Rochester Engineering Society honors 12 award winners

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The Rochester Engineering Society will honor twelve local leaders in their field at their Awards Program on Saturday, May 4, 2024. In addition to these 12 awards presentations, the program will feature more than $30,000 in scholarships being awarded to local high school and college students

The 2023 Engineer of the Year award goes to Kelly S. Robinson, PE, PhD, founder, Electrostatic Answers, LLE. Robinson is the current Rochester Section Chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

The 2023 Kate Gleason Young Engineer of the Year goes to Jessica Shang, PhD, associate professor, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and scientist, Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Rochester.

Three are being honored as finalists for 2023 Kate Gleason Young Engineer of the Year Award: Laura Alexander, PE, senior structural project engineer with Passero Associates; Richard Booton, senior scientist, Systems Engineering with L3Harris Technologies and James Richards, senior specialist mechanical engineer with L3Harris Technologies.

Seven are being honored as 2023 Engineers of Distinction: Pier Giuseppe Albano, senior engineering manager, Alstom Signaling; John T. Compton, product architect, Alstom Signaling; Henrique de Melo Cunha, CBTC engineering manager, Alstom Signaling; Cletus Ezenwa, PE, president and CEO, Lu Engineers; Robert Hochman, PE, product architect, Alstom Signaling; James J. Hood, senior scientist, Systems Engineering, L3Harris Technologies and Katie McConky, PhD, associate professor and department head, Industrial & Systems Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology.

2023 RES ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

Kelly S. Robinson, PE, PhD
Founder
Electrostatic Answers, LL

Kelly Robinson has more than 40 years of engineering experience solving static electricity problems in flexible packaging, coating, printing, solvent handling, electronic assembly, and plastic parts manufacturing. After receiving his PhD in electrical engineering from Colorado State University in 1982, he pursued a 25-year career at the Eastman Kodak Company beginning in Copy Products R&D where he helped design and commercialize copier technology. In 1991, he moved to Manufacturing Research and Engineering where he led a team that helped solve static electricity problems in the production of photographic films and papers where light from a static spark exposes light-sensitive products causing customer-observable defects.

In 2007, Robinson founded Electrostatic Answers, an engineering consulting company dedicated to eliminating injury and waste from static electricity. He has helped solve production problems caused by static electricity for more than 100 companies including many on the Fortune 500 list. Robinson was named the “2023 Top Manufacturing Consulting Services Provider” by Managing MFG Magazine.

Robinson advances the practice of engineering through industrial education (articles, short courses, conference presentations, writing book chapters), scientific publications (peer reviewed journal publications), academic education (academic appointments, seminar presentations), leadership of professional organizations, and mentoring (peer reviewer for journal publications, technical editor). He chairs the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Static Electricity Committee, which is responsible for NFPA 77 Recommended Practice on Static Electricity. Robinson authored “Control of Electrostatic Ignition Sources” for the NFPA Fire Protection Handbook, 21^st Edition.

Dr. Robinson is a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and was cited for “contributions to electrostatic performance of manufacturing processes and imaging devices.” He is a professional engineer (NYS), an inventor with 16 US patents, an associate editor for the Journal of Electrostatics, and writes on static electricity for Paper, Film and Foil Converter magazine (PFFC). He was awarded the 2012 John Matteucci Award by the Association for Roll-to-Roll Converters for excellence in a technical presentation. He currently chairs the IEEE Rochester (NY) Section, previously served as the IEEE Industry Application Society, Electrostatic Processes Committee chair, and Electrostatics Society of America president.

2023 RES KATE GLEASON YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

Jessica Shang, PhD
Associate professor of mechanical engineering and scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics
University of Rochester

Jessica Shang joined the University of Rochester in 2016, where she now serves as an associate professor of mechanical engineering and a scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE).

Shang’s research spans many disciplines, including fluid dynamics of the brain, turbulence and viscosity at high-energy-density conditions and biologically inspired hydrodynamic sensing. Her group collaborates with the University of Rochester Medical Center, LLE, and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, among others.

In 2022, Shang received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, which supports early-career faculty who have the potential to become academic role models and lead the missions of their departments. With the NSF award funding, Shang is creating a computational model to determine what “drives” the brain’s glymphatic system and helps it flush away metabolic wastes linked to Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. She also works with the Laboratory for Laser Energetics to improve the designs of experiments aimed at achieving fusion by better understanding how viscosity dissipates energy in fuel plasmas.

Shang has garnered awards recognizing her academic achievements and her scholarly work from the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research and the Gates Foundation. She is a reviewer for Physical Review Fluids, AIAA Journal, and the Journal of Fluids and Structures and has served on a National Academy of Sciences committee that reports on the current state and proposed future of naval engineering.

Shang earned her PhD in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton, her MPhil in engineering at Cambridge, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering sciences from Harvard.

2023 RES KATE GLEASON YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR – FINALIST

Laura Alexander, PE, SE
Senior Structural Project Engineer
Passero Associates, Structural Engineering Department

Laura Alexander is a senior Structural Project Engineer in Passero Associates’ Structural Engineering Department. Structural Engineering provides structural engineering services for building owners, developers, local and federal government, contractors and architects nationwide. Alexander established herself at Passero as an effective technical leader and as project manager and mentor. She is a key member of the Rochester-based structural engineering team and leads Passero’s Hudson Valley structural engineering team, focusing on the technical and business-related goals of that region. Her expertise with and insight into structural issues have been critical to the success of many projects.

Over her 7 years of practice, Alexander’s major projects have included design, rehabilitation, and construction of municipal, K-12, higher education, aviation, first responder, penal institutions, historic adaptive reuse and multi-family housing projects nationwide, with many receiving awards from various institutions. Alexander takes great pride in developing structural efficient and highly constructable building projects that are both aesthetically pleasing yet resilient to natural hazards. Alexander’s expertise is bolstered by her commitment to the profession by preparing, taking, and passing the two-part 16-hour Structural Engineering (SE) exam, in lieu of the more common Professional Engineering (PE) exam which has a historically low pass rate nationwide.

Alexander has established herself as a mentor at Passero by participating in the firm’s MAP program (Mentorship at Passero), where she provides guidance for select individuals across the firm looking to develop their careers. She has also participated in Rochester’s ACE Mentorship program as a structural engineering mentor in past sessions. Further, as a mentor and team leader within the structural business unit, Alexander continues to guide the development of the structural department’s Building Information Modeling standards, focusing on uniformity and standard details which are essential to the training and development of young engineers.

Alexander received her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University at Buffalo in 2015 where she received numerous honors and awards. She was the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)’s 2014 Undergraduate Student Paper Competition Winner where she authored the paper, “Effect of Window Openings on Reinforced Concrete Frames with Masonry Infill”. Alexander furthered her passion for earthquake engineering by receiving her Master of Science degree in Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Seismology (MEEES) from the IUSS Pavia – Pavia, Italy and University of Patras – Patras, Greece in 2017.

2023 RES KATE GLEASON YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR – FINALIST

Richard Booton
Director/Senior Scientist, Systems Engineering
L3Harris Technologies

Richard “Rich” Booton is a director and senior scientist within L3Harris Technologies’ Communication Systems (CS) business, serving as the chief architect and technical decision authority for multiple 50+ member teams of engineers across mechanical, electrical, software, and other engineering domains.

Specifically, Booton is the chief systems engineer/architect for the Combat Net Radios (CNR), USMC Multi Channel Handheld (MCHH), and Small Secure Data Links (SSDL) programs at L3Harris.

Through Booton’s efforts, L3Harris has secured over $8 billion in IDIQ Contracts, and was recently awarded a $6 billion IDIQ for CNR and a $750 million IDIQ for the USMC MCHH systems that Booton had designed. This Army CNR development program employs more than 100 engineers/technicians and will deliver 15,000 radios per year from its manufacturing facility on Jefferson Road in Rochester, N.Y. Booton is directly responsible for managing and mentoring several other chief systems engineer/architects who are executing several other key programs for L3Harris’ CS portfolio.

Booton has secured 11 unique awards, some multiple times, including the L3Harris Circle of Excellence Award, e3 Savings Award, and Process/Product Innovation Award, to honor his novel contributions to radio engineering, antenna design, and some $45M in cost savings. These awards complement his four published patents and seven published papers.

Booton earned his master’s degree in systems engineering from Florida Institute of Technology and bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He boasts nearly 20 years of tenure at L3Harris Technologies. He has been an active member of the IEEE Society for a decade, and a member of the L3Harris Intrapreneurs Employee Resource Group (ERG) for almost as long. He is a valued mentor through several internal programs and is a leader for local Cub Scouts.

2023 RES KATE GLEASON YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR – FINALIST

James Richards
Senior Specialist, Mechanical Engineering
L3Harris Technologies

James Richards is a senior mechanical engineering specialist in Communication Systems (CS) at L3Harris Technologies where he is responsible for the design, layout, testing, and evaluation of mechanical and electro-mechanical devices and tactical communication radios and systems

Richards serves as the lead mechanical engineer on four separate international vehicular and handheld radio projects and has authored multiple mechanical engineering design documents that outline specific elements in tactical radio design. Richards conducts investigations involving the origination and modification of material, component, and process specification requirements and performs product development activities including drawing creation, board layout, and interpretation/implementation of customer specifications and document requirements.

His other accolades include two recent awards, one of which is the L3Harris Technology Innovation Award for new products in recognition of the MUOS Dismount Antenna development, which met all performance requirements in less than half the cost of the competition. He has secured an antenna for wearable radio patent, and four additional patents related to heater engineering.

Richards earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from the State University of New York at Fredonia and his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University at Buffalo. Prior to L3Harris, Richards worked as a test engineer at Delphi Automotive Corporation. He is a Rochester native and a local Eagle Scout.

2023 RES ENGINEER OF DISTINCTION

Pier-Giuseppe Albano
Senior Engineering Manager
Alstom Signaling

Pier-Giuseppe Albano is a senior engineering manager for Alstom Signaling in Rochester NY. He has earned nationwide recognition for his pioneering work in the deployment of Alstom’s Positive Train Control (PTC) technology in the United States. Due to his innovative leadership, Alstom became the first company to obtain a complete and fully functional PTC system approved by the Federal Railway Administration (FRA). His business acumen has been instrumental in putting Alstom on the forefront with customers such as Amtrak, New York City Transit, New Jersey Transit, and the Metro-North Railroad.

With over 19 years in the railway signaling industry, Albano started his career in 2002 at Bombardier Transportation in Rome, Italy to work on the Italian PTC System. He was the project engineering manager for the Milan junction project, delivering on time all phases of the project. He then moved to a system engineering role, working with the Italian Railway Authority to define functional requirements for ERTMS/ETCS Level 1 with the innovative Radio Infill system to be implemented in the Italian part of the European interoperable corridors. In 2007 he was responsible for a team of system engineers defining the basic design for mainline and mass transit projects in Europe and North Africa.

His demonstrated excellence in the signaling engineering domain landed him a unique opportunity to come to the United States in 2010 to lead the initial development for PTC (first initiative in the United States) at Bombardier in Pittsburgh, PA. The following year, Alstom recruited him to bring his expertise in PTC to Rochester, NY where he was responsible for the system and subsystem specification for PTC over the next six years.

He was promoted to a Project Engineering Manager role in 2017, effectively leading PTC projects with AMTRAK, New Jersey Transit, New York City Transit, and Metro-North Railroad. In 2021, he was once again promoted to take charge of the Engineering Group for the PTC and Carborne Engineering teams, delivering secure signaling solutions to Alstom clients. Albano is also a crucial member of the Rochester site leadership team responsible for recruitment and retention of top talent.

Aside from work, Albano also devotes his time to volunteering with the Pittsford PACK swim team and fivebyfive, a local chamber music group in support of the Rochester community.

2023 RES ENGINEER OF DISTINCTION

John T. Compton
Product Architect, Fail-Safe Railway Signaling Controllers
Alstom Signaling

Following a 30-year career at Eastman Kodak, John Compton has been at Alstom, where he has worked on the design of fail-safe railway signaling controllers and other railway safety products, for the past 11 years. In his role as a product architect, Compton has contributed to the development of fail-safe digital control technologies including fail-safe digital processors with four- and twenty-times improved performance, tightly synchronized redundant operation of fail-safe processors, fail-safe digital communication protocols, and safety algorithms employing numerical assurance safety concepts. Compton also contributed to the safety analysis of fail-safe control systems for mass transit railway cars. As a senior member of Alstom’s engineering community, Compton considers it an obligation and a privilege to mentor his younger colleagues.

At Kodak, Compton was involved in a range of software, hardware and system design activities for industrial and consumer products including still video equipment, photographic thermal dye sublimation printers, digital film scanners, digital cameras and image sensors. Compton’s work in these areas led to several patented innovations. Compton also provided technical support for Kodak’s intellectual property licensing and litigation programs, specifically supporting Kodak’s digital camera patent portfolio.

In the community, Compton volunteers with the Oatka Creek Watershed Committee, notably implementing and maintaining their website (see oatka.org).

Compton received a BSEE from Michigan Technological University; while there he did not study vacuum tubes; instead, CMOS logic was kind of a new thing. John received an MSEE from the University of Rochester; he presented his master’s paper, “Microprogram Sequencer with Concurrent Error Detection,” at the 6^th Annual IEEE International ASIC Conference and Exhibit.

Compton is a senior and life member of the IEEE. He is a named inventor on 58 U.S. patents and was a Kodak Distinguished Inventor. He is a co-inventor of the KODAK TRUESENSE color filter array patterns and processing which received a 2008 EDN Innovation Award. He is recognized as an expert in product/system design by Alstom’s World Class Engineering program.

2023 RES ENGINEER OF DISTINCTION

Henrique de Melo Cunha
CBTC Engineering Manager
Alstom Signaling

Henrique de Melo Cunha is CBTC (Communications-Based Train Control) engineering manager at Alstom Signaling.

As CBTC Engineering Manager, he is responsible to lead and Manage the CBTC System Engineering team during tenders and project execution to secure quality, cost and delivery.

During his 24-year career, de Melo Cunha held several design and leadership roles in the automation and signaling business, including technical leadership from design to final commissioning in several countries like USA, Canada, Mexico, India, Taiwan, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, France and Egypt.

In 2020, de Melo Cunha was selected as Alstom World Class Engineer as an Expert in the Product and System Design expertise.

de Melo Cunha’s recent achievement was to successfully manage the engineering and validation teams to deliver a project to update Toronto Subway Line 1. The line was extended and updated to the state-of-the-art Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system.

de Melo Cunha holds a degree in electrical engineering from Centro Universitário – Faculdade de Engenharia Industrial (FEI).

2023 RES ENGINEER OF DISTINCTION

Cletus Ezenwa, PE
President and CEO
Lu Engineers

Cletus Ezenwa was born and raised in Achina, Nigeria. With his sights set on an education in civil engineering, he applied and was accepted to Syracuse University, where he obtained his B.S and M.S degrees in civil engineering. Upon graduation, he worked for seven years in the private sector while doing an in-house assignment with the NYS DOT for most of that period.  In 1993, he co-founded Prudent Engineering, LLP. In 2017, he sold his interest in Prudent Engineering and acquired Lu Engineers. Under his ownership, the firm is certified as DBE and MBE by New York State, and he has expanded Lu’s footprint to include six offices across NY State. As CEO, he specializes in structural design, inspection and load rating of bridges, and is responsible for quality control of bridge design and inspection projects.

Ezenwa is actively involved with day-to-day operations of the firm and directly supports Lu’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. He is dedicated to providing employment opportunities to predominantly minority young professionals who are seeking internships as well as career-building employment at Lu. His professional involvement includes participation with American Council of Engineering Companies on committees such as Transportation, Continuing Education, and the DMWBE committee. Ezenwa is committed to advancing the revitalization of Rochester. Over the last six years, his vision for the firm continues to materialize: he has tripled the team and Lu moved its headquarters to Tower 280 in the heart of Midtown at the close of 2022. He continues to support the community by encouraging team members to volunteer for various philanthropic endeavors. His commitment to the city extends to working with the Rochester Environmental Job (REJob) Training Program. Lu has been involved since its inception and continues to provide employment opportunities to graduates.

Ezenwa strongly supports BEAM (Buffalo Engineering Awareness for Minorities) which is a nonprofit organization committed to building diversity in STEM fields with programs aimed toward minorities and young woman. With a background in the US Army (RC), his interests include community activities geared toward youth education and good citizenship. He is an avid music enthusiast and is a tenor with the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus. He is also a passionate gardener who grows a variety of tropical vegetables for the Western New York market.

2023 RES ENGINEER OF DISTINCTION

Robert Hochman, PE
Product Architect
Alstom Signaling 

Rob Hochman is a product architect for Alstom Signaling in its Development Center – Americas, Rochester office. With over 45 years of experience in the product development field, Hochman has been involved with the development of systems and products for application in the railway industry, with responsibilities spanning the spectrum of engineering activities: design, testing, manufacturing, marketing, sales, training, field installation, and failure analysis.

Hochman’s assignments include the design of various fail-safe (vital) and non-vital products for wayside (stationary) as well as on-board (locomotive and rail car) applications. Since train control systems are life-critical, the design of these products adds a layer of complexity typically not required for other products. A representative example is a patented signaling product utilized by Amtrak for use with the ACELA high-speed train. This product enables Amtrak to operate trains at speeds up to 150 mph with service between Boston and Washington, DC.

Hochman joined General Railway Signal in 1978 as an electrical engineering co-op student from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), spending all his co-op blocks at GRS and returning each quarter to a different role within the various engineering departments. Upon graduation from RIT in 1981, Hochman joined the product development group within GRS as a product design engineer. Hochman then enrolled in the electrical engineering master’s program at RIT, attending classes in the evening and eventually earning his master’s degree in 1985. Today, Hochman is regarded as a senior expert in the field of train detection/product development within Alstom’s world class engineering program.

Outside of work, Hochman has been involved in several STEM activities with elementary school students. At a Rochester-area public school, Hochman led a parent-involved student activity program called Science Action. Hochman also coached an Odyssey of the Mind middle school team (a creative problem-solving program where team members present their solutions at a competition).

2023 RES ENGINEER OF DISTINCTION

James J. Hood
Senior Scientist, Systems Engineering
L3Harris Technologies

For more than 30 years, James “Jim” Hood, Senior Scientist, Systems Engineering, has brought engineering excellence to Communication Systems (CS) at L3Harris Technologies, engaging engineering teams with technical vision to create customer solutions that bring value to stakeholders.

In his roles as a Chief System Architect (CSA) and Chief Systems Engineer (CSE), Hood’s responsibilities span across $25 million to $500 million projects, solving increasingly complex, multi-disciplinary, technical, and business cross-functional problems while providing excellent coordination, thorough planning, technical rigor, professional execution, and clear communication to the business.

Crediting his peers, Hood leads teams of more than 50 people who boast expertise in areas such as high frequency (HF) radio communications, multi-band radio frequency (RF) communications, Mobile-Ad-Hoc Networking (MANET), Information Security (INFOSEC), Systems Integration, Software, Validation and Verification, Manufacturing Engineering, and Quality.

Hood earned his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology following his Bachelor of Science degree in the same study from Clarkson University. Two co-inventor patents enhance his resume, along with four awards: two President’s Technology awards, Business Excellence Award, and Chief Technology Officer Product and Process Innovation Award. He has developed training for ANW2 and SRW MANET waveforms and authored the L3Harris internal engineering training “Introduction to Radio Frequency Communications,” a comprehensive multi-module Introductory RF course.

Hood is currently a member of the International Council of Systems Engineering (INCOSE), previously holding memberships in IEEE and the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association (AFCEA). For more than 15 years, Hood has volunteered and chaired at the Victor-Farmington Volunteer Ambulance, has served as a lector at his church, has held leadership positions at the Boy Scouts of America, and celebrates 30 years at the Artisan Flying Club of Upstate New York.

2023 RES ENGINEER OF DISTINCTION

Katie McConky, PhD
Associate Professor and Department Head, Industrial & Systems Engineering
Rochester Institute of Technology

Katie McConky is an associate professor and department head in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). McConky is an outstanding educator and researcher focusing on operations research and artificial intelligence with applications to energy demand forecasting, usage, and sustainability.

McConky earned her bachelor’s degree (2005) and master’s degree (2007) in Industrial Engineering at RIT. She began her career as a research scientist at CUBRC, Inc. in Buffalo, NY, where she conducted research related to multisource information fusion, data analytics and maritime domain awareness. In 2010, McConky became the Lead Data Scientist at TROVE Predictive Data Science. While working full time, Katie earned her PhD in Industrial Engineering at SUNY-Buffalo in 2013.

McConky joined the faculty of the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at RIT in 2014 and was named the ISE Department Head in 2023. McConky teaches courses and conducts research in operations research, data science, and machine learning. Her work includes the development of operations research tools to improve energy efficiency and resilience, electricity demand forecasting, cybersecurity, and national security. In addition, her recent work on the Kidney Exchange problem is making tremendous progress in maximizing the number of patients that will have a successful kidney transplant from donors. She has been issued one patent (with 2 pending applications) and has authored 12 journal publications and 38 conference papers/presentations. Her research work has been funded by multiple agencies including the Office of Naval Research, Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA, NYSERDA, and DARPA.

Referred to by students as “Dr. Katie,” she takes a student-centered approach to teaching and research. She provides valuable educational opportunities by translating her real-world experience and complex subjects into a form that is easily accessible while fostering an in-depth understanding. She has a positive impact on the academic and professional lives of many students by proactively offering assistance and connecting students to opportunities.