The Florida Tech Career Hall of Fame

The Spanish native followed in the footsteps of his father who was an aerospace engineer and successful businessman in the aerospace industry, his companies serving as the Spanish representative for U.S. firms such as McDonnell Douglas, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin.

Alvaro was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Captain Williams has accrued an impressive amount of spacewalk time: she spent 50 hours and 40 minutes outside of the International Space Station (ISS); and in completing two missions to the ISS, she has spent over eleven total months orbiting Earth. Back on the ground, Captain Williams has continued her career in the space industry as a member of NASA’s Commercial Crew Transportation Capability, a group of veteran astronauts who work with privately-held companies to develop spacecraft. Her contributions have helped to build the Boeing CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX Dragon. She is among four veteran astronauts chosen by NASA to fly the first commercial space vehicles.

Sunita was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Catharina, a Brevard County native, was appointed by President George W. Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in April of 2008. Prior to taking the federal bench, she served eight years as a Texas state district judge in Dallas. In addition to her judicial service, Judge Haynes spent thirteen years in private practice, including more than five years as a partner and six years as an associate in the trial section of Baker Botts, LLP’s Dallas office.

Judge Haynes was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

For thirty- four years, David was one of the behind-the- scenes people in charge of the exhilarating shows at SeaWorld. He was involved with the development of training techniques for SeaWorld performances, animal/guest interactions, and scientific discoveries. Through his work directing the activities of trainers, curators, veterinarians, and biologists, he provided unparalleled contributions to our understanding of marine mammals and their ocean habitats. These contributions are still relevant today.

Force was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

After a twenty-five- year career with NASA that began in 1983 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Dave played key roles in more than 100 space shuttle missions. His retirement from NASA in 2009 as director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, where he served as center director overseeing 7,000 onsite employees and contractors with a $2.7 billion budget, simply opened the door for new opportunities in space system development and operations in the private sector.

King was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Deborah was a woman driven to succeed. Her childhood love of math and science led her to Florida Tech where she put her passions to good use. It wasn’t until her second year that she realized her interest in engineering. She earned her bachelor of science in ocean engineering in 1974. After graduation, Deb returned home to New Jersey and landed her first job as a civil engineer. From there, her career only blossomed.

Ayars was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Through an active public speaking schedule and community leadership, Duane is changing public perception about the value of ocean and coastal research and conservation. His numerous public presentations and workshops have a central message: “Our oceans and coasts are an engine that drives the economy and quality of life for both Florida and the nation. I’m at home on the water and want to ensure that it continues to sustain lives to come.”

Dr. De Freese was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Using a unique approach to IT security, Dr. Hugh Thompson has been helping organizations build more secure systems for more than a decade. Hugh studied applied mathematics at Florida Tech, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1998, master’s degree in 1999, and doctorate in 2002. Here, he learned the tools that influenced his current philosophy.

Dr. Thompson was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Johnny M. Moore, PhD, remembers when it was time to enter college: the buzz was that computers were going to take over the world, so he chose computer science as his major. After realizing that his major would have him stuck in a computer lab, Moore, a standout athlete, switched his major to math. However, mathematics was an acquired taste, and he didn’t fully appreciate it until he taught the subject in graduate school. 

Dr. Moore was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Jonathan Zung, PhD, knows what it takes to grow professionally. He began his career as an analytical chemist with Pfizer in 1991 and over the last twenty-five years has held a variety of executive leadership positions in the pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical services industries. Each of his roles has exposed Jonathan to new challenges and allowed him to operate outside his comfort zone. Jonathan currently serves as advisor to the CEO of WCG clinical and president of one of their operating divisions. Prior to that he served as group president for clinical development and commercialization services for Covance Drug Development, a LabCorp company. In that role he led a global organization of over 8,000 employees in sixty countries spanning all phases of clinical development and market access services.

Dr. Zung was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

There is a lot in the cloud—just ask Dr. Steven Atkin, chief technology officer and distinguished engineer at IBM. Steven has been working on globalization issues at IBM for over twenty years. He serves to address the challenges developers encounter in their work transitioning to the cloud. In his current role, he is focused on the overall client experience and enabling clients to obtain the skills needed to fully utilize IBM cloud-based products.

Dr. Atkin was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

The most unique places inspire Dr. Sungjin Park. As the president and CEO of The Vine Corporation, he created technology that was inspired by an unlikely source: the bobcat. The Vine Corporation offers “Voice Improvement Neural Engine” software solutions that improve the audio clarity of cell phones and other electronic devices. When Dr. Park learned the bobcat has a keen sense of hearing and the ability to catch very small signals that other animals cannot detect, he went on to develop the “Consonant Restoration” filter. This catches very small consonant signals and restores them in real time. The filter has been patented and licensed to more than fifty million devices.

Dr. Park was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Svafa Grönfeldt, PhD, has built parallel careers in academia and entrepreneurship. A member of a founding team of Alvogen, a global life science company, Svafa serves on the executive team where she has led the company’s organizational development, communication, and strategic planning initiatives from the start. She is also a founding member and chair of the advisory board for SA+P DesignX, an innovation accelerator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and serves as the senior advisor to the dean on entrepreneurship. She is a member of the board of directors for Ossur, a Nasdaq Copenhagen listed orthopedic company, as well as the Florida Tech Board of Trustees and International Advisory Board.

Svafa was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Tino Alavie, PhD, can’t help but create his own business ventures. He has been directly or indirectly responsible for creating, managing, and growing seven technology start-ups in North America and Europe from start to financial exit. Currently, as president and chief executive officer of Qvella Corporation, Dr. Alavie is the driving force behind the innovative research being conducted by the company. Qvella’s mission is to improve septic patient outcomes and save lives.

Dr. Alavie was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Wadad, raised in Brevard County like her sister Catharina, graduated from Florida Tech in 1981. She had her first exposure to military service while participating in Florida Tech’s Army ROTC program two years prior to graduation. Wadad went on to earn her MS and PhD in electrical engineering and applied physics from the University of California, San Diego. She accomplished all of this while working full-time at the U.S. Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific), where she has spent her entire career as a Navy civilian. “Florida Tech provided the rigorous academic program I needed to set the stage for my successful career and my doctorate. I learned leadership skills and discipline that have helped me my whole life,” she said.

Dubbelday was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Davon learned lessons of teamwork and sportsmanship during his time on the basketball courts at Florida Tech. He has since taken these lessons with him into the business world. He shares the lessons he learned on the court in his book, From Courtside to the Boardroom: A Legacy in the Making. Kelly believes in the importance of mentoring the next generation by exposing them to new ideas and experiences. Because of this belief, he founded The 13th Man organization to provide training, mentoring, leadership development, and enrichment activities to equip young men with the necessary tools to move from feelings of inadequacy to being in the “starting lineup.” All proceeds from his book sales are donated to The 13th Man.

Davon was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Elizabeth Webbe Lunny’s passion for marketing and advertising began while she was a student at Florida Tech where her father, Dr. Frank Webbe, is a professor and the former dean of the School of Psychology. Elizabeth cultivated strong relationships with her professors while earning her bachelor’s degree in humanities. She credits her Florida Tech family—Dr. Gordon Patterson, Dr. Rudy Stoeckel, Father Doug Bailey, and others—for giving her the self-confidence that would ultimately catapult her career into the big leagues.

Webbe-Lunny was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Gene is the founder and chief executive of ForensicPathways, Inc. For more than thirty years, he has been involved in the study of organizational culture, governance, and compliance. He is the author of sixteen books and frequently speaks on the topics of effective human resource management, workplace culture, and unethical behavior in the workplace, as well as complex internal investigations. He reminds us, “The truth is only theory until proven otherwise.”

Gene was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

A native of Cyprus, Fahri Diner came to the United States on an academic scholarship to Florida Tech. He earned his bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering and went on to become a modern-day renaissance man, currently holding five patents in the field of fiber optics and wireless communications. Fahri is the founder and CEO of Plume, the inventor of Adaptive Home WiFi. He is also managing director of early-stage venture capital firm Sigma Partners, and the proprietor of Skipstone, an organic and biodynamic winegrowing estate.

Diner was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Fitzgerald “Fidgi” Haig arrived at Florida Tech from his native Haiti in the fall of 1987. Fidgi was part of a new wave of international soccer players recruited to turn the soccer program into championship contenders. He played four seasons for the Panthers, helping to win Florida Tech’s first-ever NCAA National Championship in 1988. During his stellar career he earned all-region, all-state, and all-SCC honors. To this day, he remains fourth in career goals (43) and fifth in career points (105) in the Panthers record book.

Fidgi was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Ann Dunwoody, a fourth-generation Army soldier, grew up understanding what it meant to serve her country. As America’s first female four-star general and former commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, she truly learned that leaders never stop learning, refining, growing, and adapting.

General Dunwoody was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Heflich was attracted to Florida Tech for two reasons: its proximity to the beach and its connection to the space industry. While earning his bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Florida Tech in 1973, Chip worked for NASA at Kennedy Space Center on the Saturn V rocket. Chip especially enjoyed his coursework in solid state physics, and after graduation he decided to leave the space industry to pursue a career designing analog integrated circuits for Texas Instruments (TI). Here, his passion for invention and entrepreneurial spirit thrived.

Heflich was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Huntley A. Lawrence’s love for flying began when he was just a child. After moving from London to Queens, New York, with his family, he attended the aviation program offered at his school and learned firsthand about flight. Lawrence earned his pilot’s license shortly after graduating high school and chose Florida Tech for its aviation program. He received his bachelor of science degree from Florida Tech and went on to earn his MBA from Dowling College. Lawrence is an accredited member of the American Association of Airport Executives.

Lawrence was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

James Wong had a wide range of cultural experiences during his childhood, growing up in the United States, Canada, and Hong Kong. James held various positions as a lawyer on Toyota’s eDiscovery team and as a tax lawyer at Baker and McKenzie, as well as PricewaterhouseCoopers. In 2010, he joined Hon Kwok Land Investment Co. Ltd., where he is currently the executive director. He also serves as executive director for the Chinney Group, which includes four publicly-listed companies in Hong Kong focused on high-tech engineering, construction, trading, investments, and real estate. The businesses range from building an eighty-story Hon Kwok Tower in Shenzhen to installing the air traffic management radar at the Hong Kong Airport. 

James was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Jeff’s career has taken him through many exciting adventures and journeys. Beginning with twenty-one years of service at the United States Central Intelligence Agency, he held positions in the Directorate of Intelligence, the Directorate of Science and Technology, and the National Reconnaissance Office.

Grant was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Jim graduated in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, and his time at Florida Tech had him involved in many student activities. His experiences here, including his technology-based curriculum, presidency of the Student Government Association, and leadership development in his fraternity bolstered an entrepreneurial spirit he describes as “embedded in Panther DNA.” With a keen eye for the next big thing, Jim led a host of fledgling companies across the globe, serving as chief operations officer, chief financial officer, and division president. He steered early-growth companies into successful business operations with value-based cultures. His vision as a business executive helped lead MapQuest through its initial public offering.

Thomas was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Born and raised in Mozambique, Africa, and of Portuguese descent, Jorge is a true global citizen. He has lived and worked in several countries, including Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil, and the United States.

Spending more than forty percent of his time abroad in global leadership roles, Jorge speaks Portuguese, Spanish, and English fluently.

Jorge was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

For most people, the thought of living off $100 for an entire year sounds impossible, but for Joe, this was his reality when he arrived on campus in 1969 with $100 in his pocket. Learning to budget and make ends meet provided a valuable lesson that he has applied throughout his career.

Caruso was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Julian has always loved technology, which is why he was involved in creating FITV, the student-run and operated TV station at Florida Tech. These days, he lends his expertise to many start-up companies. He is a senior advisor working with businesses on their ecommerce strategy and implementation. Currently, Julian is founding chairman of a start-up that is developing solar-powered vehicles and director of an education services business. “My time at Florida Tech when I helped create FITV really planted the seed for my future career. It cultivated my love for technology and my entrepreneurship,” he said.

Field was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Before the Civil Rights Act made equal employment opportunity the law, Julius was making history in 1956 as the first black professional in the U.S. space program. It seems only natural that he would go on to integrate Florida Tech just a few years later.

Montgomery was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Since he was seven years old, Leonard knew he wanted his career to involve the ocean. He earned his associate’s degree in oceanographic technology from Florida Tech in 1971 and his bachelor of science in oceanographic technology in 1973. He began his career on the submersible crew at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute where he supervised the first manned dives on the USS Monitor.

Whitlock was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

It is every scientist’s dream to be the first to discover something. Max’s moment came in 2005 while working at the Space Telescope Science Institute. As he was cleaning and inspecting some Hubble Space Telescope images, two blips on the screen caught his attention. They were faint satellites moving around Pluto in the same direction as Charon, Pluto’s moon that was discovered in 1978. After Max worked with other scientists to verify the discovery, it was officially announced. Later Hubble observations in 2011 and 2012 revealed two more moons of Pluto. Asteroid “6815 Mutchler” was named in honor of Max’s role in these discoveries.

Max was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Mike' career began at the Johnson Space Center as a flight controller in the Mission Operations Directorate in 1995 as a contractor, converting to be a full-time NASA employee in 1998. He was a member of the Space Shuttle Propulsion Systems Group, becoming the Lead of that group in 2001, He also served as the Lead for the Shuttle Electrical Systems Group. In 2005, Mike was selected to become a Flight Director, overseeing mission planning and operations for Space Shuttle missions. He was the lead flight director for the STS-123/ 1JA mission in February 2008.

Mike was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Mike credits Florida Tech and his rowing coach, Bill Jurgens, for helping to develop the leadership skills he’s taken with him throughout his career. His professional endeavors began at Newport News Shipbuilding in 1980 as a nuclear test engineer. Mike spent the first half of his career working on submarines, later moving to aircraft carriers. He has held various positions in engineering, program management, and business development.

Shawcross  was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Rear Admiral White’s passion for oceanography and the Navy began before the age of seven, thanks to the influence of his mother and a Navy diver who lived next door. He earned his bachelor of science in oceanographic technology from Florida Tech and a master’s degree in oceanography and meteorology from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

R. Adm. White was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

King was one of thirteen initial members of the first full-time class to attend Brevard Engineering College, now Florida Tech. He became the first Student Congress President, formed the BEC Student Chapter of the American Institute of Physics and was a charter member of the BEC chapter of Blue Key, a national honor fraternity. King received an associate of science in electrical engineering in 1964 and earned a bachelor of science in physics in 1966. While taking graduate classes at Florida Tech during 1966 and 1967, he taught undergraduate classes in Thermodynamics and Theory of Powered Flight. During Homecoming 2011, King was awarded the Florida Institute of Technology Pioneer Award for leading the way for all of the Florida Tech students who would follow in his footsteps.

Barnard was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

(Born December 8, 1933) Sir Robert F. Marx is one of the pioneer American Scuba divers and is best known for his work with shipwrecks and sunken treasure.

Marx became a diving specialist in the United States Marine Corps in 1953. He has since made over 5,000 dives and has authored over 800 reports/articles and 59 books on history, archaeology, shipwrecks and exploration.

Marx and his wife, Jennifer, live in Indialantic, Florida. They are co-authors of several non-fiction books.

He was a founding member of the Council on Underwater Archaeology and of the Sea Research Society and served on the Society’s Board of Advisors. In 1972, he participated in the creation of the research/professional degree of Doctor of Marine Histories.

Marx was made a Knight-commander of the order of Isabella the Catholic by the Spanish government for his re-enactment in the Nina II of Christopher Columbus’ first voyage of exploration.

Road trips and automobiles are part of Rob Phebus’s DNA. His father did not like to fly, and his mother did not like boats, so family life revolved around the car. Ford vehicles were the transport of choice—the two occasions his family did not drive a Ford are exceptions that left less than favorable impressions.

Phebus was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Scott had a distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force. He was commander of both the 45th Launch Group and the 2nd Space Operations Squadron with the mission of command and control of the GPS satellite constellation, as well as management of the Milstar satellite communications system for the Air Force Space and Missile System Center. Scott joined SpaceX in 2009 where he led the launch safety and mission assurance team charged with launching the first Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.

Henderson was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Terence served as a merchant seaman after World War II, as well as an aircraft and engine mechanic at Kimpo Air Force Base, Korea, until 1952. In 1966, Terence earned a master of science degree in applied mathematics from Florida Institute of Technology. As a graduate student, he developed and taught courses in linear algebra, matrices, and mathematics for managers.

Murdock was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

For Tim Wakefield, Florida Tech was a springboard to his successful baseball career. In 1988, he was drafted in the eighth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates out of Florida Tech as a power-hitting first baseman. The records he set while at Florida Tech still stand.

Wakefield was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

It was his hustle on and off the basketball court that Tom was really known for. After graduating from Florida Tech, Tom worked as an auto broker and caught the attention of some business executives looking to diversify their retail business. These executives were in the beginning stages of creating CarMax, which began as a test concept by the corporate parent of Circuit City. Folliard joined CarMax in 1993 as the company’s very first buyer. CarMax spun off from Circuit City in 2002 during restructuring, and its business boomed. Since then, CarMax Inc. has grown to be the largest used-vehicle retailer.

Tom was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Teachers can have a profound impact on the lives of young people, and the best teachers are those who care deeply and work hard to truly engage students. Tracey Bailey has spent years striving to improve public education. He also served as board member for the Florida Tech Alumni Association in 1994. For Tracey, improving public education requires accountability and a drive for higher student achievement. In 1993, he was recognized as the National Teacher of the Year for the entire United States because of his dedication to improving education for both students and educators. He was selected for this honor out of 2.7 million teachers nationwide.

Tracey was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

What does it take to find your path in the world? According to Vik, it is a simple, four-step process. Currently the chief executive officer of Silicon Valley-based 8x8, Inc., Verma is a frequent speaker who shares how four defining moments in his life have translated into this four-step process: (1) take a chance; (2) give your best, and the results will come; (3) be honest with yourself, and know your limitations; and (4) when you find your calling, go for it, and don’t let go.

Vik was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.

Randy is all about business and baseball. His love for both started at Florida Tech. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business in 1978, and he went on to earn his MBA in 1980. As a four-year letterman in baseball, Muns’s love for the game was evidenced by his generous support for the new baseball field, Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field, and his lead gift that helped Florida Tech reach its fundraising goal to light the baseball field. Randy also serves on Florida Tech’s Board of Trustees. Randy began his career in the aerospace and defense business at Bell Helicopter, TEXTRON, and General Dynamics. He became a principal/partner with Author Young in their special services and technology consulting group.

Muns was featured in Florida Tech’s 60^th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.