Outstanding Achievement Award

The University confers its Outstanding Achievement Award on graduates or former students of the University who have attained unusual distinction in their chosen fields or professions or in public service, and who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and leadership on a community, state, national, or international level. The following list includes IT alumni who have received the OAA since 1991. Recipients are grouped in chronological order by the year in which the award was conferred.

2009

Morris E. Fine
(MetallurgicalE ’40, M.S. ’42, Ph.D. ’43)
Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University

Bruce A. Richard
(EE ’54, Econ ’63)
Former president of Xcel Energy and managing director and partner at Spell Capital Partners

2008

Parviz Moin
(ME ’74)
Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University

Brett Shockley
(ME ’82, MBA ’05)
CEO and President, Spanlink Communications

2007

Omer W. Blodgett
(MetallurgicalE ’41, ME ’74)
Acclaimed senior design consultant, Lincoln Electric Company

Eugene E. Covert
(AeroEng ’46, M.S. ’48)
T. Wilson Professor Emeritus of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Russell H. Susag
(CivE ’56 and PhD ’65)
President of Susag Environmental Consulting, Inc., and former director of environmental regulatory affairs, 3M

2005

Jeannette E. Brown
(OrganicChem ’58)
Research chemist and educational consultant
2004 Society Fellow of the Chemical Heritage Foundation

Ronald L. Christenson
(ME ’72)
Vice president of corporate plant operations and CTO, Cargill Incorporated

Richard V. DeLeo
(AeroE ’46, M.S. ’48)
Former vice president for aeronautical research,
Rosemount Aerospace Division, Rosemount Inc.

D. S. Dhamotharan
(CivE Ph.D. ’79)
Executive vice president, URS Corporation

Richard A. Hackborn
(EE ’60)
Former executive vice president, Computer Products Organization, and
chair of the board, Hewlett-Packard

John M. Jordan
(AeroEng ’73, M.S. Mechanics ’75)
Aerospace engineer, U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command;
Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center, Redstone Arsenal

Richard M. Kruger
(ME ’81)
Vice president of Asia Pacific/Middle East ExxonMobil Production Company

Robert F. Naka
(EE M.S. ’47)
President and CEO, CERA, Inc.

Darrell D. Rinerson
(Physics ’69, EE M.S. ’77)
Founder and CEO, Unity Semiconductor Corporation

Leo J. Thomas
(ChemE ’58)
Former president of the Imaging Group and executive vice president,
Eastman Kodak

2004

Hans K. Fauske
(ChemE M.S. ’59)
Researcher and educator, medicinal and organic chemistry

Daniel H. Rich
(Chem ’64)
Ralph F. Hirschmann Professor of Medicinal and Organic Chemistry
Department of Chemistry, School of Pharmacy
University of Wisconsin at Madison

Theofanis G. Theofanous
(ChemE Ph.D. ’69)
Director, Center for Risk Studies and Safety
Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Department of Mechanical and Environmental Engineering,
University of California at Santa Barbara

Larry Wangberg
(ME ’64, IndustrialEng M.S. ’66)
Chair, CEO, and board member,
Tech TV (formerly ZDTV)

2003

Carl A. Kuhrmeyer
(ME ’49)
Senior vice president, 3M

John K. Moorhead
(ME ’42)
Founder, Moorhead Machine and Boiler Company

Thomas C. Winter
(Geology ’58, M.S. ’61, Hydrology Ph.D. ’71)
Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey

2002

Krzysztof K. Burhardt
(EE Ph.D. ’71)
Vice president, Honeywell

Donald A. Freeberg
(EE ’48, Business ’49)
President and CEO, Sierra Land Group

Johnson Y.S. Luh
(EE Ph.D. ’63)
Professor of electrical engineering, Clemson University

John J. Talley
(Chem Ph.D. ’79)
Inventor of pharmaceuticals

Gerald W. Timm
(EE ’63, M.S. ’65, Ph.D. ’67)
Founder, Mentor Corporation, American Medical Systems, Dacomed

2001

Richard P. Braun, P.E.
(CivE ’48, M.S. ’55)
Founding Director, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota
Former commissioner, Minnesota Department of Transportation

James E. Cabak
(ME ’60)
Founder, Bulk Molding Compounds, Inc.

Dean B. Chenoweth
(ME ’43, B.B.A. ’48)
Founder and vice president, Advantek

Neil M. Clark
(ME ’48)
President, Techpower, Inc.

J. Brian Evans
(Geophysics M.S. ’75 )
Professor, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Barbara C.S. Hansen
(Botany M.S. ’64)
Research fellow, Limnological Research Center,
Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Minnesota

Eric J. Heller
(Chem ’68)
Professor of chemistry and professor of physics
Harvard University

Heinrich M. Jaeger
(Physics M.S. ’82, Ph.D. ’87)
Professor of physics, University of Chicago

Orville D. Johnson
(ME ’60)
Chairman of the board, UFE Inc.

John Kraft
(Geology Ph.D. ’55)
H. Fletcher Brown Professor of Geology, University of Delaware

Carl Krespan
(Chem Ph.D. ’52)
Research associate and research fellow, Central Research and Development, E.I. du Pont de Nemours (retired)

Russell J. McNaughton
(EE ’57)
Vice president, 3M (retired)

Phillip L. Merritt*
(Geology ’28)
Assistant director, Raw Materials Division, Atomic Energy Commission;
Senior geologist, E.J. Longyear Company

Reuben D. Rieke
(Chem ’61)
Regents Professor of Chemistry, University of Nebraska

Richard J. Sundberg
(Chem Ph.D. ’62)
Professor of chemistry, University of Virginia

Malcolm P. Weiss*
(B.B.A. ’48, Geology Ph.D. ’53)
Professor emeritus, University of Northern Illinois

Leo D. Yau
(EE M.S. ’65)
Director of Innovative Module Technology and Intel Fellow, Intel Corporation (retired)

2000

Newman M. Bortnick
(Chem '41, Ph.D. '44)
Rohm and Haas Company

1999

John J. Baldwin
(Chem Ph.D. '60)
Chief science and technology officer, Pharmacopeia

Allison R. Palmer
(Geology Ph.D. '50)
President, Institute for Cambrian Studies, Boulder

James J. Papike
(Geology Ph.D. '64)
Regents Professor, University of New Mexico

Donald F. Wright
(ME ’57)
Vice president, Times Mirror and CEO, Los Angeles Times

1998

David M. Golden
(Chem ’61)
Senior vice president, Science and Technology Group, Stanford Research Institute

Lee W. Johnson
(ME ’57)
Founder, Reell Precision

1997

Richard W. Clarke
(ME ’53)
Corporate vice president (Retired), MTS Systems Corporation

Patrick F. Flynn
(Ag ’59, M.S. ’65)
Vice president of research, Cummins Engine Company Inc.

1996

Fred A. Donath
(Geology ’54)
Founding executive director, Institute for Environmental Education, Geological Society of America

Bob G. Gower
(Chem Ph.D. ’63)
President and CEO, Lyondell Petrochemical Company

Won-Hoon Park
(ChemE Ph.D. ’71)
President, Korea Institute of Science and Technology

James A. Peterson
(Geology Ph.D. ’52)
Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, and professor of geology, University of Montana

Oscar A. Schott*
(EE ’34)
Founder, Schott Corporation

1995

Paul E. Rubbert
(AeroEng ’58, M.S. ’60)
Technical Fellow and unit chief in aerodynamics research,
Commercial Airplane Group, Boeing Corporation

1994

Vernon L. Eriksen
(ME ’65, M.S. ’68, Ph.D. ’71)
President, Nooter/Eriksen

1993

Robert H. Rutford
(Geography ’54, M.A. ’63, Geology Ph.D. ’69)
President, University of Texas at Dallas, and polar research scientist

1992

Robert K. Anderson
(EE ’63)
President of health care ventures, Pfizer; chair, Camino Laboratories; and
cofounder and chair, Valleylab, Inc.

Robert R. Berg
(Geology Ph.D. ’51)
Professor of geology, Texas A&M University

Robert D. Gunn
(Geology ’49)
Petroleum geologist and entrepreneur; former president, American Association of Petroleum Geologists

John J. Kelberer*
(EE ’50)
Chair and CEO, Aramco

Joseph C. Kellogg
(CivEng ’51)
Founder and senior principal, Kellogg Corporation

Edward P. Ney*
(Physics ’42)
Regents Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota

1991

Charles A. Amann
(Naval Technology ’46, ME M.S. ’48)
Director of Engineering Research Council, General Motors Corporation

Charles M. Britzius*
(CivEng ’33, M.S. ’38)
Founder, Twin City Testing and Engineering Laboratory

Leroy M. Fingerson
(ME ’54, M.S. ’55, Ph.D. ’61)

George R. Gibson*
Consulting petroleum geologist
(Geology ’30, Ph.D. ’34)

*deceased