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. Deadline to nominate an alumnus or alumna is Monday, December 1st.

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).

Past Award Winners

• 2020s

  • 2024: Timothy Li, Co-Founder at MaxDecisions

    2023: Gonzalo Eduardo Mendoza, Director of Engineering at Textron Aviation; Aerospace Engineering, 1998

    2022: Huy Tran, Director of Aeronautics, NASA Ames Research Center (ARC)

    2021: Jim Puzar, Senior Operations Development Manager, Jabil; Industrial Technology, 1985

• 2010s

  • 2019: Dave Sykes, City Manager, City of San Jose; Civil Engineering, 1991, 1995

    2018: Mark A. Pasquale, Vice President, Engineering & Technology, LM Space; Mechanical Engineering, 1984

    2017: Roger Thornton, Founder, Fortify Software; Engineering, 1987, 1994

    2016: Roy Kusumoto, Founder, Solectron and Trillium Industries; Mechanical Engineering, 1966

    2015: Donald G. Newnan, Professor Emeritus, Industrial & Systems Engineering, SJSU; Civil Engineering, BS, 1951

    2014: Daniel L. Cheadle, Sr., Founder, Sr. Director, Cougar Components Corp., Telegyne Microwave Solutions; Electrical Engineering, BS, 1967

    2013: Steven Nasiri, Founder, CEO, Chairman, Invensense; Mechanical Engineering, MS, 1981

    2013: Robert A. Bigler, Co-Founder, CEO, Animatics Corp.; Mechanical Engineering, BS, 1987

    2013: Pandit Bigler, Co-Founder, VP of Operations, Animatics Corp.; Mechanical Engineering BS, MS, 1984, 1987

    2012: Chia-Juch Chang, Chairman, China Airlines; Civil Engineering MS, 1976

    2012: Amarjit Gill, Co-Founder and CEO, Maginatics, Inc.; Electrical Engineering BS, 1983

    2011: Mark Van Tine, President and CEO, Jeppesen; Aeronautics, BS, 1980

    2011: Sandeep Vij, President and CEO, MIPS Technology, Inc.; Electrical Engineering, BS, 1987

    2010: Muhammad Raghib Hussain, CTO and Corporate Vice President, Cavium Networks; Computer Engineering, MS, 1997

    2010: Joseph Parisi, Founder and President, Therma Corporation; Mechanical Engineering, 1965

• 2000s

  • 2009: John W. Davis, President, TMFC; Industrial Technology BS, 1970

    2009: Jayan Ramankutty, Entrepreneur & Founding CEO, YuMe Networks; Computer Engineering MS, 1991

    2008: L. Carl Harris, Founder & Chairman of the Board, Harris & Associates; Civil Engineering BS (Civil Engineering MS), 1963 (1967)

    2008: Julie A. Sattler, Vice President, Engineering, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company; Aeronautical Engineering BS, 1983

    2007: Lee Chen, Founder and CEO, A10 Networks, Inc.; Electrical Engineering MS, 1982

    2007: Joseph E. Louis, President, Louis Engineering Corporation and M.J.M. Land Development Co. Inc.; Civil Engineering BS, 1969

    2006: Carolyn Guidry, President, Mark and Carolyn Guidry Foundation; Computer Engineering MS, 1979

    2006: Peter McGrath, Former Sector Vice President, Science Applications International Corp.; Mechanical Engineering BS, 1965

    2005: Omid Kordestani, Sr. Vice President Worldwide Sales & Field Operations, Google, Inc.; Electrical Engineering BS, 1984

    2005: Gust Perlegos, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President, Atmel Corporation; Electrical Engineering BS, 1969

    2004: Anthony J. Banta, Vice President Worldwide Operations, Cisco Systems; Aeronautics BS, 1970

    2004: Mahmoud "Max" Gahrahmat, Partner, Geomax; Civil Engineering BS (Civil Engineering MS), 1969 (1976)

    2002: Nancy Wheeler-Nelson, Vice President, Engineering Communication Products, Trimble Navigation Ltd.; Electrical Engineering BS, 1979

    2002: Bernard S. Siegal, President, Thermal Engineering Associates, Inc.; Electrical Engineering MS, 1966

    2001: Joseph D. Countryman, President, MBK Engineers; Civil Engineering BS, 1966

    2000: Thomas M. Blalock, President, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board; Civil Engineering BS, 1954

    2000: Francis F. Huang, Professor Emeritus, Mechanical Engineering, SJSU; Production Engineering BS, 1951

• 1990s

  • 1999: Mel Blevins, Watermaster at Upper Los Angeles River Area Watermaster; Civil Engineering BS, 1957

    1999: Brad Mattson, Chairman & CEO at Mattson Technology, Inc.; Aeronautics BS, 1976

    1999: Gary L. Yancey, President, CEO & Chairman of the Board at Applied Signal Technology; Electrical Engineering MS, 1970

    1998: Wayne K. Tanda, Director, Streets and Traffic at City of San Jose; Civil Engineering BS (Civil Engineering MS), 1971 (1973)

    1997: George Perlegos, Founder, President & CEO at Atmel Corp.; Electrical Engineering, 1972

    1996: Helmut Krawinkler, Professor at Stanford University; Civil Engineering, 1967

    1996: Maurice D. Roos, Chief Hydrologist at Dept. of Water Recources, State of CA; Civil Engineering, 1957

    1996: L. Thomas Tobin, Consultant at Tobin & Associates; Civil Engineering, 1972

    1996: Alden V. Munson, Vice President at Intelligence Market Area-TRW Systems Integration Group; Mechanical Engineering, 1965

    1995: Thomas W. Collins, Director of Engineering Operations, Systems Development Division at Tandem Computers Inc.; Electrical Engineering, 1961

    1995: Peter Kaldveer, President at Harza Engineering Company of California; Civil Engineering, 1963

    1995: John J. Silveira, Deputy Director at Dept. of Water Resources, State of CA; Civil Engineering, 1959

    1994: Koichi Nishimura, President & Chief Executive Officer at Solectron Corp.; Electrical Engineering, 1963

    1994: E. P. "Gene" Reilly, Vice President and Chief Engineer at Southern Pacific Lines; Civil Engineering, 1971

    1993: Douglas Carnaham, Vice President & General Manager at Hewlett-Packard Company; Electrical Engineering, 1965

    1993: Theodore C. Fairfield, President at Fairco Properties, Inc.; Civil Engineering, 1959

    1993: Anthony N. Lapine, Chief Executive Officer at Lapine Technology Corp.; Electrical Engineering, 1965

    1992: E. Gene Bruner, Manager Facilities & Planning at Georgia Pacific Corp.; Mechanical Engineering, 1959

    1992: Randall M. German, Brush Chair in Materials at Pennsylvania State University; Materials Science, 1968

    1992: Roger W. Werne, Director of Engineering at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Civil Engineering, 1967

    1991: Finis F. Conner, Chairman & CEO at Connor Peripherals; Industrial Management, 1969

    1991: Charles W. Davidson, President at C.W. Davidson Company; Civil Engineering, 1956

    1991: James W. McCoy, Vice President at MacKay & Somps, Inc.; Civil Engineering, 1964

    1990: Jane G. Evans, Grants Specialist at Hewlett-Packard Company; Electrical Engineering, 1965

    1990: Arthur L. Money, President at ESL/TRW; Mechanical Engineering, 1965

    1990: Dale W. Pilgeram, Vice President of Development at IBM-General Products Division; Electrical Engineering, 1967

• 1980s

  • 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