60for60

Sunita Williams grew up with the dream to be a veterinarian. Inspired by her neuroscientist father and x-ray technician mother, she enjoyed studying the sketches of brains displayed in her house. However, her life took a different path after her older brother’s entry into the U.S. Naval Academy. Following his lead, she graduated in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in…

Teachers can have a profound impact on the lives of young people, and the best teachers are those who care deeply and work hard to truly engage students. Tracey Bailey, who graduated from Florida Tech with a bachelor of science in 1988 and a master of science in science education in 1995, has spent years striving to improve public education.…

Elizabeth Webbe Lunny’s passion for marketing and advertising began while she was a student at Florida Tech where her father, Dr. Frank Webbe, is a professor and the former dean of the School of Psychology. Elizabeth cultivated strong relationships with her professors while earning her bachelor’s degree in humanities. She credits her Florida Tech family—Dr. Gordon Patterson, Dr. Rudy Stoeckel,…

Tino Alavie, PhD, can’t help but create his own business ventures. He has been directly or indirectly responsible for creating, managing, and growing seven technology start-ups in North America and Europe from start to financial exit. Currently, as president and chief executive officer of Qvella Corporation, Dr. Alavie is the driving force behind the innovative research being conducted by the…

Mike earned a master’s degree in space sciences from Florida Tech in 1991; this was just the beginning of his exploration of the farthest reaches of our universe. His career began at the Johnson Space Center as a flight controller in the Mission Operations Directorate in 1995 as a contractor, converting to be a full-time NASA employee in 1998. He…

It is every scientist’s dream to be the first to discover something. Max’s moment came in 2005 while working at the Space Telescope Science Institute. As he was cleaning and inspecting some Hubble Space Telescope images, two blips on the screen caught his attention. They were faint satellites moving around Pluto in the same direction as Charon, Pluto’s moon that…

Davon learned lessons of teamwork and sportsmanship during his time on the basketball courts at Florida Tech. He has since taken these lessons with him into the business world. He shares the lessons he learned on the court in his book, From Courtside to the Boardroom: A Legacy in the Making. Kelly believes in the importance of mentoring the next…

Fitzgerald “Fidgi” Haig arrived at Florida Tech from his native Haiti in the fall of 1987. Fidgi was part of a new wave of international soccer players recruited to turn the soccer program into championship contenders. He played four seasons for the Panthers, helping to win Florida Tech’s first-ever NCAA National Championship in 1988. During his stellar career he earned…

For Tim Wakefield, Florida Tech was a springboard to his successful baseball career. In 1988, he was drafted in the eighth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Florida Tech as a power-hitting first baseman. The records he set while at Florida Tech still stand. He quickly discovered his bat wasn’t good enough for the major leagues, so he became…

Scott began his career as a spacecraft engineer charged with test and checkout of national security satellites at Cape Canaveral. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in astronautical engineering from the United States Air Force Academy in 1985. He earned his master of science in engineering management at Florida Tech in 1988. Henderson is currently vice president, test and flight…