1970s
FRANK DESILVA ’78 was inducted into the Water Quality Association Hall of Fame, the organization’s highest honor, in recognition of more than 45 years of leadership and service in the water treatment industry. DeSilva serves as technical consultant and dean of ResinTech University at ResinTech Inc. and has been a longtime leader in water purification education and innovation.
1980s
EDWARD HESS ’80 has built a successful career in the automotive aftermarket industry, launching his own vehicle customization business shortly after graduating from Florida Tech and continuing to operate it more than 44 years later. In the past year, he organized the Pi Kappa Alpha Zeta Sigma Chapter Mortgage Group, a network of alumni that provides alumni-financed mortgages at significantly reduced interest rates to support the fraternity chapter.
EDWARD P. DONOVAN ’82 Ph.D. received a lifetime achievement award from the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina (EEASC) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to environmental education throughout the state.
BARRY BAKER ’85 A.S., ’86, DAN BERTOSSA ’86, VINCE FERRIS ’86 (not pictured), MIKE KELLY ’86, JACK ZIMAK ’86, RICK MARKS ’87, SCOT KILLEN ’88, CHRIS HELLSTEN ’89 and MARK MELLINGER ’90, Ph.D., reunited at the Dad Vail Regatta as members of an alumni 8 crew composed entirely of Florida Tech rowers from the 1986 national championship team. Competing in the alumni 500-meter dash nearly 40 years after their championship season, the crew won the regatta’s Over-50 division and celebrated a successful reunion of Florida Tech rowing alumni.
Jeffrey Hoel ’87, ’89 M.S., retired after 40 years of combined active-duty and federal civilian service with the U.S. Navy. In 2025, he hiked a section of Spain’s famed Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route and plans to return in October to continue his journey along the historic trail.
1990s
David Ishihara ’90 A.S., ’92, was appointed deputy executive director of aviation for the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). He previously served as director of aviation operations, safety and security at Boston Logan International Airport and has held leadership roles with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration.
Sharon Williams ’92 was appointed executive director of aviation for the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). A 32-year Massport veteran and commercial pilot, she will oversee aviation operations for Boston Logan International Airport, Hanscom Field and Worcester Regional Airport.
2000s
Ryan Tenny ’09, ’15 M.S., was named a 2025 Airport Business 40 Under 40 honoree, one of the aviation industry’s most prestigious recognitions. The award celebrates emerging leaders who are shaping the industry today while helping to define its future.
2010s
Erik Mackay ’11 welcomed his third Panther cub, Gabriella Lucy, Dec. 15, 2025. The family is thrilled to celebrate its newest addition.
Stephanie Zoutenbier ’11 and her husband, Brian Riley, welcomed their daughter, Julianna Zoutenbier, Oct. 6, 2025.
Mickey Middaugh ’14 retired from the U.S. Air Force after 24 years in Security Forces, where he led teams responsible for protecting critical national defense assets and personnel around the world. He later founded Grey Matter Ops, a situational awareness and preparedness organization, and launched the Red Dot Mindset podcast, which focuses on personal safety, workplace violence prevention and decision-making under stress. He also serves on the board of directors for Texas for Heroes.
Mike Renoe ’14 was promoted to engineering director of Outside Inc.’s Platform division. In the same month, he and his wife welcomed their first children, twins Clyde and Clara.
Keith Crisman ’17 M.S., ’20 Ph.D., was awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor of space studies in the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota. He also helped lead the design and development of the university’s Neutral Buoyancy Space Operations Facility, a pioneering research center that will expand opportunities for human spaceflight research.
2020s
Lauren-Ann Graham ’20, ’23 M.S., achieved certification as a test conductor for NASA’s Orion spacecraft, qualifying her to oversee testing of the vehicle that will carry astronauts on future missions to the moon. The certification followed several years of specialized training and coursework.
Dina Dragoljic ’21 will begin a Ph.D. program at the University of Michigan in fall, joining the Unity (Coronel) Lab after spending three years as a research lab specialist in the university’s Putnam Laboratory. Her research will focus on engineering smart biomaterials for wound healing.
Brandon Burroughs ’22 M.S. was featured as a speaker for the National Space Society’s Space Forum, “The Space Launch System (SLS): An Early Career Engineer’s Perspective.” A project manager on Boeing’s Space Launch System team at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Burroughs shared insights on the Artemis program, SLS development and operations, and his career journey from intern to aerospace leader.
Ashlea Daniels ’22 and Rocket Otte ’23, who met as freshmen at Florida Tech in 2018, became engaged this year. Otte proposed in the university’s Joy and Gordon Patterson Botanical Garden during a visit to campus for the Northrop Grumman Engineering and Science Student Design Showcase. They now reside in North Carolina with their three cats.
Cynthia Sundin ’22 MBA became engaged to Barry Bohsack, whom she met while working for Lockheed Martin. Bohsack surprised her with a proposal during the Artemis II rollout in January.
Wiam Al Salmi ’23 has built a successful career in corporate strategy and business planning since graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida Tech. As a business analyst for corporate planning and strategy at Oman Flour Mills, a leading government-owned food company, she supports strategic initiatives, organizational transformation, performance management and long-term business growth. Al Salmi has also represented the company at major international trade exhibitions in Dubai and Germany, helping strengthen its global presence while advancing Oman’s food security and economic vision.
Carol Craig ’26 MBA was appointed to the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2025. In 2026, the founder and CEO of Sidus Space and Craig Technologies was also appointed to the board of directors and audit committee of Greenland Energy Company, further expanding her leadership role in the aerospace, defense and energy sectors.
Santiago Florez-Tascon ’26 will continue his education at Rice University, where he has been accepted into the Master of Engineering Management and Leadership program.
Samantha Ryan ’26 turned a 2025 summer internship with L3Harris Technologies Inc. into a full-time role as a mechanical engineer in the company’s Intelligence and Cyber division.
This piece was featured in the fall 2026 edition of Florida Tech Magazine.
