On Nov. 12, 2021, the College of Engineering celebrates Engineers’ Day, a day focused on honoring the accomplishments of some of its most distinguished alumni. Because the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the event in 2020, the college will recognize 20 young and established alumni award recipients from both 2020 and 2021.
Recipients of the college’s Early Career Award or Distinguished Achievement Award, these respected alumni exemplify what it means to be Wisconsin engineers. Their engineering education has laid the foundation for some very remarkable careers—many of which are still yet in progress, and they illustrate the vast and remarkable impact Wisconsin engineers have in efforts that positively impact the lives of citizens around the world.
Our honorees include:
Early Career Award Recipients
Karien J. Rodríguez
Research technical strategist-life sciences, global research & engineering, Kimberly-Clark Corp.
PhDBME ’10, UW-Madison
Karien is a biomedical engineer who is shaping the personal care industry through her creative and innovative research.
Paul Dauenhauer
Lanny and Charlotte Schmidt Professor, chemical engineering and materials science, University of Minnesota
BSChE ’04, UW-Madison
Paul is a chemical engineer whose ingenious catalytic processes have revolutionized biomass use and led to three startup companies that put his inventions into practice.
Subbu Rama
Founder, Accio Ventures
MSECE ’05, UW-Madison
Subbu is a visionary and entrepreneurial leader in technology innovation, including pioneering virtualization of hardware accelerated devices.
Benjamin W. Longmier
CTO and co-founder, Swarm Technologies
BSEP/physics ’04, MSEP ’05, PhDEP ’07, UW-Madison
Ben is a nuclear engineer whose expertise in aerospace engineering has enabled him to found three companies focused on high-altitude/low-earth-orbit communications to accelerate the Internet of Things.
James Tamplin
Founder partner, Founder Collective
BSIE ’06, MSIE ’07, UW-Madison
James is a systems engineer and entrepreneur who has fundamentally transformed and greatly simplified mobile and web applications development.
Daniel R. Grice
Senior materials engineer, Materials Evaluation and Engineering, Inc.
BSMS&E ’09, UW-Madison
Dan is a materials engineer who has significantly advanced the diagnosis and remediation of material failures, provided exemplary professional society leadership, and promoted careers in STEM.
Kara Byrne
North America Commercial leader, turbomachinery and process solutions-valves, Baker Hughes
BSME ’04, UW-Madison
Kara is a technical and strategic leader in energy, valves and turbomachinery whose passion for inspiring women to enter engineering has enabled her to mentor, develop and retain future women leaders in energy industry.
Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients
Michael F. Conway
Retired president, Shell Trading, Royal Dutch Shell
BSChE ’78, UW-Madison
Michael is a chemical engineer who rose to the top of the international oil trading business while serving as an exemplar for management practices that reflect his values of integrity and civic responsibility.
Brian E. Luedtke
Vice president, Asia Pacific region, global corporate communications and clinical education, Hollister Inc.
BSChE ’85, UW-Madison
Brian is a chemical engineer and executive who has improved life for patients with chronic conditions by supporting innovative technology development, effective partnerships with healthcare providers, and sustained community engagement.
Steven R. Erbstoesser
Owner, Global Operations and Management Advisors LLC; retired, ExxonMobil
BSMineE ’74, MSMineE ’75, UW-Madison
Steven is an engineer, scientist and executive who, through caring and vision, has transformed organizations and led global teams to achieve world-class safety, operational and business performance in oil and gas operations.
Laurie Lindborg Parsons
Water Resources Division Director, Ramboll US
MSCEE ’87, UW-Madison
Laurie is a respected civil and environmental engineer, leader and advocate for clean water who has been a role model for women in STEM.
Todd Kelsey
President and CEO, Plexus Corp.
BSEE ’87, MSEE ’89, UW-Madison
Todd is an exemplary leader of a Wisconsin‐based global company who demonstrates commitment to creating new technologies and products that build a better world.
David Ira Epstein
Executive Director, Susilo Institute for Ethics in a Global Economy, Boston University; venture advisor, investor and management consultant, Epstein Advisors
BSECE ’76, MSECE ’78, UW-Madison
David is an exemplary entrepreneur and executive in cleantech, semiconductors and healthcare who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to social responsibility and ethics in engineering and business.
Amy Warner
Vice president and general manager of IT digital business solutions and corporate director of accessibility, Intel Corp.
BSEM ’91, UW-Madison
Amy is an IT leader whose professional adaptability and commitment to empowering those of all abilities make her an example for future engineers.
Moo Hwan Kim
President, Pohang University of Science and Technology
PhDNE ’86, UW-Madison
Moo Hwan is a nuclear engineer and academic leader who has made innovations that significantly improve fundamental understanding of two-phase flow and heat transfer as applied to nuclear energy systems.
Jeffrey J. Rotsch
Retired president, worldwide sales, General Mills
BSIE ’72, UW-Madison
Jeffrey is an industrial engineer and visionary leader who drove global business success in the consumer foods industry.
Oscar Marcelo Suárez
Professor and coordinator of the materials science and engineering program, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez
MSMetE ’93, PhDMetE ’00, UW-Madison
Oscar is a metallurgical engineer who has led innovations in university education, promoted STEM, and advanced research on composite materials and nanotechnology.
Stephanie M. Whitehorse
Director of intellectual property, physical sciences, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
BSMS&E ’96, UW-Madison
Stephanie is an engineer and patent agent who has applied her expertise to evaluating, patenting and commercializing more than 1,500 UW-Madison inventions, which have generated more than $100 million of royalty income and formed the basis of 45 startup companies.
Peter Holsten
President and managing broker, Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation
BSME ’72, UW-Madison
Peter is a mechanical engineer and humanitarian who is devoted to the principle that everyone deserves affordable, quality housing and who strives to build and maintain healthy communities.
Bjorn Krogh Borgen
Chairman, Borgen Investment Group
BSME ’62, UW-Madison
Bjorn is a leading financial manager and entrepreneur whose success has enabled him to support educational, athletic and cultural causes that have benefited people across the United States and in his home country of Norway.