ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥

Reignited in 2018, the Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Board for the College of Engineering and Applied Science is saying goodbye and thank you to four of the original founding members. 

On June 30, 2021, Tommy Benning (MechEngr’11), Morgan Hill (MechEngr’13), Yev Kaufman (MCivEngr’12), and Brock Kowalchuk (AeroEngr’11) will see their terms come to an end. These four helped build and set up future iterations of the board for success. Kowalchuk served as one of the initial board co-chairs, and his vision and leadership helped create the board’s three subcommittees. Benning led the engagement subcommittee, and he worked tirelessly to develop a new member recruitment plan, board member satisfaction surveys and ensured all board members made their annual philanthropic contribution to the college. Hill and Kaufman were integral parts of the student engagement and board engagement subcommittees, respectively. Their work allowed each subcommittee to carry out its vision. 

Since its inception, the board has supported the college’s student and recent alumni effort, on top of helping inform its recent alumni philanthropy strategic vision. Their collective effort created numerous opportunities for the college to engage several students and alumni. Most notably, the student engagement subcommittee partnered with the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Engineering Council on two events that allowed alumni volunteers to interact with nearly 100 students over the past year through mock, informational and technical interviews. The recent alumni engagement subcommittee has also produced four virtual professional development panels and networking events. These events are geared to recent graduates and focus on topics of interest such as advanced degrees, mentorship and professional certifications.

Although goodbyes are always difficult, we are delighted to welcome six new board members. After an extensive search, we are proud to announce that Brittany Earle (ChemEngr’15), Chris Kohl (MechEngr’17), Pratik Lotia (MTeleCom’18), Graham Parkinson (ChemEngr’12), Bart Potenzo (MechEngr’16), and Katie Simon (MechEngr’18) will begin their board member terms on July 1, 2021. Their diverse backgrounds and unique experiences will bring a fresh take and new ideas to the board. They join the 12 remaining board members and will work to continue to build upon the accomplishments of the last three years.

Want to get involved as an alumni volunteer? Fill out our form or update your contact information to be notified of future ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Engineering alumni events.