On November 5th, generations of trailblazing alumni engineers, faculty, friends, and family gathered to celebrate the 2021 Engineering Alumni Awards at the 58th Annual Engineers Breakfast. For over half a century, the UofA College of Engineering has birthed talent, innovation, and mentorship which has given rise to the evergreen array of tech leadership stemming from Arizona. The UofA College of Engineering mentorship pipeline fosters an educational ecosystem of past, present, and future talent. The generations of graduating classes dating back to the 1950’s, reminisced together over their shared experiences and commended each other on their accomplishments.
Each year, the UofA Engineering community looks forward to the Annual Engineering Breakfast. Kevin Forbes MSEE, Electrical Engineering at Marcus Engineering, and UofA Alum shared his enthusiasm for the event, “I thought the array of speakers was exceptional and showcased the college’s strong industry representation. It was great seeing some old colleagues as well.”
David W. Hahn, Dean of the Craig M. Berge UA College of Engineering presented the 2021 Alumni Awards, recognizing the exceptional industry leadership. Maira Garcia, BS aerospace engineering, won the Outstanding Young Alumni Volunteer Award for her commitment to inclusion and diversity as a program manager for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) at Honeywell, and creating the SHPE UA Alumni Scholarship. Makko DeFilippo, BS geological engineering, won the Young Alumni Professional Achievement Award as the President of Ero Copper Corp as he was responsible for all corporate development & investor relations initiatives, including supporting the company through its intial public offering. Carole Haig, BS mining engineering, won the Professional Achievement Award as the vice president and program manager with WSP USA, a global engineering firm. She provides technical expertise in areas as diverse as flood control, environmental impact analysis and mitigation, land developments, public works, and transportation policy. Tom Peterson, MS chemical engineering, won the Alumnus of the Year award for his leadership experience as faculty, department head, and dean of the College of Engineering, as well as leading the Engineering Directorate at the National Science Foundation.
The event’s Keynote Speaker, Susan Gray, President and CEO of Tucson Electric Power/UNS Energy Corporation, shared her professional journey, and how her educational and athletic career has made an impact on her leadership trajectory. Gray, BS electrical engineering, started as a student intern at TEP in 1994, and rose through the ranks to her current position, earning an MBA from the Eller College of Management. She was a competitive swimmer during her time as a UofA student athlete, and has carried her appreciation for personal growth as an avid triathlon competitor. As a competitive athlete, Gray is no stranger to stretching her body and mind to new limits to persevere, and in doing so developing a versatile range of skills that convey across organizations. The UofA rallying cry, “Bear Down”, is universal as it manifests the Wildcat grit in congruence with the individual and organization. Gray’s heartfelt, first-hand experiences allowed her the opportunities to practice and develop perseverance, servant leadership, and strategic business skills.
One of Gray’s main take-away messages, “Lead with your heart and the numbers”, resonated with the many Wildcats present. The engineering breakfast is a terrific example of the timeless cohesion between culture and strategy. The Annual Engineers Breakfast recognizes and awards alumni members for their significant contributions to their professions, the college, and local and global communities. If past, present, and future generations of engineers are not genuinely invested together in the growth and future opportunities, then the mentorship pipeline would dissolve, and with it the unseen and uncultivated talent, innovation, and industry leadership.
Dr. Patrick Marcus, president of Marcus Engineering, UofA Alum, UofA adjunct professor for the College of Engineering, and avidly involved in the UofA mentorship programs, shared his passion for contributing to the community and culture of engagement laid forth by the College of Engineering. “It’s our duty to be stewards of our community if we can. We are a small enough city that individuals and small companies can make a real impact on lives, education, and outcomes.”
Marcus Engineering is equipped with a roster full of UofA Engineers who have first-hand appreciation of the UofA College of Engineering mentorship pipeline benefits. The company’s foundational culture is defined by strategic progress in a value-based direction via its’ own internal mentorship pipeline. The Marcus Engineering mindset focuses on the compounding value of expanding breadth and depth of skillsets and knowledge, and effectively sharing that knowledge for fellow employees to acquire and apply. Thus, lighting the mentorship torch of future generations within the Marcus Engineering pipeline.
