Stay in touch with fellow UConn engineering alumni. Visit http://www.engr.uconn.edu/alumni/ and fill us in on your latest activities or learn what your college friends are doing nowadays! Some recent alumni news appears below.
Mike Riddell, ’88, Electrical Engineering
FuelCell Energy announced September 24th Mr. Mike Riddell will be joining FuelCell Energy as Vice President & Chief Engineer. Mike joins FuelCell after a career that includes five years with Gems Sensors of Danaher Corporation where he held a Chief Engineer and key management positions in product development, product validation and new technology realization. Prior to Danaher, Mike held various engineering leadership positions in high volume manufacturing, automation, electronics, and design. Mike graduated from UConn with a BS in Electrical Engineering, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration.
Robert Agnes, ’83, Computer Science
X-Rite, Inc. announced the appointment of Robert Agnes as senior vice president of sales and field marketing overseeing all sales and field marketing activities for the Americas and EMEA regions. He will also be responsible for the company’s global OEM and global digital supply chain organizations, and serve on X-Rite’s senior leadership team. Agnes previously served as managing director Asia Pacific for Lectra Systems, Ltd. Prior to that, he spent 21 years at Tektronix, Inc.
Michael J. McKeon, ’90, Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Michael McKeon has been elected to a two-year term on the Fish & Richardson Management Committee. The committee is responsible for strategic planning, practice development, lawyer and law firm management, organizational structure, financial performance, and overall leadership across the firm’s 11 offices. Mr. McKeon joined Fish in 1997 and has been instrumental in the firm’s growth from 120 attorneys in a few offices to a global firm with more than 350 attorneys and technology specialists. He received his J.D. from George Washington University Law School in 1996.
James Nichols, ‘94 M.S. Environmental Engineering
James Nichols is one of five finalists for the job of City Manager of the City of Amarillo. Mayor Debra McCartt said the finalist were selected from a field of 75 candidates from 19 different states. Mr. Nichols currently serves as Deputy City Manager for the City of Las Vegas. He is responsible for the operating departments of Building and Safety, Field Operations, Fire and Rescue, Planning and Development and Public Works. Prior to Las Vegas, he served as Deputy City Manager of Goodyear, AZ, and prior to that as Director of Public Works for Surprise, AZ, and for Chehalis, WA.
Kevin Nolan, ‘89, Mechanical Engineering
In October, Kevin Nolan, vice president of technology, GE Appliances, was appointed to three-year term on the 15-member National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Smart Grid Advisory Committee (SGAC). Recognized for his leadership in bringing GE’s Home Energy Management technologies to the forefront of the industry, Mr. Nolan will help provide input and direction on smart grid standards, priorities and gaps, as well as the overall status and health of U.S. smart grid implementation.
In Nolan’s 21-year GE career, he has worked in various cross-functional operating roles for GE’s Appliances & Lighting and Industrial businesses. In 2006, GE Chairman Jeffrey Immelt presented Nolin with the “Heroes of Growth” award in recognition of his success in driving growth through innovation. A committed community leader, he also serves on the Board of Advisors for the University of Louisville’s Speed School of Engineering and on the Executive Board of The Louisville Science Center.
Keith Berger, ’93, B.S. Mechanical Engineering; ‘98 M.S. Metallurgy
Atlanta-based Endeavor Telecom has named Keith Berger vice president of operations, responsible for the company’s service provisioning, service delivery, logistics, resource management and project management team. He has 15 years of operations management and holds a Master Black Belt in Six Sigma. He previously was senior director of customer quality at Research in Motion, and also held positions at Nokia, General Electric and Booz & Company. Mr. Berger holds an M.B.A. from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
