Gordon Scholar students, alumni and industry professionals, UC San Diego faculty and staff filled the Great Hall on March 9, 2016 to recognize the awardees of the annual Gordon Engineering Leadership Awards.
“You all are at the right place at the right time, the combination of information and energy... [creates] unlimited potential for the world,” Linden Blue, the co-owner and vice chairman of General Atomics, speaks to the room after accepting the Professional Gordon Engineering Leadership Award.
Dean Albert P. Pisano introduced Blue, recognizing him for his inspirational engineering leadership and technical contribution to aviation and energy. Blue is the epitome of an engineering leader; possessing technical innovation, engineering excellence, and corporate leadership, Blue is credited for building one of San Diego’s most prestigious engineering companies - General Atomics. The company is one of the world's leading resources for high-technology systems, including nuclear fuel systems, remotely operated surveillance aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electronic, wireless and laser technologies.
“The use of nuclear energy started General Atomics,” Blue explains. “President Eisenhower's peace initiative held that the awesome energy potential of nuclear power could be used both peacefully and productively, and that's how General Atomics was founded. We’ve made 67 ISO reactors that have been sold all over the world in universities and hospitals.”
Aside from helping oversee a diverse technology portfolio, Blue is currently working to develop the Energy Multiplier Module, EM2, which is a small nuclear power generator that converts spent nuclear fuel into energy. Bloomberg News recently called EM2 one of the top 8 methods to saving the planet.
The awards were presented to the undergraduate and graduate students by Gordon Center board members Rusty Sailors, CTO/President of LP3, Carmela Keeney, Executive Director of SPAWAR and Dr. Ebonee Williams, Executive Director of Gordon Center. The Gordon Center’s annual Engineering Leadership Awards recognizes outstanding student, industrial/government/military and academic leaders who have demonstrated excellence in leadership, engineering ability, communication skills and teamwork. In addition to undergraduate and graduate opportunities, the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) provides high school students the opportunity to explore and work on engineering projects in a four-week summer program. The best teams are awarded engineering leadership awards by the Gordon Center in a ceremony which takes place in August.
Through its Gordon Scholars Program and Engineering Leadership Awards, the Center identifies and celebrates talented individuals with leadership potential. In addition, the Center exposes students to the advice, experience and attitudes of proven engineering leaders through training events including workshops, leadership forums and summer programs. Winners receive a medal, membership in the Gordon Center Alumni Network and a monetary award.
Recipients of the award are first nominated by mentors and department chairs. They are chosen through a competitive selection process by the Gordon Center Advisory Board. This year the graduate and undergraduate awards were presented to the following outstanding students for their contributions to engineering leadership.
Graduate Awards
Michael Barrow - Ph.D. Candidate, Computer Science & Engineering
In recognition of his leadership co-directing 8 teams of undergraduate researchers and for building an alliance between the School of Engineering and the School of Medicine for medical computer vision research.
Jessica Ungerleider - Ph.D. Candidate, Bioengineering ( Buzz Woolley recipient)
In recognition of her technical contributions to the designing of nanoparticles for treating disease and for building community among graduate students.
Elide Pantoli - Ph.D. Candidate, Structural Engineering
In recognition of her leadership on large-scale structural testing design and analysis and for educating the next generation of structural engineers.
Undergraduate Awards
Amanda Beck - Bioengineering
In recognition of her technical contribution to statistical analysis of EMG signals and to leadership of project teams.
Ryan Collins - Electrical & Computer Engineering
In recognition of his vision for the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), increasing technical competition participation, and fostering engineering community through outreach.
Denali Dahl-Nanoengineering
Denali Dahl-Nanoengineering
In recognition of her leadership of multidisciplinary engineering teams in Fiji and the Philippines and in her commitment to humanitarian engineering.
Neel Parekh - Bioengineering
In recognition of his leadership in multiple research teams and his commitment to the development of low-cost medical devices through UCSD’s Engineering World Health.
Phuong Truong - Structural Engineering
In recognition of her leadership founding UCSD's Keystone Structural Engineering and Divergent Engineering Teams and her contributions to ocular implantable sensor research.
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