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CUE 2007
Alumni on the Move

Brechner Owens (MS ChemEngr '72) is one of four researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution recognized this year for his contributions to science and engineering. He will receive funding from an endowed award to support his research over the next several years. Owens, who joined the Woods Hole staff in 1975, is one of the co-developers of the Spray glider, the first autonomous underwater vehicle to cross the Gulf Stream, and he is a principal investigator for the U.S. Argo float program for climate change studies. He holds a doctorate in physical oceanography from Johns Hopkins University.

Randy Kerns (MS CompSci '77) has been named chief technology officer at ProStor Systems, a Boulder-based developer of removable disk storage technology. Kerns has more than 30 years, experience in the computer technology industry and background in product design and development. Prior to joining ProStor, he was an independent industry analyst and a partner at the Evaluator Group. He also has held positions at Sun Microsystems, IBM, StorageTek, Fujitsu, and Tandem Computers.

Jeffrey Mihalic (MechEngr '78) was named president and chief executive officer of INTERMET Corp., one of the world's leading manufacturers of cast-metal automotive components. Mihalic has more than 28 years, experience in the manufacturing sector and joined the Fort Worth, Texas-based company as acting president in March 2006. He previously held positions at Q Investments, Bombardier Aerospace, and United Airlines. He has a master's degree in business administration from the University of Puget Sound.

Aicha Elshabini (PhD ElecEngr '78), dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Idaho, was awarded the Daniel C. Hughes Jr. Memorial Award for lifetime achievement in microelectronics. The award was presented by the International Microelectronics and Packaging Society for "decades of crucial and sustained accomplishments in microelectronics-related education and industry advancement." She is the first woman to receive the award. She was named dean at the University of Idaho last year after serving 26 years as a department head and faculty member at the University of Arkansas and Virginia Tech.

 

Jeffrey Davis (ChemEngr '81) has been named president of the Deltak Specialty Boiler Systems division of the Global Power Equipment Group. He joined Deltak, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, in 1985 and has served in a range of positions within its engineering, sales, and management teams.

Emir Macari (MS CivEngr '82, PhD '89) was named dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Sacramento State last fall. He was previously dean at the University of Texas at Brownsville, and prior to that a program director at the National Science Foundation. His career also includes positions teaching at Louisiana State University, George Tech, and the University of Puerto Rico, and working as a civil engineer in private industry and as a NASA fellow.

Robert Picker (ElecEngr '83) joined Aztek Networks as vice president of global sales. The company, which is based in Boulder, is a top provider of emergency stand alone (ESA) switching and IP gateway products. Picker brings more than 20 years of sales, marketing, and business development experience to the position, including positions at World Wide Packets, Carrier Access, Synch Research, and IBM.

Marc Haverland (CompSci '91) was named senior vice president of engineering at MX Logic, a leading provider of e-mail security and protection products for small and medium-sized businesses. Haverland is responsible for oversight of software development and quality assurance for the Denver-based company. He was previously senior director of engineering at DigitalGlobe, a satellite imagery company where he managed software development and operations of ground systems.

Hatice Gecol (MS ChemEngr '93) has been appointed director of the Nevada State Office of Energy and will serve on the governor's executive staff, advising him on all aspects of energy policy and development. Gecol has been an associate professor at the University of Nevada, Reno for nearly seven years and is well known in her field for her research in biodiesel fuels. Her work with alternative energy programs has brought her national recognition from the EPA and other organizations seeking new technology solutions. She holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

Michael Dural (MechEngr '94) was promoted to senior account director in the Atlanta office of Avenue A / Razorfish, the largest interactive services agency in the United States. Dural is responsible for the successful delivery of client engagements for Mercedes-AMG and FedEx, as well as business development activity in Atlanta. He has more than 10 years, experience in selling and delivering enterprise content management for Fortune 1000 clients, and he is a board member of the nonprofit organization Technology-in-Learning.

Travis Meyer (MS CivEngr '94) has joined the municipal division at Morrison-Maierle, Inc., in Helena, Montana, as a senior municipal engineer. He brings 13 years of experience with water and wastewater treatment plants, and is a member of the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation.

Brock LaMeres (MS ElecEngr '01, PhD '05) joined the electrical and computer engineering department at Montana State University as an assistant professor. He previously designed electronic test equipment for Agilent Technologies in Colorado Springs. He is a registered professional engineer in Colorado and holds three patents related to electronic probing systems.