Florida Tech to Honor its Own at Homecoming 2006

MELBOURNE, FLA. — Florida Tech will honor achievers and advocates at Homecoming 2006, Oct. 12-14. At the Homecoming Banquet on Oct. 13, five people will be
recognized for their success and university contributions.
The Outstanding Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award will go to Dr. Tracy Gibson, who graduated in 1999 with a doctoral degree in chemistry. His early
work was for NASA and included projects to develop new materials to remove contaminants from the astronauts’ air supply and to create electrical wire
insulation that is self-repairing. He has been recognized by NASA and ASRC Aerospace Corporation, a NASA contractor he later joined, as a leading research
scientist and continues to support the Florida Tech department of chemistry.
Casey Baker and Dr. Laszlo Baksay, professor of physics and space sciences, will accept University Advocate Awards. Baker, a 1974 graduate with a degree in
ocean engineering, recently retired as director of rowing, following his 18th year leading the crew program. Last season he coached the women’s crew team
to their fifth Sunshine State Rowing Championships event. Over the years he coached his teams to several medals and awards.
Baksay, a noted federal research scholar, has earned international acclaim in the fields of experimental high-energy particle and nuclear physics,
electromagnetic physics and related fields. His grant submissions have generated about $3 million over his career and he has published over 300 articles in
refereed and other journals. In 2006 he organized and hosted a RWTH Aachen, Germany alumni reception on the Florida Tech campus. Attending were the
renowned technological university’s alumni living in the United States.
Tim Wakefield will receive the Humanitarian Award. He was named the Panthers team Most Valuable Player as a first baseman and sophomore in 1987 and as a
junior in 1988. Today, a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, he is recognized throughout Major League Baseball for his civic-mindedness. Honored for his work
helping Boston children, he also contributes to Garth Brooks’ Teammates for Kids Foundation. In Brevard County, where he is a seasonal resident, he
supports the Space Coast Early Intervention Center, hosting the Tim Wakefield Celebrity Golf Classic to benefit the center. He was a major contributor to
Florida Tech’s Andy Seminick/Les hall Field, which was dedicated in January 1999.
Tim Ling will earn the Homecoming 2006 Outstanding Service Award. A 1989 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, he is a successful
environmental engineer in Columbus, Ohio. He has served on the Civil Engineering Advisory Committee since its inception in 2001 and has been one of its
most active members. Under his leadership the committee has begun an ambitious civil engineering alumni recruiting endowment with a goal to raise $600,000
over three years.
Banquet tickets are $35 each. For more information about Homecoming 2006 events call (321) 674-7198 or 674-7642.