  • Innovator William (Bill) L. Clippard III (BS ’63, mechanical engineering) is the retired president of Clippard Instrument Laboratory, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Under his 50 years of leadership, the company has become a world leader in miniature pneumatics and developed advanced pneumatic products for industrial and aerospace applications.
  • Donald R. Graber (BS ’66, ceramic engineering) is the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Huffy Corporation. Previously he was group president of Black & Decker’s worldwide international group, president of Black & Decker Canada and vice president of manufacturing for seven global facilities at General Electric.
  • Nationally recognized architect, mentor and educator Timothy Hawk (BS ’86, MS ’89, architecture) establishes knowledge exchange programs for architects and allied professionals and leads WSA, an interdisciplinary design studio in Columbus, Ohio. He is also a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.
  • Indian National Academy of Engineering member Shivkumar (Shiv) Kalyanaraman (MS ’94, PhD ’97, computer and information science) has had a successful, multi-faceted career as both an educator and industry leader. Currently he is CTO, Energy & Mobility, with Microsoft R&D India.
  • Entrepreneurial engineer Ed Smariga (BS ’72, civil engineering) is the founder and managing member of Buckeye Development, a commercial and residential land development corporation in Frederick, Maryland. Previously, he co-founded Harris Smariga and Associates and grew the firm to employ more than 50 professional engineers, planners and surveyors. 

Distinguished Alumni Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

  • COE Distinguished Alumni Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation recipients
    From left: Janet Braun, Rakesh Gupta and Michael Snyder
    Janet Braun (BS ’82, industrial and systems engineering; JD ’85), is the chief operating officer and general counsel for HBT Labs, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company in Brea, California. Previously, she co-founded and served as VP and general counsel for Brightside Innovations—now Bio-Up Mimetic Technologies—a technology-based, consumer products startup company.
  • Rakesh Gupta (BS ’83, electrical engineering) is CEO of KiwiTech, a software development company he co-founded with his siblings, and managing partner of KiwiVenture, a venture capital seed fund. Previously he co-founded Aptara, a 5,000-employee technology services company acquired in 2012 for $144 million.
  • As CTO for Redwire, Michael Snyder (BS ’09, MS ’11, aeronautical and astronautical engineering) leads the space infrastructure company’s R&D program. Previously, he co-founded Made In Space, which grew to be the leader of in-space manufacturing technology, and led its engineering efforts until it was acquired by Redwire.
Category: Alumni