SPRING 2020

Ankur Jain: BYOInnovation

Shattering (Conventional) Glass Letter from the President

PHOTO: DAVID ETTINGER

THIS PAST JANUARY, when the coronavirus were unable to return home this spring. Many began to change our world as we know it, Illinois campus facilities and maintenance staff, public Institute of Technology found ourselves doing safety officers, and food and custodial partners what have done best since 1890—providing our continued to report to work to take care of students with a world-class education—only these students. Their extraordinary care of our this time with the added challenge of ensuring students is deeply appreciated. a heightened level of safety for our community Many alumni, too, have continued to support during a global pandemic. Our successes since Illinois Tech during the pandemic by contributing then have been thanks to the efforts of each to the Hawks 4 Hawks Hardship Fund. This dedicated member of our university community program provides direct financial assistance to working together, whether on campus or Illinois Tech students in crisis situations with remotely. Each of us has shown what it means 100 percent of the funds helping students facing to be an active, conscientious, and contributing unexpected hardships. member of something bigger than ourselves. While we cannot predict the future, at Illinois The graduates as well as the rest of our Tech we are ready for the future, no matter what student body shifted to online learning for the it may bring. Thank you for your support, which duration of the semester after spring break. Our provides us a great deal of confidence in the faculty demonstrated an uncommon commitment months ahead. While we expect and are planning in their coursework delivery; the feedback from to welcome students to campus in-person for the our students was overwhelmingly positive even start of the 2020 fall semester, what we know for though they had to sacrifice their traditional certain is that the Illinois Tech student experience campus experience. On May 16 the Class of will continue to be rigorous and rewarding. After 2020 had a virtual Commencement, yet another all, it is in the collective DNA of the Illinois Tech unprecedented change. community to contribute to something bigger Many of our campus staff regularly train than itself. and plan to respond to a range of crises, and in recent years, one of our training exercises Sincerely, focused on a disease outbreak. This planning and training rendered our leadership team better prepared to respond quickly and appropriately to COVID-19. We were able to safely shelter Alan W. Cramb hundreds of students on Mies Campus who MAGAZINE Vice President for External Affairs Jess Goode Spring 2020 Managing Editor Marcia Faye

Director of Content Chelsea Kalberloh Jackson

Editorial Contributors Andrew Connor Joseph Giovannetti Steve Hendershot Linsey Maughan Casey Moffitt 12 Art Direction Scott Benbrook

Design Scott Benbrook Joseph Goforth Travis Rothe Photography Olivia Dimmer 10 David Ettinger Tim Klein Features Scott Murry Copyeditor/Writer 18 Andrew Wyder 10 18 Web Edition Using local ingredients Juliane Wolf (ARCH ’01), Peter Beltemacchi such as the pomelo, Studio Gang design Abbey Vargas tap-meister Ankur Jain principal and partner, Illinois Tech Magazine, winner of a 2019 Pride of CASE V Award (CS ’03) has elevated his is embodying both Departments (Silver), is published twice a year by the Office of Marketing craft beer to the beauty and sustainability and Communications. © 2020 beverage of choice for in Chicago’s new 2 On Campus Illinois Tech Magazine is printed on FSC-certified recycled paper. many in his native India. Vista Tower. 6 Philanthropy News Read it, share it, recycle it. 7 Athletics Send Letters to Illinois Tech Magazine Office of Marketing and Communications 8 Research Briefs 10 West 35th Street, 13th Floor 24 Alumni News Chicago, IL 60616 12 36 Rewind or email [email protected] Climate-change activist Send alumni news to [email protected] Brian Gómez (CECD ’18) Illinois Institute of Technology, also known as Illinois Tech, is a private, technology- and the youth-driven focused research university. Based in the global metropolis of Chicago, Illinois Tech is the only university of its kind in the city. It offers undergraduate and graduate nonprofit Sunrise degrees in engineering, science, architecture, business, design, human sciences, applied technology, and law. Movement serve as a collective voice for One of 21 institutions that comprise the Association of Independent Technological Universities (AITU), Illinois Tech provides an exceptional education centered planet Earth. Read Illinois Tech on active learning, and its graduates lead the state and much of the nation in Magazine economic prosperity. At Illinois Tech students are empowered to discover, create, 22 online at and solve, and thus uniquely prepared to succeed in professions that require magazine.iit.edu technological sophistication, an innovative mindset, and an entrepreneurial spirit.

Mission Statement To provide distinctive and relevant education in an environment of scientific, 16 22 technological, and professional knowledge creation and innovation Planned Parenthood A success in fields from Armour College of Engineering Institute of Design of Illinois head robots to biomedical Chicago-Kent College of Law Lewis College of Human Sciences Jennifer College of Architecture School of Applied Technology Welch (LAW ’94), “a startups, Christopher College of Science Stuart School of Business systems-level thinker,” Jones (AE ’07, Ph.D. ADA Statement leads the organization BME ’14) gets into “cool” Illinois Institute of Technology provides qualified individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in university activities, with compassion projects—especially ones On The Cover: programs, and services. Such individuals with disabilities requiring an accommodation should call the activity, program, or service director. and empathy. that allow him to be Ankur Jain (CS ’03) is founder of For further information about Illinois Tech’s resources, contact the creative and apply his India’s largest craft brewery, Bira 91. Illinois Tech Center for Disability Resources at [email protected]. tech know-how. Photo: Courtesy of Ankur Jain New College of Computing to Anchor Computation and Data Activities

Park before it was sold to IBM. “For years, Illinois Tech has been a key driver of the Chicago economy by empowering its graduates with the skills needed to succeed in tomorrow’s industries,” says Gladwin. “This leading approach to computing education is a key component in Illinois Tech establishing itself as a global top-tier tech university and empowering Chicago to advance to a global top-tier tech city.” PHOTO: DAVID ETTINGER

ACT Center a Computational Campus Hub

Chris Gladwin was also instrumental in establishing Illinois Tech’s Active A HUB FOR ADDRESSING A disciplines, something we believe Computational Thinking (ACT) Center, variety of interdisciplinary compu- has never been accomplished in now under the College of Science tational research and educational a comprehensive university with umbrella, through a gift he made needs. Degree programs in artificial law, architecture, and the full two years earlier to the Department intelligence. Collaborations with range of disciplines,” says Illinois of Computer Science. Headed by experts around the United States on Tech President Alan W. Cramb. Research Professor Anita Nikolich, how to develop a faster and more The formation of the college aligns a notable cybersecurity expert, the secure internet. These are just some with the university’s commitment ACT Center will incorporate thematic of the projects that will take place to invest in the area of computation elements into computational under Illinois Institute of Technol- and data, a designated university thinking. For example, the center ogy’s new College of Computing, research initiative. It also supports has made artificial intelligence which opened on June 1. Besides the the priority to “fully realize our its first theme. Therefore, any Department of Computer Science, identity as the premier technology- department across campus looking the College of Computing, headed focused university in Chicago,” as to collaborate on projects incor- by current College of Science Dean stated in Our Students and Their porating computational AI into its Lance Fortnow, will house the depart- Success Comes First: A Strategic research or curriculum can contact ments of information technology and Plan for Illinois Tech, 2020–2025. the ACT Center, and many have. management, and applied mathemat- Illinois Tech Trustee Chris “We envision the ACT Center as a ics, as well as the industrial technol- Gladwin helped to spearhead the new kind of intellectual accelerator ogy and management program. push for a College of Computing here at Illinois Tech,” says Shlomo “Illinois Tech is already providing to meet the needs of the twenty- Argamon, interim chair of the Depart- students with a very strong founda- first century labor force. Gladwin ment of Computer Science. “The tion in computation and data skills, founded big-data storage company center’s mission is to stimulate and but now we are going to do it in Cleversafe, which was housed at support faculty to develop a wide an integrated way across all academic Illinois Tech’s University Technology variety of creative interdisciplinary

2 SPRING 2020 initiatives and bring computational and insurance sectors in software PHOTO: OLIVIA DIMMER thinking to the fore in all disciplines.” development positions as well as Nikolich says that the center will in AI engineering careers in drug physically connect the campus to discovery, autonomous vehicles, additional scientific research facilities and web technologies. Given the and national scale networks through university’s long history as an ethics a robust cyberinfrastructure, and will leader through the Center for the eventually join larger communities, Study of Ethics in the Professions, including the Midwest Big Data the new AI degree program has Hub, a National Science Founda- integrated ethical thinking into its tion-funded regional program. It will technical courses, which affords also become active in advancing critical training in issues of algorith- computer science in big data, mic fairness, transparency, and bias. high-performance computing, and AI. Devyani Gauri (AI 3rd Year) is happy that the timing of the new program has now worked in her favor. “Ever since I started studying ACT Center head and FABRIC co-director at Illinois Tech, I wanted to do Anita Nikolich something that involved AI,” she New AI Degree says. “Even though we didn’t have Programs Now Offered it as a major, AI has been one of my locations. This could potentially biggest interests in fields related enable faster speeds, allow transfers “AI is the future,” says Aron Culotta, to computer science. I wanted to of larger data sets, and provide an associate professor of computer dive in as soon as possible.” service to underserved areas lacking science and director of Illinois networks. The project also includes Tech’s new Bachelor of Science finding new ways to protect informa- in Artificial Intelligence program, tion that is transferred across which made its debut last fall the network. along with the Master of Science The computer networking in Artificial Intelligence program. Developing a Faster, More architectures that form the basis “We want to train a workforce Secure Internet with FABRIC for today’s internet were developed that can tackle the challenges and from the 1960s through the 1980s, opportunities of the future, which ACT Center head Anita Nikolich and haven’t changed much since. In includes AI and machine learning.” has been tapped to co-direct a that time, however, public demands Illinois Tech is one of only a project, also under the College of have changed drastically. FABRIC is handful of universities in the country Computing, that will enable scientists testing new network designs that to offer an AI bachelor’s degree, to explore what a new internet could overcome current internet and the only one in the Midwest to could look like and to determine the traffic bottlenecks and extend the do so. Graduates in the programs internet architecture of the future. internet’s broad benefits for science will be well prepared to work The FABRIC [Adaptive Program- and society. —Casey Moffitt, with Marcia Faye across the tech, medicine, finance, mable Research Infrastructure for robotics, business intelligence, law, Computer Science and Science FABRIC is being funded by a $20 Applications] project, led by the million grant from the National University of North Carolina at Science Foundation. Chapel Hill in partnership with Illinois Tech, Clemson University, the Univer- sity of Kentucky, and the United States Department of Energy’s Energy Sciences Network, will allow experimentation with decentralized, “everywhere programmable” architectures instead of relying on current service providers’ networks. It will test these architectures on a nationwide scale, using dedicated MORE ONLINE high-speed optical links between FABRIC: fabric-testbed.net

ILLUSTRATION: MAXIM EVSEEV ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 3 Illinois Tech Headliners Enhanced Web Presence

In December 2019 Illinois Institute of Technology launched a redesigned website with the goal of “There is no oops. enhancing the site’s We need compensation.” appeal to prospective students. By Febru- Chicago-Kent College of Law Professor Bernadette Atuahene, ary of this year, prospect requests for information had in a Detroit News article on the continued problems of the city's increased by 150 percent. More visible “Request Info” over-assessments on homeowners buttons on each page of the new website make it easier for potential students to navigate and obtain the information they need. The homepage bounce rate, which is the percentage of visitors to a particular website who navigate “That’s a waste of paint, a waste of away from the site after viewing only one page, decreased to 35 percent from 43 percent recorded in January 2019. time, a waste of resources.” The recent figure is well below the industry average of 57 percent. Sammy Tin, Armour College of Engineering professor of materials engineering, in a CBS2 Chicago story about a deteriorating light pole that fell on a woman walking past Over 2020 the build-out will continue, with pages the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago’s Loop highlighting institutes, administrative offices, and research centers and laboratories being added.

View the redesigned website at iit.edu

Keeping Illinois Tech Safe: COVID-19 Update

WEEKS BEFORE THE FIRST CASE spring break. Additionally, grading for any courses taken of the new respiratory virus 2019-nCoV, by undergraduates during the spring semester was now widely known as COVID-19, was moved to the pass/fail system. Observing public health reported in the Chicago area on January 24, guidance and best practices from peer institutions, the Illinois Institute of Technology leadership was behind decision was made to cancel the in-person, on-campus the scenes, monitoring the campuses and coordinating 2019–2020 commencement ceremonies, both the efforts with officials from the Chicago Department of university-wide Commencement Ceremony and all Public Health as well as state and national authorities. individual college-level ceremonies. A virtual celebration Since that time President Alan W. Cramb, Provost and took place on May 16, when all degrees were conferred Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Peter Kilpat- by college. Graduates will be invited to attend the May rick, and various other members of the campus leadership 2021 Commencement Ceremony. team have updated members of the university community In one of his updates to campus staff, Cramb about how Illinois Tech is keeping its community safe. In expressed his pride in the Illinois Tech community. early March both Cramb and Kilpatrick addressed the “I would like to thank each of you for the incredible community via video and the Office of Marketing and resolve, diligence, and concern that you have shown Communications launched a coronavirus (COVID-19) during this challenging time. Our university is a special website with helpful links ranging from remote work tips community, dedicated to the idea that we can advance to faculty resources for research to available services for Chicago and the world by making a rigorous and quality students living on campus. education available to all who seek it. This commitment As is the case with institutions of higher learning to our students is what unifies and connects us. around the world, Illinois Tech moved all academic It makes us unique, even among other universities,” classroom instruction online, which began on March 23, he said. —Marcia Faye the first regularly scheduled day of classes following

4 SPRING 2020 How It Works Easing the Burden ID’s Mobile Lawyer in Action Could good design solve Chicago’s longstanding problems with unfair ticketing practices?

AN INSTITUTE OF DESIGN STUDENT TEAM LED BY VISITING Industry Professor Mark Jones (M.Des. ’95) is proposing new Step 1: innovations that could provide economic relief to low-income Beginning the contesting citizens burdened by parking ticket debt. conversation with your During the fall 2019 semester, Jones and 18 students worked personal lawyer with Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia as part of the Fines, Fees & Access Collaborative, a group composed of city departments, community groups, elected officials, and academic institutions. The collaborative was formed in response to a series of news reports in 2018 detailing the extent to which Chicago’s parking and city sticker ticketing practices have a disproportionately negative economic effect on low-income residents. “Having academic partners pushes us to think outside of the box. That’s especially from the user end, which I think is really important for the government to look at more,” says Valencia. Jones’s students interviewed roughly 60 residents to learn about their interactions with the city in regard to parking tickets. They found many vocal residents who bemoaned a lack of clear and easy-to-access information from the city. The ID team devised a suite of solutions to improve communication between the city and citizens. One example is a “Tailored Ticket Roadmap,” an online Step 2: portal that graphically breaks down how much money an individ- Contesting overview ual owes and important dates—for contesting or when a ticket may double, for example—to offer residents a better sense of how to approach their debt. “The current ticket system is such that each ticket is its own entity. People with multiple tickets can’t get a sense of the bigger picture. This is a response to what we heard from people dealing with the city systems,” says Jones. “As good designers, [the students] responded with something easier to navigate and understand.” Similarly, the team proposed a text-alert system, where residents can text the city to receive reminders about when they need to move their cars in certain parking zones, alleviating issues with confusing or unclear signs, or even simple forgetful- ness. Meanwhile, a “mobile lawyer” program could provide unfairly ticketed individuals—especially individuals without resources to challenge a ticket—with guidance on how to contest. For Chicago to completely revise its ticketing practices, it will need to continue on its trajectory of instating policy reforms and Step 3: ordinances. Still, Jones and Valencia believe clearer and more Your evidence accessible communications can ease the burden on lower-income citizens and help restore trust between city hall and Chicagoans. “The solutions the students came up with are a mixture of preventative measures, and those that say, ‘If we made a mistake, we want to help fix it,’” says Jones. “I think those are both good approaches that would say that the city is trying the best it can.” —Andrew Connor

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 5 Shared Space On the north side of each residential floor, a study lounge encourages cooperative learning, accompanied by inspiring views of the Chicago skyline.

On the south side of each residential floor, a social lounge promotes the kinds of chance encounters with neighbors that can lead to lifelong friend- ships—or the next great startup.

Relax and Restore A fitness room and laundry facilities are accessible from a large, shared lounge and multipurpose space where all of the building’s residents can Renderings [above and below] of the soon-to-be-rededicated come together. George J. Kacek Hall A Miesian Lobby The building’s structure is faithful to Mies’ Leading by Gracious Example original design—including the recessed, transparent glass entryway. The restoration of the former achieve all of this and more Bailey Hall is focused on when it opens this fall, with Student Health student success. Designed by an emphasis on community, Kacek Hall is not just beautiful. It is designed award-winning architect and spectacular Lake Michigan with energy efficiency in mind, incorporating a alumnus Dirk Denison (ARCH, and Chicago skyline views, mechanically assisted fresh-air cooling system, M.B.A. ’83), the soon-to-be- and graciously simple high-performance insulation, and an exhaust heat rededicated George J. Kacek design. —Joseph Giovannetti exchanger, all providing a sustainable and healthy environment for student life. Hall offers comfort, stunning views, and space for study and sociability in a way that honors the building’s distinct, historical qualities—the original building was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and completed in 1955—while innovating for the way students live, study, work, and socialize in the twenty-first century. Named for George J. Kacek (EE ’54, M.S. ’55), Kacek Hall will offer students space to

The Life of George J. Kacek (EE ’54, M.S. ’55) Born and raised in Berwyn, Illinois, George Kacek is in promising technology and aviation companies. The fortune he accumulated remembered by his niece, Stacey Kacek, as a “classic was bequeathed to Illinois Tech upon his death. geek” whose interest in learning how things work led For Stacey Kacek and the rest of the Kacek family, the dedication of him to Illinois Institute of Technology, where he earned George J. Kacek Hall serves a dual purpose: honoring the Kacek name in his master’s degree in the same year that Bailey Hall Chicago, where the Kaceks settled after immigrating to the United States was first completed and opened to the public. Following when George Kacek’s father was a boy, and highlighting George Kacek as an graduation Kacek designed software systems for example for Illinois Tech students now and in the future. aerospace control and navigation with General Electric “I hope that George can be an inspiration to current students, that for 15 years, followed by more than 20 years at the defense contractor success doesn’t have to look like a million-dollar idea or that big flashy company Raytheon, where he was heavily involved with the Patriot missile career,” says Stacy Kacek. “It’s possible to lead a humble, quiet life that is program as an engineer, project manager, and team leader. After retiring, still successful if you’re passionate about your work and build strong Kacek branched into the stock market, leveraging his expertise and investing personal relationships.”

6 SPRING 2020 PHOTO: OLIVIA DIMMER Learn by the Sword

IN A PERFECT WORLD, Megan Burrill (MSE/M.S. 2nd Year) wouldn’t mind if her life were a little less busy. Captain of the Illinois Tech women’s swimming and diving team, Burrill leads the Material Advantage and blacksmithing clubs, is involved in research on campus, and is minoring in computer science, among other activities. Megan Burrill (MSE/M.S. 2nd Year) displays her bladesmithing prowess as she applies hammer to A clarinet and saxophone player, anvil in a Mies Campus workshop. she would also like to return to playing at VanderCook College of Music—if only she could find the time. a kind. You don’t see many students “There’s not much flexibility [in “Long term, I would like to pass off who you explain things to once. the bachelor’s engineering program], my leadership roles to other people She just gets it.” whereas with the [accelerated so that I can be involved but not have That could be attributed to master’s] program you have to take quite as much commitment, because much of what Burrill has done at 10 courses from an entire list, so it is a lot,” she admits, and goes on to Illinois Tech. you’re able to say, ‘I’m really inter- add, “Since I have really high goals for Take, for example, how she took ested in diffusion, so I’m going to myself, there’s a lot that I want to do.” to bladesmithing when she got to take a class specifically on that,’” she The California native, who broke campus, despite knowing nothing says. “… I’m excited to get a little more Illinois Tech’s record in the 200 about it before a sword on a table at in-depth and variety of knowledge butterfly her first season—and three a Welcome Week event caught her than I would get from just an under- times since—and broke the 100 attention. Bladesmithing is the art of graduate degree.” —Andrew Wyder butterfly record her second season, making blades and swords using heat, took to college quickly. She became a hammer, and an anvil. treasurer of the Material Advantage “I find it really fascinating because club as a first-year student and some stuff I never really thought assumed the presidency at the start about—when you hit metal and of her fourth semester. it’s really hot, it’s a different sound “She leads by example. People fall than when you hit it and it’s cold,” in line,” says Professor of Materials she says. Engineering Sammy Tin, Burrill’s As a way to expand her continued academic adviser. “She’s very modest, quest for knowledge, Burrill, a Camras very humble. But looking at her Scholar who is among the fewer than achievements, they’ve been 1 percent of Illinois Tech students illinoistechathletics.com pretty spectacular.” qualifying for this honor, says that That includes in the classroom. pursuing an accelerated master’s “She’s incredibly intelligent,” Tin degree while earning her bachelor’s continues. “She’s definitely one of degree was a no-brainer.

MORE ONLINE Material Advantage Bladesmithing Project: iit.edu/news/students-material-advantage-chapter-publish-paper-bladesmithing-project

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 7 Best-Laid Plans of MICE and Researchers

PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS Daniel Kaplan [above] and a group of international collabo- rators recently had an article published in Nature about how their Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) could contribute to the development of the next generation of particle accelerators. The paper outlines how a cloud of muon subatomic parti- cles can be focused into a beam used by particle accelerators. High-energy accelerators are used to advance research in materials science, medicine, and many other fields. In this photo, Kaplan, who is also director of Illinois Tech’s Center for Acceler- ator and Particle Physics, stands behind laser tracking frequency gauges used to measure distances extremely precisely.

PHOTO: DAVID ETTINGER

8 SPRING 2020 ILLUSTRATION: SCOTT BENBROOK ILLUSTRATION:

Biting into Ocean Plastics

THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC The research is being conducted under the Administration estimates that 8 million metric tons of guidance of Nick Menhart, associate professor of biology, plastic—or the weight of nearly 90 aircraft carriers—enter and Abhinav Bhushan, assistant professor of biomedical oceans annually, threatening wildlife and entering the engineering, as part of Illinois Tech’s signature food chain up to human consumption. But what if an Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program. The team, organism could be used to break down the plastics? incorporated as Green Ocean, presented its research A team of Illinois Institute of Technology students is and results at the International Genetically Engineered working to genetically modify algae that could eat away Machine Competition at Massachusetts Institute of at this growing problem. Technology last November, receiving positive feedback “Bacteria that can degrade plastic [were] actually and tips from faculty judges. —Casey Moffitt found in nature,” says Elias Kluiszo (BME/M.S. CHE 2nd Year). “Japanese scientists discovered this bacteria in the soil outside of a recycling plant. Our work involves transferring the DNA that allows the bacteria to degrade plastic into an ocean-based organism.” After isolating the gene from the bacterial DNA, it must be engineered so the organism receiving the gene can PHOTO: OLIVIA DIMMER translate its instructions to produce the plastic-eating enzyme. The research team is implanting the gene into E. coli, which can carry genes independently of its own chromosomes. The DNA is then introduced to the algae through the E. coli, which in turn should secrete the enzyme to break down plastics. The team is working to modify blue-green algae, which uses sunlight to produce its own food. Since the algae does not ingest the plastic, its enzyme-producing gene must be modified to secrete the enzyme at a rate that Sadie Meunier (BCHM 4th Year) [red jacket], Samitha Shrestha will break down plastic efficiently. The students have (BME 4th Year) [center], and Annah Ellingson (BIOL 4th Year) [right] successfully engineered the gene and implanted it into examine testing solutions in their Mies Campus laboratory. E. coli cells.

MORE ONLINE Green Ocean: 2019.igem.org/Team:IIT_Chicago

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 9 Brewing Up Something Big By Steve Hendershot

10 Photo courtesy of Ankur Jain Brewing Up he first taste of craft beer for Ankur “We always wanted to create a brand that could sit Jain (CS ’03) was a swig of Anchor as easily at a Whole Foods in New York as in Delhi or Steam, whose nineteenth-century Mumbai,” Jain says. Something Big recipe and California ocean-port One of the keys to Bira 91’s success came when Jain pedigree made it a great object lesson signed on Ashish Dhawan as an early investor. Dhawan in a course he took about the Indus- is the retired founder of one of India’s largest private- Ttrial Revolution at Illinois Institute of Technology. equity firms, and liked Jain’s vision as well as his At the time beer was not on Jain’s radar. He had come business model. to Illinois Tech from New Delhi to study computer science Jain is “mission-driven, passionate, and an out-of- and architecture, inspired by his father, who was an the-box thinker who wanted to build something architect and a Ludwig Mies van der Rohe admirer. But distinctive,” says Dhawan. “He’s done an incredibly Jain’s cultural exposure—to craft beer, to South Side jazz, good job at being innovative.” and to contemporary art—made an impact. “The flexibility that Chicago and [Illinois Tech] gave me to color outside the box was very unique,” recalls Jain, 39, founder of India’s largest craft brewery, Bira 91. Even after that early taste, Jain did not immediately connect beer with his entrepreneurial instincts. The company he started in New York after graduation wasn’t a brewery but a tech firm whose software helped health Bringing Indian Flavors care practices manage their finances. But the team did make regular happy hour stops at Brooklyn Brewery’s to India’s Craft Beer taproom, and Jain gradually converted into a full-fledged Bira 91’s first original beers craft beer fan. were contract-brewed by When Jain decided to sell the software company and Brouwerij Martens in Belgium, move back to India in 2006, he found the cultural accli- but it wasn’t long before Bira matization process even more jarring than when he had 91 founder Ankur Jain moved moved to Chicago for college. One factor was the stark production to India. The goal absence of the craft beer culture that was catching fire at Jain’s four breweries is to stateside. It wasn’t long after Jain took a job helping a incorporate the best elements large Indian conglomerate build out its grocery business of Belgian and American styles that he began to sense an opportunity to become India’s with uniquely Indian flavors. craft beer revolutionary. Bira 91 uses water filtration He started Bira 91 (91 is India’s country code) in 2008 and remineralization processes as an import business specializing in Belgian beers. He to mimic the water profile of spent four years learning which of those seminal brews those classic western recipes, were received best by Indian consumers (“the most while introducing distinctively expensive focus group in history,” Jain calls it), before Indian ingredients such as deciding to begin producing his own beer. the pomelo, a mild grapefruit whose flavor colors Bira 91’s Bira 91’s first original beers arrived in 2015, with a Indian Pale Ale. lineup of accessible, traditional styles such as pale and “Using those local flavors wheat ales. Jain’s playful, premium brand targeted millen- doesn’t just make for a cool nials—a proven strategy in western markets but one that story; it also leads to flavors had not been attempted in India—and was an instant hit. that make the beers more The company now has four brewing facilities and 500 interesting,” says Jain. employees, boasts a production capacity that’s roughly equivalent to that of Boston Beer Company (maker of Sam Adams), and is likely to surpass $100 million in revenue this year. “Our ambition is to become the beer of choice for Indian consumers and in emerging markets in southeast Asia,” says Jain, who has also begun exporting Bira 91 to MORE ONLINE established western markets including the United States. Bira 91: bira91.com

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 11 THE SUNRISE KID BY LINSEY MAUGHAN

At age 24, Brian Gómez (CECD ’18) is taking action on climate change with Sunrise Movement, a national nonprofit that has positioned itself among the strongest advocates for a Green New Deal. What is exceptional—aside from the rapid pace at which the organization has grown in just a couple of years—is that the people who are steering the movement are all under the age of 35, with a majority under age 30.

12 SPRING 2020 Photo by Tim Klein

13 “It’s really exciting,” says Gómez, finance and operations manager for Sunrise Movement. “It definitely has a startup sort of energy in that [so many] of these people are in their 20s and it’s growing really, really quickly.” Gómez was born in Mexico City and raised in the West Lawn neighborhood of Chicago. Calm and reserved, with an air of maturity beyond his years, he admits that as a child he was not connected to the environment or the climate. This changed when he was a teenager. “In high school I got involved at Shedd Aquarium and I did a ton of their programs where we would go around the Midwest to a lot of the forest preserves,” he says. “We went sit-in at the office of Speaker of the “A lot of Sunrise’s tactics are up to Minnesota and did kayaking, United States House of Represen- very intense—things like sit-ins which was really cool. I think tatives Nancy Pelosi. The group’s and calling out politicians,” Gómez through that I got really connected members—dressed in black and says. “People get arrested at some to the environment.” yellow T-shirts and carrying signs of these things. Part of it is because He majored in social and with Green New Deal and Sunrise we’ve seen generations in the past economic development policy at messaging—demanded congressio- try to affect change and it’s really Illinois Tech and after graduation, nal action on a Green New Deal, an worked as an operations fellow for ambitious set of policy proposals “A lot of Sunrise’s tactics the Sierra Club, one of the nation’s they co-authored aimed at address- oldest environmental organizations. ing climate change. are very intense—things It was around that time that he first Among Sunrise’s strongest allies like sit-ins and calling heard about Sunrise. Its mission: to in the fight for a Green New Deal out politicians.” —Brian Gómez activate young volunteers across the is U.S. Representative Alexandria country around the issue of climate Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who hard. Especially with how politics is change, training them on how to joined Sunrise members for their set up, it’s hard to get things done. make their voices heard at the local, Capitol Hill sit-in. Then, on February With this newer generation, we’re state, and national level. 7, 2019, she and U.S. Senator being very direct and going in.” Gómez began volunteering there Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts News coverage of the sit-in led to in 2018 and participated in his first announced a congressional resolu- an abrupt surge in donations to the event that December, joining 200 tion for a Green New Deal. The organization: its income grew from other young activists from across resolution went on to be rejected by $850,000 in 2018 to $4.6 million in the country on Capitol Hill for a the U.S. Senate that year. 2019, with a projection of around

14 SPRING 2020 Brian Gómez (CECD ’18) discusses youth-led activism around climate change at the 2019 Chicago Ideas Week youth kick-off event at the Art Institute of Chicago.

PHOTO: DAVID ETTINGER

meeting with him, he’s somewhere else in the country…,” she says. “He deeply cares and wants to invest in young leaders and communities. He puts in a lot of work to take care of people and build relationships around trust and equity.” Sunrise has only continued to increase its prominence in the national debate on climate change, inspiring CNN to hold a climate- focused town hall event with several $15 million for 2020. In response to the country. He also helps coordinate democratic presidential candidates the rapid revenue growth, Sunrise regional events. Sunrise Movement last September and endorsing U.S. has opened additional offices in co-founder Will Lawrence calls him Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont New York City and Philadelphia, “a backbone” of the organization. for president this past January. and recently secured a shared space “The operational work that Brian “Climate change will affect every- in Chicago’s Loop. Its team has does—building better systems for one and will having lasting impacts,” expanded from 16 to 104 employees. us to allocate resources, tracking Gómez says. “There’s never been a Gómez was also hired on full-time in budgets—isn’t the most glamorous climate organization of young people his managerial role in August 2019. or visible work in the movement, that has gotten so big and changed “I knew [Sunrise was] growing but I can attest that Brian makes the debate on climate. I think it really fast, and a lot of cool things everything else run smoothly,” really shows that young people can were happening. But I also knew Lawrence says. organize and build something and it that there were a lot of operational Julia Epstein, an organizing can be successful.” things that could be done—because operations manager with Sunrise it was a new organization and based in Washington, D.C., works growing so fast,” Gómez explains. on the same team as Gómez. She “I was excited to dive into the work describes him as being not only to help them and see how I could dedicated but also a fun colleague, make Sunrise more efficient and with his commitment to uncovering operationally sound.” Starbucks coffee shops and taque- Gómez helps Sunrise support its rias in each new city he visits. base of more than 300 volunteer-led “Brian lives in Chicago, but it feels MORE ONLINE activist “hubs,” or chapters, across like every time I have a phone call or Sunrise Movement: sunrisemovement.org

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 15 Proactive Advocate By Andrew Wyder

Photos by Olivia Dimmer

he genesis of a career that Jennifer this stuff out.’ I very much went to law school to learn Welch (LAW ’94) has spent the last the language, so I could talk the talk and walk the walk.” three decades cultivating can be That experience set Welch on the path to the roles traced to the fax machine in a Planned she holds today: president and chief executive officer of Parenthood clinic in Chicago. Planned Parenthood of Illinois. Fresh out of college and working Having Margaret “Peggy” Byrne (LAW ’82) as an Tfull-time at the organization, Welch vividly recalls that adjunct professor while Welch was an undergraduate at day in 1991 when she went to retrieve a fax—the ruling the University of Illinois at Chicago played a vital role. It in Rust v. Sullivan, the case in which the United States was while taking a course with Byrne that Welch recog- Supreme Court ruled that the government was able to nized that a lawyer didn’t only have to work in the law withhold Title X funds from family planning facilities enforcement realm. that counseled patients on abortion. A realization “She was teaching us that the law is a tool,” Welch suddenly hit her. says, during an early January morning interview at PPIL “I’m reading this case that directly impacts Planned headquarters in Chicago. “It can be used for good; it can Parenthood and all of our patients, page by page as it be used for not so good.” comes off the curly paper of the fax machine,” she says. Welch’s bona fides as a feminist and an advocate are “I was like, ‘I’ve got to go to law school. I’ve got to figure evident in her victories over the course of her nearly

16 SPRING 2020 30-year career. Yet, as some of in the city’s Department of Family “I always feel that the reality of her closest friends can attest, the and Support Services to become Planned Parenthood, when people commanding manner in which the first deputy commissioner. know that we serve men, that we Welch approaches her work, “Whenever we touched on issues do HIV prevention and 90,000 showcased in compassion and related to women, the domestic [sexually transmitted infections] drive, consistently shines through. violence arena, Jen was really our tests, that 14,000 young people “Her persona is a big part of go-to in the office for all those have been educated, the more what makes her so successful,” issues,” says Williams, Madigan’s they know about us and the less Illinois State Representative Ann first legislative director. “Our office they can object to everything that Williams says. “Jennifer has a really relied on Jen in terms of inter- we’re doing in their communities,” unique way of being a strong leader action with other organizations in Welch says. for a huge, overwhelming issue at Battles remain. Ever proactive, a time when it’s under attack but “Jennifer had this she, along with her organization, also presenting a common sense, compassion and em- played a role in ensuring that pragmatic approach to dealing pathy that was quite Illinois remains a state where safe with a very challenging and remarkable.” reproductive health will always complex issue.” be available, advocating for the —Margaret “Peggy” Byrne Welch’s time interning and then passage of the Reproductive Health working at Planned Parenthood as a Springfield and around the capital Act in June 2019. For Welch, it is young woman drove home the idea dealing with these issues.” another opportunity to use law as a that she was, by her own admission, Welch joined PPIL in 2017, in tool for the good. a systems-level thinker who was time to guide the organization “It really does go to show what not cut out for service work. The under attack. It came to a head one lawyer can do,” Byrne says. discovery also allowed her “to two years later when the Trump “The impact that one lawyer can connect with people about what administration began enforcing the have on the status of women in they wanted and needed about Title X gag rule that cut funding Chicago and the state of Illinois their health care.” Working with to any health care facility that is profound.” Byrne, an attorney who co-founded performs or refers patients for the Illinois Clemency Project for abortions. She continues to do what Battered Women, while Welch was a she can to ensure that PPIL’s scope MORE ONLINE student at Chicago-Kent College of of services does not dwindle. And Planned Parenthood of Illinois: plannedparenthood.org/planned- Law only served to drive that home. she advocates. parenthood-illinois The organization, which Byrne still directs, helps women convicted of crimes against partners who abused them to obtain clemency. “Jennifer had this compassion and empathy that was quite remarkable,” Byrne says, noting that Welch would meet the women in prison and assist on their clem- ency petitions. Those skills were honed over nearly a decade where Welch helped to grow the Chicago Met- ropolitan Battered Women’s Network locally. Her advocacy earned her a position as a policy adviser on women’s issues for then newly elected Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in 2003. During her seven years in the AG’s office, Welch worked her way up to policy director before joining the City of Chicago in 2010. Sim- According to Jennifer Welch (LAW ’94), Planned Parenthood regularly serves men, assists ilarly, Welch worked her way up in HIV prevention, and educates thousands of young people.

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 17 18 SPRING 2020 By Andrew Connor

Just shy of 1,200 feet in height and coming in at 101 stories, the Studio Gang-designed Vista Tower has already become a recognizable part of Chicago’s skyline. Its height and three-stem profile set it apart, while its undulating façade and glass gradient evokes the blue-green surface of the river it overlooks. When it opens later this year, it will be the third-tallest building in the city.

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 19 uch more than an aesthetic flourish, the glass Illinois Tech was also the place where Wolf met Jeanne gradient represents both an achievement in Gang, Studio Gang founder and a former professor at the building material advancement and a step College of Architecture. Wolf became an intern at Gang’s forward in energy-efficiency, two areas studio in 1999, just two years after its founding. of architecture that Vista Tower’s design “When I started as an intern there were only a handful principal, Juliane Wolf (ARCH ’01), has been of people,” says Wolf. “It was such an amazing experience. Mpursuing her entire career. I knew from the moment that I interned there that it Now a partner at Studio Gang, Wolf grew up in was something really special. Jeanne’s vision was immedi- Germany surrounded by architects—her father, grandfa- ately inspiring.” ther, great aunt, uncle, and currently, her nephew. She Wolf returned to Studio Gang after graduating first says that she came to Illinois Institute of Technology in her class and helped to bring some of the firm’s because its Bauhausian and Miesian ties have given the earliest projects, such as Bengt Sjostrom Starlight Theatre school a good reputation in her home country. in Rockford, Illinois, to life. She only stayed until 2004,

Sometimes sustainable design is very focused on energy performance metrics. But we think of creating spaces that are beautiful and will be used for many years to come as another aspect of sustainability. Beauty is important because that is ultimately what draws people in and creates beloved environments.” —Juliane Wolf

Juliane Wolf ©Lyndon-French 20 SPRING 2020 departing for Berlin to do what many architects do at some point in their careers: leave to pursue independent practice to find her creative voice. “As much as I admired Studio Gang, I knew that I wanted to do some projects on my own, which is just part of growing as an architect,” says Wolf. “I wanted to know what I would do if I did something by myself.” It ended up being a more hands-on experimental study of materials by way of her creative practice with Eva Tuerks (ARCH ’98), Büro Blickpunkt, and a rigorous study in sustainable design at the Architectural Associa- tion School of Architecture in London. Wolf soon returned to Studio Gang—and just as she had grown as an architect, so, too, had the firm, taking on larger, more impactful projects. One of her first assignments? Chicago’s Vista Tower. Because the building has an undulating frustum shape (a truncated pyramid), one of Wolf’s first moves was to measure the thermal conditions of the three towers at their widest and narrowest points. What she found was a surprising variance in the performance of the units caused by the changing ratio of window glazing to floor area. “I shared this with Jeanne, and that started our explora- tion of how to tune the glass to address that performative issue,” says Wolf. “The skin is the aspect of the building that is the most responsive to the environment.” From there, the design team developed the solution in the form of the glass gradient, which gets darker at the tower’s narrowest points to tune solar heat gain to the unit size, thus reducing the energy required to keep the interior at a comfortable temperature. Photo of Vista Tower under construction by Tom Harris In addition to Vista Tower, Wolf is working on the new courtesy of Studio Gang O’Hare International Airport Global Terminal, filled with natural materials and lush green spaces, and the Beloit College Powerhouse, a former coal-burning power plant turned student union. The Powerhouse, whose first phase opened in February, features a radiant panel and slab system that uses energy from the water in the adjacent Rock River to heat and cool the building, which is more sustainable than traditional air-conditioning systems. Besides these features being energy-saving measures, Wolf believes these elements create workspaces that are both beautiful and healthy. “Sometimes sustainable design is very focused on energy performance metrics,” says Wolf. “But we think of creating spaces that are beautiful and will be used for many years to come as another aspect of sustainability. Beauty is important because that is ultimately what draws people in and creates beloved environments.”

Vista Tower’s gradient of colored glass allows for unique responses to solar radiation on each floor, improving the building’s overall environmental performance. As floor area decreases, the glass MORE ONLINE becomes darker, maintaining consistent daylight and heat gain Studio Gang: studiogang.com across all floors. Diagram: CTBUH Journal, Issue IV (2019) Vista Tower: vistatowerchicago.com

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 21 From ’Bots By Steve Hendershot to Biomedicine

hristopher Jones’s road one from the Central Intelligence its founding in 2016, especially to biomedical startup Agency, but Jones was not inspired given the regulatory hurdles facing success did not quite by either option. Instead, he kept med-tech companies: its first unfold with machine-like coming back to a conversation he’d prototype quickly earned the trio precision. Sure, he was had on campus with a member of some seed capital, and less than a an engineering prodigy Illinois Tech’s biomedical engineering year later, one of its implants was Cand is a natural entrepreneur, and faculty, inviting him to pursue used successfully in a surgery. The the company that he co-founded, graduate study in that field. company now has a dozen employ- HD LifeSciences, makes implants Two months later, Jones and his ees and its products have been for spinal fusion surgery. father moved all of his stuff right back used in thousands of surgeries. Innovative, yes. High tech, abso- to Chicago. Jones’s Illinois Tech mentor lutely—HD LifeSciences’ breakthrough “I think my dad was a little frus- isn’t surprised. implants combine the best aspects of trated,” says Jones. “He’s always had an extraordi- the most common traditionally used The move paid off as Jones spent nary entrepreneurial bent that’s materials, plastic and titanium. But nearly seven years working in the lab enabled him to see the big picture they’re not robotic, and for Jones, of Derek Kamper, who was attempting and attack problems from different who for the longest time envisioned a to build a next-generation exoskel- directions. It is fantastic but not future full of mechanical motion, that eton to improve hand biomechanics surprising that he helped found a marks a significant departure. rehabilitation following stroke. Jones successful startup venture,” says Jones arrived at Illinois Institute learned to translate his engineering Kamper, who now works under a of Technology in 2003 as a robotics expertise to the biomedical field, and joint appointment at the University wunderkind who had already filed for soon after completing his Ph.D. in of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and engineering patents as a Detroit teen 2014 (conferred from both Illinois North Carolina State University. and competed for national robotics Tech and the University of Chicago For Jones, the real breakthrough prizes in front of huge crowds. On through a joint program), he moved was finding a career that enabled campus, he quickly lived up to that to Boston to work for SpineFrontier, him to exercise his love of engineering reputation, forming a student robotics a company that makes implants and while also feeding his urge to do club that is still in existence. But just instruments for spinal surgery. something with tangible human before obtaining his undergraduate There he met his two future benefit. It’s on his mind again now, degree in aerospace engineering in HD LifeSciences co-founders. The as he ponders his next chapter. 2007, Jones changed career paths. three of them were technical aces, “I continue to be sad that there “I had always wanted to build and each had a specialty: one was are fewer robots in my life than robots ’cause I thought they were a natural salesman and the other there could be,” he says. “But I’ve so cool, but it slowly dawned on was a product developer, while discovered that whenever I’m in me that just building them to put Jones excelled at operations and an environment where I’m able to on an assembly line wasn’t going entrepreneurship—skills he had think and be creative and apply to be satisfying,” he recalls. honed as an undergraduate at Illinois technical aptitude of some kind, After graduation he and his father Tech where he founded and ran a it’s been pretty rewarding.” moved all of his belongings back to wireless company for two years. Michigan, where Jones planned to sift The word “launched” may be a through his career prospects. There startup cliché, but HD LifeSciences MORE ONLINE was an offer from Boeing and even genuinely shot out of the gate after HD LifeSciences: hdlifesciences.com

22 SPRING 2020 I had always wanted to build robots ’cause I thought they were so cool, but it slowly dawned on me that just building them to put on an assembly line wasn’t going to be satisfying.” —Christopher Jones

Photo by Scott Murry 23 Class Notes Lewis Thigpen in the annual DuPage first novel, The Chronocar: (M.S. MECH ’67, Ph.D. ’70), Area STEM Expo, held this An Urban Adventure in Time, Alexandria, Va., had his year on February 22. which features an Illinois 1940s autobiography, Born and Tech student as one of the Raised in Sawdust: My 1970s main characters, won the Jurgen Schmidt Journey Around the World 2019 Independent Authors (BE ’48), Huntington Beach, in Eighty Years, published James Clarage Outstanding Science Fiction Calif., was inducted into in 2019. The book covers his (M.S. CRP ’70), Paxton, Ill., Award, the 2018 Best Indie the International Swim- life in the Jim Crow South became a municipal con- Book Award for science fic- ming Hall of Fame (master’s in the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s; sultant after graduation, tion, and the 2019 Readers’ level) in September 2018. his time in the United States establishing his own firm. Favorite Gold Medal Award Army; his travels on six He is currently the asses- for Young Adult Science Fic- 1960s continents; and memories sor of Loda Township in tion. The audiobook version of family, along with strong Iroquois County, Illinois. was published in February. Francis Kulacki friendships built across (ME ’63, M.S. GE ’66), Way- countries and cultures. John Grillos Dana Broach zata, Minn., received the (MATH ’70), Sonoma, Calif., (PSYC ’74), Norman, Okla., 2019 Donald Q. Kern Award Charles Fox has developed a virtual chief retired from the Federal from the American Insti- (BIOL ’69), Wilmette, Ill., executive officer coaching Aviation Administration Civil tute of Chemical Engineers. and his wife, who have business to leverage his Aerospace Medical Institute Kulacki is a professor of three children and six decades of management and in May 2019 with 30 years mechanical engineering at grandchildren, recent- investment experience. This of service in the FAA and the University of Minnesota ly celebrated their 50th is Grillos’s fourth company. 35 years total federal Twin Cities and serves on wedding anniversary. service. Broach has more Illinois Tech’s Department Harry Heifetz than 120 publications and of Mechanical, Materials, Robert Johnson (BE ’71), Chicago, married presentations to his credit and Aerospace Engineer- (CE ’69, M.S. ’71), Buffalo Shar Sherman in January on topics in aviation such as ing Board of Advisors. Grove, Ill., was a key exhib- and purchased a home in pilot and air traffic controller itor of hands-on structural suburban Northbrook. age and job performance, Victor Yipp engineering activities at the air traffic controller aptitude (MATH ’66), Oak Park, Ill., Palatine Public Library’s Susan Leeb (née Resnick) testing and job performance, retired from a career in STEAM Fair last November. (M.S. DSGN ’72), Lake and job analysis. He and IT and law. He is working Johnson also celebrated Oswego, Ore., has retired his wife, Sue, continue on a novel about Asian 30 years of participation after 45 years as an art to reside in Norman, and immigrant soldiers in the instructor, whose students look forward to traveling American Civil War. ranged from kindergarten- and other post-retirement ers through senior adults. opportunities.

Guy Martino Keith-Michael Self (ECON ’72), West Chicago, (PHYS ’75), Hillsboro, Ore., Ill., retired in 2017 after 45 produces piano and elec- years of selling and man- tronic blend compositions. aging sales teams and sales He has four albums and is channels in the managed a gentleman farmer of blue- IT space. He is now in berries and Christmas trees. the business of importing foods and flavors, primarily Karla Von Huben from Europe, and is work- (ENGL ’76), Vancouver, ing to bring the products Wash., wrote and published into retail and restaurant Henry, the Bookstore Cat, distribution channels. a book about a magical kitten and his adventures Stephan Bellinger in a bookstore. The work In December 2019 members of the Mies van der Rohe (PSYC ’73), Chicago, released is in the middle-grade/ Society and their guests gathered for Hilb’s Day, an annual his second novel, Edge of young adult category. tradition recognizing the winter solstice. Perception, last August. His

24 SPRING 2020 Gary Smith Michael Sullivan Peter Roskam Fla., retired as the chief (ARCH ’77), Southern Pines, (EE ’83), Chicago, was named (LAW ’89), Wheaton, Ill., information security officer N.C., and his wife, Mary, partner in the Wireless joined the law firm Sidley and deputy department celebrated their 50th wed- and Telecommunications Austin as a partner in its director for information ding anniversary last June practice group at Porter Government Strategies prac- technology at the South in Paris and then traveled Wright Morris & Arthur. tice group. Prior to joining Florida Water Manage- to Normandy, France. the firm, Roskam served ment District, where he John Swierk for more than 25 years in had worked since 2004. Richard Bumstead (ARCH ’84), Prairie Grove, the United States House of (CRP ’78), Albuquerque, Ill., founder and president of Representatives, and the Robert Klaszky N.M., retired from a 35-year Direct Design Ltd. Architects Illinois House of Representa- (AE ’92), Chesapeake, Va., career at the University (now DDCA Architects) since tives and the Illinois Senate. assumed duties as commo- of Chicago and moved 1989, celebrated 30 years dore of Coastal Riverine back to the high mountain with his company. Direct 1990s Group Two in April 2019. deserts of New Mexico. Design has expanded to He was also selected to include Carroll Associates Troy Leaf be a professor of naval Richard Shreve Architects and provides (AE ’90), Birmingham, Ala., science at the NROTC (Ph.D. BE ’78), Boynton full architectural services recently retired from Exelon Chicago Area Consor- Beach, Fla., retired last across the country. Swi- after 29 years and began a tium in summer 2020. May after nearly 70 years erk is licensed to practice second career with South- of employment. He taught architecture in 31 states. ern Nuclear. In his career George Schutter at the university level for at Exelon, Leaf served 17 (ACCT ’92), Washington, 43 years in Illinois, Indiana, Vincent Imhoff years as a licensed senior D.C., was selected as the Wisconsin, and Florida. (LAW ’89), Los Angeles, man- reactor operator at Byron president-elect of the Shreve’s career also in- aging director of Imhoff & Generating Station and National Association of cludes 26 years of industrial Associates, was selected for retired as the operations State Procurement Officials. employment with companies a Best of Los Angeles Award director at the Braidwood He is chief procurement such as Emerson Electric, as one of its Fascinating Generating Station. officer for the District of Monsanto, Goodyear, and 100. Imhoff is a member of Columbia, appointed by Continental Can. He splits the state bars of California, Enrique Gracia Mayor Muriel Bowser, and his time between Florida Illinois, and Pennsylvania. (M.P.A. ’91), Boynton Beach, is charged with the overall and Michigan, and prac- tices cross-country skiing with his spouse, Victoria.

1980s

Michael Crowley (FPSE ’80), Spring, Texas, was named president of the Society of Fire Protec- tion Engineers. The soci- ety has more than 4,600 members and 102 chap- ters including 21 student chapters worldwide.

Nancy Paridy (LAW ’83), Evanston, Ill., has been named chair of the Loyola Academy Board The design and construction team behind the Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and of Trustees. She is Loyola’s Tech Entrepreneurship discussed innovation in the construction industry during a special first female chair and will alumni event in October 2019. [Left to right] Aaron Moe (ARCH ’01) and Chris Newcomb, Power serve for a three-year term. Construction; Bruce Watts, vice president for facilities and public safety at Illinois Institute of Technology; Sachin Anand, dbHMS; and John Ronan, the John and Jeanne Rowe Endowed Professor in Architecture, Illinois Tech’s College of Architecture, and the building’s architect.

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 25 Spotlight

Gina Iliopoulos (BIOL ’91) [right] and Ed Caplan enjoy the view of Keeler Gardens from the front steps of their home. PHOTO: OLIVIA DIMMER

Showcasing Nature’s Intrinsic Benefits Gina Iliopoulos (BIOL ’91)

or residents of the Old Irving Park neighborhood little railing garden with some nice potted plants. It isn’t too on Chicago’s Northwest Side, Keeler Gardens is an difficult to find something that will work for you. F oasis of natural beauty. What began as a blog about a home garden in 2012 blossomed into a showcase built Describe some of the educational activities that you on the principles of biophilia (the human tendency to be and Ed have offered to the community. associated with other forms of life in nature) featuring a We offer experiences that connect with nature beyond Pollinator Habitat, a space dedicated to hummingbirds, gardening—photography classes, a variety of creative art and a sun garden. programs, and weekly community gathering events to help Gina Iliopoulos (BIOL ’91) began a blog about the gar- us connect with our neighbors and take time to focus on dens in 2012 and then established Keeler Gardens, which personal strength and health. We also have an internship comprise the front and back yards of the home she shares program to support and educate students, giving them with her husband, Ed Caplan, as a nonprofit in 2016. The valuable knowledge and work experience. pair model ways that nature can be introduced into an urban setting. At Illinois Tech Iliopoulos focused on genet- What’s next for Keeler Gardens? ics and after graduating, studied horticulture for two years. We are building Keeler Gardens into a remarkable, sound Her green-thumb expertise grew and she became a recog- ecosystem, with a message that nutrient-dense soil pro- nized gardening and green industry consultant, and even vides the foundation for healthy plants, healthy green appeared as the “Midwest Gardeniere” in a commercial spaces, and healthy communities. We are working to be series for HGTV. considered a pilot for communities everywhere. We hope to grow our sustainable practices with bolder resource What is the purpose of Keeler Gardens? management, including solar power and petitioning to have Our focus is to show that connecting with nature isn’t a our city sidewalks replaced with permeable surfaces. And luxury, but rather, a necessity for everyone. Nature gives expanded programing would allow us to create seasonal you a sense of well-being; it affects health improvements. internships, maybe even for course credit, and support People don’t want to be out on the concrete. If there’s a those in need of a place to take a break from their very large tree canopy on their street, they’ll go out in the shade demanding services—for example, first responders and and talk. Even if you live in an apartment, you can make a caregivers. —Casey Moffitt, with Marcia Faye

26 SPRING 2020 ized nations at the World His AIChE activities include Economic Forum’s Centre leadership roles in the for the Fourth Industrial Chicago Section and the Revolution’s Annual Meet- Particle Technology Forum. ing of the New Champions in Dalian, China, last year. Courtney Rosen (LAW ’98), Chicago, joined Rodneyse Bichotte Jackson National Life Insur- (M.S. EE ’98), Brooklyn, ance as vice president and N.Y., member of the New deputy general counsel in York State Assembly, was Investigations, Regulatory elected chair of the Brooklyn Enforcement, and Litiga- Democratic Party, becoming tion. She leads litigation in Participants engage in networking opportunities at Illinois the first woman and first arbitration defense, regula- Institute of Technology’s Global Alumni Gathering held last African-American wom- tory enforcement defense, November in Bengaluru, India. an to lead a county party investigations, information in the city of New York. governance, and employ- leadership, implementation, Krista Schwartz ment law functions. and coordination of procure- (LAW ’96), Lafayette, Calif., Robert Brevelle ment activities in accor- joined the San Francisco (CS ’98, M.S. ’98), Rowlett, Edward Curley dance with the laws and office of Hogan Lovells as a Texas, was named as one (ARCH ’99), Chicago, is regulations of the district. partner in the firm’s Intel- of the Top Angel Investors the director of architec- lectual Property, Media, and in Dallas for 2019 by the ture at Epstein, where Junjian Tang Technology practice group. National Venture Capital he had worked for 10 (M.ARCH. ’93), Lisle, Ill., Prior to her new role, she Association and PeopleMa- years as the associate was featured in the July/Au- was a partner at Jones Day. ven. This is the second time vice president of client gust 2019 issue of Chicago Brevelle has been recognized strategies. Curley serves Architect magazine. His Joel Wiegert as a top angel investor. as the principal-in-charge essay focused on his life and (ME ’96), Oakland, Mich., for the company’s archi- successes from the time he is chief executive officer of Mohammad Reza tecturally led projects. emigrated from China to the Dayco, a global leader in the Mostofi Ashtiani United States 30 years ago. automotive parts manufac- (M.A.S. CHE ’98, Ph.D. ’02), 2000s turing industry. He was also Naperville, Ill., won a 2019 Charles Lenzini named as a member of the Shining Star Award from the Jerry Hanttula (ME ’95), Imperial Beach, Dayco Board of Managers. American Institute of Chemi- (ENVE ’00, M.S. EM ’01), Calif., and his son, An- cal Engineers for his signifi- Des Plaines, Ill., after a thony, enjoyed the 2019 Carly Coulson cant contributions, continu- career in the United States Arlington (Va.) Turkey Trot (ARCH ’97), Duluth, Minn., ous dedication, and personal Navy, co-founded Shaved (while wearing Illinois Tech is a winner in the 2019 New commitment as a volunteer. Ice Distributors in 2012. gear). Lenzini is co-chair York State Energy Research of Illinois Tech’s San Diego and Development Author- alumni group and is also an ity Buildings of Excellence admission ambassador. (Round One) competition for her zero-energy, zero- Orrin Schmidt water, multifamily design, (M.S. FMT ’96), Great Neck, the Seventy-Six, located N.Y., is vice president at Bank in Albany, New York. of America in New York. He is also a project manager Razat Gaurav and business analyst within (CE ’97), Ann Arbor, Mich., the comprehensive capital chief executive officer of analysis and the review and LLamasoft, participated in stress testing programs. a panel discussion on the use of drones as a part Illinois Institute of Technology alumni and other guests check of logistics networks in in at the Global Alumni Gathering held last November in developing and industrial- Bengaluru, India.

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 27 In 2019 he began Jer- school drop-out rate. She rate governance. Thermwood Reuben “William” McCrory ry Hanttula Consulting, has more than 20 years of is a United States-based, (ARCH ’06), Tempe, Ariz., which focuses on process experience leading innovative multinational, diversified was promoted from senior improvements in small- to change in K–12 education. CNC machinery manufactur- designer to principal at medium-sized companies. Her former roles include er that markets its prod- SmithGroup’s Phoenix office. serving as executive director ucts and services through Ryan Keane of EPIC Academy and deputy offices in 11 countries. Courtney Fong (CE ’01), Tinley Park, Ill., was chief of schools for Net- (LAW ’07, M.B.A. ’07), North- promoted to vice president work 9 with Chicago Public James Ciston brook, Ill., was named a 2019 of McHugh Construction in Schools, where she man- (AE ’04, ME ’04), Oakland, Notable General Counsel by Nashville, where he estab- aged transformation efforts Calif., a staff scientist with Crain’s Chicago Business. lished a McHugh office in for 28 schools in Chicago’s the United States Depart- He is the chief legal officer 2014. He has led construction Woodlawn, Bronzeville, and ment of Energy’s Lawrence and chief privacy officer at of significant developments Hyde Park communities. Berkeley National Laboratory, CompTIA, a trade association while growing the local received a Presidential Early dedicated to advancing the team from three profes- Bryan Trtan Career Award for Scientists global technology industry. sionals to more than 25. (ARCE ’03), Naples, Fla., and Engineers. As the lead was promoted to director of scientist for the flagship Adam Garber Youngsoo Kim preconstruction at DeAngelis TEAM I instrument at the (LAW ’07), Chicago, was (M.S. EE ’01), is a senior elec- Diamond, an Engineering National Center for Electron named to the Chicago trical and communications News-Record Top 400 na- Microscopy facility of the Daily Law Bulletin’s 40 engineer at Jacobs, ranked tional construction man- lab’s Molecular Foundry, Under Forty for 2019. He the 2019 Most Admired Com- agement firm specializing in Ciston studies the role that is a partner in the Trusts pany in the World in the engi- commercial, multifamily, and atomic-scale defects play in and Estates practice group neering and construction cat- health care construction. the unique emergent proper- at Levenfeld Pearlstein. egory by Fortune magazine. ties of nanoscale materials. Jennifer (née Susnjara) Watt Juan Morado Myetie Hamilton (LAW ’03), Indianapolis, was Yesenia (née Rodriguez) (LAW ’07), Chicago, presi- (M.P.A. ’03), Chicago, was appointed and promoted to Villasenor dent of the Hispanic Lawyers named executive director chief legal officer, secretary, (LAW ’05, M.S. EM ’06), Fre- Association of Illinois and of City Year Chicago, an and vice president of Ther- mont, Calif., was promoted partner at Benesch, was education nonprofit devoted mwood Corporation, with to associate general counsel selected to the Chicago Daily to developing young lead- oversight of all legal aspects for the Environmental Health Law Bulletin’s 40 Under Forty ers and reducing the high of the company and its corpo- and Safety team at Tesla. for 2019. He is also one of the

Illinois Institute of Technology President Alan W. Cramb [left] shares a pleasant moment with friends, family, and colleagues at a memorial tree planting in honor of the late Charles R. Bauer, professor emeritus of computer science.

28 SPRING 2020 leading Certificate of Need Harini Haran attorneys in Illinois, success- (M.A.S. CS ’08), Cupertino, fully working with clients Calif., is president and chief to establish new hospitals, revenue officer at Xoriant, Immerse Yourself surgery centers, and nursing a leading Silicon Valley- homes, and to obtain regu- headquartered product in Illinois Tech latory approval for complex engineering, software multimillion-dollar facility development, and technology Stay in touch with Illinois Institute of changes of ownership. services company. Haran Technology through the Illinois Tech brings 30 years of experience Alumni Association or by volunteering Joseph Silvia in IT products, software, your time, making a contribution, or (FNS ’07, LAW ’07), Chicago, digital transformation, is a partner at Howard & networking, communications, networking in the following ways: Howard, where he advises wireless, and product financial institutions and engineering services. Volunteer with Advancement corporate clients on general The Office of Advancement hosts alumni events throughout the year. You can sign up to volunteer corporate matters, merg- Peter Wojtowicz ers, acquisitions, strate- (M.A.R. ARCH ’08), for the annual STEM Expo, Family Day at Morton gic transactions, private Chicago, was promoted Arboretum, the Pi Day Party, Homecoming, Giving equity and venture capital, to associate at Valerio Day, and many other events. To see the full listing, and banking and finan- Dewalt Train Associates. visit alumni.iit.edu/events. cial services regulation. Judd Fineberg Host a Virtual Event Daniel Stringfield (LAW ’09), Chicago, was You can help Illinois Tech lead the way by hosting (LAW ’07), Oak Park, Ill., named to the Chicago a virtual event for donors, potential students, was named to the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin’s 40 or alumni. Support the admissions staff by Daily Law Bulletin’s 40 Under Under Forty for 2019. He leading a workshop or panel, or support the Forty for 2019. He is a part- is a partner at Dussias Office of Advancement by organizing special ner at Steptoe & Johnson, Wittenberg Koenigsberger, networking opportunities. where he is an advocate where he specializes in the and adviser for companies litigation and settlement of Serve on a Board or Committee facing intellectual property complex financial matters The Alumni Board is actively seeking new and technology issues. and custody disputes. members who are committed to advancing Illinois Tech’s mission and vision. You can become involved by serving on committees in several areas of interest from admissions and career opportunities to nominations.

Connect and Mentor Join The Bridge, Illinois Tech’s online networking and mentorship platform. Connect with current students and fellow alumni, offer job advice, or find a mentee. Register for The Bridge at iit.wisr.io.

Volunteer with Admission or Career Services Greet students and alumni, offer your expertise, or volunteer at events ranging from advice panels to career fairs through the admission or career services offices.

To sign up, visit alumni.iit.edu/volunteer-signup

John P. Calamos Sr. (ECON ’63, M.B.A. ’70) [front, left] lends his expertise to Stuart School of Business students and recent alumni during an afternoon of networking and presentations.

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 29 [Left to right] Nanci Agostini, Andrew Agostini, Polly Alpert, and Illinois Institute of Technology President Alan W. Cramb at the dedication of the Edward (ME 1943) and Renee Ross Terrace at the Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship.

Visit bit.ly/alumni-event-photos to see more event photos from the Alumni Association.

2010s publication Translation careers in the built envi- American Society for Public and at the award ceremony ronment. Sehr is a master’s Administration Alumna of Courtney (née Bollman) last fall at the Museum of candidate for advanced the Year (Illinois Institute Nichols Science and Industry. Halo studies in architecture at of Technology) for her work (LAW ’11), Clarkston, Mich., is a digital platform that the University of British with community organiza- was named one of Super supports young investi- Columbia, and Wong joined tions in Africa, specifically Lawyers Magazine’s 2019 gators making strides in the structural and envelope in Ghana and Egypt. Rising Stars in Michigan. translational research. engineering firm Entuitive. She is a partner at Plun- Omar Alhaj Ibrahim kett Cooney and serves Jingyu Lee Kelly Burgess (BME ’17), Dallas, was pro- as co-leader of the firm’s (ARCE ’13, ARCH ’13, CE (AMAT ’14), Phoenix, re- moted to consultant at Mic- Labor and Employment ’13), Seattle, participated in ceived an Oracle Certified rosoft, working in the areas Law practice group. She The Forge Prize, a national Programmer certificate. of data, artificial intelligence, focuses her litigation prac- design competition estab- She is also busy planning and cloud computing. tice on employment law. lished by the American her 2020 wedding. Institute of Steel Con- Margaret Herrmann Lindsay Sheehan struction, and was select- Rebecca Wilson-Wernette (LAW ’17), Palatine, Ill., is (M.S. REHB ’11, Ph.D. ed as a Phase I winner. (ME ’14), Charlestown, an associate at Irwin IP. PSYC ’16), Chicago, senior Mass., was promoted from She is a registered patent research associate in the Timothy Wong senior mechanical engineer attorney whose intellectual Department of Psychology (ARCH ’13) and Dolly Sehr to systems engineering property law experience at Illinois Tech, was one of (ARCH ’14), Vancouver, manager at the Flex product includes IP litigation, patent the honorees of the 2019 B.C., held their August 2019 innovation company. post-issuance proceedings, Halo Awards, which recog- wedding in Chicago at the patent preparation and nize 40 Chicago scientists Herbarium followed by a Ceola Oware prosecution, and clearance under the age of 40. She move to Vancouver, where (M.P.A. ’16), Chicago, is and legal opinions. was featured in the online they are advancing their the recipient of the 2019

30 SPRING 2020 The Gunsaulus Society is named after Frank Gunsaulus, first president of Armour Institute of Technology and orator of the famed “million dollar sermon,” which led to Armour’s founding, and eventually, the establishment of Illinois Institute of Technology. The guiding principles set forth by Frank Gunsaulus continue to resonate: belief in the advancement of knowledge, the cultivation of invention, and the importance of preparing students for a life of achievement, service, and fulfillment. An estate gift to Illinois Tech demonstrates your commitment to the values that were instilled at our founding, which is why we recognize your gift with induction into the Gunsaulus Society, a highly respected group of individuals who, like Frank Gunsaulus, put their beliefs into action for a better future.

Joining the Gunsaulus Society is easy

Let us know of your intentions to leave Illinois Institute of Technology in your will or if you have named the The SECURE Act changes the required university as a beneficiary of an asset including your age that you begin to take your required IRA. Did you know that the IRS regards any remaining minimum distribution to 72. If you leave your IRA to most non-spousal heirs, they balance left in your IRA to be untaxed income? There are are required to receive the funds over 10 significant tax advantages to making charitable gifts with years and to pay income tax. your IRA. If you are age 70½ or older, you may transfer up to $100,000 annually from If you intend to name Illinois Institute of Technology as a your IRAs directly to Illinois Institute of beneficiary of your IRA, notify us and we will share wire Technology without being subject to income taxes on the distribution. When transfer or mail instructions for your plan administrator. you reach age 72, it will count toward your RMD.

For more information, please contact Marian Quirk at 312.567.5017 or [email protected] Spotlight

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MITCHELL GOLBUS Women and Children First Mitchell Golbus (PSYC ’60)

or Mitchell Golbus (PSYC ’60), timing, preparation, and Before you helped the children in Guatemala, you helped opportunity all seem to have comprised the fabric of children in the womb as a researcher and physician. F his life in equal measure. Or perhaps being a reproduc- Please share some of your medical innovations. I estab- tive medicine innovator in his career and a medical human- lished the reproductive genetics unit at UCSF and started itarian after his “work obligations” ended was his destiny. providing amniocentesis for prenatal diagnostic purposes. In the late 1990s, Golbus and his wife, a nurse, were asked This was to expand to fetoscopy, fetal blood sampling, to join a nonprofit group going to Antigua, Guatemala, to fetal liver and muscle biopsy for specific diagnoses, and provide surgical services. Their one-week medical mission then chorionic villus sampling as an earlier way to deter- led the Golbuses to return again and again to lead various mine the genetics of the fetus. In an effort to explore the surgical teams. Golbus also co-founded the Casa de Ángeles possibilities of both medical and surgical fetal therapy for Foundation to help orphaned and abandoned Guatemalan the affected fetuses, we organized the UCSF fetal therapy children. In 2019 he received the Illinois Institute of Technol- program. Over time, we were able to provide medical in ogy International Award of Merit for his work in Guatemala, utero therapy for a handful of fetal conditions, and were which includes helping to raise more than $2.5 million for able to start exploring in utero surgical correction of some the foundation. defects that would have led to a fetal or neonatal demise.

What was your path to becoming a pioneer in prenatal You were also involved in a project to decrease the diagnosis and intervention, fetal therapy, and reproduc- amount of E. coli and parasites in Guatemalan drinking tive genetics? I decided late in my IIT matriculation to go water. What is that about? With another couple, my wife to medical school and then late in medical school to pursue and I started a potable water project. The system consists obstetrics and gynecology. In the early 1970s I did a post- of progressively smaller filters and ultraviolet light to kill doctoral fellowship in medical genetics at the University any remaining organisms in the water. It can purify 15 gal- of California San Francisco, where I was to stay my entire lons per minute and was installed in orphanages, hospitals, career. I had always been interested in laboratory research— schools, and communities. After 12 successful installations, my first publication was of work done during my last year this project was put mainly in the hands of local engineers at IIT—and an academic career was the natural outlet for with us simply supplying the filters and UV bulbs.—Marcia Faye my interests. Genetics and medical genetic knowledge were beginning to blossom, and UCSF was where much of the basic work was being done. The luck of having chosen genetics and UCSF was to be the making of my career.

32 SPRING 2020 Upcoming Alumni Events Marissa Ashner (AMAT ’18), Chapel Hill, N.C., For information about upcoming Illinois Institute of Technology events and enrolled at the University of alumni activities, please visit alumni.iit.edu/events. North Carolina at Chapel Hill, If you are interested in planning a reunion event for your class or sorority, where she is working toward fraternity, or affinity group, [email protected] or 312.567.5000. a Ph.D. in biostatistics. Homecoming & Reunion Weekend Jingyuan He (M.A.S. AMAT ’18), Chicago, will and Alumni Awards Ceremony begin a new position with the Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26, 2020 Bank of China in Shenzhen. This fall, reconnect with your former classmates, share in the energy of what students are up to today, and introduce your family to Illinois Tech. Mete Morris Stay in touch on social media, and check alumni.iit.edu for updates as (CPE ’18), San Francisco, re- they become available. ceived a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and began a new job at Google. In Case You Missed It... Jacquelyn Newberry (AMAT ’18), Seneca, Ill., is a Illinois Institute of Technology commissioned United States alumni from around the world Navy officer assigned to USS met in India late last year for a The Sullivans (DDG-68), based symposium on the global effects of climate change. Taking place out of Mayport, Florida. in a different international location every two years, Dane Wilburne Illinois Tech’s Global Alumni (Ph.D. AMAT ’18), Lewistown, Gathering, held November 1–3, Pa., received a postdoctoral 2019, at the Shangri-La Hotel degree from Brown University. in Bengaluru, India, kicked off Illinois Tech President Alan W. Cramb [left] with with networking and a keynote B9 Beverages/Bira 91 founder Ankur Jain (CS ’03) Hiva Nasiri discussion between Illinois Tech (Ph.D. EE ’19), Chicago, President Alan W. Cramb and joined the consulting firm B9 Beverages/Bira 91 founder Quanta Technology. Ankur Jain (CS ’03).

Felicia Thomas (LAW ’19), Kew Gardens, N.Y., is a criminal law associate with the Queens County District Thank you to the sponsors of the Attorney’s Office in New York. Illinois Institute of Technology 2019 She served as an officer at the United States Coast Guard Global Alumni Gathering Academy for three years be- fore completing her degree. Parth Amin (BA ’85) Pinakin Patel (M.S. CHE ’77)

Nora Warens (M.A.S. ITM ’19), Des Plaines, Ill., is a data quality specialist at the Sanjay Kirloskar (ME ’78) Brian Ippolito (AE ’92) American Hospital Association.

Madhavan Nayar (M.S. IE ’68) Manu Vora (M.S. CHE ’70, Ph.D. ’75)

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 33 Obituaries

John Ason Jack M. Daly where he became president of Philips MATH ’68, Westfield, N.J., was a profes- CE ’78, Winnetka, Ill., upon graduating Elmet, a manufacturer of molybdenum sional angel investor for nearly 20 years. from Armour College of Engineering, and tungsten products. He retired as One of his first investments in the early joined the power-generation and president of Kulka Electric in 1982 and days of the internet was diapers.com. In power-transmission service firm Sargent ended his career as a consultant. 2010 Amazon.com acquired its parent & Lundy as a structural engineer, company Quidsi for $545 million. Prior spending the next 40 years there. He to becoming an angel investor, Ason retired from the company as executive Charles Owen worked at AT&T Bell Labs for 25 years, vice president and director of the fossil M.S. DSGN ’65, Chicago, Distinguished retiring in 1996. At AT&T he began in power business group, where he was Professor Emeritus at the Institute of software and technology development, responsible for the overall management Design, began teaching at the university then moved into the marketing and of the firm’s new-build and retrofit in 1965 and retired in 2010. A pioneer business management of large software projects for coal, oil, and gas power in systems design, his holistic approach projects sold by AT&T to overseas-based plants as well as renewable energy to influencing systemic transformations phone companies. A popular conference projects in the United States and abroad. have impacted designers the world speaker, Ason traveled extensively over. He was the driving force of ID’s to meet with entrepreneurs and help Ph.D. program, the first of its kind in develop angel investing ecosystems. Elaine (née Saphier) Fox the country. Owen also directed the LAW ’75, Skokie, Ill., most recently of product design program for more than counsel at Seyfarth Shaw, practiced 20 years and founded the Design Process William C. “Bill” Bartholomay labor law for more than 35 years. She Laboratory. Outside of the university, he Chicago, was a successful and decades- represented management in labor and collaborated with prominent industry long insurance executive who, in 1962, management negotiations as well as in companies, including Steelcase, Doblin, purchased the Milwaukee Braves Major disputes involving employment and and Kohler, and organizations such as League Baseball team with a group of industrial relations before a variety the United States Air Force. partners. Four years later the group of administrative agencies and courts moved the Braves to Atlanta; the team nationwide. Fox served on the boards became the first major league sport of the American Jewish Congress and Thomas Gayle Pennel of any kind to be located in the south- the Jewish Vocational Service, among FPE ’68, Wheeling, Ill., graduated from eastern United States. Bartholomay, an others. She also was the editor of Out Armour Institute’s Fire Protection Illinois Institute of Technology Board of Chaos: Hidden Children Remember Engineering program, which served of Trustees member, and legacy vice the Holocaust, a collection of survivors’ as a model for other programs across chairman and senior consultant of Willis memories and reactions to their experi- the country. He was an industry leader Group Holdings at the time of his death, ences in settings around the world. for some 50 years, designing fire protec- received numerous baseball honors, tion plans for what is now Jeddah Tower including the Atlanta 400 Baseball Fan in Saudi Arabia, Chicago’s Willis Tower, Club Ivan Allen, Jr. “Mr. Baseball” Award John Kincaid and Miami International Airport. In in 1994 and induction into the Braves LL.B. ’63, Wheaton, Ill., and Joseph addition to designing systems, Pennel Hall of Fame in 2002. F. Mirabella (LAW ’64), Wheaton, assessed failures as well as surveyed Ill., were longtime partners in the law and inspected installations. He also firm Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & wrote a substantial amount of the Lawrence Jay Broutman Mirabella. Kincaid was named a 2011 handbook used by the National Chicago, served on the Illinois Institute Illinois State Bar Association’s Academy Fire Protection Association, and of Technology faculty from 1962–1982, of Illinois Lawyers Laureate, one of in 2014 received the NFPA Special serving as professor of mechanics and seven individuals selected for the honor Achievement Award. materials engineering and research that year. In 2019 the firm was recog- professor of materials engineering. nized by U.S. News & World Report in its Additionally, he supervised dozens of Best Law Firms ranking for 2020. Charles Porter doctoral students during his tenure. He ARCH ’79, Chicago, worked for more went on to found L. J. Broutman and than 40 years in the design and Associates laboratory and consultancy. Robert Negele construction industries. He began Anchored by Broutman’s expertise in ME ’45, Greenwich, Conn., began his his career with Turner Construction plastics, his research helped in the devel- career as an instructor in the ROTC Company and then Urban Retail Proper- opment of products such as body armor, program at the University of Oklahoma. ties, before co-founding Development household appliances, wind turbines, In 1947 Negele and his wife, Martha, Management Associates, a commercial and piping. A pioneer in scanning moved to Chicago, where the couple real estate management company. electron microscopy, impact testing, and started a family and he took a position Porter worked on notable national and cold-forming, Broutman was named to as an engineer. Eight years later, Negele international projects as well as such the Society of Plastics Engineers Plastics became general manager of Star Metal local projects as the highrise building at Hall of Fame in 2012. Products, before advancing to vice 333 Wacker Drive and the skyscraper at president for Chicago Magnet Wire. 900 North Michigan Avenue. Negele and his family moved to Maine,

34 SPRING 2020 Theresa Fulbright HE ’54 Dennis Nelson BE ’68 Franz Schulze Robert Mathewson MET ’54 Maurice Stunkel MATH ’68 Lincolnshire, Ill., was considered a Anthony Schwan CE ’54 John Jemilo M.P.A. ’69 leading authority on Ludwig Mies Robert Smith ARCH ’54 Andrew Weiner M.S. DSGN ’69 van der Rohe. Schulze was a longtime Hans Sommer ME ’54 Kenneth Yost DSGN ’69 member of Illinois Tech’s Mies Society, George Fencl EE ’55 Arnold Bernstein LAW ’70 joining the board in 2003. He also Donald Glossop ME ’55 Louis Kiefor LAW ’70 authored The Campus Guide: Illinois John Staehle ME ’55 Joseph Perez PHIL ’71 Institute of Technology, published in Jean Copeland HE ’56 Evans Angelos CHE ’72 2005. Over the course of his life, Schulze John Oliver UNK ’56 Larry Divine EE ’72 was chief art critic for the Chicago Daily Edward Tamas FPE ’56 Michael Monnelly M.S. CS ’72 News and the Chicago Sun-Times; an Callis Niquette ME ’57 Lamont Perington LAW ’72 editor for the magazines ARTNews and David Worcester ME ’57 James DeBelina MATH ’74 Art in America; and an art historian and Gerald Fisher ME ’58 John Leonard ECON ’74, author, co-author, or editor of books, Bernard Juskie M.S. MECH ’58 M.B.A. ’77, LAW ’81 including Mies van der Rohe: A Critical Thomas Sulzbach CHE ’58 David Priestman CHEM ’75 Biography and Philip Johnson: Life Paul Christoffersen FPE ’59 Timothy White M.S. DSGN ’75 and Works. The Betty Jane Hollander Edward Downs EE ’59 Sheila Reilly LAW ’78 Professor of Art Emeritus at Lake Forest Harold Gruen M.S. EE ’59 Barbara Smith LAW ’79 College, Schulze served on the faculty William Madziarczyk EE ’59 Ronald Smolka MAE ’79 from 1952 until his retirement in 1991. Harold Nelson BE ’59 Ashok Kush M.S. CHE ’80 Michael Aloisio PHYS ’60 Alan Schuster LAW ’80 In Memoriam Larry Goss DSGN ’60 James Scull LAW ’80 George O’Connell LAW ’61 Anthony Bartkus EE ’81 James Dunne CHE ’38 A. Hayes Barclay LAW ’62 Stephen Hurst LAW ’81 Robert Collopy CHE ’40 John Bowler EE ’62 Robert Linzmeier LAW ’81 Edward Sidney ME ’40 Sam Burnes LAW ’62 Penny Blake LAW ’83 Sylvan Tanner ARSC ’41 Mary Firszt M.S. HE ’62 Susan Vanek M.S. BIOL ’84 Alan Grant EE ’46, M.S. ’48 Chester Lis ME ’62 John Lapinski LAW ’87 Robert Czeropski CHE ’47 Lynn Roloff BE ’62 Patricia Nix M.S. CS ’87 William Jenkins EE ’48 William Sigle EE ’62 Sterling Baldwin CHE ’90 George Brooks EE ’49 James Soller ARCH ’62 Josephine Judy Shanthi (née George O’Brien ME ’49 James Elliott M.S. ME ’63 Robert) Catlin Ph.D. CS ’91 Charles Bremigan ME ’50 John Foreman LAW ’63 Kathleen (née Downey) Marvin Cohn EE ’50, M.S. ’53 R. Gilman Johnson LAW ’63 Ambrosio LAW ’93 Richard Fuhrer ME ’50 Reynold King EE ’63 R. Phillips LAW ’95 John Furlong CE ’50 Virginia Jach LAW ’64 Devin Williams LAW ’99 Donald Goldsmith BE ’50 Anthony Sadowski M.S. Priya Jayaraman M.A.S. CM ’00 George Harris CHE ’50 CHEM ’64, Ph.D. ’67 Richard Hegberg ME ’50 Joseph Marcus LAW ’65 Attendee/Non-Degreed Donald McConachie CE ’50 John Marshall LAW ’65 Richard H. Gallagher Saul Needleman CHEM ’50, William Null LAW ’65 Elsa Kula M.S. BCHM ’55 Burton Urbanick BE ’65 Paul Matushek Tetsuo Takayanagi DSGN ’50 Albert Wieteska CE ’65 Cyrus Tang Milton Handler IE ’51 Richard Eicksteadt LAW ’66 Harvey Wayne Daisy Igel DSGN ’51 Peter Marchese ME ’66 Raymond Kofoed CHEM ’51 Matthew Rodina BE ’66, M.S. ’68 Faculty Richard Ryan EE ’51 Thomas Rydell LAW ’66 Wilbur Applebaum Harold Vanderlee ME ’51 Barry Gordon LAW ’67 Lawrence Broutman Joseph Egan CE ’52 Thomas Hoeppner BE ’67 Domingo Carreira M.S. CE ’74, Ph.D. ’83 John Enyart IE ’52 Anne Keller M.S. DSGN ’67 William Tueting Donald Kolseth DSGN ’52 Ling So M.S. EE ’67 Sammy Watkins Frederick Krumsieg ARCH ’52 Andrew Szady M.S. MAE ’67 Terry Zielinsky EE ’52 Edward Chouinard Ph.D. ENVE ’68 Joan Andress BIOL ’53 James Gardner MAE ’68 Harry Heersema ME ’53 Joseph Martorelli BE ’68

ILLINOIS TECH MAGAZINE 35 Understanding Society

ast November Illinois Tech Magazine received an email from Henry, one of 20 teachers from Roger L. Henry (M.S. [for Teachers] SOCT ’70), Tallahassee, the United States to be accepted L Florida, about a special graduate-level, professional program in at Illinois Tech for the 1969–1970 which he was enrolled from 1969–1970. Henry was on the faculty of academic year, shares more of his DeLaura Junior High School in Satellite Beach, Florida, and was looking memories and how the program for graduate school opportunities when he learned about the Academic impacted his career in pedagogy: Year Institute in Sociology at Illinois Institute of Technology. Upon completion of the program The year-long, all-expenses-paid program, sponsored by the National and a return to DeLaura Junior Science Foundation, trained teachers who taught social studies to High School, I infused my ninth- children in grade 9–12 in the latest theory, principles, problems, grade social studies with such and methodologies in the field of sociology, and how to bring fresh elements of sociology as the instruction into their classrooms. Henry recalls that the late Daisy M. importance of studying groups, Tagliacozzo, an Illinois Tech professor of sociology, was instrumental recognizing the influence of groups in bringing the program to the university. According to records in the on beliefs, and [learning about University Archives and Special Collections at Paul V. Galvin Library, the different] types of organizations. Academic Year Institute in Sociology ran for three separate academic This teaching lasted only one years from 1968–1971. school year before the school district moved me to an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title III project to coordinate the development of learning materials about the environment.

During the first three years of the project, the teachers developed eight separate resource units for the classroom. Representatives from the federal government tested each of the resource units under regular classroom conditions and concluded that the resource units had actually made a change in the students’ attitudes. The project was funded for three more years. The resource units were bought by school districts or individual teachers throughout the country.

I am convinced that the concepts of sociology presented to me at IIT were passed on from a single classroom to a nationwide audience. —Marcia Faye

A human profile in red and black highlights this “Academic Year Institute in Sociology” brochure inviting applicants to participate in the September 9, 1968– June 6, 1969, program session.

IMAGES: UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, PAUL V. GALVIN LIBRARY, IIT

36 SPRING 2020 Before You Go

FARSHOGAR UMRIGAR (EE, M.S. EE ‘17), product manager for Veriown Inc., recently visited the CSMART laboratory at the Robert W. Galvin Center for Electricity Innovation, part of the Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research at Illinois Institute of Technology. Using OSIsoft computer technol- ogy, Umrigar is looking at graphs on his laptop depicting all of the renewable resources attached to Stuart Building on Mies Campus:

“The graphs I am looking at show me the total solar generation, wind gen- erations, battery levels, and the overall building load. On the TV you see another design that shows the same information but for many buildings on campus. The glowing tower in the picture is a RTDS (real-time digital simu- lator). This is used by the Ph.D. students to run simulations of the [Illinois Tech] microgrid.”

PHOTO: DAVID ETTINGER Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Illinois Institute 10 West 35th Street, Suite 4D7-1 of Technology Chicago, IL 60616

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