Every other year the College of Engineering recognizes alumni whose professional and personal achievements bring special honor to the college by awarding the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medal.
2025 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Medalists
John Baum
B.S. '69, Aerospace Science and Engineering | Former Captain and Pilot, United Airlines
John A. Bissell
B.S. '08, Chemical Engineering | Co-Founder & CEO Origin Materials
Linda N. Finley
B.S. '81, Mechanical Engineering | Former Chief of MEGA Projects Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Jeffrey Reed
B.S. '79, Electrical Engineering, '80, M.S., '87, Ph.D. | Willis G. Worcester Professor of ECE, Virginia Tech, Founding Director of Wireless@Virginia Tech, CTO of Commonwealth Cyber Initiative
Rob Tobias
B.S. '86, Electrical Engineering | CEO, HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. (HDMA LA)
Steve Verigin
B.S. '78, Civil Engineering | Senior Vice President and Senior Principal Consultant, GEI Consultants, Inc., Former Deputy Director and Acting Chief Deputy Director, California Department of Water Resources
Jack Yao
B.S. '96, Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering | President & CFO at Applied Engineering
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Judy Chang's award has been deferred to 2027. The College of Engineering is proud of her accomplishments and can't wait to honor her at the 2027 Alumni Celebration.