MAE alums bring home college-wide awards
Each year, the College of Engineering recognizes outstanding graduates for their contributions to advancing the field of engineering.
On Nov. 17, five alumni of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering were honored at the 20th Annual Excellence in Engineering and Architecture Alumni Awards.
“The hard work, passion and amazing achievements of our more than 61,000 alumni, not only fill us with pride, but also raise the reputation of our great college and inspire students to follow in your footsteps,” Dean David B. Williams, said during the event.
“Tonight we celebrate you and the tremendous impact Buckeye engineers, architects and planners have on our world through your teaching, entrepreneurship, award-winning designs and service to others.”
Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership
Robert M. Nerem (’61 MS, ’64 PhD)
After serving as professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston, he became the founding director of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech. As the director of the Georgia Tech/ Emory Center for the Engineering of Living Tissues, he studied cellular and tissue engineering as applied to the vascular system.
Dr. Nerem is a past senior advisor for bioengineering at the NIH’s National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.
Meritorious Service Citation
Douglas N. Ball (’74 BS, ’75 MA)
In his impressive 37-year career at Boeing, he served in a variety of roles, including chief of enabling technology and research, chief engineer of aerodynamics, and director of enterprise technology strategy.
He has served on Ohio State’s Aerospace Engineering External Advisory Board for more than 12 years and was named board chairman in 2014. In 2015, he created the Doug Ball Endowed Aerospace Scholarship and helped establish the Gregorek Aerospace Endowed Scholarship.
Ball was awarded the college’s 2006 Distinguished Alumnus Award and MAE’s Garvin L. Von Eschen Award in 2013.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Bassam A. Homsi (’84 BS)
His company provides design, fabrication and robotics support for automotive companies, including BMW, Honda and Mercedes-Benz. Autotool, Inc. and its 35 new employees will soon move to a 167,000-square-foot facility.
Homsi supports the manufacturing industry by advocating for quality technical education. He serves as an advisor for DeVry University and several Ohio trade schools.
In 2012, Homsi donated a CNC vertical machining center to MAE, and his donation provides students with a truly hands-on education. He serves on the ME External Advisory Board and previously served on the Dean’s Advisory Council.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Krishan K. Joshi (’61 BS)
He has established partnerships with the Air Force Research Laboratory, the U.S. Army’s Aeromedical Research Laboratory, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
UES, Inc.’s revenue for technologies developed through the NSF’s Small Business Innovation Research program has exceeded $175 million. Three of Dr. Joshi’s major projects include KI Shell, ProCAST and Paravant, which are software/development products that are widely used by engineering and manufacturing professionals.
In 2005, Wright State University opened the 50,000-square-foot Krishan and Vicky Joshi Research Center.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Daniel L. Wieczynski (’90 BS)
The majority of his career – 26 years – has focused on leading ExxonMobil.
After graduating in 1990, Wieczynski served as an inspection engineer at the company’s Baton Rouge refinery. He has gone on to serve as ExxonMobil’s clean products coordinator; business manager of the Adriatic LNG Terminal Project; and senior vice president of ExxonMobil Indonesia.
Today, Wieczynski is president of ExxonMobil Indonesia and manages the operations of the world’s largest listed oil and gas company in Indonesia.
To learn more about the other alumni honored at the 20th Annual Excellence in Engineering and Architecture Alumni Awards ceremony, please click here.
