1970s
HAROLD “HARRY” MCGINNIS ’71, ’73 M.S., Ph.D., was recently appointed to the editorial board for the Space Sciences Journal and the Journal of Thermodynamics Research. Over the past two years, he has published articles on lunar settlement governance, lunar land use, lunar transportation technology and organizational analyses of NASA and the U.S. Space Force.
1980s
DOROTHY CLEGG ’80 A.S., ’81, LISA WYCKOFF SALUCK ’80 A.S., ’82, and JOYCE TRUHAN CLARK ’82 recently reunited in Hawaii to celebrate Clegg’s retirement after more than 40 years as a pilot with Continental/United Airlines. Clegg, who ended her career flying the 787 Dreamliner, now lives in Hawaii Kai on Oahu. Clark is retired from her 33‑year career as a principal environmental specialist in California, and Saluck is retired from a career in market research in Satellite Beach, Florida. The former roommates cherish their Florida Tech days and look forward to future adventures together.
MAUREEN G. MANN ’84 M.S., ’85 M.S., is a nationally recognized health care leader who serves as vice president of the Lynn Cancer Institute and Lynn Women’s Health and Wellness Institute at Baptist Health South Florida. She has more than two decades of impact in oncology and community health, contributes to national initiatives, such as the White House Cancer Moonshot, and serves as chair of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Board.
FRED GRIEGER ’85 and LOGAN SWEENEY ’19—two generations of Florida Tech alumni—were recently photographed together at Advanced Thermal Batteries (ATB), where they now work side by side. Grieger serves as CEO, and Sweeney leads ATB’s NDT & Test department. Despite graduating more than 30 years apart, they’ve built a strong connection through shared Panther Pride.
2000s
CHRIS FERNANDO ’02 joined VHB as the regional aviation director for the mid-Atlantic, bringing more than two decades of aviation planning, environmental policy and emerging technology knowledge to support projects across the East Coast from his base in Raleigh, North Carolina.
MARTHA WILLIAMS ’03 Ph.D. was recently inducted into the William Carey University 2025 Hall of Fame, a recognition honoring her exceptional accomplishments and impact. Williams began her academic journey at the university at just 16 years old and completed her degree by 19, marking the start of a distinguished career that continues to inspire.
RYAN HALONEN ’04, an ocean engineering graduate, has spent the past five years co-developing innovative acoustic-release “pop-up” gear that helps protect migrating whales while supporting sustainable crab fishing. His company, PUPFish, was recently featured on CBS News.
ALTAIR S. WATSON ’06 MAT of Melbourne, Florida, was named to the 2026 Forbes|SHOOK® Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State list. The ranking recognizes successful financial advisors who are leading the way in areas such as best practices, compliance records and assets under care.
RYAN MEYER ’07 was awarded the 2026 AAAE NEC Aviation Excellence Award. Meyer serves as the director of planning and programming at Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
2010s
GAEL LE BRIS ’11 MSA and LOUP‑GIANG NGUYEN ’19 MSA co-led a research project focused on enhancing airport access with emerging mobility along with contributors and fellow Panthers, KARLA MEDINA ’22 and JOSHUA SATTAN ’24 MSA. Their team was recognized by WSP, a leading engineering and professional services firm, with a Global Excellence Award in Technical Excellence for their work on aircraft innovation and airport compatibility.
DARREN L’APPANNA ’11,’13 MSA, received the Business Travel Science Award from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) at a leadership summit in Miami. He serves as the chapter’s president, making the award even more meaningful.
JACQUELINE “JACKIE” GRIFFIN ’12, ’13 MBA, has been installed as the 2026 president of the Space Coast Association of Realtors, the largest professional membership organization in Brevard County. With more than 23 years in real estate, she has helped over 1,600 families buy and sell property across the Space Coast.
JOHN ROBERTSON ’13, Ph.D., was named chief engineer for space solar arrays for Boeing Co.
WILLIAM WHITE ’16 has built a successful career in commercial aviation. He spent four years with Envoy Air as a first officer, captain and line check airman before joining United Airlines in 2021 as a Boeing 737 first officer. In 2024, he upgraded to captain and now serves as a Chicago‑based 737 captain. He also mentors aspiring pilots through the Aviate Pathway Program.
GIANCARLO SANTOS ARGUINZONI ’17, ’22 M.S., and his wife, Xiomara Ines—married Sept. 3, 2022—welcomed their two Panther cubs, Lenier Rafael and Maribel Ines, Dec. 11, 2025.
2020s
MAHMOUD ALMASRI ’21, an aeronautical science with flight graduate from Saudi Arabia, now flies the Boeing 777 as an ultra-long haul first officer after several years on the Airbus A320. He credits his success to the skills he developed at Florida Tech, noting that flying in U.S. airspace still feels familiar and brings back great memories. His message to current flight students: “Training is demanding, but every moment in the cockpit proves that hard work pays off.”
NICOLETTE (MURPHEY) BACKERT ’21 and MATTHEW BACKERT ’21 got married in March 2025 and recently welcomed their son, Colton, into the world. Nicolette and Matt met during their freshman year in Roberts Hall, and they are thrilled to be starting this new chapter together.
JARED MCCOLPIN ’24, ’25 M.S., has transitioned into a full-time role as an associate project controls estimator after a year of interning with Walt Disney Imagineering. McColpin is grateful to continue with the company and will now be supporting projects at Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida.
This piece was featured in the spring 2026 edition of Florida Tech Magazine.
