Class Notes
1960's
Cung Khac Vu ’69, PhD
Houston, Texas
Cung was named Distinguished Undergraduate Alumnus of the Year by the College of Arts and Sciences at Homecoming 2019. During his 37-year career with the energy industry, he held technical and management positions with Shell, Unocal and Chevron. He earned bachelor’s degrees in math and physics at Case Institute of Technology. Now retired, Cung shares his expertise with the Case School of Engineering as a member of the board of the Great Lakes Energy Institute.
1970's
Philip King ’72
Saint Charles, Missouri
Phil received the Achievement Award from the Engineers’ Club of St. Louis for his contributions to engineering over many years. The award, the club’s highest honor, recognizes Phil’s work designing, developing and producing military helmet mounted displays for pilots of fighter/attack aircraft. He did most of this work at McDonnell Douglas and later Boeing in St. Louis. Phil earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Case Institute of Technology. He attended the award ceremony with his wife, Kathy, a 1972 graduate of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing.
Larry Enterline ’74
Buford, Georgia
Larry was appointed to the board of directors of Compass Diversified Holdings, an owner of leading middle market businesses. The retired CEO of FOX Factory Holding Corp., Larry has more than 30 years of public company leadership and operating experience. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
Diana Essock ’75
Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Diana was elected vice president of ASM International October 1, 2019, at MS&T19, the Materials Science & Technology technical meeting and exhibition in Portland, Oregon. She’s president of Metamark in Cleveland. She earned her degree in metallurgy from Case Institute of Technology, where she was the first female undergraduate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
Bob Desberg ‘79
Bellingham, Washington
Bob has joined Leading Edge Metals & Alloys, Inc., as a materials specialist, bringing more than 30 years of refractory metals experience to the job. After earning his degree in metallurgy from Case Institute of technology, Bob spent much of his career consulting with engineers from the aerospace and medical industries, providing them with insight into the characteristics, properties and applications of refractory metals.
1980's
Shih-Chin Chen, PhD ’84
Dublin, Ohio
Shih-Chin received the Gold Medal Award for lifelong scientific achievements from the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry. He’s a corporate executive engineer at the Columbus area offices ABB Group, a Swiss multi-national that develops robotics, electrical and automation technology. He earned his doctorate in systems and control engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
Jeen-long “Daniel” Liao, MS’84
Shanghai, China
Daniel was appointed to the board of directors of Amkor Technology, a Phoenix-based semiconductor packaging and test services company. He’s a senior executive at Lam Research, a semiconductor processing equipment company, and serves as Chairman of Lam Asia Pacific Operations. Daniel earned his master’s in electrical engineering and applied physics from Case Institute of Technology. He has held engineering management positions at Integrated Device Technology and at Intel. "
Joseph Rencis, PhD ’85
San Dimas, California
Joe was added to the Alumni Wall of Distinction at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, where he earned his A.A.S. and B.S. degrees in architectural and building construction engineering technology before earning his doctorate in civil engineering from Case. He’s a professor of mechanical engineering and Dean of the College Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona.
Chris DellaCorte ’86, MS ’87, PhD ’89
Medina, Ohio
Chris received ASM International’s 2019 Engineering Materials Achievement Award October 1st at MS&T19, the Materials Science & Technology technical meeting and exhibition in Portland, Oregon. The award committee recognized his work in the development and commercialization of NiTi alloys for corrosion resistant, high load capacity bearing, gear and mechanical component applications. Chris is a senior technologist at the NASA Glenn Research Center. He earned three engineering degrees at Case Institute of Technology, including a doctorate.
Toni Marechaux, MS’86, Phd ’89
Washington, D.C.
Toni, a consulting scientist on environmental and industrial issues, was elected to the board of trustees of ASM International at its October 2019 assembly. She earned her master’s and doctorate degrees at Case Institute of Technology, where she specialized in metallurgy. Before moving to Washington, she supported NASA Glenn as a scientist with ZIN Technologies.
Raymond Fryan, MS ’87, PhD ’95
Massillon, Ohio
Ray, the treasurer of ASM International, is Vice President for Technology & Quality at the TimkenSteel Corp. He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from Case in materials science and engineering and has worked for Timken for more than 35 years. A distance runner, he has finished many Boston marathons.
Enrique Conterno ‘89
Indianapolis, Indiana
Enrique, the top U.S. executive at Eli Lilly and Company, is retiring at the end of 2019 after 27 years with the company. An international student from Peru, he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case Institute of Technology and was an All-American on the Spartan swim team. Enrique joined Lilly in 1992 and worked in sales, finance and marketing on his way to becoming President of Lilly Diabetes and Lilly USA.
1990's
Benedict Gomes ’90, PhD
Palo Alto, California
Ben, the Vice President of Search at Google, addressed students at his high school alma mater in Bangalore, India, in August, advising them to always be curious.“When you have curiosity, follow it,” he was quoted by the Business Standard. “Find more about it. Don’t study anything by rote. Just try and understand what it is. It is not easy sometimes. It is the thing that will stay with you later on. Understand what it is about and later use it in creative ways.” Gomes earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Case Institute of Technology. In 2018 he was named head of all search at Google.
Robert Stoll MS ’90, PhD
Westlake, Ohio
Bob is running for a second term on the Westlake School Board in suburban Cleveland. After earning his master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case, he worked as an engineer, a plant manager and a technical director. In 2012, Bob joined the faculty of Ashland University as a professor in supply chain management.
Evan Morris, PhD ’91
Madison, Connecticut
Evan has accepted a position as vice president of scientific imaging research at Invicro in its New Haven, Conn., facility. A specialist in brain imaging, he’s a professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science. Evan earned his doctorate in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering.
Steven F. Hubbard, PhD ’97
Weston, Massachusetts
Steve joined the faculty of Stonehill College in Easton, MA, as a visiting Assistant Professor of Physics. Previously he was a long-time faculty member and Interim Dean of the Division of Science and Mathematics at Lorain County Community College. Over the course of his career, Steve served on Ohio statewide education panels and was elected an at-large trustee to the Ohio Academy of Science. He earned his doctorate in physics in 1997 from the Case School of Engineering.
Bridget Smith ’97, MSE ’99
Newport Beach, California
Bridget, a patent attorney, is joining Lowenstein & Weatherwax in Los Angeles to specialize in administrative challenges to patent validity. Previously she was co-chairwoman of the PTAB group at Knobbe Martens. Bridget earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering at Case. She worked as a software engineer at Motorola and as a data scientist consultant at Khimetrics Inc. before earning her law degree at Arizona State.
2000's
Robert Ferguson, ME ’02
Newnan, Georgia
Bob, the Vice President of Global R&D for Vernay Laboratories, was selected to participate in NASA’s HERA program at the Johnson Space Center beginning August 16, 2019. HERA, or Human Exploration Research Analog, is a three-story habitat designed to test isolation, confinement and remote conditions in space exploration. Bob was one of four volunteers to enter the habitat for Mission XX, which runs for 45 days.
Sarah Jones ’03
New Albany, Ohio
Sarah is a senior engineer for Owens Corning in its Process and Materials Innovation Group in the Roofing Division in Granville, Ohio. She’s also a role model for girls in STEM, participating in school activities that encourage girls to embrace math and science. Sarah earned her bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the Case School of Engineering.
Eric Anderson ’04, PhD ‘07
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Eric, a physical scientist at NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich.,received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. The award, announced in July, recognizes his leadership in developing innovative tools to predict the physical nature of Great Lakes waters. Eric earned his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering from the Case School of Engineering.
Alex Thurston, MSE ’04
Belmont, Massachusetts
Alex is an applications engineering manager at Olympus Scientific Solutions, where he leads a team that helps customers develop and institute new uses for XRF and XRD products. He entered the metals manufacturing industry after earning a master’s degree in materials science from Case.
Elaine Hillenmeyer ’05, PhD
Beaverton, Oregon
Elaine, a regulatory consultant for medical devices, will be inducted into the Spartan Club Hall of Fame at Homecoming 2019. She was a four time All-American swimmer while earning her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering. As a senior, she was named CWRU’s Female Athlete of the Year. Elaine went on to earn her doctorate in bioengineering from the University of Washington.
Eric Diven ’06
Somerville, Massachusetts
Eric was awarded the Members Choice Award at the annual Juried Woodworking Exhibition at Wharton Esherick Museum in Chester County, PA, for a piece he calls “Springtime in Bronze.” He earned his degree in computer science at Case and worked as a programmer until 2017, when he entered the Furniture Institute of Massachusetts. He then founded Long Walk Woodworking, a Somerville shop where he crafts traditional and contemporary furniture.
Kevin Bigart, MD, ‘09
Chicago, Illinois
Kevin, an orthopedic surgeon, will be inducted into the Spartan Club Hall of Fame at Homecoming 2019. He was an Academic All-American soccer player while earning his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Case. He was also the first winner of the Bill Sudeck Outstanding Student-Athlete Award in 2008. Kevin earned his medical degree in 2013 from the School of Medicine at CWRU.
2010's
Lakshman “Lucky” Tavag ’10
Cleveland, Ohio
Lucky is vice president of engineering at Axuall, a Cleveland startup whose blockchain technology recently attracted $3 million in seed funding from investors. Previously he was director of engineering at Votem Corp. and MOAT. Lucky came to Case as an international student from India and earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering.
Fred Hatfull ’11
San Francisco, California
Fred is the senior technical lead for Yelp, having recently moved from management back to a technical role where he works with operations and engineering teams across the company. Fred earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Case School of Engineering. His senior year, he won the Chairman’s Award for a student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science who shows exceptional academic or leadership potential.
Shikha Tandon MS ’12
San Francisco, California
Shikah has joined TechCrunch as a product manager in its San Francisco offices. Previously she was the Science Program Lead at the U.S. Anti-doping Agency in Colorado Springs. A world-class swimmer, she represented India at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. She earned her master’s degree in biology from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Sam Crisanti '17, MS '18
Anna (Mehringer) Crisanti '17, MS '17
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sam and Anna were married June 22, 2019 in Barrington, Illinois, at a ceremony that included many fellow Case graduates. They met at Case and are now both mechanical engineers in Milwaukee.
Cassandra Laios ’18, MEM ’19
Owego, New York
Cassandra is an electrical engineer for Lockheed Martin’s electronic systems sector in upstate New York. In 2019, the year she graduated, she won the NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track and Field Hammer Throw Championship, becoming only the 15th NCAA Champion in the 48-year history of CWRU athletics. In September, she was named a Top 30 Honoree for the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year award.