The College of Engineering Founders Club was established in 1997 to honor those alumni who have founded companies in the fields of engineering or technology. The 2001 inductees are:
Gary Bowen of Boston founded MassComp, a high performance computer maker, in 1981 and grew the company from 5 employees to 1500. He now serves on the board of directors of Crescent Networks, Apogee Networks and Kaon Interactive and is the chairman of Quantum Bridge Communications. Since 1996, Bowen has invested in more than 20 start-up technology companies.
David E. Brook of Acton, Mass. is the founder of the intellectual property law firm Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds in Lexington, Mass., and Kopin Corporation, a leading producer of components for the telecommunications and video industries. He taught at the Suffolk University Law School and the Franklin Pierce Law Center and is a member of the URI College of Engineering Advisory Council.
Robert J. DeSantis of Los Gatos, Cal. is co-founder of Ariba, Inc., which uses web-based technology to automate the purchasing process for large organizations. He has helped make Ariba the fastest growing software company in the history of the industry. When the company went public in 1999, it was cited as one of the top IPOs of all time. Rob now serves as the company’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
James A. Dolce, Jr. of Hopkinton, Mass. is founder of Redstone Communications and co-founder of Arris Communications and Promptus Communications. He formerly was the vice president and general manager of the Remote Access Business Unit for Cascade Communications (now Lucent Technologies). Today, he is the president and CEO of Unisphere Networks in Westford, Mass.
George J. Geisser, Jr. of East Providence has 40 years of experience in engineering design and evaluation studies, including projects in industrial waste water disposal and collection, structural design, foundation design, and forensic engineering. He founded Allstate Drilling Co. and George J. Geisser & Assoc. He served as president of the Rhode Island Society of Professional Engineers and was named “Rhode Island Engineer of the Year.”
Anthony Zona of Londonderry, N.H. is the co-founder, president and CEO of Quantum Bridge Communications, Inc. in Andover, Mass., which delivers next-generation optical networking equipment. He also worked with Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, and Raytheon. He was named the “2000 Mass High Tech All-Star” in the telecommunications industry.
The Distinguished Engineering Service Award is presented to alumni for their dedicated service to the College of Engineering. The 2001 winners are:
Paul DePace of East Greenwich joined the URI staff in 1977 as director of the physical plant, and now serves as associate director of capital projects. He manages a team responsible for all new construction on campus, including the Convocation Center, ice facility, Ballentine Hall and residence hall renovations. He served on the board of the U.S. Olympic Committee, was Chef de Mission for the 1992 Barcelona IX Paralympics, and is chairman of Wheelchair Sports USA. He received the 1995 Humanitarian Award from the Providence Engineering Society and the National Rehabilitation Association Award.
Leo D. Mainelli of Charlestown retired in 1999 as regional director for customer service at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft after 40 years with the company. He was responsible for customer service for more than 200 airlines in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He also served as manager of the compressor and turbine department, hardware procurement, performance analysis, and technical publications, among other roles. Mainelli has participated in URI’s Career Day and serves as the associate editor of the College of Engineering newsletter.
The Engineering Excellence Award is given to alumni for life-long excellence and achievement in the field of engineering. The 2001 winners are:
Felix J. Pierce of Blacksburg, Va. was a professional educator in mechanical engineering for 40 years, first at Cornell University and later at Virginia Tech, where he was named professor emeritus in 1998. He balanced his time between teaching courses in fluid mechanics and thermodynamics with research in three-dimensional turbulent flows. His research has resulted in more than 50 reviewed publications and a 1968 textbook in kinetic theory and thermodynamics.
Daniel M. Viccione of Alexandria, Va. is a decorated Vietnam veteran and the technical director of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. He previously served as head of the Computer and Information Services Department and associate technical director for research and technology at the Naval Undersea Systems Center, program manager for SUBACS Advanced Combat System Development, and vice president for engineering at Avanti Communications Corp. He is the recipient of the Navy’s Decibel Award for Scientific Achievement and the Technical Management Award.
The recipients of Faculty Excellence Awards are:
Brent Stucker of West Kingston, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering, will receive the Albert E. Carlotti Award for excellence in research initiation in rapid manufacturing.
Godi Fischer of Narragansett, a professor of electrical engineering, will receive the Aurelio Lucci Award for excellence and sustained contributions in both teaching and research.
Richard J. Vaccaro of Kingston, professor and chair of electrical and computer engineering, will receive the Aurelio Lucci Award for excellence in administration and teaching.
David G. Taggart of North Kingstown, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and applied mechanics, will receive the Edmund and Dorothy Marshall Award for excellence and significant contributions in teaching, research and service.
In addition, the College of Engineering Diversity Committee will receive the Royal Wales Award for promoting diversity within the College. Committee members are: Malcolm Spaulding, chair, Christopher Baxter, Laura Beauvais, Roxanne Gomes, Winston Knight, William Ohley, Joan Peckham, Vincent Rose, David Taggart and Melvin Wade.
For Information: Todd McLeish 874-7892, Sarah Emmett 874-2116