Spring 2022 AlumNotes

1970s

Tony Ciccolella III ’71 (left) and Frank Herman ’72 (right) celebrated the 50th anniversary of their graduations at the Lure Fish House restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona, along with their wives, Kathryn and Jessica. Both couples are retired and living in the Phoenix area.

Don Joffe ’72, ’77 M.S., PE, was elected to the Belforest Water System (BFWS) board of directors in Daphne, Alabama. The BFWS supplies water to communities on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay.

Col. Thomas Brehm ’75 (retired) began a new role with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as FAA aircrew program manager EMB-145 Piedmont Airlines.

Col. Darrel Williamson ’76, ’85 M.S., (retired) was awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service as the state chair of the Colorado Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

Cmdr. Robert E. Connery ’77 (retired) recently retired from teaching science at Creekside High School. His wife, Gail Connery ’77, retired from Marymount International School in Rome.

Bryan Burns ’78 A.S., ’80, president of the Air Charter Safety Foundation, received the 2021 National Business Aviation Association’s (NBAA) Dr. Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award. The NBAA Kern Award recognizes aviation professionals who excel in leadership in professional ethics, vocational excellence, continuous improvement, professional engagement, professional image and selflessness.

1980s

David Lynn Anderson ’80 M.S. has published the seventh book in his “The Sorcerer” series, Ultimate Calamity on the Alternate Universe: Book VII of The Sorcerer.

Rene’ Ledford ’81, MSW, LCSW, BCBA, recently launched CHS Edge, a community resource from the Children’s Home Society designed to elevate child welfare and behavioral health practices through the provision of cost-effective, convenient and advanced professional development programs.

Ron Mathieu ’84 A.S., ’85, as CEO of Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, led an $8.3 million transformation of the airport in advance of The World Games 2022 scheduled July 7 to July 17 in Birmingham, Alabama.

Dave Munns ’84 M.S. recently retired after careers in virus research, software engineering and test automation. His next adventures include mentoring his grandsons, traveling, performing on the clarinet in a wind ensemble and creating photographic images of nature.

Capt. Barbara Andersen ’85 (right) and 1st Officer Trevi Jenkins ’08 (left) were at the controls of a recent United Airlines flight to Nassau, Bahamas.

David Stagg ’85 retired from a career in safety and environmental services and has provided free tutoring for college science students.

Allen Murphy ’86 MBA, who retired after 30 years of corporate IT program management, joined Valencia College as a visiting professor of business administration/management.

Evan Smith ’86 M.S., ’21 Ph.D., joined the Florida Tech faculty as a full-time instructor in January.

Vik Verma ’87 was named to the board of directors for Ping Identity. He currently sits on the board of directors of Cambium Networks and Zingtree as well as the advisory board of Wiliot. The University of Michigan’s electrical and computer engineering department recognized him with the 2022 ECE Alumni Impact award.

Marjorie Luczak ’89 MBA has published The Glass Spider, a historical fiction novel that spans time and distance from China after World War II to Jamaica and to the United States.

Herb Raybourn ’89, ’91 M.S., PE, FASCE, has been named a fellow by the American Society of Civil Engineers for his contributions and creative solutions in the fields of civil engineering and water resources.

Dana Schulze ’89 was named managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board, overseeing day-to-day operations of an agency with 400 employees and a $118 million budget.

1990s

Joshua Ray ’91 A.S., ’93, was recently promoted to regional head of general aviation–North America for Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, a major worldwide aviation insurance provider. In this role, Ray is responsible for overseeing and steering the general aviation insurance portfolio in the U.S. and Canada.

Douglas Bayley ’92 joined Davidson Technologies as team lead for modeling and simulation efforts supporting the U.S. Air Force. Bayley earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering at Auburn University and served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years.

Joseph Heinzman ’93 MBA, DBA, joins Pasco-Hernando State College as the new director of apprenticeship, workforce development and career and technical education. His work experience started at Armstrong World Industries as an accountant and culminated as a business manager in aerospace, retiring from Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Orlando following 24 years of service.

Monique Picou ’93 MBA was named to the Ryan Companies US Inc. board of directors. Ryan is leveraging Picou’s experience in supply chain operations and product and technology strategy as it expands its footprint in new markets.

Burt Summerfield ’96 MBA serves as associate director for management at NASA–Kennedy Space Center. He is honored to be part of the next lunar program, Artemis, that plans to add a base camp on the moon’s surface. The Artemis program, designed for deep space missions, will undergo extensive exploration, scientific experimentation and, ultimately, a trip to Mars.

Holland Thompson ’96 was appointed to Florida’s state emergency response commission by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Holland is the director of health and safety at Mosaic Co.

Brian Leising ’98 was named vice president of manufacturing for Opus Genetics, a patient-focused gene therapy company developing treatments for orphan­-inherited retinal diseases.

2000s

Anthony Briggs ’00 started a new role as intellectual property (IP) counsel at Accenture. In this role, he researches and strategizes Accenture positions on forward-looking global issues in IP (e.g., AI, NFT and other technology impacts on IP). He supports and advises deal teams in negotiating IP terms.

Adele Luta ’02, an AAAS IF/THEN® ambassador, poses with her statue in the National Mall. The Smithsonian partnered with IF/THEN to display figures of remarkable women in STEM careers to celebrate the incredible impact women continue to make on vital scientific endeavors.

Tiffanie DeMaria Artigas ’03 was recently promoted to director of operational excellence at Verdex Construction in West Palm Beach. Last year, Artigas was named the 2021 Procore Groundbreaker of the Year and received her award from Jay Leno.

Julien Apeloig ’04, ’07 M.S., Ph.D., joined Athstat as the principal data scientist. In his new role, he develops tools to support sports clubs to make the most of their data and boost performance. The entrepreneurship and international connections he gained through Florida Tech’s culture helped him realize this career shift from French aerospace and academic laboratories.

Manny Rodriguez ’04 M.S., DBA, recently joined Puzzle Box Academy as an executive team member. Puzzle Box is scheduled to open a new innovative high school and boarding school in Viera, Florida, for 156 neurodivergent students in August 2024.

Jason Kloes ’05 recently accepted a position with Blue Origin as a senior program manager for advanced development groups. Previously, he worked on human launch systems with Northrop Grumman Corp.

Aravind Ratnam ’05 M.S. was appointed chief strategy officer with Q-CTRL. In his role, he is tasked with bringing quantum computing technology to many applications including space, transportation and climate science.

Christopher Clapper ’07 recently joined Solarus as captain CL604/605. He credits the Florida Tech College of Aeronautics with helping him land an opportunity to work as a captain for Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. early in his career.

Christine (Gabrielse) Lin ’07, Ph.D., and her husband, Junwen, welcomed their daughter, Avonlea, in July 2021. Lin is a research scientist in The Aerospace Corp.’s space science department, and her husband practices immigration law. Their little cub fills their lives with immeasurable joy and bright smiles!

Jill ’09 M.S. and Ryan ’09, ’15 M.S., Tenny welcomed a daughter to their Panther pack in May 2021.

2010s

Jennifer ’10, ’13 M.S., DPT, and Brian Kryszczynski ’11, ’14 MBA, welcomed their daughter, Skyla, in November.

Ian McCarrell ’10 recently started as quality manager for Ereztech Labs U.S., and Catherine McCarrell ’10 was promoted to operational excellence manager for MilliporeSigma Sheboygan Falls. They both have careers in specialty chemicals after meeting and graduating together as chemical engineers at Florida Tech. They also have two Panther cubs, Emily, 5, and Owen, 3.

Gregory Fratantaro ’11, ’13 M.S., recently joined FedEx Express as an MD-11F first officer. He was an instructor pilot in the KC-10A Extender serving in the Air Force Reserve for nine years.

Gaël Le Bris ’11 MSA, C.M., P.E., and Loup-Giang Nguyen ’19 MSA published ACRP Report 236: Preparing Your Airport for Electric Aircraft and Hydrogen Technologies for the Transportation Research Board, a division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. This is the first comprehensive study on the matter and an important milestone in aerial innovation for the development of air mobility.

Guillermo Naranjo ’11, Ph.D., was recently promoted to lead electronic warfare engineer with SRC. His work helps pilots return home safely from their missions. He credits his time at Florida Tech, specifically the Geophysics Space Lab and Drs. Liu, Dwyer and Rassoul, for helping to develop the tools he uses today.

Thomas Parrett ’11 MBA recently took the helm of C Pathe as president/CEO. C Pathe is a specialized engineering, design and manufacturer of static, dynamic and augmented reality displays for the retail sector.

Laura Donson ’12 M.S. of Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center in Jacksonville has been awarded the Department of Defense’s 2021 Richard Ginman Award for Contingency Contracting Officer Excellence.

Christopher Loper ’12 M.S. joined Oasis Systems as an information systems management specialist contractor supporting the Air Force Research Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

Eden Priela ’12 M.S. began a new position with KPMG as manager, cybersecurity services.

Sunaina Ramisetty ’12 M.S. turned the hobby she used for extra money while earning her master’s in chemical engineering into a thriving business. She launched Tarinika in 2017 and recently added her second brand, Paksha.

Guinevere Shaw ’12, Ph.D., began work as a nuclear engineer with the Department of Energy.

William Folchi ’13 recently made a career shift, joining Deloitte as a senior consultant in its enterprise performance practice. He previously held roles with Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. and Honeywell.

John T. Robertson ’13, Ph.D., lead electrophysics engineer with Boeing Co., received the Future Technology Leader award by The Engineers Council.

Kajal Vaidya ’13 M.S. was promoted to downstream lead, manufacturing technology, for Sanofi Pasteur Toronto’s new vaccine-manufacturing facility for pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus vaccines. She has previously worked for manufacturing of Sanofi’s polio vaccine and Merck’s HPV vaccine.

Joseph Torkaman ’14, ’16 M.S., is celebrating five years at SpaceX in Los Angeles, where he was the lead mission director for the CRS-23 and CRS-24 missions to the International Space Station.

Christopher Mastrantuono ’15 MBA has been appointed director of medical affairs operations at Mount Sinai Health System.

Rebekah Mena ’15 took a new role as senior strategic communications consultant with Guidehouse in Washington, D.C. Previously, she served as public information officer for the City of Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Kelly Costa ’16 signed off from NBC affiliate WWLP in Springfield, Massachusetts, for her new role with FOX Weather. Costa trained with National Hurricane Center meteorologists while studying at Florida Tech, preparing her well for her new role covering tropical storms and severe weather systems.

Noelle Sterriker ’16, ’20 M.S., and her husband, William, welcomed their daughter, Lyla Mae, in April.

Vince Trimboli ’16, seated (forefront), at the flight controls consoles inside Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center at NASA–Kennedy Space Center for the Artemis I simulation in December.

Matthew Donlan ’18 MBA recently completed his doctor of behavioral health degree and opened his own practice, Donlan Counseling Services, to help others achieve their goals and recover from issues.

Steven Farris ’18 MBA was promoted to senior principal project manager at Northrop Grumman Corp. and was accepted to Florida Tech’s DBA program starting fall 2022.

Hekmat Nujoom ’18 M.S. began a new role as account manager with Boston Scientific.

Arjun Nair ’18, ’20 M.S., began work as an airport planner at Syracuse Regional Airport Authority. The College of Aeronautics became home to Arjun after arriving from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and he’s thrilled to be working for Jason Terreri ’01.

Ashwin Somalinga Suresh ’18 M.S. joined Lassogen Inc. as a senior research associate, studying biochemistry underpinning lasso peptide biosynthesis and optimizing the production of lasso peptides and lasso peptide analogs that are being advanced for therapeutic applications in cancer.

Patrick Voltaire ’18 MPA, assistant chief of operations for Brevard County Fire Rescue (BCFR) since 2019, has been named the next fire chief for BCFR by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners.

Chirag Dodani ’19, ’21 M.S., joined HAECO Americas in Lake City, Florida, as a liaison engineer. In his role, he serves as the intermediary between airplane manufacturers and operators, providing repair dispositions for airplanes coming in for heavy maintenance checks.

Peter O. Johnson ’19 M.S. was promoted to engagement analyst with Cerner Corp.

Shadi Moustafa ’19 was promoted to software engineer II at Collins Aerospace. He is pursuing his master’s in systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

Ezra Perry ’19 joined Savannah River National Laboratory as senior system engineer. He previously worked on automated driving systems for Toyota.

Robert Salonen ’19 MPA was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the CareerSource Florida board of directors.

Andres Vargas ’19 MBA became senior planner, Global Integrated Facilities Planning Team with The Walt Disney Co. He also serves as the vice president, region 7, for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, helping engage more members in STEM careers.

2020s

Justin Flowers ’20 M.A. was sworn in as the New Brockton town councilman for District 2, Coffee County, Alabama, in November. At age 29, he became the youngest African American New Brockton councilman to serve in Coffee County.

Mahyar Sameti ’20 Ph.D. landed a role as senior quality control analyst with Editas Medicine in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He credits Florida Tech for developing the skill sets needed to land a senior role in the heart of the biotechnology center in Boston.

Andrea Swanson ’20 worked for Amazon as a software engineer following graduation. She recently joined Inflection, a leading data, privacy standard and risk solution technology firm as a software engineer.

Donville Tomlinson ’20 MBA recently joined Microsoft Corp. as a senior business program manager supporting industry solutions delivery.

Loghan Ashline ’21 is the newest development driver for the Larsen Motorsports jet racing team.

Elise Kole Aspray ’21 Ph.D. began a postdoctoral computational research biologist position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Global Change and Photosynthesis Unit, based at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. This position harnesses her passion for addressing climate change via a mathematical background.

Alexis “Scrappy” Hopkins ’21 made history when she was selected as the eighth pick by the Kentucky Wild Health Genomes, a first-year franchise in the Atlantic League, a partner league with the MLB. Alexis played at Florida Tech while earning her B.S. in biomedical engineering.

Sarah Leversee ’21 MBA began a new role as business intelli­gence analyst with Advent­Health Central Florida.

Jamie Mohney ’21 (red shirt) and Sydney Spicer ’21 (black shirt) celebrated their graduation accomplishments by jumping out of a perfectly working airplane (skydiving).

Noah Reilly ’21 joined Millsaps College as assistant football coach, linebackers. He was a student assistant at Florida Tech and later worked with the Melbourne High School football team.

Carlos Rivera ’21 recently began working for Environmental Science Associates as an engineer.

Robbie Whitman ’21 joined the Mayo Clinic as an information security engineer.

This piece was featured in the spring 2022 edition of Florida Tech Magazine.