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School of Engineering to honor 7 at Distinguished Alumni Award event

August 28, 2017

The University of New Mexico School of Engineering is recognizing the accomplishments of seven of its alumni during its Distinguished Alumni Award event on November 2 at 6 p.m.

The event is being held at the Embassy Suites, 1000 Woodward Place NE, Albuquerque. You can purchase tickets online here. Those interested in sponsorship or ad space opportunities should contact Courtney Holmes at courtg@unm.edu.

The 2017 honorees are:

Subhash Shah, a graduate of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Shah, received a master’s in chemical engineering from UNM in 1971 and went on to earn a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from UNM in 1974. He has 40 years of service in the oil and gas industry and is an emeritus professor of the University of Oklahoma.

George S. Bosiljevac, a graduate of the Department of Civil Engineering. Bosiljevac, is the owner and president of two construction companies, Harwood Engineering Inc. and Structural Services Inc. He earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UNM in 1960 and went on to earn his master’s in civil engineering from UNM in 1966.

Torsten Staab, a graduate of the Department of Computer Science. Staab received a master's degree in computer science from UNM in 1998 and later went on to earn a Ph.D. in computer science from UNM in 2007. Staab has dual roles, working as the chief technology officer for Raytheon Blackbird Technologies Inc. and as a technical director at Raytheon Corporation. Staab has previously won the Distinguished Young Alumni Award.

Ireena Erteza, a graduate of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Erteza earned her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from UNM in 1986 (summa cum laude). She went on to earn her master’s and Ph.D. from Stanford University. Erteza is a distinguished member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories. She is an expert in optics and signal processing.

Kenneth Armijo, a graduate of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Armijo, a native of New Mexico, received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UNM in 2005. Armijo went on to earn a master's degree and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of California - Berkeley and now works at Sandia National Laboratories. The holder of four patents, Armijo's research is in alternative energy technologies and sustainability. 

Joseph A. Sholtis Jr., a graduate of the Department of Nuclear Engineering. Sholtis= received his master’s degree in nuclear engineering from UNM in 1977. He spent 23 years serving in the United States Air Force and retired as a lieutenant colonel. Sholtis is an internationally-recognized expert in the areas of space nuclear systems and has served on 14 NASA missions.

The Young Alumni Award will be presented to Dimitris Anagnostou, a graduate of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Anagnostou received a master's degree in electrical engineering from UNM in 2002 and went on to earn his Ph.D. from UNM in 2005. He is currently an associate professor at the Heriot Watt University, UK. Anagnostou's research is in the area of reconfigurable and tunable antennas.