At the 2019 Engineers’ Day banquet Oct. 11, 2019, the College of Engineering will honor 12 influential alumni who have applied their UW-Madison engineering education and experiences to make a difference in such fields as research, technology, business, government and more. Among the 12 are four young alumni who are exceptionally accomplished innovators and leaders.
Together, our award recipients illustrate the vast and remarkable impact Wisconsin engineers have in efforts that positively impact the lives of citizens around the world.
The celebration marks the 72nd annual Engineers’ Day, which includes activities for all alumni and friends, including department luncheons, tours, talks, a banquet, pre-football tailgate, and more.
Early Career Award Recipients
Amanda Engler
Experimental scientist, 3M
BSChE and Chem ’05, UW-Madison (MSChE ’07, PhDChE ’11, MIT)
We are honoring Amanda for the outstanding technical and creative contributions she has made in synthesizing novel polymeric materials for antimicrobial applications and delivering bioactive compounds.
Chris Klündt
Co-Founder and CEO StudyBlue/Flash Tools Chegg Inc.
BSBME ’05, BSCS ’05, UW-Madison
We are honoring Chris as a visionary entrepreneur who capitalized on the intersection of trends and technology to found a company now used by millions of students to learn collaboratively.
Navrina Singh
Product and technology leader
MSECE ’03, UW-Madison (BSEngr. ’01, College of Engineering at Pune, India; MBA ’13, University of Southern California)
We are honoring Navrina as an exemplary technological innovator who has built innovative software and silicon products, promoted a strong startup ecosystem, and is an inspiring and passionate leader in STEM education, particularly for women and underrepresented minorities.
Nancy Spelsberg
President, BCP Transportation
BSIE ’99, MBA ’06, UW-Madison
We are honoring Nancy as an inspiring industrial engineer and entrepreneur who is driving success in the trucking industry through continuous improvement and systems thinking.
Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients
Dan Adamany
Founder and CEO, AHEAD LLC
BSME ’97, UW-Madison
We are honoring Dan as an entrepreneur whose focus on strategy, solutions and technical expertise in enterprise information technology has enabled his company’s success.
Cynthia Bachmann
Vice president of engineering and product development, Kitchen and Bath Americas, Kohler Co.
BSEE ’83, UW-Madison
We are honoring Cynthia as a respected industry leader whose optimism and positivity are infectious and inspiring.
Annie Caputo
Commissioner, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
BSNE ’96, UW-Madison
We are honoring Annie as a leader whose policy work and dedication make a difference nationally and inspire young engineers.
Rodney Hassett
Vice president, treasurer and director (retired) Strand Associates Inc.
BSCE ’62, UW-Madison
We are honoring Rod as a respected civil engineer, visionary leader and mentor who is a passionate advocate for diversity in engineering.
Mark Hoffmeyer
Senior technical staff member, IBM Systems
BSMetE ’83, MSMetE ’85, PhDMetE ’90, UW-Madison
We are honoring Mark for his expertise and leadership in physical metallurgy, which have led to significant innovations in microelectronic devices in areas that include materials design, assembly, packaging and manufacturing.
Sunny H.K. Lo
Chairman, Café de Coral Holdings Ltd.
BSChE ’77, UW-Madison (MSChE ’78, Stanford University)
We are honoring Sunny as an entrepreneur who has helped change business models and China and proudly serves as an ambassador for UW-Madison in Asia.
Duane Radtke
President and CEO, Valiant Exploration LLC
BSMineE ’71, UW-Madison
We are honoring Duane as a respected mining engineer and corporate leader who has been an innovator in the oil and gas industry throughout his career.
Thomas Werner
Chairman and CEO, SunPower Corp.
BSIE ’82, UW-Madison (BSEE ’86, Marquette University; MBA ’95, George Washington University)
We are honoring Tom for innovations in solar technology that have transformed the global energy industry.