Distinguished Engineering Alumni


The title of Distinguished Engineering Alumni was first given in the Spring of 1964 for the purpose of recognizing special accomplishments by College of Engineering alumni. Each year, the College recognizes those men and women engineers whose achievements are truly outstanding. Listed below are School of Aeronautics and Astronautics alumni recipients.


2022 Mark S. Geyer, BSAAE 1982, MSAAE 1984
Director, Johnson Space Center, NASA
2022 David D. Thompson, MSAAE 1989
Vice Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force
2021 Ernest U. Gambaro, BSAAE '60, MSAAE '61
Business Finance and Management Consultant, Member of Board of Directors, Master of Sacred Theology Wireless, Government Systems, Inc., Networks Telephony Corp.
2021 Tanya M. Skeen, BSAAE '90
Executive Director, F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, U.S. Department of Defense
2020 W. Ted Torgerson, BSAAE '83
Senior Director Program Integration Office, U.S. Air Force Advanced Pilot Training Program, Strike, Surveillance and Mobility, Boeing Defense, Space & Security, The Boeing Company
2019 Timothy S. Cahill, BSAAE '87, MSAAE '88
Vice President, Air and Missile Defense Systems, Lockheed Martin
2019 Kenneth B. Sanger, BSAAE '81, MSAEE '83
Vice President and General Manager, Commercial Airplane Development (Retired), The Boeing Company
2018 Thomas J. Beutner, BSAAE '87
Deputy Director, Tactical Technology Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), United States Department of Defense
2018 Michael P. Moses, MSAAE '95
President, Virgin Galactic
2017 Amy Hess, BSAAE '89
Special Agent in Charge, Louisville Field Office, FBI
2016 C. Douglas Ebersole, BSAAE '82
Executive Director, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
2016 Wayne S. Tygert, BSAAE '85
787-10 Chief Project Engineer, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
2015 Raymond R. Cosner, BSAAE '72; MSAAE '72
Senior Technical Fellow, Director of Technology, Boeing Company
2015 Anthony L. Thornton, Ph.D. '92
Deputy VP for Technology & Programs, Sandia National Laboratories
2014 Andrea M. Chavez, BSAAE '88
Director, National Defense Operations and Planning, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation
2014 Jim Miller, BSAAE '86
Vice President of Worldwide Operations, Google Inc.
2013 Mark A. Burgess, BSAAE '78, MSAA '79, MSIA '82
Engineering Operations and Technology, The Boeing Company
2013 Richard Byram Rivir, BSAE '60
Senior Scientist, Aircraft Propulsion, Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory
2012 Douglas L. Bowers, BSAAE '72,
Director, Propulsion Directorate,U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory
2012 Janice E. Voss, BS Engineering Science'75,
Payloads Lead, Astronaut Office, NASA Johnson Space Center
2012 Dennis E. Warner, BSAAE'73,
President and CEO, Aero Engine Controls North America
2011 Thomas L. Maxwell, BSAAE '69,
General Manager, Military Propulsion Engineering, GE Aviation
2011 Gary E. Payton, BSAAE '72,
Former Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force and Astronaut
2010 Darryl W. Davis, BSAAE '78,
President, Phantom Works, Boeing Defense, Space and Security
2009 Michael H. Campbell, BSAAE '83,
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Fair Isaac Corporation
2008 Michael J. Cave, BSE '82,
Senior Vice President, Business Development and Strategy, The Boeing Company
2008 Debra Haley, BSAAE '78,
Special Assistant to the Commander (Ret.), Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
2007 William H. Gerstenmaier, BSAAE '77,
Associate Administrator for Space Operations, NASA
2006 Dr. Allen Novick, B.S.A.E '65, M.S.A.E '67, Ph.D. '72
Vice President Marketing Intelligence & Support. Rolls Royce Corp.
2005 Dr. Paul Bevilaqua, M.S.A.A.E '68, PhD.'73
Chief Engineer, Advanced Development Projects. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works
2004 Dr. Christopher Whipple, B.S.E.S '70  
Principal with Environ International
2004 Hank Queen, B.S.A.E. '74  
Vice-President of Engineering-Product Integrity, Boeing Commercial Airplane Group
2003 Maj. Gen. John L. Hudson, M.S.A.A. '74  
JSF Program Director, USAF
2002 Mark K. Craig, B.S.A.E. '71  
Acting Director, Stennis Space Center
2001 Kenneth G. Miller, B.S.A.E. '66  
Vice President, Air Force Programs Anteon Corp.
2000 Michael T. Kennedy, B.S.A.E. '70  
Vice President, EELV/Delta IV Program, The Boeing Company
1998 Roy D. Bridges, Jr., B.S.A.E. '66  
Director, NASA Kennedy Space Center
1997 William J. O’Neil, B.S.A.E. ’61 
Manager, Project Galileo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
1996 Robert L. Strickler, B.S.A.E. ’60, M.S.A.E.S. ’62, Ph.D. ’68 
President and General Manager of TRW Environmental Safety Systems
1995 James P. Noblitt, B.S.A.E. ’57 
Vice President and General Manager, Missiles and Space Division
1994 Lana M. Couch, B.S.A.E. ’63 
Director, National Aero-Space Plane Office, NASA Langley Research Center
1993 David O. Swain, B.S.A.E. ’64 
Senior Vice President, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace
1992 William C. Kessler, B.S.A.E. ’64, M.S.A.E. ’65 
Director, Manufacturing Technology Directorate, Wright Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
1991 William W. Brant, B.S.A.E. ’66, M.S.E. ’56 
Vice President and General Manager, Strategic Operations, Thiokol Corporation
1990 Hsichun Hua, M.S.A.E. ’65, Ph.D. ’68 
Executive Vice President and General Manager, Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology
1989 John B. Hayhurst, B.S.A.E. ’69 
Vice President, Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
1988 Ronald L. Kerber, B.S.E.S. ’65 
Vice President of Advanced Systems and Technology for McDonnell Douglas Corporation
1986 Garner W. Miller, B.S.A.E. ’50 
Senior Vice President for Maintenance and Engineering, USAir
1984 R.E. "Jeff" Kasler, B.S.A.E. ’46 
Chairman of the Board, Kasler Corporation
1983 Arthur B. Greenberg, B.S.M.E. ’50, B.S.A.E. ’50, M.S.A.E. ’52, Ph.D. ’55 
Vice President and General Manager of Government Support Operations, Programs Group, Aerospace Corporation
1982 Bruce A. Reese, M.S.M.E. ’48, Ph.D. ’53 
Chief Scientist, Arnold Engineering Development Center
1982 Robert D. Hostetler, B.S.E.S. ’64, M.S.I.A. ’65 
President and Chief Executive Officer, CTS Corporation
1981 Richard H. Petersen, B.S.A.E. ’56 
Deputy Director, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Langley Research Center
1980 Paul T. Homsher, B.S.A.E. ’45
Vice President, F-15 Saudi Arabian Operations, McDonell Aircraft Company
1979 James D. Raisbeck, B.S.A.E. ’61 
President, The Raisbeck Group
1978 Martin W. Taylor, B.S.ATR. ’48 
Vice President, Maintenance, Continental Airlines
1978 Wendell S. Norman, M.S.A.E. ’58 
Director, von Karman Gas Dynamic Facility, ARO Incorporated, AEDC Division
1977 Jack D. Daugherty, M.S.E.Sc. ’62, Ph.D. ’66 
Vice President of AVCO-Everett Research Laboratory, Inc.
1976 Richard M. Patrick, B.S.A.E. ’50, M.S.A.E. ’52 
Vice President, AVCO-Everett Research Laboratory, Inc.
1974 John I. Nestel, B.S.M.E.-B.S.A.E. ’47 
President, Consolidated Airborne Systems
1974 Robert E. Bateman, B.S.A.E. ’46 
Vice President - Washington Operations, The Boeing Company
1973 Richard D. Freeman, B.S.ATR. ’50 
Vice President, Business Development, Autonetics Division, North American Rockwell Corporation
1973 William E. Cooper, Ph.D. ’51 
Vice President and Technical Director, Teledyne Materials Research
1971 Walter D. Smith, B.S.A.E. ’43 
General Manager, Space Re-Entry Systems Department, Re-Entry and Environmental Systems Division, General Electric Company
1970 Leonard M. Rose, B.S.A.E. ’43 
Vice President-Research and Engineering, Columbus (Ohio) Division, North American Rockwell Corporation
1970 Alvin L. Boyd, B.S.ATR. ’48 
Divisional Vice President-Fiscal Management, McDonnell Douglas Corporation
1968 Lester W. Smith, B.S.A.E. ’48, M.S.E. ’50, Ph.D. ’52 
General Manager, Ross Engineering Division, Midland-Ross Corporation
1968 Richard L. Duncan, B.S.E.E. ’37, M.S.A.E. ’48, Ph.D. ’50 
Manager, Advanced Planning, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division, United Aircraft Corporation
1967 Alfred F. Schmitt, B.S.A.E. ’48, M.S.A.E. ’49, Ph.D. ’53 
Director of Aerospace Digital Computers, General Precision Corporation
1967 Neil A. Armstrong, B.S.A.E. ’55 NASA 
Astronaut
1966 Walter J. Hesse, B.S.M.E. ’44, M.S.M.E. ’48, Ph.D. ’51 
Vice President and Program Director, V-STOL Program, Vought Aeronautics Division, Ling-Tempco-Vought Aerospace Corporation
1965 Walker M. Mahurin, B.S.A.E. ’49 
Colonel, USAF Retired, Assistant Division Director, Advanced Programs Development, Space and Information Division, North American Aviation Corporation