John Ho
Four SMU graduates were honored for their contributions to the engineering profession during the annual National Engineers Week luncheon Feb. 24. Geoffrey Orsak, dean of SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering, delivered the keynote address at the event hosted by the Dallas and Preston Trails chapters of the Texas Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE).
Participating organizations included the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME).
The award-winning alumni are:
John Ho, P.E.
TSPE-Dallas Engineer of the Year
Ho earned a B.S. in civil engineering from SMU in 1981 and is a senior project manager with Huitt-Zollars in Dallas. Among his recent projects are the design of portions of the Trinity Parkway, a proposed nine-mile, Dallas-area toll road; the Fort Bliss brigade staging area complex; and the Dallas Love Field modernization program. Ho was instrumental in setting up the TSPE student chapter at SMU and currently serves as membership and audit chairs. As an active alumnus, he has participated in career fairs and spoken at several student events.
Mark HendrixMark Hendrix, P.E.
ASME North Texas Section Engineer of the Year
Hendrix, who received an M.S. in mechanical engineering from SMU in 1985, is engineering manager at CommScope, where he is responsible for new product development. His areas of product focus are wireless communications systems and modular datacenters, while his technical focus includes advanced thermal design, power systems, UPS backup systems and efficiency advances in power and cooling. Hendrix holds six U.S. patents.
Aleksandra Fortier
Aleksandra Fortier
ASME North Texas Section Young Engineer of the Year
Fortier, who holds a B.S ’05, M.S ’06 and Ph.D. ’09 in mechanical engineering and an M.S. ’09 in engineering management, was active in the student chapter of ASME while attending SMU. Now an assistant professor of mechanical and energy engineering at the University of North Texas, her primary research focus is in the area of nano-based materials and components for environmentally friendly electronics systems. Fortier serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Electronic Materials and is an active member of several professional societies.
Greg Kuhn
Greg Kuhn, P.E.
SAME Dallas Post Member of the Year
Kuhn, who earned an M.B.A. from SMU’s Cox School of Business in 1989 and a B.S. in civil engineering from Rice, is vice president of Halff Associates, where he is responsible for the overall strategic planning and marketing/business development activities of the firm. He is a member of the SAME Academy of Fellows, which recognizes outstanding and dedicated service to the society and the field of engineering.