Distinguished Alumni Awards
The Engineering Alumni Council’s awards program recognizes graduates who have distinguished themselves through leadership and service.
Valecia Maclin Topping
Distinguished Alumnus
Valecia works as a Partner in Strategic Cloud Solutions for Microsoft. Committed to advancing diversity in engineering, she established a student-assistance fund and a community grant program at Duke Engineering. A leader in her field, she frequently speaks on cybersecurity, leadership and diversity in tech.
Class of 1992
Mikael Owunna
Distinguished Young Alumnus
Mikael is a Nigerian-American multimedia artist, filmmaker and engineer exploring the intersections of technology, art and African cosmologies. He is a co-founder and executive director of Rainbow Serpent, a Black LGBTQ art, tech and spirituality organization, and leads Pittsburgh’s Public Art & Civic Design Commission.
Class of 2012
Danal Blessis
For Distinguished Service
Danal’s career managing large-scale public infrastructure projects has spanned decades. Major projects include Harris Nuclear Plant in New Hill, North Carolina, and mass transit railway expansions in Hong Kong. Today, he mentors Duke Engineering students and serves as the Duke Alumni Association’s co-chair in the NC Triangle.
Class of 1982Make a Nomination
Recognize distinguished leadership. Submit the name of a deserving friend, classmate or mentor.
Honor Roll
Distinguished Alumnus Award Recipients
- Robert W. Anderson BSCE’59
- Charles P. Ballenger, Jr. BSCE’36
- William M. Bartlett BSCE’54
- Michael J. Bingle BSE’94
- 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
- Kenneth S. Chestnut, Sr. BSCE’68
- John Cocke BSME’45, PhD’56
- Laurie C. Conner BSE’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. BSE’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
- Sen. 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
- Valecia D. Maclin Topping BSE’92
- Robert C. Marlay BSCE’69
- Capers W. McDonald BSE’74
- Larry K. Monteith MS’62, PhD’65
- 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 BSE’84
- W. Brewster Snow BSE’32
- J. Stephen Simon BSCE’65
- William A. Stokes BSCE’53
- W. John Swartz BSME’56
- David S. Taylor BSE’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 Alumnus Award Recipients
- Benjamin S. Abram BSE 2007
- 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 BSE’05
- Russell M. Glass BSE’98
- David J. Gregory BSE’84
- Robert J. Greenberg BSEE’90
- Anita J. Hill BSE’85, MS’86, Ph.D.’89
- Lawrence D. Lenihan, Jr. BSE’87
- Gregory R. Maletic BSE’90
- Mia K. Markey PHD’02
- Leslie Voorhees Means BSE’08
- Anna Menon, MS 2010
- Joshua M. Miller BSE 2015
- Nicholas A. Millington BSE’98
- Terry Myerson BSE’91
- Ananth Natarajan BSE’90
- Aaron T. Patzer BSE’02
- Scott D. Olson BSE’91
- Mikael Owunna BSE’12
- 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 S. Waterman BSE’08
- James G. Whayne BSE’90
- Harold L. Yoh III BSE’83
Distinguished Service Award Recipients
- Donald M. Alstadt
- Roger C. Barr T’64, G’68
- C. Leland Bassett BSME’59
- Danal A. Blessis, BSE’82
- Sterling M. Brockwell, Jr. BSCE’56
- Robert W. “Judge” Carr, Jr. BSE’71
- Howard G. Clark III
- F. Hadley Cocks
- James H. Corrigan, Jr. BSME’47
- Daniel M. Dickinson BSE’83
- Earl H. Dowell
- Ernest Elsevier
- F. Reid Ervin BSME’42
- Harold L. Flowers BSEE’38
- Linda Franzoni G’88, ’91
- Stacy S. Gardner BSE’91
- Suzanne M. Gregory BSE’87
- Michael R. Gustafson II BSE’93, PhD’99
- Pamela S. Hanson
- 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
- Ellen M. Ray
- Edward M. Reefe BSCE’68
- Janis J. Rehlaender BSE‘77
- Marion L. Shepard
- Constance E. Simmons
- Wilbur S. Smith
- Adrienne Stiff-Roberts
- Nello L. Teer Jr.
- R. Dillard Teer
- George A. Truskey Ph.D.
- 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.