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Distinguished Alumni & Service Awards
Each year, the Duke Engineering Alumni Council honors distinguished graduates and members of the Duke Engineering Community
2023 Honorees
Distinguished Alumni Award
Kenneth S. Chestnut Sr. E'68 has been a construction industry leader for more than 45 years
Kenneth S. Chestnut, Sr. is the retired President and Chief Executive Officer of IBG Construction Services LLC (“IBG”) based in Atlanta, GA, which he founded in 1998. Under his leadership, IBG grew its revenues, expanded its core business activities geographically, and positioned IBG as an industry leader in the area of Sustainability.
Kenneth was also a Principal with the affiliated Real Estate firm, The Integral Group. Kenneth was in the construction industry for over 45 years and managed projects in San Francisco, Texas, Louisville, and Atlanta, including high-profile projects designed by renowned architects, I. M. Pei and John Portman. Kenneth had a successful track record with extensive experience in multi-family housing, education, transportation, industrial, healthcare, commercial, R&D labs, criminal justice facilities, Olympic Games venues, and major infrastructure. He also has an extensive track record with public-private partnerships in the industry.
Kenneth is a proud graduate of Duke University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering in 1968. He previously served on the Pratt School of Engineering’s Board of Visitors for several years.
Distinguished Young Alumni Award
Joshua M. Miller E'15 has contributed greatly to the field of computer vision
As an entrepreneur, Mr. Miller has contributed greatly to the field of computer vision, particularly in remote sensing and medical imaging. He is the co-founder of multiple companies, most notably FarmShots and Gradient Health.
His first company, FarmShots, developed an automated disease and pest detection system based on satellite data, which helped to greatly reduce the need for fertilizer and pesticides. FarmShots was acquired by Syngenta in 2018. He serves as the CEO of Gradient Health, which helps connect medical AI developers with large-scale anonymized datasets for development and regulatory filings—helping catch cancer and stroke earlier. He resides in Duke's hometown of Durham, where he is an angel investor and mentor to imaging-focused startups.
He believes the greatest impact he can have on the world starts with a roomful of passionate, like-minded people who have a world-changing dream and the drive to make it a reality.
Distinguished Service Award
Pamela S. Hanson has served Duke Engineering alumni since 1994
Ms. Hanson began her work at Duke in 1994. All but one of her years at Duke have been in the Pratt School of Engineering's Office of Development & Alumni Relations. She has held various positions, including development staff assistant, special events coordinator, and coordinator of young alumni. Each one of her many different roles over the years has involved interacting with alumni and students. She is currently the director of the Engineering Annual Fund.
She received this award because she has always given generously of her time, effort and spirit to benefit the Pratt School of Engineering and the larger Duke community. While talent and hard work have served her well, she gives thanks and credit to her great bosses and colleagues, who have made it a joy to work every day with alumni and students. While she wouldn’t have known it three decades ago, the role has truly turned out to be her dream job.
Duke Engineering is lucky to have her!
Award Criteria and Nomination Link
Distinguished Alumnus Award
- Received an engineering degree from Duke
- Achieved recognition in their field
- Demonstrated exemplary service to Duke and to their community
Distinguished Young Alumnus Award
- Received an engineering degree from Duke within the last 15 years
- Achieved recognition in their field
- Demonstrated effort promoting the excellence of the Pratt School of Engineering
Distinguished Service Award
- Any person who has exhibited extraordinary effort in helping the Pratt School of Engineering achieve its goals and objectives
- Achieved recognition in their field
Previous Honorees
Distinguished Alumni Award
- Robert W. Anderson BSCE’59
- Charles P. Ballenger, Jr. BSCE’36
- William M. Bartlett BSCE’54
- Walter J. Bishop BSCE’73
- Shem K. Blackley, Jr. BSCE’54
- Stephen R. Bolze BSEE’85
- Emmett H. Bradley BSEE’49
- Lewis Campbell BSME’68
- Everitt A. Carter BME’40
- John Cocke BSME’45, PhD’56
- Laurie C. Conner E’76
- John M. Derrick, Jr. BSEE’61
- Gary W. Dickinson BSME’60
- Ray B. Duggins BSME’44
- Robert R. Everett BSEE’42
- Fred M. Fehsenfeld, Jr. E'73
- Robert E. Fischell BSME’51
- W. Kent Fuchs BSE’77
- Robert L. Galloway, Jr. BSE’77, PhD’83
- Robert A. Garda BSME’61
- C. Gary Gerst BSME’61
- Clair H. Gingher, Jr. BSME’43
- James F. Girand BSEE’59
- R. Eugene Goodson T’57, BSME’59
- William H. Hall E’09 AM’14
- Philip J. Hawk BSE'76
- William A. Hawkins III BSE’76
- Michael R. S. Hill BSE’86
- Grant T. Hollett, Jr. BSME’64
- Charles H. Holley BSEE’41
- W. Kenneth Howard BSEE’35
- John L. Imhoff BSME’45
- Edwin L. Jones T’12
- Edwin L. Jones, Jr. BSCE’48
- Alan L. Kaganov BSME’60
- John J. Karakash BSEE’37
- Senator Edward E. Kaufman BSME’60
- Clinton W. Kelly III BSEE’59
- Theodore C. Kennedy BSCE’52
- Kenneth T. Knight, Jr. BSE’33
- Lawrence J. Lang BSE’86
- Chester L. Lucas BSCE’38
- Robert C. Marlay BSCE’69
- Capers W. McDonald BSE’74
- Larry K. Monteith MS’62, PhD’65
- Nicholas J. Naclerio E’83
- Billy B. Olive BSEE’48
- Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. BSEE’47
- James F. Rabenhorst BSME’64
- L. Russell Ranson T’31
- Randolph K. Repass BSEE’66
- Patricia K. Scheller BSE'81
- Kenneth T. Schiciano E'84
- W. Brewster Snow BSE’32
- J. Stephen Simon BSCE’65
- William A. Stokes BSCE’53
- W. John Swartz BSME’56
- David S. Taylor, E’80
- T. Edward Torgerson BSCE’49
- Charles R. Vail BSEE’37
- James W. Vaughan, Jr. BSEE’57
- James L. Vincent BSME’61
- Christopher R. Webster T’39
- Arthur J. Wennerstrom BSME’56
- Hugh E. Whitted, Jr. BSEE’39
- Blake S. Wilson BSE’74
- F. Thomas Wooten BSEE’57, PhD’64
- Harold L. Yoh, Jr. BSME’58
Distinguished Young Alumni Award
- Benjamin S. Abram E'02
- John A. Board, Jr. BSE’82, MS’82
- Lewis C. Brewster BSE’86
- Matthew Q. Christensen BSE'02
- Max D. Cohen BSE'03
- Karen E. Conover BSE’85
- J. Michael Drozd BSE’89, PhD’97
- Michael Feldman BSE’84
- Jacob J. Flomenberg, E’05
- Russell M. Glass BSE’98
- David J. Gregory BSE’84
- Robert J. Greenberg BSEE’90
- Anita J. Hill BSE’85, MS’86, PhD’89
- Lawrence D. Lenihan, Jr. BSE’87
- Gregory R. Maletic BSE’90
- Mia K. Markey PhD’02
- Leslie Voorhees Means E'08
- Nicholas A. Millington BSE’98
- Terry Myerson BSE’91
- Ananth Natarajan BSE’90
- Lisa Burton O'Toole, PhD, E’07
- Aaron T. Patzer BSE’02
- Scott D. Olson BSE'91
- Christophe H. Schilling BSE’95
- Kristine M. Singley BSE’96, B’07
- George S. Taylor BSE’78
- Edward L. Trimble BSE’90
- Jeffrey N. Vinik BSE’81
- James H. Vogeley BSE’80
- Andrew Waterman, PhD, E’08
- James G. Whayne BSE’90
- Harold L. Yoh III BSE’83
Distinguished Service Award
- Donald M. Alstadt
- Roger Coke Barr BS'64, PhD'68
- C. Leland Bassett BSME’59
- Sterling M. Brockwell, Jr. BSCE’56
- Robert W. Carr, Jr. BSE’71
- Howard G. Clark III
- F. Hadley Cocks
- James H. Corrigan, Jr. BSME’47
- Daniel M. Dickinson E’83
- Earl H. Dowell
- Ernest Elsevier
- F. Reid Ervin BSME’42
- Harold L. Flowers BSEE’38
- Linda Franzoni, MS ’88, PhD’91
- Stacy S. Gardner BSE’91
- Suzanne M. Gregory BSE'87
- Michael R. Gustafson II E'93, G'99
- Fitzgerald S. Hudson BSCE’46
- Alfred M. Hunt
- Joseph H. Jarboe BSCE’69
- Edward L. Koffenberger BSME’47
- George D. McCeney BSCE’33
- Martha Monserrate McDade BSE’81, MS’82
- James H. McElhaney
- Fred W. Neu BSCE’34
- George W. Pearsall
- Henry Petroski
- Robert H. Pinnix T’24
- Edward M. Reefe BSCE’68
- Janis J. Rehlaender BSE’77
- Marion L. Shepard
- Constance E. Simmons
- Wilbur S. Smith
- Adrienne Stiff-Roberts, PhD
- Nello L. Teer, Jr.
- R. Dillard Teer
- George A. Truskey, PhD
- Aleksandar S. Vesic
- Seth A. Watkins BSME’92, JD’99, MS’93, PhD’96
- Richard D. Webb T’51
- Arthur E. Wheeler BSME’47
- Jerry C. Wilkinson BSEE’67
- William B. Wilmer VI BSEE’51
- Howard M. Winterson T’39
- Thomas M. Woodard BSEE’69
- William H. Younger, Jr.
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