Alumni Profiles

College of Engineering alumni make up an amazing group of diverse and successful people. Learn more about some of our alumni by reading the following profiles.

In Business to Save Energy: Oleg Khaykin

Oleg Khaykin (B.S. ECE, '87) is the president and CEO of International Rectifier (IR), a world leader in advanced power management technologies. IR has revenues of $1.18 billion, 5,000 employees and operations in 20 countries. It is the company that computing, industrial, automotive and consumer electronics manufacturers count on to boost the efficiency and performance of their products. And as Khaykin explains, improving energy efficiency is a major focus for IR and its customers. Read More...

A Career Without Borders: Erica Spiritos

Civil and environmental engineering alumna Erica Spiritos hopes that, if she ever does decide to settle down to office work, she can do so with a bucket of Amazonian mud under her desk. However, for now, she is searching for opportunities and positions that will allow her to work outdoors and to help communities across the globe with her engineering knowledge. Read More...

One Small Step for DNA, One Giant Leap for Art: Ottoleo Kuter-Arnebeck

While it may be hard to believe that blood glucose monitors and a project that involves sending a capsule of DNA to the moon have anything in common, CIT alumnus Ottoleo Kuter-Arnebeck's current research relates directly to both. Kuter-Arnebeck, who received his bachelor's in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, is now working toward his Ph.D. at McGill University. He is still involved with CMU through the Moon Arts Group, whose goal is to place art on the moon that will further human culture in space and cause us to reflect on our responsibilities to others on our own planet. Read More...

Civil and Environmental Engineer Pursues Photography Dream: Randi Voss

CIT grad Randi Voss had a tough career choice to make: should she leave her job as a civil and environmental engineer to pursue photography full time? "I knew I wanted to do photography," says Voss. "It was my dream to do it." The engineer turned photographer reflects on how her time at CMU and as an engineer prepared her for success in pursing that dream. Read More...

Inception to Acquisition: Alok Rishi

What does it take to be an entrepreneur? Dedication, timing, sacrifice—lots of sacrifice, but most importantly, the right support! Alok Rishi (MS '09) learned these lessons after attending Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley and becoming an engineer after more than 20 years in the software industry. Read More...

Disruptive by Design: Henry Thorne

When Henry Thorne (B.S., M.S. MechE '82, '84) graduated from the College of Engineering he set out to start his own company. His business strategy was simple: he would invent an amazing high-tech product and a lucrative company would follow. His success didn't happen the way he planned. Read More...

Designing Computer Engineering Barbie: Erin Fitzgerald

Last Fall Erin Fitzgerald (E'02) returned to Carnegie Mellon to introduce Computer Engineering Barbie—Barbie's 126th career. Fitzgerald was part of a group from the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) who advised Mattel Inc. on what Barbie would look like if she were a computer engineer. Read More...

Family, Friends Remember Engineer Who Reached for the Stars: Judith Resnik

It is hard to give you the feel of their tears or the silent moments that said so much. Family, colleagues, and friends of Judith A. Resnik don't want her just to be remembered as one of the seven astronauts who died in the Challenger Space Shuttle breakup 25 years ago. "We would like her to be remembered for her legacy as the second American woman in space, a diligent student and a wonderful human being," said Helene R. Norin, of West Akron, Ohio, Resnik's cousin. "She was bright and interested in the sciences. In fact, the large extended Resnik family has always placed great emphasis on academic achievement. Read More...

Good Advice for All: Barbara Buck

When Barbara Buck (BS ChemE, '73) addressed CIT's Class of 2010, she thought she was sharing advice suitable for young adults embarking on new careers. But what the soft-spoken executive actually did was impart long-wrought knowledge that could benefit everyone. Read More...

A Pioneer in the World of Low-Power Semiconductors: James Meindl

When James Meindl began his career, his life was in order, and he was calling the shots. Or so he thought. After receiving his degrees (BS, MS, Ph.D., 1958) in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie Tech, he, like many fellow grads, accepted a position at Westinghouse in Pittsburgh. "When I got up in the morning, I wanted to go to work. I worked on semiconductors that were used to control nuclear reactors. I liked what I did," says Meindl. Ironically, his great job lasted less than a year. The Army called him to active duty. Read More...

It's More Than His Civic Duty: Hillard Lazarus

Hillard Lazarus is a busy man. He is a professor of medicine in the Hematology-Oncology Division at Case Western Reserve University and the director of the Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program at the Ireland Cancer Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland. Inducted into the American Cancer Society's Cancer Care Giver Hall of Fame, as well as the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, he is a nationally recognized expert in treating blood malignancies, including leukemia and lymphoma. Read More...

If You're Going to Work Abroad, Here's Some Advice: Sonya Miller

For 20 years, Sonya Miller (B.S. MechE, 1987) has successfully managed large-scale, heavy industrial engineering projects (some in the neighborhood of $200,000,000) both in the United States and abroad. Although she finds that her guiding tenet, "treat others as you want to be treated" works worldwide, she has not once deluded herself into thinking that she can conduct business in a foreign country the same way she would in the United States. Read More...