November 2, 2022 Award-winning alumni return to campus for 75th Engineers’ Day Written By: Staff Departments: Biomedical Engineering|Chemical & Biological Engineering|Civil & Environmental Engineering|Electrical & Computer Engineering|Industrial & Systems Engineering|Materials Science & Engineering|Mechanical Engineering|Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics Categories: Alumni|Awards The University of Wisconsin-Madison will mark its 75th Engineers’ Day on November 4, 2022, by honoring 14 accomplished and inspiring alumni from a wide array of industries. The annual celebration allows the college to recognize graduates who have leveraged their educations to forge exceptional careers. It also gives Distinguished Achievement Award and Early Career Award recipients a chance to reconnect with influential faculty members and interact with current students to pass on lessons from their careers. This year’s honorees are: Distinguished Achievement Awards James Braun MSME ‘80, PhDME ‘88 (BS ‘76, University of Massachusetts)Herrick Professor of Engineering, Purdue UniversityJames is a mechanical engineer, educator and practitioner whose operations and technology research has revolutionized high-performance buildings, particularly in HVAC&R systems. Harriette and Jack Burkhalter Bruce Dale BSEM ‘79, MSEM ‘80Chief engineer (retired), ExxonMobil Bruce championed game-changing technologies in the oil and gas industry and fostered innovation, creativity and excellence throughout his career. Marion Gilbert Wells BSMetE ‘81Founder and managing partner, Human Asset Management Marion is a metallurgical engineer, entrepreneur and passionate mentor who has driven positive change in manufacturers’ corporate culture, customer relationships and sales, and championed a more diverse STEM talent pipeline. David Hemker BSChE ‘84 (MSChE ‘85, PhD ‘89, Stanford University)Senior vice president and chief technology officer (retired), Lam Research Corporation David is a chemical engineer and technology leader whose numerous innovations have advanced semiconductor processing and thin-film applications. John Kissinger MSCEE ’83 (BSCE/SE ’79, UW-Milwaukee)President and CEO, GRAEF John is an executive who has advanced technology in structural engineering and fostered a work environment that has allowed countless engineers to develop and succeed. Marie Lotto BSBME ‘02, MSBME ‘03 (MBA ‘14, MIT)Vice president for business development, Hologic Marie is a product development and marketing strategies leader in women’s healthcare and the surgical sciences who serves as an example of how future engineers can navigate their careers. John Mulligan BSEE ‘88 (MBA ‘96, University of Minnesota)COO, Target Corp. John is an exemplary corporate leader and expert in large-scale merchandising operations and finance and global supply chain planning and design. Ernest Nicolas MBA ‘02, MSMSE ‘05, (BSMSE ‘99, Kettering University)Chief supply chain officer, HP Ernest is a manufacturing systems engineer and business leader who has established transformative approaches for agile and resilient supply chain management. Early Career Achievement Awards Riki Banerjee BSEE ‘00 (MSEE ‘03, PhDEE ‘05, University of Minnesota)Vice president, R&D, Synchron Riki is an engineer and visionary leader who has developed and commercialized innovative healthcare technology solutions that improve patient lives. Graduate student Jared Carlson-Stevermer observes real-time CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing at the microscope. Photo by Stephanie Precourt. Jacob Brunsberg BSMS&E ‘09President and CEO, Sigma Additive Solutions Jacob is a materials engineer who is a leader in advancing metal additive manufacturing technology, standards and quality and in providing mentorship and educational opportunities to youth in underserved communities. Zak Koga BSCEE ‘08Co-founder, Karben4 Brewing Zak is a civil engineer and entrepreneur who leveraged passion, business acumen and project management skills to found and grow a full-scale brewery in Madison. Saigopal Nelaturi MSME ‘10, PhDME ‘11 (BEME ‘03, Visvesvaraya Technological University, India; MScME ‘04, University of Bath, United Kingdom)Director of software research, Carbon Saigopal is a mechanical engineer whose leadership in research, digital design and technology solutions is shaping the future of modern manufacturing. Michelle Ranavat BSIE ‘03 (MS ‘04, engineering management, Tufts University)Founder and CEO, RANAVAT Michelle is an industrial engineer and entrepreneur who combined her passion for engineering, ancient traditions and personal care to found a luxury beauty products company that also funds education initiatives in rural India. Kevin Yttre BSChE ‘03 (MBA ‘08, Harvard University)President, Grace Matthews Kevin is a chemical engineer and business leader who has improved chemical industry production and operations and successfully managed national and international company mergers and acquisitions.