The University of Colorado at Boulder will recognize four distinguished engineering alumni and the past chair of the engineering college advisory board at the 43rd annual Engineering Awards Banquet on April 25.
Recipients of the 2008 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award are Gary Anderson, former vice president of Storage Technology Corp.; CU-Boulder Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth; Peter Mannetti, past chair of the CU-Boulder Engineering Advisory Council; Denver structural engineer Sami Miro; and the late John McMasters, former Boeing engineer.
The DEAA was established in 1966 to honor outstanding graduates and friends of the College of Engineering and Applied Science who have distinguished themselves through outstanding personal qualities, knowledge and significant contributions to their fields.
Anderson, who earned his degree in mechanical engineering at CU-Boulder in 1969, had a distinguished career spanning 32 years in engineering. He devoted nearly 20 years of his career to Storage Technology Corp. before retiring in 2001 as a corporate vice president in charge of worldwide operations technology. Since leaving the corporate world, he has been an active volunteer for the College of Engineering and Applied Science, serving on the Engineering Advisory Council and helping to raise program funds.
Anseth, who earned her doctorate in chemical engineering at CU-Boulder in 1994, has been an outstanding member of the faculty in chemical and biological engineering for 12 years. She was named a distinguished professor by the CU Board of Regents earlier this year, and she was honored with the 2004 Alan T. Waterman Award, the National Science Foundation's highest honor for a young researcher. Her work focuses on advanced biomaterials and their applications, including tissue engineering, drug delivery and bone and cartilage repair.
Mannetti, who earned his bachelor's degree in economics at Iona College in New York, will be recognized for his extraordinary service to the College of Engineering and Applied Science as past chair of the Engineering Advisory Council. He has led a distinguished career in the telecommunications industry, including serving as chief executive officer of Qwest Wireless from 1995 to 2001. He currently is a managing partner at iSherpa Capital, a venture capital firm, and chairman of the board of the International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology, a nonprofit organization that actively partners with the college in providing service learning opportunities for students.
McMasters, who earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in aerospace engineering at CU-Boulder in 1961 and 1962, respectively, was a highly regarded aerodynamics engineer at Boeing for 32 years until his death in February. He is the author of more than 100 publications on airplane design, low-speed/high-lift aerodynamics, the biomechanics of flight and engineering education. Among his achievements is the design of a solar-powered sailplane that is on permanent display at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. He also served on the advisory board for CU-Boulder's aerospace engineering sciences department for more than 10 years.
Miro, who earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering at CU-Boulder in 1970, founded the nationally recognized structural and civil engineering consulting firm, S.A. Miro Inc., which has played a key role in the design of many prominent buildings in Colorado. Among these are the Denver International Airport terminal, Denver Central Library, Denver Convention Center Hotel and Ocean Journey Aquarium. Miro also has been involved in the design of many buildings for the University of Colorado and in economic development efforts for the city of Denver.
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