VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY - Key Persons
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- Student Services Coordinator
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- Fellow, Advanced Measurements
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- Director, FE Automotive Quality
Anil Chinthakindi Director, FE Automotive Quality Micron Technology Over 20 years of experience in semiconductor manufacturing, product development and leadership experience. Currently responsible for automotive quality of global front end manufacturing sites at Micron technology. Sponsor of Asia American Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group at Micron Manassas, VA. Parent volunteer at local boy scout troop. Connect with Anil on LinkedIn
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- Collegiate Assistant Professor
- Materials Research Society
- Virginia Outstanding Teacher Award
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- Emeritus
- Virginia Scientist of the the Year
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- Digital Content Projects Coordinator
Holds a position at Maxar as their Director of Data Science. Dr. Harvey is also a Faculty Researcher at The Johns Hopkins University in the Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Biostatistics Department.
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- Computer Systems Administrator
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- Director of Information Technology
After serving 14 years in the FBI, Buxton has been working for the CIA in the Center for Antennas and Propagation since 2017. It was the attack on September 11, 2001 that led Buxton to pursue a career with the U.S. Government. Buxton attributes her background in electromagnetics and antenna theory, design, and measurement from Virginia Tech to her professional success. Buxton has also served on the University of Kentucky's ECE Advisory Board and wants to encourage the development of students with a focus in areas of electromagnetics to meet the needs of the U.S. Government.
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- Vice President of Product Management
Christine Whiteside Microprocessor Yield Engineering & Characterization IBM Four years experience in the semiconductor industry as a yield and characterization development engineer working on data analysis, modeling, and forecasting. Currently supports products ranging from ASICs to large IBM mainframe server microprocessors. Connect with Christine on LinkedIn
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- Assistant Director for Graduate Programs
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- Software Development Engineer II / Amazon
With six years of experience at Amazon Web Services, Curtis leads a software engineering team focused on increasing velocity for AWS revenue operations at a global scale.
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- Collegiate Associate Professor
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- Space Systems Engineering Director / BAE Systems
25 years of experience in all facets of Space Electronics development, currently responsible for staffing and executing programs across the Space Systems portfolio. David currently oversees a group of 180+ engineers, across three sites in Virginia and New Hampshire. David has worked for the company since 1998, holding a variety of engineering positions, with a focus in electronics and micro-electronics development. His primary technical expertise in ASIC and FPGA development, and he has worked on board, box, software, and system development as well. David has a B.S. in Computer Engineering and an M.S. in Computer Engineering, both from Virginia Tech, with concentrations in micro-electronics, and communications.
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- Director of Collection Research
Dr. Pedro Espina joined IARPA in September 2020 as the Office Director for the Office of Collection. Prior to joining IARPA, he led the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's geophysics research efforts and supported the National Reconnaissance Office's basic research portfolio. From 2015-2016, Dr. Espina served as the National Institute of Science and Technology's (NIST) international science and standards advisor. From 2013-2015, he supported the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the senior science and technology advisor and was the executive director of the White House National Science and Technology Council from 2010-2013. From 2005-2010, Dr. Espina served at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Paris and served as a flow measurement scientist for the Department of Commerce from 1987-2005. Dr. Espina was also part of NIST's response to the Deepwater Horizon incident, where he served on the team that calculated the size of the oil spill. His efforts earned him accolades, including the Department of Commerce's silver medal, which is granted by the secretary of commerce for exceptional contributions that have a direct and lasting impact. Dr. Espina earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Puerto Rico and a master's degree and doctorate from the University of Maryland.
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- Science & Technology Policy Analyst / Strategist / the MITRE Corporation
More than 20 years of experience leading interagency and public-private teams in the development of federal policies and strategies that are objective, nonpartisan, data-driven, actionable, and measurable.
Durham Hall, adjacent to Whittemore, houses a variety of offices and research and teaching laboratories.
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- President and CEO of Wilmore Electronics Co
E. Towson Moore (EE 1958) has served as president and CEO of Wilmore Electronics Co. Inc. since its founding. He gradually moved his company and its subsidiary, Energy Dynamics Inc., into manufacturing, employing about 100 people. The companies two locations provide state-of-the-art industrial power converters to a wide base of domestic and export customers.
Earle D. Gregory (EE 1923), known as the "Sgt. York of Virginia" by newspapers nationwide, was the first native Virginian to receive the Medal of Honor. At Bois de Consenvoye, France, on October 18, 1918, he single-handedly captured 22 German soldiers and two machine guns, saving countless American lives. The university's Gregory Guard precision drill team is named in his honor. (Did not graduate)
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- Graduate Student Services Specialist
- Student Services Coordinator
Edward Hudson Lane (EE 1910) and his father founded the Standard Red Cedar Chest Co., later known as Lane Furniture, in 1912. He played a significant role in the success of the Student Aid Association at Virginia Tech. Lane Stadium bears his name. (Did not graduate)
Gilbert L. Faison (EE 1947) joined Roache and Mercer in 1959 and within two years became a full partner in the mechanical and electrical engineering consulting firm. He retired from Roache, Mercer, and Faison as president and chair. He was also a founding member of the Advisory Board for Virginia Techs Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
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- Chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural
Harold L. Martin (EE 1980) is chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Previously, he had been senior vice president for academic affairs for the 16 institutions of higher education that comprise the University of North Carolina system.
Hyde C. Tucker (EE 1956) as president and CEO of Bell Atlantic International brokered one of the largest business deals on Wall Street in 1991. He started his career with C& P Telephone Co. and remained with some form of the communications industry for his entire career. He was named the College of Engineerings distinguished alumnus in 1998 and received its Distinguished Service Award in 2002.
Irving L. Peddrew III (electrical engineering) not only was the first African-American student to enroll at Virginia Tech (in 1953), he was also the first African-American undergraduate student to go to a historically white public school in the former Confederacy. The only black student on campus his freshman year, he was required to participate in the corps of cadets but had to live and eat off campus. Disillusioned by his experiences, he left at the end of his junior year and did not return.
Peddrew-Yates Residence Hall was co-named in his honor in 2003. In 2016, Peddrew received an honorary Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering during the spring University Commencement ceremony in Lane Stadium. He is only the ninth individual in the university's 145-year history that was distinguished with an honorary degree.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Department Head
- Assistant Department Head, Undergraduate Education
Jamie Helmer Manager Norfolk Southern A leader with 25+ years of transportation operations with expertise of data-driven process improvements and sustaining results through developing people, strategy, and vision. Connect with Jamie on LinkedIn
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- Senior Manager - Reliability
Jeremy Ferrell Director of Engineering VPT 20 years of experience in high reliability and space power electronics industry. Currently leading a team specializing in designing next generation power supplies for future space exploration, military and commercial aviation applications. Connect with Jeremy on LinkedIn
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- Assistant Professor & Steven O. Lane Junior Faculty Fellow
Joseph H. Vipperman (EE 1962) served three years as a lieutenant in the strategic air command of the U.S. Air Force and then he returned to Appalachian Power, where he spent a 40-year career in engineering, finance, and various management positions, retiring as executive vice president of American Electric Power Shared Services, the parent company of Appalachian Power. In honor of his achievements, AEP presented $1 million to ICTAS for energy-related research.
Joseph R. Loring (EE 1947) started his private practice in 1956, Joseph R. Loring & Associates Inc., and has provided essential engineering services for many of the eras renowned public and private building projects. They range from high-rise office towers and corporate headquarters to universities, libraries, hospitals, airport terminals, courthouses, and correctional facilities around the world.
Joseph T. May (EE 1962), a delegate in the Virginia General Assembly since 1993, was honored in 1996 with the Virginia Lifetime Achievement Award in Industry. In 2000, he received the Governors Legislative Leadership Award in Technology, and in 2002 he was named the Virginia Biotechnology Legislator of the Year. The owner of 22 patents and of his own business, EIT, which designs, manufactures, and sells electronic products, May is considered the resident technology expert in the General Assembly.
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- Undergraduate Academic & Career Advisor ( L - Q )
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- Collegiate Associate Professor
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- Associate Vice President for Research, Integrative Team Initiatives
- Professor
Larry Hornak is Professor and Distinguished Faculty Scholar in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and serves as the Associate Vice President for Research, Integrative Team Initiatives at the University of Georgia (UGA). Hornak received his B.S. in Physics from Binghamton University (SUNY) in 1982 after which he joined AT&T Bell Laboratories, in Holmdel, NJ where he completed his M.E. at Stevens Institute of Technology, and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at Rutgers University in 1991. Hornak was a founding partner in NexID Biometrics, a start-up company spun out of CITeR and acquired in 2017, and founding co-director for the state's Nanoscience Initiative. In his current Associate Vice President for Research position begun in 2020, Hornak supports faculty building interdisciplinary, integrative research teams, including co-directing the new UGA Research Institute to help grow mission agency partnerships. Hornak has over 150 refereed publications spanning integrated electronic and photonic sensors and devices, and biometric sensors and systems. He is a senior member of the IEEE and member of the SPIE, OSA and ASEE as well as Sigma Pi Sigma, Sigma Xi, and Eta Kappa Nu.
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- Chief of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
Letitia Long (EE 1982) is chief of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, the agency that tries to make sense of what spy satellites see. Long is the first woman to head a major U.S. intelligence outfit.
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- Graduate Student Services Specialist
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- Bradley Professor of Cybersecurity and Executive Director of the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative
Luke Lester Roanoke Electric Steel Professor and Department Head Bradley Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering Experienced Head of Electrical Engineering with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Strong engineering professional skilled in Nanomaterials, Laser Physics, Nanofabrication. Connect with Luke on LinkedIn
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- Senior Program Manager / Criterion Systems, Inc.
A corporate executive in the defense industry performing roles in program management, corporate operations, cybersecurity management, and business development. Lynne served as Chair, Virginia Tech Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Industrial Advisory Board 2018-2020 and Vice Chair, 2016-2018. She has a BSEE from Virginia Tech and MSEE from Northeastern University. Prior to entering the corporate world, Lynne retired as a Colonel after serving 25 years in the USAF.
As the Senior Program Manager for Criterion's multiple cybersecurity contracts at the Department of Transportation, Hamilton-Jones understands the importance of industry and hands-on experience in the field of ECE. She was one of the primary creators of the new ECE curriculum when she served on the ECE Advisory Board as chair. She served more than eight years on the board as a member, vice chair, chair and executive committee member.
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- Undergraduate Academic & Career Advisor ( a - D )
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- Microelectronics Consortium Professor
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- Program Coordinator - ( Greater Washington D.C. Metro Area )
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- Technical Director I - Systems Engineering ( Space Systems ) BAE Systems
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- Senior Principal Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems Technical Advisor
Michael Garris Senior Principal Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems Technical Advisor MITRE Computer scientist, retired from 34 years of federal service at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and is starting a new position as Senior Principal Technical Advisor to MITRE's Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy Innovation Center. He was honored to serve from 2019-2021 as the Chief Technical Advisor to the congressionally chartered National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence delivering their final report to the President and to Congress on March 1, 2021. His interests are in technology and policy around areas of artificial intelligence, image processing, pattern recognition, and biometrics. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn
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- Vice President - Transport Engineering and Operations
Monther Hammoudeh Vice President - Transport Engineering and Operations Windstream A technical leader with 21 years of experience in planning, engineering and deploying Long Haul, Metro and Access Communications Networks. A charismatic leader with strong people skills and the ability to direct cross functional groups toward successful results. Connect with Monther on LinkedIn
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- Undergraduate Academic & Career Advisor ( E - K, R )
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- Graduate Student Services Academic & Career Advisor ( Blacksburg & D.C. Area )
Oren Austin Oliver (EE 1909) pioneered orthodontic techniques that revolutionized the science, achieving international recognition in orthodontia by developing the lingual and labial arch technique. According to Town & Country Review, a magazine published in London, "The results in slowly guiding irregularity into regularity ... are so remarkable and so successful as to appear magical to the uninitiated." Among his numerous national and international awards were a congressional citation and medal for his work in securing dentists to examine selective service inductees during World War II and the first certificate ever bestowed by the International Dental Society.
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- Graduate Program Director
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- Assistant Professor of Practice
Highly experienced and accomplished Engineering Team Lead and Organizational Strategist, who possesses dynamic, proactive, and results-oriented attributes.
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- Alumni Research Award Winners
Robert E. "Bob" Castle, Jr. (EE B.S. 1976; M.S. 1978) is the flight director in Mission Control at NASAs Johnson Space Center. He has directed more than 25 space shuttle missions either as the flight director or the mission operations director, including the lead work on the first space shuttle mission to dock with the Russian Mir space station and the first shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). He led preparations for the space shuttle mission "5A" that carried the U.S. laboratory module Destiny into orbit in 2001. NASA presented him with its Stellar Award for his outstanding leadership in the development of the flight control team operations concept and Russian interfaces to support the ISS.
30 years of professional engineering, defense, and leadership experience. Skilled in Strategic Leadership, Program Execution, Engineering and Program Management, System Integration, and full life cycle Software and Hardware Engineering Development across many different platforms and applications.
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- Associate Department Head and Chief of Operations
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- Pete White Chair for Innovation in Engineering Education
Holt has more than 37 years of experience focused in both industry and board member service. Her industry experience is focused on semiconductors, sub-systems, and embedded technologies. Her operational experience is focused on business unit leadership, P&L ownership, business development, sales, marketing and engineering. Holt is also a former executive of Rambus, Agilent Technologies, and HP. She has served on the Committee of 100 for Virginia Tech's College of Engineering and also served as an ECE board member. Holt is a strong supporter of recruiting and retaining women into the field of electrical engineering and has mentored several throughout her career.
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- Sponsored Programs Administrator
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- Vice President, Head of Executive Compensation and Talent Management
Stephanie Palermo Vice President, Head of Executive Compensation and Talent Management Capital One Banking executive with > 25 years using data science and quantitative analytics to develop and implement team vision and strategy. Fungible leader with a passion and strength in communicating and influencing game-changing business results. Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn
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- Undergraduate Academic & Career Advisor ( S - Z )
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- Technical Director, Processing and Analytic Capabilities / U.S. Department of Defense
A long history of scaling innovative ideas and projects to enterprise-wide capabilites with enduring results. Most recently he served as the Technical Director for the NSA organization that is responsible for all of its back-end mission data processing, compliance, dataflow, decryption, analytics, storage, and analyst toolsets.
Thomas L. Phillips (EE B.S. 1947; M.S. 1947) retired as CEO, president, and chairman of the board of Raytheon Co. Under his leadership, Raytheon developed and marketed the first commercial home microwave. Phillips also played a role in the development of two of the companys guided-missile programs.
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- Assistant Director for Graduate Programs
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- Consulting Engineer / Ciena
19+ years of extensive experience in R&D, support operation, and customer relationship. A proven record in creating organization efficiency, improving product quality for customer, and driving growth in revenue.
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- Virginia Outstanding Teacher Award
William C. Bixby (EE 1942) was editor of Look magazine, a weekly general interest magazine published in the United States from 1937 to 1971. It was widely viewed as a competitor to Life magazine.
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- Collegiate Associate Professor
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- Associate Professor
- Director of Instructional Laboratories
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- Chairman of the Board of American Electric Power
- Pete White Chair for Innovation in Engineering Education