The Case Alumni Association, representing graduates of the Case School of Engineering and math and science alumni of 杏吧视频, announced its 2012 award recipients, who will be honored at the 127th annual Case Alumni Association All-Classes Reunion Banquet on Sept. 28.
This year鈥檚 event will take place at the Union Club in downtown Cleveland beginning at 5 p.m. The Gold Medal Award winners are two alumni representing illustrious careers in the fields of academia and health care technologies: Roger W. Brockett (CIT 鈥60, GRS 鈥62, 鈥64, engineering), the An Wang Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Harvard University, and Joseph B. 鈥淛B鈥 Richey II (CIT 鈥62), president of Invacare Technologies Division and senior vice president of Electrical and Design Engineering.
Brockett has been a member of the Harvard faculty for the past 42 years and is founder of the Harvard Robotics Laboratory. Prior to his time at Harvard, Brockett worked at MIT.
In 1991, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the theory and practice of linear and nonlinear control systems. He has published many books and papers considered core instructional material for control engineering curricula worldwide, including Finite Dimensional Analysis, largely regarded as one of the leading books on the topic. Brockett is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Richey was named to his current position with Invacare, the world鈥檚 top manufacturer of home medical products, in September 1992. The company鈥檚 adaptation of X-ray tub and electronics technology created the first full-body CAT scan. Prior to joining Invacare as a director in 1980, Richey worked at Technicare Corporation, Harshaw Chemical Co. and Keithley Instruments. He holds more than 40 patents in the medical field, is the author or co-author of several technical publications and has been honored for his inventions by several engineering and scientific organizations.
In fall of 2011, Richey, along with Invacare Chairman of the Board A. Malachi Mixon III, was part of a $5 million commitment to name the Richey-Mixon building at the Case School of Engineering. The space will house the school鈥檚 think[box] programs鈥攁 collection of initiatives that seek to leverage and enhance the university鈥檚 culture of innovation.
Lawrence M. Sears (CIT 鈥69), adjunct faculty in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Case School of Engineering, will receive the Samuel H. Givelber 鈥23 Award in honor of his fellowship and service to the Case Alumni Association, the Case School of Engineering and the university.
Sears founded Hexagram, Inc., (now ACLARA RF Systems) in 1972 as a 鈥渄esign and build鈥 one-of-a-kind supplier of electronic instruments and controls. He holds or co-holds 19 patents relating to a variety of industrial products. Sears is a senior member of IEEE and a member of the Board of Trustees of 杏吧视频, and he was instrumental in establishing the Undergraduate Design Lab and think[box] program on campus.
Meritorious Service Award winners include Enrique Conterno (CWR 鈥89), senior vice president and president, Lilly Diabetes; Walter Culver (GRS 鈥62, 鈥64, engineering), retired vice chairman, SI International Inc. and chair of the advisory board of Great Lakes Energy Institute at 杏吧视频; and Marvin Schwartz (CIT 鈥68, GRS 鈥73, computer science), chief scientist of the Case Connection Zone at 杏吧视频.
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