April 18, 2019
This spring, the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics (ASE/EM) at The University of Texas at Austin established its Academy of Distinguished Alumni to honor graduates of the aerospace and engineering mechanics programs who have led distinguished careers in industry, government or academia, and to recognize their outstanding accomplishments.
Twenty-four Cockrell School of Engineering ASE/EM alumni and one honorary ASE/EM faculty member have been elected to the 2019 inaugural class. These individuals are recognized for their distinguished professional careers and their dedication to the support and advancement of engineering education. The inaugural class of ASE/EM alumni includes professors, government and industry leaders, astronauts, entrepreneurs, professors, pilots, researchers and more.
“I am truly honored to recognize our outstanding alumni with the department’s newly established Academy of Distinguished Alumni,” said Noel Clemens, chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. “Our former students are out there changing the world in a big way, so it’s very exciting to bring them back to Austin to celebrate their success. I look forward to this becoming an annual tradition.”
On Friday, April 26, a banquet and ceremony will be held in Austin, Texas to induct the 2019 inaugural class.
The inaugural members elected to the ASE/EM Academy of Distinguished Alumni are:
H. Norman Abramson, (Retired) Executive Vice President, Southwest Research Institute
Shyam Bhaskaran, Supervisor, Outer Planet Navigation Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Robert L. Crippen, Captain USN and Former Astronaut, NASA
Daniel Deans, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, Millennium Engineering and Integration Company
Felix Fenter, (Retired) Group Vice President – Missiles Andev Corporation
Wallace T. Fowler, Professor Emeritus, ASE/EM Department, The University of Texas at Austin
Adam Hamilton, President and Chief Executive Officer, Southwest Research Institute
Jeannie Leavitt, Brigadier General and Commander, Air Force Recruiting Service, U.S. Air Force
Brian M. McKee, Co-Founder and Chairman, Millennium Engineering and Integration Co.
Thomas McKnight, Jr., Founder, Eagle Rock Drilling, Inc. and Eagle Rock Manufacturing, Inc.
Charles E. McQueary, (Retired) Director, Operational Test & Evaluation, U.S. Department of Defense
Dennis L. McWilliams, Managing Director, SparkMedAdvisors LLC
Humboldt Mandell, Jr., Research Fellow, Center for Space Research, The University of Texas at Austin
Hans Mark, Honorary Member, Chancellor Emeritus, The University of Texas System and Professor Emeritus, The University of Texas at Austin
Thomas L. Power, Principal, Stress Engineering Services, Inc.
William F. Powers, (Retired) Vice President-Research, Ford Motor Company
Richard W. Smalling, James D. Woods Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine and Director of Interventional Cardiovascular Medicine, Division of Cardiology, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and Memorial Hermann Heart and Vascular Institute
Michael L. Smith, (Retired) Brigadier General USAF and Professor Emeritus of Aeronautical Engineering, U.S Air Force Academy
Robert H. Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Blue Origin
Alan Stern, Associate Vice President, Southwest Research Institute
Michael T. Suffredini, President, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Axiom Space, Inc.
Byron D. Tapley, Professor Emeritus, ASE/EM Department, The University of Texas at Austin
Michael Watkins, Director, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
K.C. Williams, (Retired) Vice President - Engineering, Exxon Mobil Corp.
Stephanie Wilson, Astronaut and Branch Chief of the Mission Support Crew, NASA
Visit our website to learn more about the ASE/EM Academy of Distinguished Alumni.
