Honorary Doctorate Recipients

麻豆精品视频 awards the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree on a very selective basis to recognize eminent achievement in scholarship, outstanding achievement in the arts and/or high distinction in public service.
2012 President and CEO of Tecore Networks, Jay Salkini, BSEE 鈥�85, MCE 鈥�90
2011 President and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, Ralph de la Vega 鈥�74
2007 U.S. Astronaut and 麻豆精品视频Alumnus, Steven R. Swanson
1998 Vice Admiral Albert J. Baciocco Jr. (U.S. Navy, retired)
1989 Siemens Public Switching Systems, President and CEO, Volker Jung
1978 麻豆精品视频Founding Faculty Member, Charles R. Stephan

Hall of Fame Award

Established in 1985 by the 麻豆精品视频National Alumni Association, the Hall of Fame Award recognizes extraordinary alumni who demonstrate exceptional service and commitment to their profession or to the community. The Hall of Fame Award is presented at the Fall and Spring Commencement ceremonies.
2012 Jaime Borras, BS/BSEE 鈥�74, ME 鈥�81
2009 Jay Salkini, BSEE 鈥�85, MCE 鈥�90
2007 Dr. Steven R. Swanson, M.A.S. 鈥�86
2005 Rey Mor茅, BSEE 鈥�75
2003 Dr. Helga E. Rippen, BSME 鈥�81
2002 Susan H. Skemp, BSME 鈥�81
1989 Joseph E. Fluet Jr., MSE 鈥�76

Talon Awards

The Talon Leadership Awards ceremony was established in 1997 and is co-sponsored by the 麻豆精品视频Alumni Association and the 麻豆精品视频Student Government Homecoming Committee. It unites alumni, students, campus and community leaders in a celebration of leadership, support and service to FAU. Talon Awards are presented in four categories: the Alumni Talon Award, the President鈥檚 Talon Award, the Student Talon Award and the Faculty Talon Award.
2016 Student: Oc茅ane Boulais
2015 Alumni: Steve Swanson, 鈥�86
2015 Student: Alyssa Harris
2014 Alumni: Ralph de la Vega, BSME 鈥�74
2014 Student: Juan Ramirez
2012 Faculty: Dr. Frederick Bloetscher
2006 Student: Linda (Lina) Ortega
2004 Student: Melissa M. Morris
2002 President's Award: M.J. "Mike" Arts
2002 Faculty: Dr. Daniel Raviv
2001 President's Award: Peter Lo Bello
2000 Student: Ursula Pamela Chavez
1998 Faculty: Dr. Roy Levow

Distinguished Alumni

On April 29, 2004, a new tradition was established, the 麻豆精品视频Alumni Hall of Fame & Distinguished Alumni ceremony and reception. This awards ceremony and reception honor a distinguished alumnus/a from each of FAU's colleges. This event, held the evening before Spring Commencement, also honors the Spring inductee into the Alumni Hall of Fame.
2018 Ryan D. Wheeler, BS 鈥�06
2017 Ravi M. Krishnamurthy, PhD, MSE 鈥�86
2016 Gary Enzor, BAS '84, MBA '90
2015 Catherine Haas Barre, BSME '88
2014 Feridun Ozdil, PhD, MSE '91
2013 Thomas J. de Groot, BSOE 鈥�83
2012 John C. McDaris, BSE 鈥�72
2011 Ursula Chavez-Iafrate, BSEE 鈥�03
2011 Michael N. Lansing, BSEE 鈥�02
2010 Jimmy Clidaras, BSME 鈥�94
2009 Dr. Mark E. Dean, MSE 鈥�82
2008 Richard C. Asher, BS 鈥�67
2007 Mark Hickinbotham, BSME 鈥�82
2006 Philip Zimmerman, BAS 鈥�78
2005 Alex H. Makled, MS 鈥�00
2004 Dr. Andrew M. Clark, BSOE 鈥�80, ME 鈥�83

Outstanding Young Owls

The Outstanding Young Owls (OYO) awards program was created in 2014 to recognize exceptional alumni under age 40 for their personal and professional accomplishments.
2017 Ryan D. Wheeler, BSCV 鈥�06
2016 Richard J. Viens, BSEE 鈥�99
2015 Jeremy Rodgers, BSCE 鈥�01, MS 鈥�04
2014 Ricardo Smith, BSEE 鈥�00

Alumni Highlights

Alejandra Vega

Alejandra Vega '24

Civil Engineering

Alejandra is a Research Civil Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Mississippi. A native of El Salvador, Alejandra earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from 麻豆精品视频 in May 2024, graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors. She is currently pursuing a Master鈥檚 degree in Civil Engineering at Mississippi State University (MSU). Vega remains actively involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the non-profit organization Engineers in Action (EIA), where she serves as a mentor for the Bridge Program at FAU. During her undergraduate studies, Alejandra served as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for the Statics and Strength of Materials courses. She also led the KaBodali Footbridge Project (2024) in Eswatini, Africa, as the Project Manager. The bridge now serves over 2,500 residents in rural communities. Upon graduation, she received the Faculty Award for Outstanding Leadership in recognition of her exceptional performance as Project Manager and her active involvement in student organizations including EIA, ASCE, and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). In her free time, Alejandra enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, friends, and her dog, Taquito. She loves going to the beach, playing board games, and trying new foods.

Nicole Cummings

Nicole Cummings '03

Mechanical Engineering

Nicole is the deputy program manager at Aerojet Rocketdyne, responsible for the RL10 rocket engine that will power the Exploration Upper Stage of NASA鈥檚 Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1B rocket, which is slated to carry the first woman and first person of color to the moon as part of NASA鈥檚 Artemis program. She holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from 麻豆精品视频 and an M.S. degree from the National Graduate School. Cummings began her aerospace career 18 years ago as an intern, later working as a test engineer and then in rocket launch operations, serving as the engineering liaison for major clients such as NASA, The Aerospace Corporation, and United Launch Alliance. She eventually transitioned to the business side, taking on the role of operations manager, where she was responsible for integrating new technologies into the company鈥檚 product lines鈥攅xperience that paved the way for her current role as RL10 deputy program manager. Outside of her work at Aerojet Rocketdyne, Cummings is passionate about promoting STEM education in local schools, regularly engaging with students to inspire excitement for science and engineering. She also founded her own small business, Sophisticated out Loud (SoL), which supports women- and minority-owned businesses through marketing, networking, and growth resources. Her leadership and impact have earned her several honors, including the WPB Women鈥檚 Chamber of Commerce Giraffe Award, Success Magazine鈥檚 40 under 40, MIA Magazine鈥檚 40 under 40, recognition as one of South Florida鈥檚 Most Prominent and Influential Black Women, and ICABA鈥檚 Women of Impact.

Alex Hintze

Alex Hintze '20

Civil Engineering

Alex is currently working as a Civil Structural Engineer with The Mbhilibhi Group, a full-service engineering and construction firm based in Eswatini. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from 麻豆精品视频 in 2020. During his time at FAU, Alex led a team of students in designing and constructing a footbridge in Eswatini through the non-profit organization Engineers In Action (EIA). Following graduation, he joined BCC Engineering in Fort Lauderdale, where he worked as a Structural Engineering Designer on highway bridge projects for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Seeking a new adventure, Alex relocated to Eswatini and began working with Engineers In Action, managing and hosting university teams during their bridge projects across the country. Within his first year there, he met the love of his life, Ashar, and the two were soon married. Having found a sense of home in Eswatini and wishing to return to engineering design, Alex joined The Mbhilibhi Group, where he continues to apply his structural engineering expertise on a variety of impactful projects.

College of Engineering and Computer Science

麻豆精品视频's College of Engineering and Computer Science prepares students for careers in engineering and emerging technologies through hands-on learning, research and industry connections. Programs span artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics and other rapidly evolving fields.

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