College honors outstanding alumni

The owner of the leading supplier of U.S. accounting software applications, an outstanding magnetic resonance imaging researcher, and an international expert on the effect of ice accretion on aircraft aerodynamics will be among the 14 outstanding alumni honored at the 16th Annual Excellence in Engineering & Architecture Alumni Awards on October 18, 2013.

Each year the College of Engineering honors alumni for extraordinary personal achievements, remarkable contributions to the field of engineering or architecture, or outstanding service to the college.

This year’s honorees and the awards they will receive are:

Thomas L. Thomas (BS ’66, MS '66, electrical engineering) retired chairman and CEO of EJustice Solutions, will receive the Benjamin G. Lamme Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the college for meritorious achievement in advancing engineering. The Ann Arbor, Mich, resident is the former owner and CEO of Creative Solutions, Inc., which he helped grow into the leading supplier of integrated software applications for U.S. public accounting firms before selling it to Thomson Reuters in 1998.

James F. Dietz (BS ’69, MS ’70, chemical engineering) is being honored with the Meritorious Service Citation for his dedication as a key member of the campaign committee for the new Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Chemistry (CBEC) building and as the college’s co-chair on the But For Ohio State Campaign Committee, among others. Dietz, a resident of Northfield, Ill., is a retired executive vice president and COO of the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan.

Tamer S. Ibrahim (BS ’96, MS ’98, PhD ’03, electrical engineering) William Kepler Whiteford Associate Professor in bioengineering and radiology at the University of Pittsburgh, will receive the Texnikoi Outstanding Alumni Award, honoring achievements since graduation. The Sewickley, Pa., resident’s work has challenged old and established theories in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and led to new radio frequency techniques such as RF shimming and subject-insensitive RF transmit arrays.

Special recognition will be given to Kurt M. Dubowski (MS ’47, PhD ’49, chemical engineering) George Lynn Cross Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Medicine at The University of Oklahoma, who will receive the College of Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in the fields of forensic toxicology and clinical chemistry.

The ten alumni who will receive Distinguished Alumni Awards in honor of their outstanding professional achievement in engineering and architecture are:

• Yoni Adonyi (MS ’86, PhD ’89, welding engineering) of Longview, Texas, is the Omer Blodgett Endowed Chair of Welding and Materials Joining Engineering at LeTourneau University, where he transformed the materials joining degree program and was instrumental in introducing a master’s in engineering degree program.
   
• Robert J. Borel (BS ’65, MS ’65, electrical engineering) is CEO of private engineering firm BeamAlloy Technologies, LLC, in Plain City, Ohio, and a retired Worthington Industries executive.
   
• Michael Bragg (PhD ’81, aeronautical and astronautical engineering), Seattle, Wash., is dean of the University of Washington College of Engineering and an international expert on the effect of ice accretion on aircraft aerodynamics and flight safety.
   
• Songsdhit “Joe” Chongsiriwatana (BS ’96, electrical engineering; MS ’98, biomedical engineering) moved his family to Thailand where he applies his engineering talents to stopping child trafficking and helping rescued children through his work at ZOE International.
   
• Paul T. Dubetz (BS ’80, chemical engineering), Aurora, Ohio, provides outstanding leadership to one of the world's largest energy companies. Currently, he is vice president-commercial for Exxon Mobil Iraq Ltd.
   
• Ray Harishankar (MS ’90, computer information science) of Blacklick, Ohio, is an IBM Fellow and vice president of technology and innovation within IBM’s Global Business Services. He is a recognized thought leader in the areas of business and enterprise architecture, cloud computing and Smarter City solutions.
   
• Ronald M. Jezerinac (BS ’67, civil engineering) of Dublin, Ohio, is co-founder and chairman of structural engineering firm Jezerinac Geers & Associates, Inc.
   
• Bruce Lavash (BS ’77, MS ’78, mechanical engineering) of West Chester, Ohio, is a Research Fellow in Procter and Gamble’s elite Victor Mills Society. He holds more than 30 U.S. patents for various disposable consumer products that have sales reaching the billions.
   
• Phillip Markwood (BS ’61, architecture) of Columbus, Ohio, is founder and president of Philip Markwood Architects, Inc. Founded in 1973, the firm is the recipient of 33 design awards and the AIA Ohio Gold Medal Firm Award.
   
• Alan McKnight (BS ’76, landscape architecture) of Worthington, Ohio, is leading the revitalization of downtown Columbus as director of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department. He was instrumental in the redevelopment of the Scioto Mile, transforming the downtown Columbus riverfront.