Alumni Medal
Jim Albrecht (FE ’53, M.S. ’55) has worked in the food industry for the past 50 years managing research and development, new corporate products, industrial marketing, and international business general management. He has been associated with big-name brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, Nestlé, and McCormick. He is a founding board member of the World Trade Center Institute in Baltimore and is deeply committed to youth education and global issues. At Illinois Tech, Albrecht has a passion for connecting with students, serving as a mentor for them in Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program courses, as well as supporting IPRO faculty and staff.
Albrecht’s memories of his time as an Illinois Tech student include working part time, providing inventory control for the Armour Research Foundation, riding street cars and trains to get to campus from the far North Side of Chicago, and taking a course in theoretical chemistry taught by Dr. Martin Kilpatrick.
Albrecht offers his gratitude to Professor Milton E. Parker, who established the Department of Food Engineering at Illinois Tech, and to Dr. Paul Trace at the University of Illinois, who got him interested in the world of investing at an early age.
Albrecht received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in food engineering from Illinois Tech, his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, and his doctorate from the University of Illinois.
Collens Merit Award
Bob Surrette (LAW ’97) serves as shareholder and president of McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd., where his practice has focused on intellectual property dispute resolution and technology-related disputes since 1998. He was formerly an adjunct professor for Chicago-Kent College of Law from 2009 to 2016. Surrette has served as a trustee on the Illinois Tech Board of Trustees since 2022, as a member of the Chicago-Kent College of Law Board of Advisors since 2015, and as the former president of the Chicago-Kent Alumni Association.
Surrette graduated in 1989 from the University of Massachusetts with a B.S. in mechanical engineering, received his M.B.A. in 1992 and an M.S. in mechanical engineering in 1994 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and earned his juris doctor degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1997. Chicago-Kent awarded Surrette its Distinguished Service Award in 2011, and Illinois Tech awarded Surrette its Professional Achievement Award in 2021. Crain’s Chicago Business named Surrette to its 2021 Notable Gen X Leaders in Accounting, Consulting, and Law.
Galvin Award
Doug Monieson is the chief executive officer of UICO, a Chicago-based manufacturer of rugged industrial touch screens and Beringea portfolio company. Monieson has extensive board experience in governance, nomination, and strategy for profit and non-profit organizations. He is Chairman Emeritus of Hyde Park Angels, one of the country’s largest and most active angel groups where he has invested in more than 60 Midwest startups.
Monieson has served as a trustee on the Illinois Tech Board of Trustees since 2018, playing an active role on the Governance and The Chicago Difference Task Force committees, respectfully, as well as a member of the Boards of Advisors for the Kaplan Institute and Lewis College of Science and Letters. He is also a board member and treasurer of the non-profit Rails to Trails Conservancy.
Monieson earned his bachelor’s in economics from the University of Michigan in 1987 and his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 1989. Doug is an avid cyclist and is very interested in supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Leslie, and has two children, Aaron and Sarie.
International Award of Merit
Douglas Jefferson "Jeff" Hsu (MDM ’12) is the chief innovation officer for Far Eastern Group. Hsu leads innovation initiatives across the group’s companies that are responsible for either modernizing operations or defining new business models. Hsu led the design and building of the award-winning A13 Far Eastern Department Store and coordinated the site inclusion of Taiwan's only Apple Global Flagship Store. He has raised $80 million to help start the Far Eastern Group's Corporate Venture Capital Team, DRIVE Catalyst, for which he is the governance team director. He led his team in developing the proprietary Fleet Safety Management Platform and was granted an "Innovation Endorsement" from Japan's ClassNK Society. Hsu has also served on the board of directors for U-Ming Marine Transport Corporation for 10 years and assumed the role of executive vice president of special operations in October 2017, as well as the role of vice chairman in August 2023. In June 2015, Hsu joined the board of Far EasTone Telecommunications, and in 2020, he was appointed to the board of Yuan-Zhe University.
Hsu received his bachelor's degree in history and political science, as well as his M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame, his master’s degree in design and innovation methods from Illinois Tech, and a LEAD certificate in corporate innovation from Stanford University.
Hsu is deeply honored to receive the prestigious International Merit Award from Illinois Tech. This recognition reflects his journey and highlights the transformative power of Illinois Tech and how grateful he is that the Institute of Design (ID) provided him with the sanctuary and guidance he needed to reset his life.
From the depths of his heart, Hsu expresses his profound gratitude to Dean Anijo Mathew, Marty Thaler, Kim Erwin (M.D.S. DSGN ’94), Tomoko Ichikawa (M.S. DSGN ’88), Larry Keeley, Rachel Dean, Matt Mayfield (DSGN ’91), and all of the ID faculty. As mentors, professors, and friends, they have been the heroes in the story of his life, and he is eternally grateful for their dedication, kindness, and hard work. All of his accomplishments—even meeting his inspiring wife and starting their beautiful family—can be traced back to the opportunities that Illinois Tech and ID gave him in transforming his life while living in Chicago. Hsu would like to acknowledge his parents Douglas Tong Hsu and Mary Morris Hsu, his sisters Tonia Katherine Hsu and Nicole Deshons Hsu, his wife Julianna Pidner Hsu, and his children Julian Grant Hsu and Vienna Pidner Hsu. Their unwavering love and support have been the bedrock of his achievements. Without them, none of this would have been possible.
John J. Schommer Honor I Award
Heather Olson (ARCH ’09) is the principal architect for store design at Target Corporation. In this role, she oversees nearly 2,000 stores nationwide and is in charge of the specifications for all of the stores, both new and remodeled. In 2021, she was recognized as one of the 22 Notable Women in Construction, Architecture, and Engineering by Twin Cities Business. In 2023, Olson was elected as a board member of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Market Leadership Advisory Board. She joined the Illinois Tech Women’s Soccer team in their second year of existence, playing forward and midfield. Olson brought team spirit and commitment and encouraged everyone to play their best, staying positive both on and off the field. She helped inspire involvement and participation across campus by encouraging friends to try out and/or attend games.
As an Illinois Tech student, she was actively involved with the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) and the Camras Scholars Program. Olson received her bachelor's degree in architecture from Illinois Tech and executive M.B.A. from University of St. Thomas. Reflecting on her time at Illinois Tech brings forth cherished memories of late nights in the architecture studio, traveling with the soccer team, and exploring Chicago. She is grateful for many lifelong friends that came from the women's soccer program in particular. Olson thanks Joel Anderson (ARCH ’03) for introducing her to Illinois Tech and continuously encouraging and supporting her career.
Olson would like to acknowledge her family, including her parents David and Kathleen Olson, for their love, support, and guidance, which have been the foundation of her success. Their unwavering belief in her has been a constant source of strength and inspiration. Her brother Kristoffer Olson has exhibited a steadfast belief in her, and his unwavering support has meant the world to Olson. Her son Palmer Olson is not only her greatest joy and motivation, but also a constant companion throughout nearly half of her professional career, as her personal and professional life collided—the day he was born is also the date she became a registered architect. Olson honors the memory of her late husband, Garrett Olson, whose belief in her continues to guide her path.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Ned Masters (LAW ’72) practiced law in the Will County area for over 50 years, rising to Will County State's Attorney and Chief Judge of Will County. He impacted the lives of many Chicago-Kent College of Law students when he established The Masters Family Endowment in 2000 to support externships for students studying labor and employment, an area in which both his daughter and son practiced. To date, more than 100 such externships have been awarded through the Martin H. Malin Institute for Law and the Workplace (ILW). His support of ILW scholars, in particular, has spawned dozens of attorneys representing Chicago-Kent as leaders in unions, law firms, and corporations. In 2005, Masters received a Distinguished Service Award from Chicago-Kent. He also served on the law school’s Board of Advisors from 2004–2018.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Taimoor Khan (ME ’12) is a seasoned professional in sustainable technology, currently serving as the business development manager for carbon neutral products at Komatsu. In this role, he is dedicated to advancing the adoption of electric, fuel cell, and hybrid machines, aligning Komatsu with environmentally conscious practices.
His journey within Komatsu began with a pivotal role as the global manager for regulations, where he played a crucial part in navigating and adhering to industry standards. His comprehensive understanding of regulatory landscapes has been instrumental in shaping Komatsu's strategies for compliance and sustainability. Prior to his regulatory role, Khan honed his skills in design engineering, bringing a hands-on approach to understanding the intricacies of machine development. His proficiency in this area laid the foundation for his subsequent transition into the challenging and dynamic oil and gas industry, where he gained valuable insights and experiences.
As an Illinois Tech student, Khan was part of the Muslim Student Association. A highlight of his time at Illinois Tech was participating in an Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program course led by Dr. Peter Lykos on sustainability. Now, more than 10 years after graduating, he is living that on a daily basis in his current role. Illinois Tech holds a special place in his heart, and to be acknowledged by his alma mater in this manner is incredibly meaningful for Khan. His time at Illinois Tech shaped not only his academic and professional journey, but also instilled in him values of innovation, excellence, and community engagement that continue to guide him today.
Khan received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Illinois Tech in 2012, completed the Leadership and the Project Management certificate programs at Northwestern University, and the Sustainability Strategies certificate program at Stanford University in 2024.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Hiranya Pathak (M.S. EE ’10) is well versed in the field of electrical and power sector working for Primetals Technologies, where he handles the design, and development of power system solutions for the steel industries. Pathak’s professional accomplishments include the conceptualization and design of complete high voltage substation, medium, and low voltage power systems with 500MVA+ installed power capacity to produce 3 million tons of sheet steel annually for one of the largest steel producers in the United States; and leading engineering activities to develop the first-ever 69kV STATCOM for electrical arc furnace solution to meet power quality requirements. Over the years, he has worked and developed the power system solutions for all major steel producers in the United States.
Pathak received his master’s degree in electrical engineering from Illinois Tech and his M.B.A. from Emory University. In 2023, Hiranya Pathak was elected as a Chair for Electrical application technology committee at Association for Iron and Steel (AIST).
Pathak expresses his gratitude to the Illinois Tech Alumni Association and the Alumni Awards Committee for this recognition. He feels humbled and honored to be among the distinguished recipients of the award and the tradition that goes back seven decades. He thanks Illinois Tech’s electrical engineering department professors for instilling in him an attitude to focus on the challenge of the future electrical grid and work towards the development of a solution to prepare the system. He is forever grateful to his parents in which he describes as the wind beneath his wings during his journey. Pathak would like to thank and acknowledge the support of his life partner and Illinois Tech classmate, Ruchi Patel (M.S. EE ‘10), who has been a constant source of support on both a personal and professional level for the past two decades.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Linxin Wen (M.P.A. ’16) is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Chowbus. Chowbus became the leading Asian food delivery app in the United States before evolving into a broader restaurant management software and point of sale business. Since its start in Chicago in 2016, Chowbus has expanded to 27 markets and raised $108.3 million.
Chowbus delivers food from local Asian restaurants. After originally only serving the Chicago market, Chowbus has expanded to serve a long list of U.S. cities as well as Toronto and Vancouver. Along with delivering food from Asian restaurants, Chowbus also provides a grocery pickup service. Wen was named a Crain’s Chicago Business' Notable Rising Stars in Tech (2020) and Chowbus was listed as one of the 7 Best Food Startups in Chicago to Watch in 2024.
Wen has been generous with his time serving as a mentor for Illinois Tech students. He often returns to Illinois Tech to meet with students and to discuss his own path to being a successful entrepreneur.
Professional Achievement Award
Georges C. Benjamin, Ph.D (BIOL ’73) was a founding member—and current executive director—of the American Public Health Association since 2002. He previously served as the secretary of health for the State of Maryland. He was involved with groundbreaking research in sickle cell anemia, Ebola, and COVID-19, as well as responses to chemical and biological attacks. Benjamin is board-certified in internal medicine and a master of the American College of Physicians. He serves as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, a fellow emeritus of the American College of Emergency Physicians, an honorary fellow of the Faculty of Public Health, and an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health. He also served as a distinguished member of the United States Army, including a position as a Captain.
He describes himself as having been a precocious student who knew that he wanted to be a scientist of some kind, but being a physician was not on his radar. While doing research here at Illinois Tech, he realized that he required a better background in the medical sciences to do the kind of molecular genetic research that he wanted to do. Illinois Tech provided the fundamentals and the drive to achieve success in his chosen career of medicine. As a student, he was actively involved with the Naval ROTC, and has many fond memories of his time on campus as a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and in the classroom.
Benjamin received his bachelor's degree in biology from Illinois Tech in 1973. He went on to receive his medical doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1978, and completed his internal medicine residency at Brooke Army Medical Center in 1981.
Benjamin expresses his gratitude for this important recognition. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, he was fortunate to have had engaged parents that valued education. Their support allowed him to prevail in elementary school, high school, and, eventually, at Illinois Tech. Benjamin would like to acknowledge the support of his family including his wife, Yvette Benjamin, and daughters, Stephanie Benjamin and Kali Applegate.
Professional Achievement Award
Robert B. Johnson (CE ’69, M.S. ’71) was licensed as a structural engineer in Illinois and a professional engineer in Indiana and New Jersey working with the Benesch Company. He was involved in the design of over a dozen high-rise buildings, including the award-winning Three Illinois Center, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Center, and the Bloomingdale Building. Johnson has been active with the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois for over 30 years, bringing awareness to the structural engineering profession. He has served as an exhibitor at various expos promoting engineering competitions to students, including Illinois Tech's Annual DuPage Area STEM Expo, and has made several appearances on CAN-TV discussing STEM activities in Chicago.
As an Illinois Tech student, he was actively involved with the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Civil Engineering Honor Society (Chi Epsilon), and the Engineering Honor Society (Tau Beta Pi). Johnson has fond memories of living in the North Hall dormitory (1965–1970) and serving as an assistant resident advisor (South Hall 1969–70, North Hall 1970–71). During that time, he witnessed the completion of a number of buildings on campus.
Johnson offers his thanks to Francis W. Hasse (IE ’50) for steering him to the engineering field and Illinois Tech. He would like to acknowledge his supportive family including his wife, Sharon G. Johnson, children, Alison I. Johnson and Dr. Cheryl Johnson-Robbins, and his granddaughter, Isabelle Johnson-Robbins; as well as thank Frank Avila, former Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Commissioner, for nominating him for this award.
Professional Achievement Award
Frank Naeymi-Rad (Ph.D. CS ’90) is the director of Leap of Faith Technologies, Inc. and the co-founder of Intelligent Medical Objects, Inc. Dr. Naeymi-Rad has over 50 scientific publications, holds 11 patents related to electronic health records and health enterprise informatics, and is a sponsor of the American Medical Informatics Association pitch competition.
His entrepreneurial spirit has led to a new vision of medical informatics embodied by codified semantics and natural language processing to eliminate isolated repositories of information and enable both patients and practitioners to make better use of health information. His thought leadership in clinical informatics led to his nomination for the Oracle Corporation Smithsonian Award in the category of Medicine. He is a member of numerous professional organizations, as well as author and co-author of numerous peer reviewed publications in the field of medical informatics. He was inducted into American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI) in 2018.
Nayemi-Rad received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Illinois State University, master’s degree in computer science from Southern Illinois University, doctorate in computer science from Illinois Tech, and his M.B.A. from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.
Professional Achievement Award
Allen J. Ottens (German ’69) career spanned over 40 years in secondary education, higher education, and counseling/psychotherapy fields as a professor and psychologist. Through his counseling work, Ottens impacted the lives of hundreds of individuals and received numerous accolades for his achievements in the field. He has authored, co-authored, or edited scores of professional papers, books, and journal articles pertaining to counseling or psychotherapy. He is an award-winning author of the biography, General John A. Rawlins: No Ordinary Man and Coping with Romantic Breakup.
As an Illinois Tech student, Ottens was an active member of Triangle Fraternity where he served as secretary and pledge master. He extends his thanks to former Illinois Tech professor, Fritz Richter, for his wisdom and assistance. He would also like to thank his dear friend, Zuhair Suidan (MAE ’68, M.B.A. ’70), for nominating him. Ottens further acknowledges that the support he received from his family including his wife, Amy Ottens, and his late parents, John and Doris Ottens.
Ottens received his bachelor's degree in German from Illinois Tech in 1969 and his master’s degree and doctorate in education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Professional Achievement Award
Anne I. Shaw (LAW ’95) is the founding officer, shareholder, and president of Shaw Legal Services, Ltd., which celebrated its 20-year anniversary in October 2023. Her firm not only continues to handle civil rights cases, but now also provides estate and probate, real estate, commercial, and civil litigation services. While growing her law practice, she also served on numerous non-profit and civic boards, was appointed the first Asian-American commissioner on the Cook County Board of Ethics, and ran highly competitive political races in Chicago in order to continue to serve disenfranchised people and provide justice. Shaw is an award-winning attorney, recognized nationally and locally for her legal work and civic leadership.
As a Chicago-Kent student, Shaw was actively involved with the Moot Court Honor Society, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, and the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association (APALSA). She chose to attend Chicago-Kent College of Law out of many other law schools because it was the most technologically-advanced law school in the nation and also had a very large APALSA chapter, which was unique in the Midwest. She was able to excel at Chicago-Kent despite a very personal tragedy at the start of her law school career when her mother passed away right before her first semester exams. Everyone was kind and welcoming at Illinois Tech, and she also had exposure and opportunities to cutting-edge legal theories being developed for technological and medical science advancements.
Shaw received her bachelor’s degree in marketing from DePaul University and her juris doctor degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Shaw states that she is deeply honored and humbled to be recognized by her alma mater and receive this prestigious award. She expresses her gratitude to Illinois Tech, the alumni association, and to the president for this incredible honor. She would also like to acknowledge her husband, Matt McWhinney, for his support.