Class Notes
Michigan Tech Magazine Class Notes, Spring 2015
Class Notes
1960s
Robert Sloat '65 (Chemical Engineering) was inducted into Michigan Tech's Department of Chemical Engineering's Distinguished Academy of Chemical Engineering in April 2013.
James A. Mitchell '65 (Chemistry) has again been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 21st Edition of Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of Litigation– Intellectual Property Law and Patent and Trademark Law.
1970s
Tom Paschetto '77 (Forestry) is in his sixteenth year as project manager with Promosis, Inc. in Marblehead, MA, and is celebrating his one-year wedding anniversary with his wife, Wendy.
Michael Jenkins '74 (Civil Engineering) retired to Delton, MI, in December 2013 after thirty-one years with the Defense Logistics Agency.
William Hensel '75 (Forestry): "Because of my Tech education, I was fortunate to have a successful twenty-three-year professional forestry career with a large paper company based in Wisconsin. I served as chairman of the Society of American Foresters in 1987. I served in the military from 1968–1971. Upon returning to school, I earned a master's degree from University of Idaho in timber harvesting. I especially want to share my gratitude for the late Dr. Gene Hesterberg. He was a fine leader and gentleman—the best! Today I am a PGA golf professional working in the Tampa area and enjoying keeping out of the trees—a change from my forestry career, which always kept me deep in the forest.
Tim Foss '75 (Forestry) retired from the US Forest Service after a thirty-nine-year career. He served as trails/ wilderness/OHV manager, winter recreation supervisor, presale forester, and firefighter in both the Gifford Pinchot and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests. He and his wife, Hilary, live in Cle Elum, WA, where he remains active as a volunteer and musician.
1980s
Brian Wilczynski '84 (Forestry) retired from the US Department of Defense on June 14, 2014, after twenty-eight years of service. He has relocated from the Washington, DC, area to Traverse City and is building a new home. He continues to work as an independent consultant to Department of Defense contractors in the DC area.
Douglas Pratt '83 (Mechanical Engineering) retired from General Motors after more than thirty years of service in many different roles—development engineer, release engineer, materials engineer, and test engineer. He now volunteers his time with the Memphis, MI, fire department.
William Cormack '84 (Mechanical Engineering) and his wife of twenty-eight years, Maureen, are employed by the US Department of State overseas. Bill is a construction engineer who supervises the design and construction of US embassies and consulates and overseas housing for American diplomats and their families. He is currently assigned to the US Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. Maureen is a senior Foreign Service officer in the US Diplomatic Corps and is currently the ambassador of the United States to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Maureen resides in Sarajevo. The Cormacks have three college-aged children and maintain their residence in Fairfax, VA.
Shawn '82 (Computer Science) and Jim '81 Rathbun (Civil Engineering) completed a cross-country bicycle ride from Washington to Maine in the summer of 2014.
Peter Sajdak '82 (Chemical Engineering) was one of more than seventy Couch Pit University (CPU) members, family, and invited guests who attended the 2014 CPU dinner and new-member induction. This was the twenty-third meeting of the prestigious society made up of premier papermakers, both active and retired, who are nominated and elected by their peers.
Craig Harris '87 (Computer Science): "She said yes!" Craig and Paula Covietz were married May 24, 2014, in Grand Rapids, MI. The couple now resides in Lowell.
Daniel Cavasin '87 (Metallurgical Engineering) has been promoted to fellow on the technical staff of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) in Austin, TX. He has been involved in development of AMD's Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) for several years, the last five of which have been focused exclusively on the APUs used in today's latest generation of game consoles.
Timothy Jenkins '89 '08 (Mechanical Engineering) received the Charles and Sue Ragan Gelet Excellence in Teaching Award in Engineering for the 2013–2014 academic year. Tim has been an assistant professor in Design Engineering Technology at Trine University in Angola, IN, since August 2012. He received the award in his first year of eligibility.
Rodney Tanner '83 (Computer Science) began working as a computer analyst for Hormel Foods in Austin, MN, in March 2014.
Scott Stevens '81 (Forestry): "After thirty-one years of federal law enforcement, I retired on May 31, 2014. I started working for the National Park Service as a law enforcement ranger in 1983, and after twenty years I switched over to the Bureau of Land Management for two years as a chief ranger. I finished the last nine years of my career with the US Fish and Wildlife Service as the regional law enforcement chief in the Pacific Southwest Regional Office."
Jim Niemczyk '82 (Mechanical Engineering) has been promoted to president and general manager of American Panel Corporation (APC). Jim will be responsible for all business activities at APC, which is the world's leading manufacturer of custom-designed display products for aviation, rugged ground vehicles, and shipboard applications. APC supplies cockpit displays for nearly every military aircraft in the US and NATO fleet as well as Abrams tanks and Stryker ground vehicles.
1990s
Scott Hudson '96 (Civil Engineering) has been named secretary for Committee 12– Rail Transit by the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA). This committee is responsible for the development and publication of information regarding light and heavy rail transit systems and their design, construction, and rehabilitation—in particular Chapter 12 of AREMA's Manual for Railway Engineering.
Travis Brabec '98 (Environmental Engineering) and his wife, Kelly, welcomed baby girl Hailey in December 2014.
Christi (Chapman) Bellmore '99 (Biological Sciences) and Nick are thrilled to announce the birth of their son, Colton Nicholas, on January 11, 2014.
Matthew H. Meyer '98 (Metallurgical and Materials Engineering) is now the manager of the Chemical and Metallurgical Laboratory for the Kohler Company located in Kohler, WI. Matthew, Jennifer, and their four daughters live in Sheboygan.
Colleen (Tallman) Fitzgerald ‘96 ‘98 (Electrical Engineering) married Allan Fitzgerald on July 6, 2014, in Midland, MI. Colleen and Allan are currently living in Playa del Rey, CA.
Ann Kitalong-Will '96 '00 (Scientific and Technical Communication; Rhetoric and Technical Communication) and Cayce C. Will '98 (Computer Science) are happy to announce the birth of their third son, Logan Evert Kitalong Will. Logan was born on February 21, 2014.
Spencer Slade '97 '99 (Mathematics) and Britt (Forslund) Slade '01 '04 (Mathematics) announce the birth of their daughter, Elsa Susia, on June 6, 2014. She joins her big brother, Eli Anders.
2000s
Gretchen and Eric Dalquist '04 (Computer Science) welcomed their son, Hendrik Lloyd Dalquist, on June 22, 2014. Hendrik was 9 pounds, 12 ounces, and 22.5 inches long. His older sister Elsa is very excited to have a baby brother.
Jacob Woolbright '06 (Chemical Engineering) became a shareholder at Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC. Jacob concentrates his practice on intellectual property law for clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 corporations. He focuses his practice on intellectual property procurement, technology- related transactions, and opinion preparation, with an emphasis on patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret law.
Curt '03 (Mechanical Engineering Technology) and Janelle (Meyer) Trowhill '01 '03 (Chemical Engineering) welcomed their second child, a baby girl, Amelia Jane, on June 19, 2014.
Carlin '05 (Civil Engineering) and Jake Grundemann '05 (Engineering Technology) proudly announce the birth of their son, Levi Grundemann, born March 6, 2014. He already loves the fresh outdoor air and may one day be a Husky, too!
Andrea Dreyer Zuehlk '01 (Mechanical Engineering) and Matt Zuehlk are proud to announce the birth of their son, Max Bennett Zuehlk, on August 12, 2014. Big brother Evan is excited to show him the ropes.
Christopher Occhipinti '04 (Physics) and Ariana Jeske '05 (Civil Engineering) belatedly announce the arrival of their daughter, Aurora Julia Occhipinti, born December 3, 2013, in Grand Rapids, MI. The family lives in Sparta, MI. Christopher is employed by NTH Consultants, Inc. of Grand Rapids and Ariana is employed with Prein & Newhof of Grand Rapids.
Veronica (Rozmiarek) Bloom '05 (Mathematics) and Gedare Bloom '05 (Computer Science and Mathematics) announce the birth of Linnea Valerie Bloom, August 25, 2014. Linnea joins big sister Annalise.
Brian Edwards '08 (Chemical Engineering) and Jillian Schubert Edwards '09 '11 (Applied Ecology and Environmental Science; Environmental Policy) welcomed their son, August Xavier Edwards, on February 26, 2015, at 10:38 a.m. August was 7 pounds, 15 ounces, and 21 inches long.
Michelle (Manarolla) Ford '01 '05 (Applied Ecology and Environmental Science; Applied Ecology) and Kevin Ford '04 (Mechanical Engineering), along with their son Holden, welcomed the birth of Brooks Andrew Ford on January 19, 2015. Brooks weighed 9 pounds, 13 ounces, was 21 inches long, and was born in Middletown, CT.
Paul Brandes '04 (Geology): "In 2014, I was named Employee of the Year (also known as the MVP Award) at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Region 12 Office here in Houston. The office has approximately 200 employees in several divisions, including air (where I work), water, waste, and emergency response activities. Included in the award are a plaque, gift card, special parking place, and most importantly, eight hours of leave, which I'll be using to attend Winter Carnival in February. How appropriate that I received this award on the day I happened to be wearing a Michigan Tech shirt and lanyard!"
Robert Green '06 (Civil Engineering) and wife Tanya welcomed their first child, a baby boy, on November 26, 2014. Matthew Robert Green weighed 9 pounds, 9 ounces, and was 20.75 inches long.
On August 30, 2014, Brittany Kelly '09 (Mathematics, Delta Zeta sorority) and Matthew Osborne '09 (Industrial Technology, Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity) were engaged. They will be married in June of 2015.
Roxane Gay '09 (Rhetoric and Technical Communication) wrote and published a book, Bad Feminist, which made The Atlantic's "The Best Book I Read This Year" list.
Melissa (Beutler) DeLuka '00 (Mechanical Engineering) has been elected to the Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity Board of Directors for a two-year term, 2015–16. She serves as the membership and extension program director. Melissa and her husband, Michael '00 (Chemical Engineering), joined the Alpha Phi Omega-Epsilon Lambda Chapter at Michigan Tech in 1997.
2010s
Stephanie (Garbacik) Sullivan '10 (Environmental Engineering) and Mike Sullivan were married on May 31, 2014, and are looking forward to celebrating their one-year anniversary in Kauai.
Whitney Petersen '08 (Business Administration) and Todd McIntosh '12 (alumni, non-degree) were married on June 7, 2014.
Brian Thompson '11 (Electrical Engineering) and Jessica Thoresen '12 (Biological Sciences) were married on June 21, 2014, in Lansing.
Scott Nelson '10 (Materials Science and Engineering) and Megan Knudstrup '10 (Civil Engineering) were married in Carmel, IN, on October 4, 2014. Scott and Megan met as members of the Huskies Pep Band and were both heavily involved in the band throughout their time at Tech.
Nick Laurila '10 (Business Administration) won a gold medal with the US Women's National U-18 team as the video coordinator.
Andrea Walvatne '12 (Mechanical Engineering) and Kristopher Falasco '13 (Chemical Engineering) met in the Pep Band and Wind Symphony. Their Tech-themed October 18, 2014, wedding included many fellow Tech grads. They entered to the Pep Band entrance song and guests enjoyed pasties and KBC beverages. Even their wedding bands are rose gold—a mixture of copper and gold, to reflect the Copper Country.
Anthony Doering '10 (Electrical Engineering) and Christina (Herrman) Doering '07 '10 (Biomedical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering) welcomed their third child, Elijah David, on August 1, 2014. Big brother Blake and big sister Addison are excited to have a baby brother.
David Heiden '10 and Stephanie Lindstrom '10 (both Biomedical Engineering) were married on September 13, 2014, in Nisswa, MN. Stephanie is employed by Medtronic in Minneapolis as an MDR specialist, and David is a field engineer for Beckman Coulter in Minneapolis. The couple resides in White Bear Lake.
Brandon Maurisak '10 (Civil Engineering) was selected to the American Public Transportation Association's Early Career Program, class of 2015.
Angela Elizabeth Hoffman '11 (Psychology) and Benjamin James Bouman '10 (Biomedical Engineering) were engaged in September 2014. They currently reside in Ann Arbor and plan to celebrate their marriage in June of 2015.
Jen Zarzecki-Lundin '13 (Mechanical Engineering) married Peter Lundin '12 (Electrical Engineering) on October 4, 2014, in Grand Rapids. Jen and Peter are engineers at John Deere. The two reside in Waterloo, IA, with their corgi, Ellie.
Thomas '12 (Mechanical Engineering) and Allison (Kapala) Stutts '12 (Mathematics) were married on August 2. Allison is an actuarial analyst at Mercer, and Tom is a design engineer at General Electric Company. They reside in Louisville, KY, with their chocolate lab, Euler.
In Memorium
This April, Michigan Tech's School of Business and Economics (SBE) and the Applied Portfolio Management Program (APMP) held a ceremony to remember and honor the late James Trethewey '67.
Throughout his career, Trethewey never forgot his alma mater, serving on the Advisory Board for the SBE. University President Glenn Mroz reflected on the importance of family to Jim—a family that included his wife, children, and grandchildren, as well as his Michigan Tech family.
SBE Dean Gene Klippel highlighted Jim's willingness to serve Tech and the School in a variety of roles.
"The wording on the plaque to honor Jim reflected his philosophy—‘Make it a great day,'" says Dean Johnson, the James and Delores Trethewey Professor in the School of Business and Economics.
"Jim was always smiling, always upbeat, and he encouraged all of us, faculty and students, to conduct ourselves that way." Johnson says the plaque will be placed in the Trading Room "as a reminder to APMP students of their responsibility to not only improve themselves each day but to make a positive impact in the lives of others around them."
1939Thomas H. Ginsburg 1940Gervase G. Strucel 1941Col. Lawrence B. Farnum (Ret.) 1942John C. DeBoer, PE 1943Edwin R. Knox Jr. 1944Robert M. Aslin 1946Gordon E. Hoyem 1947Robert G. Coffey 1948Stanley Dacko 1949Dr. Rodger H. Chapman 1950James T. Anderson 1954Herbert W. Henry 1952John H. Baker 1953Ludolph Albers 1954John F. Ahrens 1956F. William Baxandall |
1957Gerald C. Byrd 1958Ronald M. Blais, PE 1959James S. Collins 1960Jerroll J. Drenth 1961Thomas P. Dooley 1962June A. Collins 1963William R. Haukkala 1964David C. Elliott 1965Thomas B. Bouwhuis 1966Frederick E. Dauser Jr. 1967Melvin M. Tabar 1968Donald E. Hill 1969David J. Priniski 1970Capt. Joseph S. Arnaudo 1971Robert J. Farrell 1972Timothy J. O'Keefe 1973John E. Force |
1974Bruce M. Lange 1975Steven LaRouche 1976Paul C. Lemin 1977Peter P. DeVere 1978Mary E. Hulkonen 1979James E. Austin 1980Jeffrey A. Davis 1981Michael J. Lulich 1982Edward C. McCullah 1983Thomas E. Gosz 1984Matthew F. Nitschke 1985Jeffrey A. DesJarlais 1986Jeffrey L. Burhans 1987Lisa A. Holmstrom 1988Jonathan D. Godfried 1990Anthony J. Stokes 1992Bruce C. Anderson 1995Roderick E. Korhorn 1998Andrew T. Ehrensing 2002Paul J. Inman 2003Nicholas J. Berkebile 2004Beverly A. Smith |
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
