2025 Alumni Awards recipients

Thomas Healy

EPP/MechE 2014, Trustee

For his leadership in providing innovative generator technology to produce clean, efficient, and affordable electricity as well as an outstanding track record as an entrepreneur—including 20 held patents, founding a unicorn start-up, and recognition as one of Forbes’ “30 under 30” as the youngest public company CEO at the time.

Thomas Healy is the founder and CEO of Hyliion, a provider of innovative generator technology to produce clean, efficient and affordable electricity. A company focused on the global fight against climate change, Hyliion offers solutions that are fuel agnostic and pull forward the efficiency of powerplants, into a product that can be deployed on a localized level. Named one of Forbes’ “30 under 30” and the youngest public company CEO at the time, Thomas took Hyliion public in 2020 and has raised over $750 million to date.

As an entrepreneur, Thomas has founded two start-ups prior to Hyliion while he was in college and holds over twenty patents. His passion for racing and motorsports inspired him to pursue dual bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University in 2014. Thomas began his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering at CMU but took a leave of absence to found Hyliion. In 2023, he joined the Board of Trustees of Carnegie Mellon University.

Cristiana Lara

ChemE 2019

For her continuous dedication to excellence in research and groundbreaking work in decision and data sciences, as well as her influential role in advancing her field — paving the way for future innovations in optimization and analytics.

Cristiana Lara is a senior research scientist at Amazon in the Modeling and Optimization team. She joined the company in 2019 after completing her Ph.D. in Process Systems Engineering from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

Her groundbreaking work on network timing has helped Amazon to better formulate how to efficiently transport packages through the middle-mile network. It also resulted in her selection by the National Academy of Engineering as one of the nation’s outstanding early-career engineers invited to attend the 2021 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering symposium. Cristiana was an integral member of the team that developed the science behind Amazon’s ‘Regionalization’ strategic initiative, which is a finalist for the 2025 Franz Edelman Award for achievement in the application of analytics and operations research.

In 2024, Cristiana received the inaugural INFORMS Early Career Practitioner Award, in acknowledgement of her contributions to the field of operations research. Currently, Cristiana leads a team of research scientists that develop models and algorithms for network design, line haul scheduling, and inventory placement, as well as provides analytics support and consulting for internal customers.

Erye Hernandez

INI 2014

For her commitment and dedication to our students—especially young women—by serving as a role model and mentor for CMU’s DEF CON-winning Plaid Parliament of Pwning team, as well as service on the INI Alumni Leadership Council, actively supporting fellow alumni and current students.

Erye Hernandez is a staff security engineer in Google's Threat Analysis Group, where she leads a team tracking and disrupting threats from government-backed threat actors to protect Google and its users. Prior to Google, she worked on malware research and detection at Palo Alto Networks and FireEye.

Erye earned her Master of Science in Information Security from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from George Mason University. She is an active member of CMU’s Plaid Parliament of Pwning (PPP) team competing in Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions and has won multiple CTF championships with CMU at DEF CON, the largest and most prominent hacking conference in the world, earning multiple black badges.

Erye is dedicated to mentorship and community engagement. She is a member of the CMU INI Alumni Leadership Council, where she connects with prospective and current students as well as fellow alumni, and mentors aspiring security professionals. She also serves on the review board for CODE BLUE, a Japanese computer security conference.

Michael Bruce

INI 1995

For his lifelong commitment to the College of Engineering community through service on the Dean’s Advocacy Council, regular attendance at CMU events, and commitment to CMU students through mentorship and engagement.

Mike Bruce is the chairman and CEO of Sirius Talent Group. Mike is a grateful and patriotic first-generation American who witnessed first-hand the link between economic opportunity and generational stability. His career has focused on mission-driven solutions that drive national security, social advancement, and personal empowerment. His passion is first and foremost in serving the underserved and ensuring that all voices are represented wherever he has influence.

Mike specializes in expansion-stage opportunities, growing early-stage organizations through team building, capital formation, and corporate development activities. He has run corporations, non-profit associations, and educational institutions, raising over $100 million in capital and leading over a dozen acquisitions and divestitures. His companies are consistently ranked within the 100 largest African American-owned firms in the U.S. He is a proud veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

Mike holds a Master of Science in Information Networking from Carnegie Mellon University and did his undergraduate studies at MIT and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Mike sits on numerous boards, including the College of Engineering Dean’s Advocacy Council, The Choral Arts Society of Washington, and Guyana Outreach!

Barbara Buck

ChemE 1973

For her lifelong commitment to motivating and mentoring CMU’s young women engineering students, as well as her service on the Dean’s Advocacy Council, and engagement with the college including contributions to events and committees.

Barbara Buck earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from CMU in 1973, and the engineering skills she developed at CMU are the foundation of a 50+ year career. Her career began in chemical industry wastewater treatment processes, followed by the engineering plastics industry where she focused on commercialization of seven new polymers. Barbara later transitioned to the mining industry, developing the global leadership position of a multibillion-dollar molybdenum company and serving as President of the International Molybdenum Association. Upon her retirement in 2020, she founded a consulting company that works with senior management to develop global markets and applications to address environmental challenges and improve sustainability.

Barbara has been engaged with CMU since her graduation, providing mentorship and funding to CMU students and advisors restarting the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) student chapter and recently participated in its 50th anniversary celebration. Barbara is a longtime member of the Dean’s Advocacy Council, and she and her husband, John, are advocates of CMU engineering students who founded two funds supporting student development: the Toor Fellowship in Chemical Engineering that provides scholarships for graduate students and the Buck Endowed Engineering Research Fund that provides funds for student research projects.

Rao Desineni

ECE 2001, 2006

For his dedication in co-creating the “Advanced Analytics for the Semiconductor Industry” project-based course for ECE—including assembling a team of high-level Intel engineers to participate—as well as his efforts to position the College of Engineering as a significant contributor and thought leader with respect to the CHIPS and Science Act.

Rao Desineni is the senior director and general manager of analytics and fab automation in the Foundry Technology Development organization at Intel. He leads a team of data scientists and software engineers responsible for developing and deploying at-scale semiconductor manufacturing analytics solutions. With broad expertise in semiconductor technology development, design enablement, design automation, manufacturing, and test, Rao is passionate about bringing Applied Intelligence—AI solutions deployed at-scale—into all aspects of semiconductor design and manufacturing. Previously, he spent six years each at GLOBALFOUNDRIES and IBM. Rao received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, has published over 30 conference and journal papers, and holds 10 U.S. patents, all in semiconductor manufacturing and test.

Rao writes about a variety of topics on Medium and LinkedIn.

Harvey Borovetz

BME 1973, 1976

For his visionary and widely recognized contributions in the area of artificial organs, as well as his legacy rooted in the belief that engineers can and should be key partners in the clinical implementation of artificial organs in addition to their design and development.

Harvey Borovetz is a distinguished professor and former chair in the Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and the Robert L. Hardesty Professor in the Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in physics from Brandeis University, Harvey went on to earn a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Carnegie Mellon University. Since 1985, Harvey has served as the academic liaison for the University of Pittsburgh's Clinical Bioengineering Program in Mechanical Circulatory Support. This program supports patients who are implanted with a left ventricular or bi-ventricular assist device, as a bridge to cardiac transplantation or bridge to recovery. This work in mechanical circulatory support follows Harvey's early efforts to help cardiac surgeons apply extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to successfully treat a large series of neonates in respiratory distress. Harvey is the author on hundreds of journal articles, abstracts, proceedings papers, monographs, and book chapters.

In 2024, Harvey was the inaugural recipient of the Vishnu H. Ingle Lifetime Achievement Award in Contributions to the Development of Artificial Organ Technologies, given by the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs.

Muge Dogan

ChemE 2007

For her remarkable leadership in technology innovation and enterprise technology strategy, and years of service as a motivational leader to CMU students by sharing her passion for technology and drive for success.

As the EVP and chief technology officer of Nike, Inc., Muge Erdirik Dogan leads the company’s Global Technology organization to fuel Nike’s connection to the consumer by building next-generation digital shopping experiences, accelerating the innovation pipeline through increased automation of supply chain and product creation processes, and building AI-first technology solutions that transform the way Nike employees work. 

Prior to joining Nike, Muge held leadership positions at Amazon for more than 15 years, leading end-to-end P&Ls, technology, and operations teams, including fashion, baby, beauty, and ultra-fast delivery. Muge has extensive experience in technology, science, and end-to-end P&L management, with a focus on creating inspiring shopping experiences for customers.

Muge holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (specializing in mathematical modeling and optimization) and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul.

Barry Johnson

MSE 1973, 1983

For his significant leadership in engineering, both in industry and academia, and in recognition of his significant career accolades including induction into the National Academy of Engineers, being named National Black Engineer of the Year, and being the first U.S. citizen elected to the prestigious Fraunhofer Society.

Barry Johnson has made significant contributions as an engineering leader in both industry and academia. In industry, he has held such executive positions as senior vice president and chief technology officer of Honeywell International, Inc. and corporate vice president and chief technology officer of the Semiconductor Products Sector, Motorola, Inc. In particular, he led the team of Motorola engineers and scientists that pioneered the international semiconductor industry’s transition to 300mm silicon wafers for advanced integrated circuit chip fabrication.  

Earlier in his career, Barry was a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Arizona. In addition to his innovative research in microelectronic system level integration, he was instrumental in developing the university’s unique educational program in electronic packaging engineering. Following retirement from industry, he returned to his undergraduate alma mater as dean of the College of Engineering at Villanova University. 

In recognition of his technical and strategic leadership in semiconductor devices, processing and packaging technologies, Barry has been the recipient of numerous professional honors, including the National Black Engineer of the Year Award, and inductions into the National Academy of Engineering and the Fraunhofer Applied Research Society of Germany.

Matthew Rogers

ECE 2004, 2005

For his creation of and contributions to commercial products that have transformed how we function and interact as a society, and for his commitment to promoting an industry focus on solving societal challenges.

Matt Rogers is the CEO and co-founder of Mill, where he has built an entirely new system to prevent waste, starting with food. Mill makes it easy to prevent food waste at home with an innovative new kitchen experience and pathways that keep food out of landfills.

Matt is also the co-founder of Incite.org, a values-based investor that provides catalytic capital and guidance for world positive start-ups, non-profits, and activists. Heeding the call to address the climate crisis, Matt leads Incite.org’s investments in climate solutions as well as non-profits and advocacy groups advancing climate policy.

Prior to Incite.org, Matt was the co-founder of Nest, where he built the team that created the first machine learning thermostat and the leading brand for the connected home. Before Nest, Matt earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.