Alumni Awards of Distinction
Do you know a fellow SJSU Engineering alumnus or alumna who has achieved superior professional accomplishments and/or has demonstrated outstanding citizenship through significant community or professional service? Nominate them for the annual Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award. You can also nominate yourself. Examples of past winners include: Omid Kordestani (Senior VP at Google), Mark Pasquale (Engineering VP at Lockheed Martin Space), Dave Sykes (City Manager for San Jose), Gonzalo Eduardo Mendoza (Textron Aviation). The person you nominate must be available to attend the Engineering Showcase & Celebration on April 15th, 2024 from 4:00om - 6:00pm. Deadline for nominations is October 1, 2023.
| Name | Position | Company | Year Rec'd | Degree | Year of SJSU Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzalo Eduardo Mendoza | Director of Engineering | Textron Aviation | 2023 | Aerospace Engineering | 1998 |
| Huy Tran | Director of Aeronautics | NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) | 2022 | ||
| Jim Puzar | Senior Operations Development Manager | Jabil | 2021 | Industrial Technology | 1985 |
| Dave Sykes | City Manager | City of San Jose | 2019 | Civil Engineering | 1991, 1995 |
| Mark A. Pasquale | Vice President, Engineering & Technology | LM Space | 2018 | Mechanical Engineering | 1984 |
| Roger Thornton | Founder | Fortify Software | 2017 | Engineering | 1987, 1994 |
| Roy Kusumoto | Founder | Solectron and Trillium Industries | 2016 | Mechanical Engineering | 1966 |
| Donald G. Newnan | Professor Emeritus | Industrial & Systems Engineering, SJSU | 2015 | Civil Engineering, BS | 1951 |
| Daniel L. Cheadle, Sr. | Founder Sr. Director |
Cougar Components Corp. Telegyne Microwave Solutions |
2014 | Electrical Engineering, BS | 1967 |
| Steven Nasiri | Founder, CEO, Chairman | Invensense | 2013 | Mechanical Engineering, MS | 1981 |
| Robert A. Bigler | Co-Founder, CEO | Animatics Corp. | 2013 | Mechanical Engineering, BS | 1987 |
| Punita Pandit Bigler | Co-Founder, VP of Operations | Animatics Corp. | 2013 | Mechanical Engineering BS, MS | 1984, 1987 |
| Chia-Juch Chang | Chairman | China Airlines | 2012 | Civil Engineering MS | 1976 |
| Amarjit Gill | Co-Founder and CEO | Maginatics, Inc. | 2012 | Electrical Engineering BS | 1983 |
| Mark Van Tine | President and CEO | Jeppesen | 2011 | Aeronautics, BS | 1980 |
| Sandeep Vij | President and CEO | MIPS Technology, Inc. | 2011 | Electrical Engineering, BS | 1987 |
| Muhammad Raghib Hussain | CTO and Corporate Vice President | Cavium Networks | 2010 | Computer Engineering, MS | 1997 |
| Joseph Parisi | Founder and President | Therma Corporation | 2010 | Mechanical Engineering | 1965 |
| John W. Davis | President | TMFC | 2009 | Industrial Technology BS | 1970 |
| Jayan Ramankutty | Entrepreneur & Founding CEO | YuMe Networks | 2009 | Computer Engineering MS | 1991 |
| L. Carl Harris | Founder & Chairman of the Board | Harris & Associates | 2008 | Civil Engineering BS (Civil Engineering MS) | 1963 (1967) |
| Julie A. Sattler | Vice President, Engineering | Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company | 2008 | Aeronautical Engineering BS | 1983 |
| Lee Chen | Founder and CEO | A10 Networks, Inc. | 2007 | Electrical Engineering MS | 1982 |
| Joseph E. Louis | President | Louis Engineering Corporation and M.J.M. Land Development Co. Inc. | 2007 | Civil Engineering BS | 1969 |
| Carolyn Guidry | President | Mark and Carolyn Guidry Foundation | 2006 | Computer Engineering MS | 1979 |
| Peter McGrath | Former Sector Vice President | Science Applications International Corp. | 2006 | Mechanical Engineering BS | 1965 |
| Omid Kordestani | Sr. Vice President Worldwide Sales & Field Operations | Google, Inc. | 2005 | Electrical Engineering BS | 1984 |
| Gust Perlegos | Co-Founder and Executive Vice President | Atmel Corporation | 2005 | Electrical Engineering BS | 1969 |
| Anthony J. Banta | Vice President Worldwide Operations | Cisco Systems | 2004 | Aeronautics BS | 1970 |
| Mahmoud "Max" Gahrahmat | Partner | Geomax | 2004 | Civil Engineering BS (Civil Engineering MS) | 1969 (1976) |
| Nancy Wheeler-Nelson | Vice President | Engineering Communication Products, Trimble Navigation Ltd. | 2002 | Electrical Engineering BS | 1979 |
| Bernard S. Siegal | President | Thermal Engineering Associates, Inc. | 2002 | Electrical Engineering MS | 1966 |
| Joseph D. Countryman | President | MBK Engineers | 2001 | Civil Engineering BS | 1966 |
| Thomas M. Blalock | President | Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board | 2000 | Civil Engineering BS | 1954 |
| Francis F. Huang | Professor Emeritus | Mechanical Engineering, SJSU | 2000 | Production Engineering BS | 1951 |
| Mel Blevins | Watermaster | Upper Los Angeles River Area Watermaster | 1999 | Civil Engineering BS | 1957 |
| Brad Mattson | Chairman & CEO | Mattson Technology, Inc. | 1999 | Aeronautics BS | 1976 |
| Gary L. Yancey | President, CEO & Chairman of the Board | Applied Signal Technology | 1999 | Electrical Engineering MS | 1970 |
| Wayne K. Tanda | Director | Streets and Traffic, City of San Jose | 1998 | Civil Engineering BS (Civil Engineering MS) | 1971 (1973) |
| George Perlegos | Founder, President & CEO | Atmel Corp. | 1997 | Electrical Engineering | 1972 |
| Helmut Krawinkler | Professor | Stanford University | 1996 | Civil Engineering | 1967 |
| Maurice D. Roos | Chief Hydrologist | Dept. of Water Recources, State of CA | 1996 | Civil Engineering | 1957 |
| L. Thomas Tobin | Consultant | Tobin & Associates | 1996 | Civil Engineering | 1972 |
| Alden V. Munson | Vice President | Intelligence Market Area-TRW Systems Integration Group | 1996 | Mechanical Engineering | 1965 |
| Thomas W. Collins | Director of Engineering Operations | Systems Development Division, Tandem Computers Inc. | 1995 | Electrical Engineering | 1961 |
| Peter Kaldveer | President | Harza Engineering Company of California | 1995 | Civil Engineering | 1963 |
| John J. Silveira | Deputy Director | Dept. of Water Resources, State of CA | 1995 | Civil Engineering | 1959 |
| Koichi Nishimura | President & Chief Executive Officer | Solectron Corp. | 1994 | Electrical Engineering | 1963 |
| E. P. "Gene" Reilly | Vice President and Chief Engineer | Southern Pacific Lines | 1994 | Civil Engineering | 1971 |
| Douglas Carnaham | Vice President & General Manager | Hewlett-Packard Company | 1993 | Electrical Engineering | 1965 |
| Theodore C. Fairfield | President | Fairco Properties, Inc. | 1993 | Civil Engineering | 1959 |
| Anthony N. Lapine | Chief Executive Officer | Lapine Technology Corp. | 1993 | Electrical Engineering | 1965 |
| E. Gene Bruner | Manager Facilities & Planning | Georgia Pacific Corp. | 1992 | Mechanical Engineering | 1959 |
| Randall M. German | Brush Chair in Materials | Pennsylvania State University | 1992 | Materials Science | 1968 |
| Roger W. Werne | Director of Engineering | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | 1992 | Civil Engineering | 1967 |
| Finis F. Conner | Chairman & CEO | Connor Peripherals | 1991 | Industrial Management | 1969 |
| Charles W. Davidson | President | C.W. Davidson Company | 1991 | Civil Engineering | 1956 |
| James W. McCoy | Vice President | MacKay & Somps, Inc. | 1991 | Civil Engineering | 1964 |
| Jane G. Evans | Grants Specialist | Hewlett-Packard Company | 1990 | Electrical Engineering | 1965 |
| Arthur L. Money | President | ESL/TRW | 1990 | Mechanical Engineering | 1965 |
| Dale W. Pilgeram | Vice President of Development | IBM-General Products Division | 1990 | Electrical Engineering | 1967 |
| James W. Adkisson | President | Insite Peripherals | 1989 | Electrical Engineering | 1969 |
| David A. Brown | President and Member of the Board | Quantum Corp. | 1989 | Mechanical Engineering | 1968 |
| Paul F. Fratessa | President | Paul F. Fratessa Associates | 1988 | Civil Engineering | 1960 |
| Daniel H. Lowry | President | Grade-Way Construction | 1988 | Civil Engineering | 1956 |
| Riyad S. AbuZayyad | President | Rolm Corp - IBM | 1987 | Mechanical Engineering | 1961 |
| Phillip E. Allen | Professor | Georgia Institute of Technology | 1987 | Electrical Engineering | 1962 |
| Joseph D. Andrade, Jr. | Dean of Engineering | University of Utah | 1987 | Materials Engineering | 1965 |
| F.G. Butterfield | Executive Vice President | CBI Industries, Inc. | 1986 | Civil Engineering | 1952 |
| Robert J. Frankenberg | General Manager | Hewlett-Packard Company | 1986 | Computer Engineering | 1974 |
| Robert Kochis | President | Condor Systems | 1985 | Electrical Engineering | 1963 |
| A. Phillip Bray | President & CEO | Renewable Resource Systems | 1984 | Mechanical Engineering | 1951 |
| Alvin R. Zeman | President | Zeman-Rittenhouse & Associates | 1984 | Civil Engineering | 1964 |
| James O. Leckie | Professor | Stanford University | 1983 | Civil Engineering | 1964 |
| Howard E. Wolnowsky | Division Manager | Lockheed Missiles & Space Company | 1983 | Electrical Engineering | 1962 |
| Richard F. Byers | Vice President | Guy F. Atkinson Construction | 1982 | Civil Engineering | 1951 |
| Luis F. Diaz | President | Cal Recovery Systems | 1982 | Mechanical Engineering | 1972 |
| Raymond A. Smelek | General Manager | Hewlett-Packard Company | 1982 | Electrical Engineering | 1959 |
| Robert MacLellan | Vice President | FMC Corp. | 1981 | General Engineering | 1949 |
| Onslow H. "Rudy" Rudolph, Jr. | Chairman of the Board and Founder | Rudolph & Sletten, Inc. | 1981 | Civil Engineering | 1950 |
| Donald R. Beall | President & CEO | Rockwell International | 1980 | Metallurgical Engineering | 1960 |
| Norman O. Gunderson | Dean Emeritus | SJSU | 1980 | ||
| William D. Nix | Professor | Stanford University | 1980 | Materials Engineering | 1959 |
| Charles Swall | President | IBM - Systems Technology Division | 1980 | Industrial Engineering | 1965 |
