Dean’s Award for Achievement

The Dean’s Award for Achievement is the highest honor presented by the school. It is awarded annually to someone who has made a substantial contribution to the practice of engineering or applied sciences and/or has had an exceptional professional career. The recipient is an honored speaker at commencement, where he/she shares advice and words of wisdom to students, families and friends.

Recipients

2023 Laura Pyrak-Nolte, BS ES 1981, Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University
2022 Dinah Gueldenpfennig Weisberg, BS CS 1987, Chief Executive Officer and President, REDCOM Laboratories Inc
2021 John Schneider, BS EE 1980, MS EE 1987, PhD EE 1990, Vice President of Technology, Qualcomm
2020 Robert Harrison, P.E., BS ME 1983, Vice President Engineering and Construction, Transmission Developers, Inc.
2019 Jonathan Watts, P.E., BS IE 2000, BS CIE 2003, Vice President, Watts Architecture and Engineering
2018 Gina Lee-Glauser, BS MAE 1982, MS MAE 1988, Vice President for Research and Scholarship, Clarkson University
2017 Ann Wegrzyn, BS IE 1985, MBA 1990, CIO, National Fuel Gas
2016 Norman Hayes, BS EE & BA CS 1980, Director of ASIC Engineering, Analog Bits
2015 Krishna Kolluri, MS IE 1988, General Partner, New Enterprise Associates
2014 Stephen E. Still, BS CIE 1976, Founder and Managing Director, Seabury Airline Planning Group, LLC
2013 John R. “Jack” Davis, BS IE 1955, Founder and Owner, I Squared R Element Company, Inc.
2012 James P. Smist, BS CE 1980, President, Dean and Company
2011 Scott D. Stevens, PE, BS CIE 1979, Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dimension Fabricators, Inc.
2010 Russell L. Agrusa, BS EE 1976, Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer ICONICS
2009 Gina Bronkie Hammond, MS CS 1973 Director, Computer Science Corporation's North America Public Sector, Defense Division
2008 Norman R. McCombs, BS ME 1968, Senior Vice President, AirSep Corporation
2007 Mark H. Karwan, Professor and Dean Emeritus, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo
2006 Douglas P. Taylor, BS ME 1971, President, Taylor Devices, Inc.; President, Tayco Developments, Inc.
2005 Steven L. Lerner, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Praxair
2004 George C. Lee, Samuel P. Capen Professor of Engineering and Dean Emeritus, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo
2003 Hadi Makarechian, BS CIE 1972 Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Capital Pacific Holdings, Inc.
2002 Lawrence L. Peckham, BS IE 1969 Founder, LPA Associates
2001 Henry Stone, BS ME 1949, Vice President, retired, General Electric
2000 Erich Bloch, BS EE 1952, ScD (Hon) 1985 Distinguished Fellow, Council on Competitiveness, Principal, Washington Advisory Group, LLC
1999

Eli Ruckenstein, Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo

and

John Zahorjan, PhD IE 1974, Adjunct Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo

1998 Hiroshi Morihara, PhD ME 1971 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Peninsula Laboratories, Inc.; President, Via Press, Inc.; President, CGC, Inc.
1997 Calvin C. Chien, MS CIE 1970, PhD CIE, 1974 Environmental Fellow, DuPont Company
1996 Anthony L. Russo, PhD ME 1969 Executive Director, Calspan-University at Buffalo Research Center (CUBRC); Vice President, Calspan Corporation's Advanced Technology Center
1995 Hatim A. Tyabji, MS EE 1969, DocHL (Hon) 2001, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, VeriFone, Inc.
1994 Robert H. Goldsmith, BS ME 1951 Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Exten Industries, Inc.
1993 Irving H. Shames, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo
1992 Lee H. Runk, BS IE 1961, President, Harvard Industries, Inc.
1991 Sol W. Weller, Furnas Professor Emeritus, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo
1990 Ray W. Judson, President, The Parsons Corporation
1989 Gerald D. Albertson, Vice-President, Linde Division, Union Carbide Corporation
1988 Henry P. Semmelhack, President, Barrister Information Systems Corporation
1987 H. Robert Leland, President, Calspan Corporation
1986 Gregory B. Jarvis, BS EE 1967, Awarded Posthumously, Hughes Aircraft Company, NASA Payload Specialist
1985 Howard E. Strauss, MS ME 1954, Professor and Associate Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo
1984 William C. Moog, Jr., Chairman and President, Moog, Incorporated
1983 Charles M. Fogel, BS PHY 1935, Professor and Director of Industrial Liaison, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo
1982 Martin Kasbohm, Director, Research and Development, Linde Division, Union Carbide Corporation
1981 James DeSerio, President, DeSerio Engineers
1980 Paul E. Mohn, Professor Emeritus and former Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo
1979 Wilson Greatbatch, MS EE 1956, ScD (Hon) 1984 President, Wilson Greatbatch, Limited
1978 James W. McLernon, BS IE 1950, DocHL (Hon) 1998 President, Volkswagen Manufacturing Corporation of America